book review: Fruit Fly by Josh Silver

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 

Thank you Crooked Lane Books for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

Fruit Fly by Josh Silver will easily be knocking a book off to take its place on my top five shelf! I desperately hope this gets adapted for the screen because I was so incredibly invested in these characters. The depth is just remarkable; the authors ability to read people and capture both their inner and outer dialogue is masterfully done.

Mallory seemingly has the perfect curated life - a stately house and a handsome husband. Yet, she's been unable to write another book since her debut novel and fights demons in both her marriage and her mind. On the flip side is Leo, a fellow writer of poetry, who battles addictions and demons of his own. Mallory attempts to claw her way back to the life she wants when she crosses paths with Leo, realizing his personal story is just the plot for her next novel. But, at what cost? And, is his story truly hers to tell?

As we navigate everything that unfolds, it's unclear whether either of them is a reliable narrator. Interjections of diegetic text from both Mallory and Leo provide an even deeper layer of these characters. Ultimately, in their similar lives - if not for money and location - they are both just trying to survive. I was wholly unprepared for the incredible ride of this book - it is a raw, dark, nail-biting, and deeply relatable.

recipe: non-alcoholic Pimm's

I love reading books by international authors. It is not just about learning fun new words or immersing myself in places I have never been. Frequently, my interest is piqued by the food and drinks the characters enjoy. This was exactly the case while reading Awake Awake by Fiona Mozley. 

When the protagonist, Mary, and her friends started drinking something called Pimm's, I immediately turned to Google. I discovered that the Pimm's Cup, or a "fruit cup in a glass," is a popular British summertime staple. Looking at the ingredients -- orange, strawberry, cucumber, lemon, and mint -- it is easy to see why it is so refreshing! It is a signature drink at major events like the Wimbledon Championships, the Chelsea Flower Show, and the Henley Royal Regatta (all events that sound like ones I would want to attend)! 

Interestingly, Pimm's eventually migrated to the Southern US, landing in New Orleans nearly two centuries after its London inception. While it is traditionally made with gin, people also use base spirits like whisky, brandy, rum, vodka, and tequila. Intrigued, I mixed up a non-alcoholic mocktail version at home, and it was absolutely delicious!

Non-alcoholic Pimm's

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

Ice

4 fresh mint leaves cup 

2 orange slices, halved

2 hulled strawberries, quartered

3 slices English cucumber

1 lemon or lime slice

5 ounces sparkling lemonade (I used Aldi sparkling lemonade, but I have heard Schweppes Lemonade is also great for Pimm's)

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 

1 tbsp fresh orange juice (optional)

Instructions:

1) Cut fruit. Use part of the orange to make juice (if using).

2) Add desired amount of ice to glass. Add fruit saving lemon slice for rim of glass. 

3) Fill remainder of glass with sparkling lemonade. Top off with the balsamic vinegar.

4) Stir lightly and add lemon to rim.

Notes:

If using alcohol, it is wonderful to soak the fruit in a pitcher in the fridge for up to 12 hours before serving. You can also do this if you are using a flat lemonade and then adding something sparkling like a ginger ale at the time of serving.

I did not have any ice made. And it was 90 degrees so I figured it would just melt and water down the drink anyway. But, it was still amazing!

book review: Awake Awake by Fiona Mozley

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 

Thank you Algonquin Books for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

Fiona Mozley’s Awake Awake is a timely and uniquely modern literary novel that follows a diverse group of classmates from their school days into their thirties. I was immediately drawn in by this rich cast of characters, who represent a wide spectrum of backgrounds, religions, politics, and life paths. Mozley delivers information through seamless storytelling, making the reader feel like an organic extension of the friend group. 

Alongside this group dynamic, the protagonist, Mary, works through the shifting realities of her own memories. Did her grandfather have a hand in Hitler’s death? Or do she and her brother share similar mental health struggles? These nuanced discussions on mental health are incredibly important. I appreciate how the novel centers this topic, exploring it not just in a clinical setting, but through the support from friends and family as well.

The religious and political themes are woven beautifully and authentically into the plot without feeling forced. Having lived my own formative years in the 2000s and 2010s, I can definitely attest that life isn't siloed from these issues—they really have been a constant background presence in our lives. Mozley perfectly captures the tension between activism and peace, being pro-war, or caring deeply but lacking the agency to act. The last quarter of the book brings these thought-provoking topics to a head, leaving me with several favorite quotes to revisit.

I highly recommend this to anyone who appreciates slow-unfolding, coming-of-age stories. If you also love the extra depth that subtle dialects and British settings bring to a narrative, Fiona Mozley is an author to add to your list. I certainly plan on reading more of her work.