Nothing says fall like curling up with a book. OK, apple picking and donuts say fall too, but we’ll stick with the good books.
Looking for your next one? Author Mateo Askaripour stopped by the 3rd Hour of TODAY to provide a few recommendations, ranging from astute sibling sagas to one of the most formally inventive novels of the last decade.
Askaripour’s debut novel “Black Buck” was a Read With Jenna pick in 2021 and became a New York Times bestseller. “Black Buck” is a satire set in the New York start-up world, touching on race, technology, the American dream … and sales. If you read and enjoyed “Black Buck,” check out these books, too.
Read more about his book recommendations below.
'People Person' by Candice Carty-Williams
Candice Carty-Williams’ novel “People Person” explores what it means to be thankful for the people you hold dearest to your heart. The book follows the story of five siblings with the same absentee father, but different mothers: Nikisha, Danny, Lizzie, Dimple, and Prynce. When tragedy hits, the children reconnect for the first time since they were younger.
“People say you can’t choose your family, but what Carty-Williams so accurately illustrates is that, after a certain point, you can. Especially when distance — more emotional than literal in this case —creates a wider gulf for you to cross to reach one another. The thing about Carty-Williams’s work that renders it so piercing is that she is keenly aware of what makes us ticks, and she brings this heightened awareness to all of her characters, resulting in them each being fully-formed and compelling enough for you to invest in them early, while also leaving room for them to share similarities that they may not even be aware of. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll feel immense gratitude for the way that life often brings people together when they need each other most,” Askaripour said.
'Interior Chinatown' by Charles Yu
“Interior Chinatown,” which won the National Book Award for Fiction in 2020, is an inventive exploration of stereotypes in media and how to break out of them. Willis Wu wants to make it in Hollywood — but Hollywood boxes him into roles like “Generic Asian Man” or “Disgraced Son.”
“This book is so smart and so original that you’ll want to read it again and again, which won’t be hard because given its format, it’s a quick read," Askaripour said.
'Token Black Girl' by Danielle Prescod
Fashion and beauty insider Danielle Prescod’s debut memoir “Token Black Girl” unpacks Prescod’s life growing up in the predominantly white city of Westchester to her career in the fashion world. Throughout her memoir Prescod writes about the things she did in an attempt to “fit in.”
“First, this book should and will be taught in schools and universities. The way Danielle deftly discusses internal and external racism is masterful. She’s like a hip university professor who, instead of barraging you with sleep-inducing soliloquies, talks to you as both a human and friend,” Askaripour said. “Second, the way it’s written is incredibly engaging-–moving from personal anecdotes to well-constructed critiques of all forms of media and fashion––that I couldn’t put it down.”
“And lastly, and what speaks to me most loudly, is that Danielle doesn’t shy away from her own flaws and misgivings. In fact, she shines a bright light on them, which takes a particular type of courage that you can’t help but admire. This is a book that doesn’t only reflect our past, but also our present, while giving us the tools to build a better future,” Askaripour added.
'With Your Bad Self' by Kerika Fields
For Askaripour, Kerika Fields' novel “With Your Bad Self” is an emotional knockout. The novel follows the love story of Marie and Benjamin who are torn apart when World War II hits. While Benjamin is away, Marie meets another guy whom she is pressured to marry. Marie has to make the difficult decision of following through with this marriage, or waiting for Benjamin to return.
“With an ear so fine-tuned to the intricacies of language, and a compassionate heart calibrated to the many meanings of longing, Fields reminds us that life, though never perfect, can be a beautiful dance if we only allow ourselves to move with, and not against, it,” Askaripour said.
“If you’re a fan of larger known writers like James Baldwin, or lesser known heavyweights like Ann Petry, you will become enraptured with Fields' prose, which floats from page to page like cigarette smoke during those days when you could smoke indoors (not that I’m complaining!). Like a trusted train conductor, she transports us to 1940s New York and puts us right in the room with Marie and her mother as she’s told she can’t be with the man she loves. We feel her hurt, her pain, and then her power as she charts her own path forward. But, to be clear, this is not only an American story, this is a human story; playing out millions of times a day wherever life is found. I couldn’t love this book more if I tried,” Askaripour said.
'Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm' by Laura Warrell
“Some people think jazz died along with Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, and all of the other greats; as if you can’t walk down a street and still hear the wail of a trumpet. Not true, and this is one of the most appealing aspects of Laura Warrell’s ‘Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm,’” Askaripour said.
Warrell’s novel features Circus Palmer, a jazz musician who loves two things in life: music and women. Circus refuses to be tied down to just one woman but after finding out that the love of his life, Maggie, is pregnant, he runs away. He is already absent in his teenage daughter Koko’s, life.
“This is a novel that has much to say about what happens as our dreams age along with us, and what it means to play the same tune over and over again, or choose to switch it up; to give into the sweet improvisation of life, and discover something new and beautiful, not only for ourselves, but also those we love and who love us,” Askaripour added.
