Rachel Machacek: Recommended Reads of 2011

Rachel Machacek is the author of “The Science of Single: One Woman’s Grand Experiment in Modern Dating, Creating Chemistry, and Finding Love,” the story of Machacek’s year spent trying every mainstream (and not-so-mainstream) method of meeting the right guy. Machacek’s memoir was called “equal parts funny, mortifying and insightful” and she was called “the Bridget Jones of Washington” by Ellen McCarthy in The Washington Post.

Her recommended reads for 2011 include:

“The Weird Sisters” by Eleanor Brown. Such an honest depiction of the nuances of family relationships that can be difficult to write about. I identified so well with each sister and their individual and combined complexities, and I loved how Brown captured perfectly the idea of a family being in it together – like it our not. (Editor’s note: We didn’t ask for GBF author-to-author love, but it’s nice to see.)

“Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins. Who writes like this? The narration is so visual. My memories of it are not words and conversations but rolling images on filmstrip. I took long lunches and stayed up until the wee hours to finish.

“People I Wanted to Be” by Gina Oschner. It’s a book of short stories. I bought it specifically for “The Hurler” about a girl who builds a catapult to launch clutter and then eventually the grief of those around her. There’s a scene when a young girl brings her broken heart to the catapult that’s so heartbreaking and magical and relieving all at once. Each of the stories are like this – stripped-down and raw, but smoothed over with Oschner’s lyrical prose.