22 Comments
User's avatar
Natalie McGlocklin's avatar

Strip Tees was a sleeper hit for us millennial girlies that lived on American Apparel! I love a good anti-beach reading list. But confession, I could not finish Penance. The slang teenage dialect made me wanna rip my eyeballs out I'm so sorry to this book - maybe I'm just too old and fogey

Expand full comment
EJ Johnson's avatar

LMAO okay first of all, love that confession, i do feel you, truly. But hopefully there is some overlap in our tastes, some gonna be a smash, some gonna be a pass!!!

Expand full comment
Natalie McGlocklin's avatar

well I basically die for the rest of the list so more smash than pass!!

Expand full comment
James H.'s avatar

jurassic park! deeply in the mood for that…need to grab a copy

Expand full comment
EJ Johnson's avatar

YES! bet u can get it second hand for like a dollar

Expand full comment
Leah Kovach's avatar

The Hot Zone!!!!!!!!! literally had me convinced I was going to be an epidemiologist in 9th grade. LOVE that it made it onto this list so that I can talk about it with other ppl. Also cannot say enough good things about Made For Love (and the HBO verz is a trip if you're into that kind of thing).

Adding Jurassic Park + Aesthetica + Penance to my to-read list ASAP. TY as always for the insight + recs, EJ!!!

Expand full comment
EJ Johnson's avatar

DUDE THE HOT ZONE. I only know this book because when I was v young we had a highschool babysitter who was reading it and told us about it and i was HORRIFIED and enthralled and knew i needed to get my hands on it. So it has really stood the test of time!!!

NEED to watch the HBO show made for love, GREAT reminder. LMK what you think of the ones from this list that you read! THANK YOU for reading, you are the best!!!!

Expand full comment
Sam Jones's avatar

I know we have wildly different tastes, but this list/newsletter was amazing! I added 4 to my Want to Read shelf: Penance, All the Pretty Horses, Strip Tees, and The Hot Zone. You're also 100% correct about Cloud Cuckoo Land.

Expand full comment
EJ Johnson's avatar

Our different tastes are why your compliments mean so much to me!!!! But no we're like yin and yan, opposites that balance each other (with some overlap!!!) All of those are great choices that i think you will love– and Strip Tees is honestly just millenial required reading!!! Need to hear what you think if/when you read any of these!

Expand full comment
Sam Jones's avatar

I will definitely let you know. I just put a hold on Penance. I have to wait a few books to do another non-fiction :)

Expand full comment
Kate johnson's avatar

My selections from your list:

Vagablonde

Aesthetica

The hot zone

Monsters

Striptees

All the pretty horses

Can I handle any of these? What do you think?

Expand full comment
EJ Johnson's avatar

I have almost all of them so ill bring them to you! you can't def can't handle the hot zone 😂 but i think you'd like all the rest– especially strip tees and all the pretty horses!

Expand full comment
Kate johnson's avatar

Ok thanks please bring when you come 💗

Expand full comment
Lily Caraballo's avatar

Monsters sounds really good! I’m getting my hands on that one

Expand full comment
EJ Johnson's avatar

Let me know what you think!!! It's one of those ones that makes me want to reread it

Expand full comment
Geoff Mantooth's avatar

Penance sounds like it’s worth a shot. Thanks

Expand full comment
EJ Johnson's avatar

Would love to hear what you think!

Expand full comment
Eric Johnson's avatar

LOVE all your escape/adventure recs, and cannot say enough about Calypso. I rec Crichton's 1969 "Andromeda Strain" as another escape/beach read - made more relevant by the recent COVID pandemic.

Ordered Penance and awaiting its arrival.....

Expand full comment
EJ Johnson's avatar

I need to read Andromeda strain!!! thats been on the list for a while. Also YAY re Penance– let me know what you think. I thought it was so well done.

Expand full comment
Shelby Cadiz's avatar

Heavy on the Calypso

Expand full comment
EJ Johnson's avatar

HEAVYYYY

Expand full comment
User's avatar
Comment deleted
Jun 12, 2024
Comment deleted
Expand full comment
EJ Johnson's avatar

oooo LOVE which ones are u thinking??? i loved boy parts and penance- super impressed by Eliza Clark’s work and her ability to write such different but still wildly engrossing novels! eager to hear your thoughts on both!

Expand full comment