Fave Reads | Book Chatter

Vacuum in the Dark
By Jen Beagin
Scribner, January 2020, 240pp.

The Short of It:

This book continually snapped in my face to get my attention. It was unhinged and I kind of loved that about it.

The Rest of It:

Mona cleans houses for a living and she’s seen some things. People who defecate and leave little presents all over their homes for her to find. Soiled sheets (use your imagination). A person can tell a lot about you by the sheets you leave behind. Although she prefers to do her work in an empty house, sometimes her clients show interest or provide additional information to an otherwise confusing personal item.

She knows the bedroom habits of her clients. What’s happening, and what’s not. Her quiet, not adverse reaction to chaos draws people in. Enough so, that clients cross line entering her personal space and become something more. Exactly what, she’s not sure.

Everything has happened to Mona. She’s been raped, more than once but didn’t want to make a big deal of it. She’s been used as a muse for art, exposing her naked body for others to gaze upon and define. She’s had relations with married men and well out in the open. Open relationships should be less confusing. Right?

Although Mona seems to have done it all and doesn’t appear to be the worse for it, she’s suffering from a lack of self-worth and a deep yearning for home, whatever that is. Enter Claire, Mona’s mother who shacked up with some weirdo but has suddenly given up drugs and wants Mona to come for a visit.

Everyone in this novel is flawed beyond belief. They do despicable things and yet, you can’t hate them because of the honest way they just lay it all out. It’s like walking through a door and saying this is who I am, deal with it. Mona and many of these character experience life changing scenarios. Ones that initially confuse but eventually provide clarity.

I’ve been vague about the plot because you have to experience Vacuum in the Dark for yourself. It caught me completely off guard but I loved Beagin’s last book Big Swiss so I dived in.

This was a follow-up to another book but it felt like a standalone.

Read it.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

Enormous Wings
By Laurie Frankel
Henry Holt & Co., May 2026, 304pp.

The Short of It

Funny, sharp, and unexpectedly moving, this novel tackles a deeply divisive issue with both humor and emotional weight.

The Rest of It

At seventy-seven, Pepper Mills is preparing for a new chapter at Vista View, a retirement community in Austin. She still has her health, a devoted family, and plenty of spirit, but even she has started to wonder if it is finally time for a safer, more supportive place to live.

What Pepper never expects is love.

When she meets Timothy, affectionately known as Moth, she finds herself swept into a romance that feels as surprising as it is genuine. After spending decades building a life centered around everyone else, Pepper suddenly has the chance to focus on her own happiness. Her adult children support her. Even her ex-husband, who also lives at Vista View, seems encouraging.

For once, life feels wide open.

Then everything changes.

A sudden curveball forces Pepper into a decision she is absolutely certain about, but one that is illegal in the state of Texas. What follows is both deeply personal and politically charged, especially given the risks her age already places on her. Still, Pepper is not the type to back down quietly. She is bold, funny, stubborn, and more than willing to fight for what she believes is right.

The novel shines in its quieter moments at Vista View, where Pepper’s friendships and late-in-life romance add warmth and humor. But Frankel does not let the story remain light for long. What begins as a charming and witty tale quickly transforms into something far more urgent as themes of women’s rights and bodily autonomy take center stage.

Pepper is an unforgettable protagonist: empathetic, outspoken, vulnerable, and fiercely determined. Frankel balances the sweetness of the romance with the seriousness of the larger issue, creating a story that feels both entertaining and important.

While I wish the ending had taken a slightly different direction, this is still a book I would strongly recommend. Its message is timely, thought-provoking, and impossible to ignore.

Source: Review copy sent to me by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

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