Famesick by Lena Dunham

I’m always going to listen to a memoir read by the author if it’s available. Their tone and emphasis adds a layer that you don’t necessarily get when reading. Dunham’s voice is instantly familiar – her droll delivery matches her character in Girls, a series very much based on Dunham’s own experiences (and I started a re-watch of the series once I finished this book).

There were two elements of this book that I found especially compelling – Dunham’s exploration of gendered medical treatment and the grief over the end of a friendship. These two things become intertwined and as her story unfolds you understand how both also had an impact on every element of her life. Dunham is clearly a terrific writer, her story is interesting and unexpected, and there’s the added bonus of some wonderful name-drops (for example, she became buddies with Nora Ephron and her telling of her interactions with Ephron are so Ephron).

4/5

Switzy by Emma Cline

Occasionally I listen to a book and get to the end and decide it’s one that I need to own a copy of, so that I can read it as well. Switzy is such a book. Essentially it’s a fictional first-person account of dementia. There were so many moments in the book that felt ominous or downright frightening – of course, my understanding of what was happening was very different to that of the main character. Although the story takes place over a handful of days, there is enough remembered history to create a backstory. You might need tissues at hand for the ending.

Cline clearly has intimate knowledge of dementia and how it impacts a person’s senses, thinking and physical wellbeing – there were so many small details that revealed this, such as mixed words and fear of having to walk across wet ground (puddles are frequently perceived as holes). Although I thought the writing was excellent, I suspect that it would be a confronting read for some.

4/5

Tenderness by Rowan Beaird

Great concept (a bunch of people descend on an island for a wedding, and then we discover that the bride has escaped a cult and there may be cult members on the island trying to get her back) but boring, drawn-out execution. Additional sub-plots felt flabby, not interesting. Overall, disappointing (note that I chose this book because I had enjoyed Beaird’s debut, The Divorcées, and this was another appealing cover).

2/5