Although originating in Christian teachings, the “Seven Deadly Sins,” a construct used to depict human frailty has seeped into many other areas of our culture. Temptation and transgression are subjects that recur in all media: from anime to movies to TV series to theatre and of course, books. There is just something about these stories that compels us to engage with them - as entertainment, instruction, or as fodder for philosophical debate. Perhaps these seven specific attributes remain fodder for so many stories due to an unspoken consensus that they are universal, persistent, and (hopefully) avoidable.
For this month celebrating all things spooky, I am focusing this blog on books that use the “Seven Deadly Sins” as a core theme. Perhaps some of these titles will tempt you to explore your darker side this October!
On Our Best Behavior by Elis Loehnen
"...how the Seven Deadly Sins still control and distort our lives and illuminating a path toward a more balanced, spiritually complete way to live." | |
The Seven Deadly Sins by David A. Saloman
"The central argument is that the concept of sin has been integral to the development of Western society, including not only political and religious history but also in extensive aspects of popular culture in the twenty-first century." | |
Sloth | |
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
"A shocking and tender novel about a young woman's efforts to sustain a state of deep hibernation over the course of a year on the Upper East Side of Manhattan." | |
The Handbook to Lazy Parenting by Guy Delisle
"The Handbook to Lazy Parenting is bestselling cartoonist Guy Delisle's final tribute to the frequently hilarious and absurd situations that any parent will find themselves in when raising young children." | |
A Sloth's Guide to Taking it Easy by Sarah Jackson
"It's time to take a step back, relax, and start enjoying the simple pleasures. Jackson has enlisted the help of an expert to guide you along the path to peace: Brian the Sloth." | |
Envy | |
The Jealousy Cure by Robert L. Leahy
"In this compelling book, you'll uncover the evolutionary origins of jealousy, and how and why it's served to help us as a species. You will learn that confronting jealousy in your relationship does not have to be a catastrophe, but can redirect you and your partner to build more trust, acceptance, and connection." | |
The Jealousy Man and Other Stories by Jo Nesbo
"A collection of short stories by the master of mystery and suspense." | |
Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton
"When she meets the beautiful, wealthy, eccentric, and aimless Lavinia Williams, she thinks her dreams of a cosmopolitan existence may be coming true. The more Louise tastes, the more she wants. Could she ever truly be a part of this world?" | |
Gluttony | |
Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich
"The Seven Deadly Sins are pride, greed, lust, envy wrath, sloth and gluttony. That pretty much covers everything that is wicked. Diesel thinks it also pretty much covers everything that’s fun. And Lizzy thinks Diesel and the Seven Deadly Sins cover everything her mother warned her about." | |
Hooked: Food, Free Will, and How the Food Giants Exploit Our Addictions by Michael Moss
"Moss explores the science of addiction and uncovers what the scientific and medical communities--as well as food manufacturers--already know, which is that food can, in some cases, be even more addictive than alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs." | |
Eating to Extinction: The World's Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them by Dan Saladino
"The consolidation of our food has other steep costs, including a lack of resilience in the face of climate change, pests, and parasites. Our food monoculture is a threat to our health--and to the planet." | |
Greed | |
Confidence by Rafael Frumkin
"...the two embark upon what promises to be a fruitful career of scam artistry. But when they try to pull off their biggest scam yet--things start to spin wildly out of control." | |
Shell Game by Sara Paretsky
"As V.I. investigates, the detective soon finds herself tangling with the Russian mob, ISIS backers, and a shady network of stock scams and stolen art..." | |
Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor
"Age of Vice is an epic action-packed story propelled by the seductive wealth, startling corruption, and bloodthirsty violence of the Wadia family--loved by some, loathed by others, feared by all." | |
Pride | |
ake Pride: Why the Deadliest Sin Holds the Secret to Human Success by Jessica Tracy
"A leading psychologist reveals how our most misunderstood emotion--pride--has shaped our minds and our culture, and shows how we can harness its power." | |
Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne
"Pride and Prejudice meets Black-ish in this exciting new rom-com by a debut author." | |
Pride's Spell by Matt Wallace
"The team at Sin du Jour--New York's exclusive caterers-to-the-damned--find themselves up against their toughest challenge yet when they're lured out west to prepare a feast in the most forbidding place in America: Hollywood, where false gods rule supreme." | |
Anger | |
Age of Anger: A History of the Present by Pankaj Mishra
"Explores the origins of the great wave of paranoid hatreds that seem inescapable in our close-knit world—from American “shooters” and ISIS to Trump, Modi, and racism and misogyny on social media." | |
Mom Rage: The Everyday Crisis of Modern Motherhood by Minna Dubin
"A frank, feminist examination of the hidden crisis of rage facing American mothers--and how we can fix it." | |
Sweet Revenge: Passive-Aggressive Desserts for Your Exes & Enemies by Heather Kim
"Get out your heaviest rolling pins, sharpest cleavers, and kill your enemies and exes-- with kindness." | |
Lust | |
Lust & Wonder by Augusten Burroughs
"Examines what it means to be in love, what it means to be in lust, and what it means to be figuring it all out. With Augusten's unique and singular observations and his own unabashed way of detailing both the horrific and the humorous..." | |
Lust by Victoria Christopher Murray
"A novel inspired by the seven deadly sins about a woman caught between an entertainment mogul with a shady past and his childhood friend who is out for revenge." | |
The Obsession by Jesse Q. Sutano
"After freeing her mother from an abusive relationship, Delilah Wong refuses to play a part in Logan's delusional romance -- but how can she convince him to let her go?" | |
Summaries sourced from publishers' marketing materials |
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October's Featured Reviews
Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall | |
Sin Eater by Megan Campisi |
Hop on the Holds List
1. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store - James McBride (Aug.)
2. The Fraud - Zadie Smith (Sept.)
3. The Vaster Wilds - Lauren Groff (Sept.)
4. Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros (Sept.)
5. (NF) Elon Musk - Walter Isaacson (Sept.)
Recent Readings
I have recently finished reading Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb and Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine. I also just finished listening to The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager.
I am currently reading The Bee Sting by Paul Murray and Security by Gina Wohlsdorf. I am halfway through listening to Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl on GPL's Libby app.
Are you fond or fearful of the horror genre? What is the spookiest book you have ever read? Give me all the grisly details! (jnmegan@gpl.org).
Until next time: Be safe, be well, and be well-read!
Joelle
So, who am I, anyway? I am a resident of West Groton, with a husband, 3 children in college (and one at GDRHS) and a Samoyed that keeps my vacuum well-employed. I am currently working part time at the Groton Public Library and in a former life I was a Director or PR/Marketing at a high-tech consulting firm. My BA is in Psychology, but most of my time was spent in college earning a Concentration on the Novel. That is all to say that I make no claims at being an expert of any kind and my thoughts, opinions and mistakes are solely my own. I am just a person whose passion for books has continued to grow from the moment I was first able to grip and gnaw on them. I have been devouring them ever since.
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