6. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling (audiobook) The Casual Vacancy is a gritty adult novel that nakedly depicts the impact of class warfare in a tiny parish in England. It's definitely a slow burn book that rewards those who continue reading. Not recommended to Harry Potter or fantasy fans, unless you're also a fan of heavy-handed adult lit (I am). 7. All Roads Lead to Austen: A Yearlong Journey with Jane by Amy Elizabeth Smith Professor Amy Smith takes a year of sabbatical to travel throughout South America and read Jane Austen novels with local book groups along the way. Her purpose is to determine whether South Americans relate to Austen as much or more than Brits and Americans, due to their current cultural similarities and differences with Austen's time. In my mind, it's a strange proposition in the first place and doesn't seem to make much sociological sense, but Smith cites Azar Nafisi's Reading Lolita in Tehran as inspiration, and it's cle...
Life, Books, and SFF