Our new segment: Books You Should Be Talking About!
In this blog post, you’ll be hearing from our board member (and incredibly talented author) Ilona Bannister, about our brand-new segment - Books You Should Be Talking about!
What is Books You Should Be Talking About?
Well, every month I will do a short interview with a writer or a book lover who will recommend a book that we all should be talking about!
We'll be talking about books and writers which you may or may not be familiar with, but that we are certain you will love discovering.
Why does this new segment excite you?
One of the things I love about The Feminist Book Club is how supportive it is of women, LGBTQ+, and non-binary writers and of feminist writing. Writers rely on curious, avid readers to find their work and The Feminist Book Club is a great forum for putting new books by diverse authors on everyone's radar.
Can you tell us the first pick?
Our first book, in celebration of Pride this June, Is Disappoint Me, by Nicola Dinan.
Tell us more about the story!
It's the story of Max, a trans woman, and her relationship with Vincent. Max is a published poet and a disenchanted lawyer. This book is a fantastic portrait of that time of life when everyone around you seems to be getting married or having kids, and moving forward in those ways, and the feeling you get when you're not sure if you're falling behind or leading a life down a different path.
Dinan shows us these milestones through Max's perspective and understanding their layered meaning for her as a trans woman. Dinan is amazing at funny, witty dialogue, and Disappoint Me is at turns very funny, and very poignant and heartbreaking. It's a fabulous read or listen in audio.
I hope you enjoy this month's pick, and I'm looking forward to introducing you to my guest next month!
Ilona x
Here’s more about Ilona:
Ilona Bannister was a dual qualified US attorney and UK immigration solicitor before she started writing fiction. Her first novel, When I Ran Away, was developed on Faber Academy’s Work in Progress course.
Ilona’s experiences as a mother, lawyer, and an American transplant in Britain are reflected in her novels. Although she will always be a New Yorker at heart, Ilona’s is currently living by the seaside in Brighton. Find out more about her on her website here.
