Summary: Holly would like to welcome you to her state! On this stop of their Summer Road Trip Series, Holly and Devin discuss books set in the sunny, lovely California. Whether you’re basking in the glitz and glam of Hollywood in LA, sipping wine in Napa Valley or dancing in the queer energy of San Francisco, this state truly has it all. That applies to books as well - from serial killers to rich people behaving badly to epic romances, Holly and Devin feel like they’d never run out of Cali stories to enjoy.
Topics Discussed:
The Dagger (4:52): Holly discussed Good Rich People by Eliza Jane Brazier, a psychological thriller following Lyla, her husband Graham and his mother Margo as they play “The Game” i.e. inviting people to live in their guesthouse under the pretense of helping them, only to secretly manipulate and destroy their lives. Enter Demi, an unhoused woman who has jumped at the chance to better her own lot in life and will absolutely not go down without a fight. Holly’s key takeaways were:
The sense of place wasn’t a huge part of the book but the story utilized specific aspects of Los Angeles specifically in a way that felt real-to-life and effective. No other city is as well positioned to tell a story like this, contrasting great wealth against great poverty.
This book highlights a huge issue that a lot of the country is facing, and which cities like Los Angeles in particular face: the wealth gap and housing crisis. The contrast of Demi’s life compared to Lyla and Graham’s highlights the callousness and cruelty that can arise from extreme privilege. It questions the morality of the wealthy and the lengths they will go to maintain their status.
Brazier takes on a satirical tone and creates unlikeable characters in Good Rich People; the sharp way Brazier writes in Lyla’s voice, for example, expressing her disdain for the less-than-wealthy, had Holly laughing out loud because it was so gross and so spot-on. The depiction of rich people is extreme and requires some suspension of disbelief; the reader can easily question if very wealthy people are quite this overtly awful and criminal.
The Heart (19:26): Devin discussed The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center, a novel following Emma Wheeler as she gets the chance of a lifetime to collaborate on a romantic comedy film script with the world-famous and award winning Charlie Yeates. Having lived in Houston, TX her entire life caring for her disabled father after a rock climbing accent when she was young, Emma’s leap to LA is in crisis right away when she realizes Charlie didn’t know she was coming and does not want a collaborator. Stuck in his mansion together, can these enemies find common, rom-com ground? Devin’s key takeaways were:
This book had big Hollywood energy; Meryl Streep is featured as well as several fictitious stars and as Charlie takes Emma around the city we as the reader get to experience the glitz, glam, and privilege of the area. There’s heavy industry talk and focus for film and screenwriting which is enjoyable to delve into.
While yes, this is a romance, our protagonists’ journeys center more than anything on their careers. What does aspiration look like when you’ve dealt with so much trauma? How does one advocate for themselves in their career authentically? Emma and Charlie must face each other’s divergent paths as well as their trajectories in order to heal and grow together.
If you’re into trauma porn, this book is for you. Devin struggled a bit with just how many different threads of trauma exist for Emma and Charlie and how the book piles even more on as it goes. It was a bit of a miss here; a little less volume of trauma would have made the core trauma more emotionally gratifying.
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