\n<\/p>\n
This is an edition of the Books Briefing, our editors\u2019 weekly guide to the best in books.<\/em><\/p>\n When I tell people about the new novel I just finished, the first thing they ask is whether it\u2019s sexy. The question is understandable: The book, SenLinYu\u2019s Alchemised<\/em>, is a romance novel adapted from the author\u2019s own Harry Potter<\/em> fan fiction, and both genres are known for featuring sex\u2014leading to the common assumption that their readers are seeking explicit scenes. But Alchemised<\/em> is not particularly erotic. Its source material, a story called \u201cManacled,\u201d imagined Harry\u2019s friend Hermione and his enemy Draco as lovers on opposite sides of a war, but both the fanfic and Alchemised<\/em> are more about war than love. The core relationship is invisible for nearly a third of the novel\u2019s 1,000-odd pages, and even the \u201chappily ever after\u201d comes with lots and lots of caveats. (The characters remain marked by harrowing earlier events; in addition to Harry Potter<\/em>, the original fan fiction took inspiration from The Handmaid\u2019s Tale<\/em>.) Alchemised <\/em>is more accurately described as a dark fantasy, one that\u2019s primarily interested in the ways terrible conditions can challenge one\u2019s sense of morality.<\/p>\n First, here are four new stories from The Atlantic<\/em>\u2019s Books section:<\/p>\n Despite genre complications, just a couple of weeks after Alchemised<\/em>\u2019s release, the book is breaking records: It has become the fastest-selling adult debut novel of the past two decades, selling 300,000 copies in its first week alone. That a romance novel is selling well even as it breaks some of the genre\u2019s conventions should not be a surprise. As Rebecca Ackermann wrote earlier this week in The Atlantic<\/em>, romance has \u201cdominated\u201d publishing recently, in part because of how flexible the category can be. \u201cRomantasy\u201d and \u201cdark romance\u201d in particular are popular, and Alchemised<\/em> generally falls into both. Another key to the genre\u2019s success, Ackermann writes, is the dynamic between the fans and writers that fuels romance\u2019s tight-knit, highly engaged scene. Authors tend to interact with their fans and fellow fiction lovers, even after they\u2019ve become prominent. \u201cRomancelandia in particular,\u201d Ackermann writes, \u201cprides itself on being a community of equals.\u201d<\/p>\n Because \u201cManacled,\u201d first published serially on the fan-fiction site Archive of Our Own, already had a huge following, SenLinYu benefited from a built-in audience\u2014one that crosses over substantially with Romancelandia, and helped build buzz long before the physical copy\u2019s release. Many of the story\u2019s devotees showed up to support the author\u2019s new book, and although SenLinYu\u2019s achievements in traditional publishing could theoretically allow them to leave their internet community behind, they continue to interact with fans there. This week, for instance, they posted a video of all the fan art that\u2019s been popping up for Alchemised<\/em>.<\/p>\n I suspect, though, that Alchemised<\/em> will soon travel far beyond its primary audience. The world of Harry Potter<\/em> is gone; in its place, SenLinYu has created a vivid new universe. Learning the new rules made the first part of the book somewhat tedious, and I frequently craved a glossary. But soon, Alchemised<\/em> made me remember what makes reading good fantasy so enjoyable. It immerses readers in a fantastical land, but its characters face very real, very human problems: how to have faith when everything seems to be going wrong, how to live according to one\u2019s values when the people in charge seem to have none. Most important, its main characters must learn how to love themselves unconditionally so that, one day, they can accept unconditional love from someone else.<\/p>\n Illustration by Hannah Robinson<\/p>\n The Publishing Industry\u2019s Most Swoon-Worthy Genre<\/strong><\/p>\n By Rebecca Ackermann<\/p>\n Tight-knit but open-armed fans have made romance an especially hot commodity.<\/p>\n Read the full article.<\/p>\n I Can Give You Anything but Love<\/em>, by Gary Indiana<\/strong><\/p>\n I first read Indiana\u2019s 2015 memoir when I was assigned to write about an odd film\u2014part performance-art piece, part proto-reality-television show\u2014called The Continuing Story of Carel and Ferd<\/em>. The only person I recognized on-screen was Indiana, and his brief scenes as one of Ferd\u2019s lovers contained what I already adored about his writing\u2014the wry approach to melodrama; the cutting sincerity. I soon discovered that Ferd Eggan is something of a main character in Indiana\u2019s own life story. Eggan, who died in 2007, was an activist who had a pivotal relationship with Indiana; their early sexual affair became a lifelong friendship. In Love<\/em>, Ferd is always there: The underlying tensions of their attachment are still unrealized; they\u2019re responsible for each other\u2019s happiness, but struggle to meet each other\u2019s needs. Indiana writes beautifully about idealizing, then recognizing, Eggan, a person who held on to his heart for a long time. Indiana\u2019s prose adds up to a completely unsentimental yet totally romantic approach to sex, affection, and the maddening prospect of being deprived of all of the above. \u2014 Haley Mlotek<\/em><\/p>\n From our list: Seven books that capture how love really feels<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcda Joyride<\/em>, by Susan Orlean<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcda Minor Black Figures<\/em>, by Brandon Taylor<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcda Next of Kin<\/em>, by Gabrielle Hamilton<\/p>\n Illustration by The Atlantic. Sources: artisteer \/ Getty; MirageC \/ Getty.<\/p>\n Something Weird Is Happening With Halloween Chocolate<\/strong><\/p>\n By Yasmin Tayag<\/p>\n This year, Hershey\u2019s rolled out a chocolate-free Cinnamon Toast Crunch version of its classic Kisses; last year, it launched Reese\u2019s Werewolf Tracks, which replaced half the chocolate coating with a vanilla cream. Ferrero\u2019s newest versions of Butterfinger bars swap the milk-chocolate coating for salted caramel or marshmallow cream. Last year, Hershey\u2019s released a white Kit Kat enveloped in vanilla-flavored cream. Non-chocolate versions of these treats have been sold before, of course, but their sheer prevalence in the midst of a cocoa crisis is notable.<\/p>\n Read the full article.<\/p>\n When you buy a book using a link in this newsletter, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting <\/em>The Atlantic.<\/em><\/p>\n Sign up for The Wonder Reader, a Saturday newsletter in which our editors recommend stories to spark your curiosity and fill you with delight.<\/p>\n Explore all of our newsletters.<\/p>\nWhat to Read<\/h4>\n
Out Next Week<\/h4>\n
Your Weekend Read<\/strong><\/h4>\n