Read With Us: Agatha of Little Neon

A couple of weeks ago, Bonny and Carole and I announced our next Read With Us selection . . . Agatha of Little Neon by Claire Luchette. At the time, we made a few jokes about "being on a nun kick" (since our last selection was Matrix by Lauren Groff). I can assure you, we are NOT on a "nun kick," actually. This selection just seemed . . . to be a natural follow up.

Really, it's my fault. I had picked up Agatha of Little Neon just at the new year, having heard about it . . . somewhere (I really can't remember where), and I was reading it at the same time we were beginning to plan for our Matrix book discussion. My mind was full of nuns . . . the 12th century nuns populating Lauren Groff's Matrix AND the young, modern-day sisters of Little Neon. So much was different. And so much was . . . not. I thought it might be interesting - and kind of fun in that nerdy-bookish kind of way - to follow up Matrix . . . with Agatha.

The writing styles are completely different. The worlds these nuns inhabit are entirely different. The situations the nuns find themselves in are totally different. And yet . . . there are some things that just never seem to change over the centuries. So. There you have it. Another book about nuns!

I do hope you'll Read With Us!

• For a quick summary of the book, here's a good one from Powell's Books. They chose Agatha of Little Neon as their weekly "spotlight pick" back in August.
• For a more in-depth comparison between Matrix and Agatha of Little Neon, check out this review (which is from America: The Jesuit Review, a publication I wasn't previously aware of - and would never have expected to appear in my blog - yet here we are). (It's refreshing to see that we aren't the only ones making a link between the two books!)
• Lastly, here's a charming NPR interview with author Claire Luchette. It's a short interview (8 minutes), and if you give it a listen, I think you'll be even more tempted to pick up a copy and Read With Us. (By the way, Agatha is Claire Luchette's debut novel.)

The book is currently available on Amazon in hardback ($19.87), paperback ($17.00), Kindle ($13.99) or Audible versions (1 credit). I imagine your local bookstore (should you be fortunate enough to have one) would offer the book at similar prices. The book is currently not available at my library; maybe you'll have better luck at yours. (I listened to the audiobook version this go 'round and really enjoyed listening.)

Our Read With Us book discussion day will be coming up on Tuesday, March 15. Bonny, Carole, and I will each post a discussion question (or two or three) on our blogs that day, and then - later in the evening (7:00 pm Eastern time zone) - we'll be hosting a live book discussion/meet-up on Zoom. Although there will probably be some compare-and-contrast going on for those who read both Matrix and Agatha, it will not be the sole focus of the discussion! Please feel free to just read Agatha.

C'mon along! 
Read With Us!

 

 

Comments

[Vera]

I finished Agatha and really, really liked it. Not a slog for me as Matrix was. I'm looking forward to our discussion!

[Carole]

I have been enjoying reading this and I expect to finish today. A nun kick indeed!

[kim in oregon]

I finished it and liked it and much of it still sticks with me. And she's a sister, not a nun (I learned that in the book!!)

[kathy b]

my daughter 1oved the book !

[Bonny]

I look forward to checking out those links, especially the NPR interview with the author. While I appreciated Matrix and Lauren Hoff's gorgeous prose, I really enjoyed reading Agatha. I look forward to discussing the book and doing a little compare/contrast between the nuns!

[Debbie]

The article in America is how I found out about Agatha. I enjoyed both books and look forward to our discussion in March!

[kat]

I got the notification that Agatha was available for pick up at my library! I will be heading there tomorrow to get it!

And thank you so much for the links... I love to get a little intro before I start reading!

[Sarah]

I think my library did have a copy, but it was a months-long wait, so I ended up buying the Kindle version. I think this will be a fun discussion. I liked these nuns and found them to be very amusing, though I didn't find them as compelling as Marie and her nuns.

[Karel]

I found a copy through MeLCat and will start it tonight. Not sure if I'll join the discussion, but I did love getting the recommendation: thanks!

[Kim in Oregon]

Marked the date down on my calendar!