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Normalize Bringing Up Quantum Field Theory with Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
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Our favorite scientist, @chanda.prescod.weinstein, is in The Stacks this week. She’s talking about her latest book, THE EDGE OF SPACE-TIME, and why she thinks we all should know about complex scientific theory and how she explains it to lay audiences.
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This episode is live on all podcast platforms. Chanda will be back on May 27th to discuss LONELY CROWDS with us for #thestacksbookclub.
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#thestackspodcast #authorinterview #chandaprescodweinstein #theedgeofspacetime

THE STACKS WEEKLY REVIEW
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POOL HOUSE||MARY H. K. CHOI
A novel about a mother and daughter, Moon and Stevie, who are navigating grief and their codependence in Hollywood. This book took me on a ride; at the start I loved it, in the middle I was ready to get off, and by the end I fully came back around. Choi is one of our great maximalist writers. She shares every detail with her readers, every morsel they eat every item they wear. Most authors cannot pull off this level of excess, but this is where Choi is at her best. However, sometimes just hanging out with these people felt like a chore. They’re all sorta gross and fucked up in a really human way, not that fun glossy commercial fiction way. But, by the end, the pieces fell into place, and the novel starts to give shades of WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF, which is my favorite play about people who behave terribly for their own entertainment. It is awfulness kink. Choi’s characters are icky and they make choices that range from a little off to deeply fucked. This book is not for everyone, but it does do what it set out to do, and what Choi does feels uniquely her. If you like cultural references, sitting with people who are selfish, vibes out the wazoo, and minimal plot, you will like this book.
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POOL HOUSE is out on June 9th and I can't wait to hear the conversations around it. If you want more from me, I wrote about the Pulitzers, Met Gala, and grilled cheese in the newsletter, alongside this review.
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#thestacksreview #bookreview #maryhkchoi #poolhouse

THE STACKS WEEKLY REVIEW
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POOL HOUSE||MARY H. K. CHOI
A novel about a mother and daughter, Moon and Stevie, who are navigating grief and their codependence in Hollywood. This book took me on a ride; at the start I loved it, in the middle I was ready to get off, and by the end I fully came back around. Choi is one of our great maximalist writers. She shares every detail with her readers, every morsel they eat every item they wear. Most authors cannot pull off this level of excess, but this is where Choi is at her best. However, sometimes just hanging out with these people felt like a chore. They’re all sorta gross and fucked up in a really human way, not that fun glossy commercial fiction way. But, by the end, the pieces fell into place, and the novel starts to give shades of WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF, which is my favorite play about people who behave terribly for their own entertainment. It is awfulness kink. Choi’s characters are icky and they make choices that range from a little off to deeply fucked. This book is not for everyone, but it does do what it set out to do, and what Choi does feels uniquely her. If you like cultural references, sitting with people who are selfish, vibes out the wazoo, and minimal plot, you will like this book.
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POOL HOUSE is out on June 9th and I can't wait to hear the conversations around it. If you want more from me, I wrote about the Pulitzers, Met Gala, and grilled cheese in the newsletter, alongside this review.
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#thestacksreview #bookreview #maryhkchoi #poolhouse

LAST•NOW•NEXT
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Have I turned into a fiction girly?!? The answer is sorta yes, and also, sorta no. I am reading these books for real but, I’m also hiding my nonfiction reads from you because it’s mostly been for the Nonfiction Reading Guide (out May 22) and I want to surprise you.
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POOL HOUSE by @choitotheworld is out June 9 and is a mother daughter story about people who are deeply human and deeply ick and hard to turn away from.
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HONEY by @_imani_thompson_ had me rapt. It’s a revenge serial killer novel set in academia and it’s a blast so far.
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LONELY CROWDS by @stephanienjeriwambugu is our May book club pick and I can’t wait to get to this friendship novel. It’s already polarizing among The Stacks Pack
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What’re you reading this weekend?

My favorite thing about talking to @chanda.prescod.weinstein is that she always gives me permission to not know. It’s called science! Ever heard of it?
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Get more brilliance from Chanda and hear about her new book THE EDGE OF SPACE-TIME on this week’s episode of The Stacks.
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#thestackspodcast #chandaprescodweinstein #theedgeofspacetime

The book mail gods are smiling down on me.
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I am neck deep in Nonfiction Reading Guide reads right now (the guide drops 5.22) but as soon as I’m done, here’s where you can find me. Also, do I love a book about a man that has his hands under his chin? I guess I do.
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What’re you reading these days? What’re you looking forward to?

