McNally Jackson Reading List
For your reading pleasure. McNally Jackson’s Sam MacLaughlin shares his must-read list.
McNally Jackson is our go-to bookstore for art and design books, fiction, culture magazines, literary greats and new classics. We got the lowdown from Sam MacLaughlin, manager of the Williamsburg outpost, on the books to add to your reading list.
A Girl Returned, Donatella Di Pietrantonio
Set against the desolate but stunning landscape of Abruzzo in central Italy, this story explores the bond between mothers, daughters, and siblings, and furthermore, the responsibility and caregiving that comes with the family dynamic. There is good reason this book earned one of Italy’s most prestigious literary prizes.
MacLaughlin says: “Told with awesome intensity, clarity, and delicacy, this is a moving exploration of the pain and beauty of growing up and becoming oneself outside, and sometimes in spite of one’s family.”
Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon James
This New York Times bestselling book is the first novel in Marlon James’s Dark Star trilogy. Within these pages, history, fantasy and mythology interweave as we join the search for a boy who disappeared three years earlier.
MacLaughlin says: “Thrilling fantasy—perfect for anyone missing Game of Thrones (or wishing it had been better written).”
How to do Nothing, Jenny Odell
Your how-to guide for doing nothing. Jenny Odell critiques the forces vying for our attention and offers a path toward a more meaningful understanding of happiness and progress.
MacLaughlin says: “Odell, a critic and visual artist, examines what we pay attention to and why—and how to use that attention more meaningfully.”
Conversations with Friends, Sally Rooney
Sally Rooney has received high praises for her sharp humor and thought-provoking writing. At times messy, at times darkly funny, at times deliciously seductive—this book paints a portrait of two young women on the verge of adulthood.
MacLaughlin says: “If you haven’t read Sally Rooney yet, you should—she lives up to the hype, and her intelligent novels about the affairs of millennials go down easy, like milkshakes.”
Dry Heart, Natalia Ginzburg
“I shot him between the eyes.” So begins this frightening tale that plunges the reader deep into the mind of the narrator immediately after she has murdered her husband. If you’re a fan of white-hot psychological thrillers, this book is for you.
MacLaughlin says: “A tale of cruelty and lust and repulsion and bad marriages, this is a little novella with a lot of emotional heft and complexity.”
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