Boundless Press | Big Swiss: A Novel
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Big Swiss: A Novel
Jen Beagin
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“Wild…hilarious…so good.” —Cosmopolitan, Best Books of the Year
“A laugh-out-loud bad romance for Gen Xers and an ode to misfits who just want to belong.” —Oprah Daily
“Always interesting…too fun to stop.” —Vanity Fair
“One of the funniest books of the last few years” (Los Angeles Times) about a sex therapist’s transcriptionist and her affair with one of the patients.
Greta lives with her friend Sabine in an ancient Dutch farmhouse in Hudson, New York. The house is unrenovated, uninsulated, and full of bees. Greta spends her days transcribing therapy sessions for a sex coach who calls himself Om. She becomes infatuated with his newest client, a repressed married woman she affectionately refers to as Big Swiss.
One day, Greta recognizes Big Swiss’s voice in town and they quickly become enmeshed. While Big Swiss is unaware Greta has eavesdropped on her most intimate exchanges, Greta has never been more herself with anyone. Her attraction to Big Swiss overrides her guilt, and she’ll do anything to sustain the relationship…
“A fantastic, weird-as-hell, super funny novel” (Bustle), Big Swiss is both a love story and a deft examination of infidelity, mental health, sexual stereotypes, and more—from an amazingly talented, singular voice in contemporary fiction.
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Posts about this title from Boundless Press
Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • May 21
Why Do Readers HATE Satire Novels? The Origins of Satire & How It's REALLY Used in Fiction
Hello everyone! By popular demand I have brought you the first in a series of video essays on various topics in the book community, literature, and art. Today, we are discussing satire novels and their literary tradition and how they are often misunderstood in our current day. I also recommend several of my favourites that you can grab below with my affiliate links!
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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Mar 19 2025
if you like this book, read this one! 🩷 BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS 📚
hope you enjoy these recommendations 💖
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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Jul 8 2024
QUEER BOOK RECS for all year round 🏳️🌈
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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Jul 8 2024
If you like this, read this book! BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Apr 17 2024
reacting to 1 star reviews of my favourite books 😂
I had so much fun reacting to these 1 star reviews of my favourite books! 😂Let me know if you want me to react to any other books in potential future episodes of this video 👀
🤍 timestamps ↳ 0:00 intro ↳ 0:30 my year of rest and relaxation by ottessa moshfegh ↳ 9:06 big swiss by jen beagin ↳ 16:44 mexican gothic by silvia moreno-garcia ↳ 22:29 natural beauty by ling ling huang ↳ 25:35 cleopatra and frankenstein by coco mellors ↳ 33:12 final thoughts
🔒 Join my Bindery community for exclusive content: https://boundless.binderybooks.com/ 📖 Join my FREE book club here: https://fable.co/club/boundless-book-club-with-jananie-k-velu-111751962292 💬 Join my FREE discord community here: https://discord.gg/RQjq5yNHTA
socials 🤍 my book club: https://fable.co/club/boundless-book-club-with-jananie-k-velu-111751962292 🤍 instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisstoryaintover/ 🤍 twitter: https://twitter.com/jananiekvelu 🤍 tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisstoryaintover?lang=en 🤍 goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/thisstoryaintover
💌 for business/sponsorship inquiries please contact chloe@smallscreenmarketing.com 💌 for all other inquiries please contact me at thisstoryaintover@gmail.com
faqs 🤍 how do you pronounce your name? - my name is Jananie—pronounced JEN-nuh-nee (like a knee!)
🤍 what's your background/ethnicity/etc? - both my parents are Sri Lankan Tamil, and I was born and raised in Canada!
🤍 what is your job? - aside from youtube I also work in product marketing!
5 books
Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Apr 9 2024
fiction book recs for the girlies with mommy issues 👩🏾🤰🏾👵🏾
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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Jan 2 2024
every book i read in 2023 reviewed in one sentence 📚
hope you enjoy these super quick reviews!