New month. New Books. New Longlist.
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Here are the 20 books out in May I am keeping my eye on. For my absolute priority reading list head to my Substack and peep the shortlist.
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Save this post so you don’t forget what’s coming. Every book I’m looking forward to for the rest of the year is up on my @bookshop_org #teampreorder page.
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Now it’s your turn, which May releases are you most looking forward to?
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#thestackslonglist #thestacks #maybooks #mostanticipatedbooks

Should @mobrowne and I take this bit on the road?
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Catch our full discussion of ROOM SWEPT HOME by @remicawriter it’s live now. This poetry month #thestacksbookclub episode is not to be missed.

THE STACKS WEEKLY REVIEWS
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DEKONSTRUCTING THE KARDASHIANS||MJ COREY
A look at the Kardashian family through a postmodern lens and with the context of media theory and philosophy. I appreciated what the author was trying to do here, the book offers a lot of great concepts to contextualize the Kardashians, however the format did not serve the book. While the content was strong, the organization was confusing. A stronger editor might have been able to clarify the arguments. Corey is a good writer, and the ideas are all there, but the way it all comes to together made the book feel long and disjointed.
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IF THIS BE MAGIC||DANIEL HAHN
Was ever reader in this humor wooed? Was ever reader in this humor won?
A book about translating Shakespeare into other languages is so extremely nerdy and niche, and couldn’t be more my shit. I would not recommend this book to everyone, but if you want to go on a deep, deep dive into the minutiae of translations, this book is incredible. It takes into account the question of fidelity in translations by asking back fidelity to what? The verse? The meaning? The pun? There were times where I felt like this book maybe was a bit too long, and got a bit too in the weeds, but mostly I was enraptured and couldn’t stop sharing tidbits from it with my nerdiest friends.
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Has anyone read either of these? Can someone please come nerd out on the Shakespeare one with me?
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Full reviews, thoughts on hating books, and some cake recipes are all part of today's newsletter.
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#thestacksreviews #bookreviews #dekonstructingthekardashians #ifthisbemagic

THE STACKS WEEKLY REVIEWS
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DEKONSTRUCTING THE KARDASHIANS||MJ COREY
A look at the Kardashian family through a postmodern lens and with the context of media theory and philosophy. I appreciated what the author was trying to do here, the book offers a lot of great concepts to contextualize the Kardashians, however the format did not serve the book. While the content was strong, the organization was confusing. A stronger editor might have been able to clarify the arguments. Corey is a good writer, and the ideas are all there, but the way it all comes to together made the book feel long and disjointed.
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IF THIS BE MAGIC||DANIEL HAHN
Was ever reader in this humor wooed? Was ever reader in this humor won?
A book about translating Shakespeare into other languages is so extremely nerdy and niche, and couldn’t be more my shit. I would not recommend this book to everyone, but if you want to go on a deep, deep dive into the minutiae of translations, this book is incredible. It takes into account the question of fidelity in translations by asking back fidelity to what? The verse? The meaning? The pun? There were times where I felt like this book maybe was a bit too long, and got a bit too in the weeds, but mostly I was enraptured and couldn’t stop sharing tidbits from it with my nerdiest friends.
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Has anyone read either of these? Can someone please come nerd out on the Shakespeare one with me?
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Full reviews, thoughts on hating books, and some cake recipes are all part of today's newsletter.
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#thestacksreviews #bookreviews #dekonstructingthekardashians #ifthisbemagic

APRIL READING-WRAP UP
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Here are the 10 books I read this month. I ranked them for you in mini-podcast form on Substack -- and ranted about one for way too long. Here they are for you in no order, swipe to see my faves. Books with an * mean we did a podcast episode on them.
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Charlotte's Web by E. B. White (middle grade novel)
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Don't Tell Me How It Ends by Adrienne Thurman 🎧(romance)*
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The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White 🎧 (middle grade novel)
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Maya and the Robot by Eve L. Ewing 🎧 (middle grade novel)
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Dekonstructing the Kardashians by MJ Corey 🎧(nonfiction)
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Another Word for Love by Carvell Wallace 🎧(memoir)
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Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (fiction)
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I Lived to Tell the Story by Tamika D. Mallory 🎧 (memoir)
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Upward Bound by Woody Brown 🎧 (fiction)
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Room Swept Home by Remica Bingham-Risher (poetry)*
#thestacksbookclub April
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What was your favorite thing you read in April? What about your least?
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#aprilwrapup #thestackspodcast #readingwrapup

