Last month Team R29 jumped headfirst into a range of exciting reads including Anonymous Sex by Hillary Jordan and Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, which R29 entertainment editor Maybelle Morgan described as a “uniquely horny” collection of short stories exploring desire and sensuality. The theme of self-discovery also appeared in Maps of our Spectacular Bodies by Maddie Mortimer, which was described as a “symphonic journey through one woman’s body”.
This month we’re switching gears with a series of pop culture-inspired stories, a spine-tingling tale of science and spirituality, and much, much more.
To take a look at everything we’re reading this May, click through the slideshow ahead…
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Book: The Premonitions Bureau by Sam Knight
Why? Remember that Nic Cage film Knowing, about a kid who discovers a string of numbers that appear to predict major catastrophes? Well, that was made up (and silly). This is real. The Premonitions Bureau tells the fascinating story of British psychiatrist John Barker who in 1966 set up a network of hundreds of correspondents to investigate those strange, tingling sensations of foreboding that we all get from time to time – y’know, that feeling that your doorbell is about to ring and suddenly – ding dong! – it’s your mother. Among Barker’s network were two ‘percipients’ who predicted plane crashes, assassinations and international incidents with unnerving accuracy. What happened when they came to Barker with the most terrifying premonition of all: that he was about to die?
Sam Knight The Premonitions Bureau, $, available at Faber
Book: Into Every Generation a Slayer Is Born: How Buffy Staked Our Hearts by Evan Ross Katz
Why? As a huge Buffy fan I’ve been excited about this book ever since it was announced. Featuring interviews with cast members Sarah Michelle Gellar, Anthony Stewart Head, Nicholas Brendon, James Marsters and Charisma Carpenter, and Buffy superfans Stacey Abrams and Cynthia Erivo, it’s part oral history, part deep-dive into a cultural phenomenon and part fandom memoir. I’m most excited to see how Evan Ross Katz – “the world’s preeminent Sarah Michelle Gellar historian” – examines the show in light of recent accusations against its creator, Joss Whedon. How does a so-deemed ‘feminist masterpiece’ stand up to what was happening on- and off-screen? And how does a fandom – many of whom grew up with Buffy or found solace in it during lockdown – reconcile?
Evan Ross Katz Into Every Generation a Slayer is Born, $, available at Waterstones
Book: Either/Or by Elif Batuman
Why? While I will also be devouring Julia Serano’s next book this month, it’s been a while since I picked up some contemporary fiction that made me chuckle so I’m very excited to delve into Batuman’s latest release. It’s been dubbed “the older and sexier sequel to The Idiot“, which is exactly how I hope to be described at every subsequent birthday I have.
Elif Batuman Either/Or, $, available at bookshop.org
Book: Tenants: The People on the Frontline of Britain’s Housing Emergency by Vicky Spratt
Why? I may be slightly biased but I can assure you that R29 features editor Vicky Spratt is one of the best equipped people to wade into this country’s housing crisis. From covering the gender rent gap to offering advice on how to get a rent reduction, Vicky’s longtime commitment to highlighting the deep-rooted issues at the core of Britain’s housing policy is clear for all to see. Her debut book is a natural accompaniment to this rigorous reporting, delving into the murky waters of Britain’s private rental sector and its profiteering landlords. Illuminating the dire living conditions of so many, it’s easy to assume that Tenants will be a heavy read but its radical plan for rectifying a broken system will leave you feeling hopeful for the future.
Vicky Spratt Tenants, $, available at bookshop.org
Book: A Vast, Pointless Gyration of Radioactive Rocks and Gas in Which You Happen to Occur by A24
Why? Yes, it’s a mouthful. It’s basically the A24 accompaniment book to the masterpiece which is Everything Everywhere All At Once, which I haven’t stopped thinking about every waking second since I left the cinema. It includes parts of the script – which is a TRIP – and also features multiverse theories and stories by writers, scientists and illustrators. My hairs were genuinely on end as I went through the book. I think it’s so rare that something you can hold in your hands truly pushes the boundaries of mind and space.
Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert A Vast, Pointless Gyration of Radioactive Rocks…, $, available at A24 Shop
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