weird era may 2025
:weird era, Books

3 books to read this month: Audition, My Documents, Care and Feeding

by Sruti Islam

Katie Kitamura’s third consecutive banger, the Asian American take on the U.S. response to terrorist attacks and a fascinating peek behind the curtain of foodie culture.

More about new books you should read, and the authors who wrote them, that were recently featured on the Weird Era podcast, by co-hosts Sruti Islam and Alex Nierenhausen.

Audition by Katie Kitamura

No one writes interiority better than Katie Kitamura. Audition is her third novel, and it’s yet another banger. (How many writers can say that? Back-to-back, no misses.) This time, Kitamura takes us inside the mind of an older actress (vaguely defined, but still specified, as is her style). The story begins when this woman meets an unnamed man young enough to be her son. But is he? There’s an undeniable, magnetic connection between them. He seems to need some kind of deep validation, and while this confuses her, she, too, feels something in return. The relationship teeters on the edge of eroticism, yet there’s something familial about it as well. This tension pulls readers into a unique, almost whodunnit-like mystery. But it’s more of a who’s who mystery. Kitamura expertly writes from the perspectives of a wife, a son, a lover, a life partner and of an artist. I couldn’t put the book down. I still don’t have all the answers, but that makes sense — after all, the question of who we really are is one that lingers. (SI)

My Documents by Kevin Nguyen

Years ago, I was fortunate to interview Kevin Nguyen about his debut novel, New Waves, so I was thrilled to speak with him again about his follow-up, My Documents. What’s clearly carried over from then to now is his deep and determined interest in the Asian American experience. His new book, unsettlingly realistic, explores America’s response to a series of terrorist attacks through the perspectives of a diverse group of Asian Americans. Drawing on the infamous Japanese internment camps of the 1940s, Nguyen raises an unsettling question: Is a repeat of this history really that far behind us? Or, in fact, is it already happening? Nguyen tells this story through a series of interconnected Vietnamese characters — cousins who, in reality, feel more like siblings — each with their own identities and flaws. In our conversation, Nguyen and I discuss everything from Google’s bylaws (are they more powerful than the government?) to inner conflict, and even Kanye. (SI)

Care and Feeding by Laurie Woolever

Laurie Woolever’s memoir, Care and Feeding, is a fascinating peek behind the curtain of foodie culture, journalism and excess, and globe-trotting with her through the ’90s and subsequent decades. The author is, of course, best-known for being the assistant to both Mario Batali and the late Anthony Bourdain (or simply Tony, as she calls him). And of course these men make appearances in Care and Feeding, but make no mistake: this is Laurie’s life and Laurie’s story. Readers will no doubt want the full scoop on Bourdain, especially, but as Laurie says herself in our interview, “I already did a book about Tony. So, buy that book and then buy my book.” And believe me, you do want to buy Care and Feeding. Laurie doesn’t shy away from her own flaws, but instead prepares us a deliciously candid offering of her story. No crumbs left from this reader. (AN)

The Weird Era podcast is available via Apple and Spotify. This article was originally published in the April 2025 issue of Cult MTL.

For our latest in Montreal art, please visit the Arts & Life section.

Posted in :weird era, Books

by Sruti Islam

Contributor
Sruti Islam reads. She runs a literary newsletter: Weird Era, partnered by Librairie Saint-Henri Books, while also freelancing in literary and cultural coverage. She is a Libra.