Writers & Lovers by Lily King

I received a copy of this novel from
the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The book (the backstory)
I requested this title in the fall and received my ARC in December, but my reading life went haywire in January. The American Dirt controversy consumed me and I was tired of seeing all the same mainstream, mega-media marketed books in my feed. I was tired of working so hard to share thoughtful reviews of books I loved only to receive a couple of likes and no interaction. In short, I had bookstagram burnout. Then I saw that “Writers & Lovers” had been chosen as a BOTM selection and about a dozen book clubs announced it as their next selection, making me not want to read it. But, I forced myself to start it since I had requested it and then…

The book (my mini review)
I loved it. Not a “scream from the rooftops” kind of love but a “this feeds my soul” sort of love. Lily King authentically describes the chasm of female early adulthood in ways I don’t read about often. When other writers are giving us 30-year-old women, we get domestic thrillers or stories about family life. Lily King gives us creative Casey Peabody, a writer working on her first novel. She’s deeply in debt, navigating dating, working at a soul-crushing job, and grieving the unexpected death of her mother. I definitely recommend Writers & Lovers to everyone, especially if you love books about books/writers/creatives. Lovers of “Sweetbitter” and “The Last Book Party” will probably also like this book.