17 books
Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Dec 27 2023
my TOP TEN favourite books of 2023 📚✨ BEST BOOKS OF 2023
tell me your favourite books of the year in the comments!
16 books
Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Nov 13 2023
tier ranking every book i've rated five stars ⭐️ in the past three years
we love a good tier-ranking video! let me know your faves!
39 books
Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Sep 10 2023
the books i read in august 2023 | 2 DNFs, 1 five star
🤍 books mentioned ↳ y/n by esther yi ↳ old enough by haley jakobson ↳ big swiss by jen begin ↳ the adult by bronwyn fischer ↳ tastes like shakkar by nisha Sharma ↳ pageboy by elliot page
socials 🤍 instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisstoryaintover/ 🤍 twitter: https://twitter.com/jananiekvelu 🤍 tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisstoryaintover?lang=en 🤍 storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/thisstoryaintover 🤍 goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/thisstoryaintover
💌 for business/sponsorship inquiries please contact eric@smallscreenmarketing.com 💌 for all other inquiries please contact me at thisstoryaintover@gmail.com
faqs 🤍 how do you pronounce your name? - my name is Jananie—pronounced JEN-nuh-nee (like a knee!)
🤍 what's your background/ethnicity/etc? - both my parents are Sri Lankan Tamil, and I was born and raised in Canada!
🤍 what is your job? - aside from youtube I also work in product marketing!
5 books
Posts about this book from across Bindery
Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • May 21
Why Do Readers HATE Satire Novels? The Origins of Satire & How It's REALLY Used in Fiction
12 books
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messy queer fiction, anyone? 🪐 SATURN RETURNING is for fans of: 👀✨
post inspired by the incredible @susanjmorris & @theinkyphoenix 🖤
13 books
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Read Rant Review\ \ Kaylee\ \ • Oct 5 2025
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[Over the summer, I kept getting posts popping up on my feed talking about "weird girl lit". Books like Bunny by Mona Awad, Boy Parts by Eliza Clark, Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado, etc.\ \ Big Swiss by Jen Beagin was also a common occurrence on these lists and caught my attention, marking my first step into the world of weird girl lit. So let's talk about it. I'll give you a quick spoiler-free recap of what the book is about, and talk about my feelings at the end.\ \
Instead, Greta quit therapy. Then she quit her job, ended her relationship, moved across the country, and switched careers.\ \ Greta is a 45-year-old woman who has just come out of a long-term, unfulfilling relationship and is starting life fresh across the country.\ \ Everyone behaved as if they’d been banished from their native country, or had simply withdrawn allegiance, or were on the lam, and now that they were all living abroad, they bonded with people they never would’ve ended up with back home.\ \ She moves to a small, weird town, and is working as a transcriptionist for the local therapist. While doing this, she becomes obsessed with a 25-year-old client whom she has nicknamed "Big Swiss."\ \ Big Swiss: Do you think I could get a copy of this transcript at some point?\ \ Therapist: Sure, of course.\ \ Big Swiss: I had a transcript of my grand jury testimony, but it was destroyed in a flood.\ \ Therapist: Was it something you looked at often?\ \ Big Swiss: Never. But I liked having it in a drawer.\ \ Big Swiss is in therapy after a traumatuc event. The above quote occurs after she finally talks about it in a session. There were a few quotes throughout the book that really stuck with me, and this conversation was one of them. She also talks pretty extensively about not letting her trauma define her and not wanting to use it as a reason for her doing anything. I found it deeply, deeply relatable and this idea in particular made me take pause. As much as you want to move on, there is something important about having 'proof' of it happening. I don't think I can really explain the feeling beyond that. If you know, you know - I guess?\ \ "I miss you. Grievously."\ \ I won't provide any context for this, but the word grievously has become my new favorite adverb.\ \\\_______\ \ Anyway. All in all. Was this book weird? HELL YES. There were a lot of insane descriptions, jump scare esque trauma dumping, and half the time I couldn't tell if we were speaking literally or metaphorically. I have no idea what happened in this book and this book has the definition of an unreliable narrator. It was often times gross yet intriguing. It also gave very ugly truths in such plain language that it felt like a slap to the face.\ \ Check the trigger warnings before reading! I'd recommend it if you're wanting a unique reading experience that explores the lasting impacts of trauma and how people cope.\ \ Do you have weird girl lit that you recommend? I tagged the other books that are on my TBR for this series. Let me know your thoughts!](https://readrantreview.binderybooks.com/item/GhES5TNSc3WS4OmkEeh3/)
Weird Girl Lit Chronicles: Big Swiss by Jen Beagin
4 books
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Boneyard Picnic\ \ Natalie Meagan\ \ • Jun 9 2025
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An Important Discord (& Life) Update
4 books
23
Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Mar 19 2025
if you like this book, read this one! 🩷 BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS 📚
hope you enjoy these recommendations 💖
24 books
4
Boneyard Picnic\ \ Natalie Meagan\ \ • Dec 30 2024
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We read 19 books together this year, let's see what they were!
