30 / matters magazine / school 2026 Reading with Anu BY ANU MAHADEV Hi Matters Magazine readers! Welcome to the new Book Matters column. I am Anu Mahadev, a Maplewood resident who has lived in the SOMA area for more than 15 years. In this new column, I share selections of books that I have recently read and enjoyed. As much as reading is an outlet, it can also be an education. As a seasoned reader, I invite you to take it slow, experience and savor each line in these books and resist rushing through to the next page or chapter. Because long after you forget the plot, what will stay with you is the beauty and unique expression of the language that these brilliant authors employ to hook the reader. Quality over quantity, always! My picks for this issue are all set in different places and time periods, but the common thread is that of the traditional and modern family, and the search for what it means to be part of one, even as the characters search for their own place in the world. I hope these will prompt you to pick up a copy at the library or the local bookstore. Enjoy! bookmatters Sisters of a Halved Heart by Nayantara Roy Algonquin Books, June 2026 I am partial to books that explore complicated sibling bonds, especially with sisters. I chose exceedingly well. Based entirely in New York, the plot centers on the frac tured relationship between two half-sisters, Mira, a poetry editor at an acclaimed literary magazine, and Joy, a fierce corporate lawyer. It broke my heart to witness their un flagging sibling rivalry, the emotionally treacherous paths that led to an unforgivable betrayal and their begrudg ing efforts to pick up the pieces to mend what was left. It made me cry and plunge into the depths of emptiness and despair. It took me out of myself to root for someone with whom I felt I could exchange bodies. Nayantara Roy must be a poet. This language must belong to someone who can craft intelligently, take you through a maelstrom without resorting to melodrama or the typical cliches, and leave you breathless – as you sink into an impossible situation with no easy escape. While the new-age gurus urge us to cut out people from our lives, Roy wants us to believe that there is another way to live, one that chooses the difficult path, that asks us to sit in the mess and stay and repair, with love and faith. This is not easy for anyone, certainly not the new generation that thinks winning means to cut your losses and run. The wisdom is in knowing that no matter how far you run away, there is no solution waiting at the end of the rainbow. Sometimes staying and persevering for another chance is what gives us strength, cour age and growth – even if it is excruciating in the short-term day to day. Underneath all of it, this is a love story. But then, aren’t they all? In whatever form it takes, isn’t love the one thing worth fighting for? Quiet. From the cover with a horse in a dark starry night, we sense the hush of things slowing down, forcing us to really stop, listen and look to what lies deeper be yond what our eyes show us. Nothing is what it seems. As cynical, experienced readers, every time we think the story is going to go one way, it doesn’t. There is no big reveal or plot twist added in for shock value. This is a beautiful father-daughter story, in the most unexpected manner. There are some people who make a mark on our lives in a Whistler by Ann Patchett HarperCollins Publishers, June 2026 kitchentable.maplewood Kitchen Table Maplewood FALL AFTER- SCHOOL CLASSES AVAILABLE NOW. M A P L E W O O D Kitchen Table is a culinary studio offering chef-led, professional-caliber classes for kids and adults alike. We also host private events and corporate team-building classes throughout the year. Come check us out!
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