APRIL READING-WRAP UP
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Here are the 10 books I read this month. I ranked them for you in mini-podcast form on Substack -- and ranted about one for way too long. Here they are for you in no order, swipe to see my faves. Books with an * mean we did a podcast episode on them.
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Charlotte's Web by E. B. White (middle grade novel)
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Don't Tell Me How It Ends by Adrienne Thurman 🎧(romance)*
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The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White 🎧 (middle grade novel)
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Maya and the Robot by Eve L. Ewing 🎧 (middle grade novel)
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Dekonstructing the Kardashians by MJ Corey 🎧(nonfiction)
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Another Word for Love by Carvell Wallace 🎧(memoir)
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Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (fiction)
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I Lived to Tell the Story by Tamika D. Mallory 🎧 (memoir)
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Upward Bound by Woody Brown 🎧 (fiction)
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Room Swept Home by Remica Bingham-Risher (poetry)*
#thestacksbookclub April
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What was your favorite thing you read in April? What about your least?
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#aprilwrapup #thestackspodcast #readingwrapup

APRIL READING-WRAP UP
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Here are the 10 books I read this month. I ranked them for you in mini-podcast form on Substack -- and ranted about one for way too long. Here they are for you in no order, swipe to see my faves. Books with an * mean we did a podcast episode on them.
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Charlotte's Web by E. B. White (middle grade novel)
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Don't Tell Me How It Ends by Adrienne Thurman 🎧(romance)*
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The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White 🎧 (middle grade novel)
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Maya and the Robot by Eve L. Ewing 🎧 (middle grade novel)
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Dekonstructing the Kardashians by MJ Corey 🎧(nonfiction)
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Another Word for Love by Carvell Wallace 🎧(memoir)
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Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (fiction)
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I Lived to Tell the Story by Tamika D. Mallory 🎧 (memoir)
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Upward Bound by Woody Brown 🎧 (fiction)
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Room Swept Home by Remica Bingham-Risher (poetry)*
#thestacksbookclub April
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What was your favorite thing you read in April? What about your least?
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#aprilwrapup #thestackspodcast #readingwrapup

MAY BOOK CLUB PICK
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A debut novel about friendship, the 1990’s, and NYC’s art world? That’s right, our May book club pick is Stephanie Wambugu’s LONELY CROWDS. This novel is polarizing, and brings up issues of ambition, intimacy, and the evolution of our connections. The book made The Stacks list of best books of 2025, and I’m thrilled we’re all going to read it together.
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Who is reading with us?
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We’ll be discussing LONELY CROWDS on the podcast on Wednesday May 27, and virtual book club is on June 2nd. Find out our guest for this episode by listening to the podcast next Wednesday. Get 10% off your book when you order from @reparations.club and use the code STACKS10.
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#thestacksbookclub #lonelycrowds #stephaniewambugu

It’s $5 Friday aka the first Friday of the month when we all donate $5 to an organization. A simple way to kick off the month by doing a small good thing!
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we’re donating to @thelovelandfoundation. They’re an organization that helps Black women and nonbinary people get access to quality mental health care.
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As is the case every $5 Friday:
You can give more or less.
No matter what you give, please spread the word on socials and with your people IRL.
Link to donate in bio and stories.
Thank you for being part of this community and showing up for others in ways large and small.
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#fivedollarfriday #thelovelandfoundation #mentalhealthawarenessmonth

Here are the three bookish things I have been thinking a lot about this week.
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1. No one tells you when you make books your job that you'll never have time to read.
2. Why are there so many first person novels these days? Has anyone else noticed this? What is going on?
3. How are there so many good sounding books (coming) out this year, and when will I have time to read them all?
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Please feel free to talk to me about any and all of these things. Especially number 2.
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#thestackspodast #newbooks #bookthoughts