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The Black Bird Commons\ \ Tim\ \ • Sep 6 2024
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5 Sapphic Books ive loved, and 5 Sapphic Books i’m going to love
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Sapph-Lit\ \ Nina\ \ • Jul 10 2024
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Best Books of the 21st Century -- continued!
The longlist that didn't make the top 10 I shared to IG
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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Jul 8 2024
QUEER BOOK RECS for all year round 🏳️🌈
15 books
Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Jul 8 2024
If you like this, read this book! BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
19 books
Boneyard Picnic\ \ Natalie Meagan\ \ • Apr 25 2024
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Short and sweet, do I recommend buying these books? Yes or no!?
18 books
Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Apr 17 2024
reacting to 1 star reviews of my favourite books 😂
💌 for business/sponsorship inquiries please contact chloe@smallscreenmarketing.com 💌 for all other inquiries please contact me at thisstoryaintover@gmail.com
faqs 🤍 how do you pronounce your name? - my name is Jananie—pronounced JEN-nuh-nee (like a knee!)
🤍 what's your background/ethnicity/etc? - both my parents are Sri Lankan Tamil, and I was born and raised in Canada!
🤍 what is your job? - aside from youtube I also work in product marketing!
5 books
Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Apr 9 2024
fiction book recs for the girlies with mommy issues 👩🏾🤰🏾👵🏾
11 books
Boneyard Picnic\ \ Natalie Meagan\ \ • Apr 8 2024
Join for free
\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login](https://boneyardpicnic.binderybooks.com/item/J8Lztr1JNEel1vcL4ikB/)
Everything I've Read This Year (so far & no spoilers)
Can you believe I am somewhat on time with putting out a recap video?! Me either! I recorded a short and sweet, yes or no video including all of these books but if you want a little more (no spoilers!) here is the longer version!
ALL THE LINKS YOU COULD EVER WANT
🛍 Shop my wares? https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheCrybabyClub
📚 Join the book club? https://bit.ly/3Hgz1ex
You can also find me here: Newsletter: https://weirdobookclub.substack.com/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@weirdobookclub Bookstagram: http://instagram.com/weirdobookclub StoryGraph: https://bit.ly/3TWDw5N GoodReads: https://bit.ly/3TTHpYX
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Sapph-Lit\ \ Nina\ \ • Jan 28 2024
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why else did i create sapphlit??
why else did i create sapphlit?? #wlw #booktok #queerbooktok #lgbtbooks #sapphicbooks
1 book
sunny thoughts\ \ Sunny\ \ • Jan 15 2024
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\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login](https://sunnythoughts.binderybooks.com/item/dzLrSIqAwC01u5DtNG6Y/)
ranking my favorite books & honorable mentions of 2023
fave books part 1: https://youtu.be/bBZEuSYjIvk?si=l7TzM6mGsmboebYK
fave books part 2: https://youtu.be/QsX2jOKMs-Y?si=thWJ2x43tyu9i\_03
Renaissance's review of Dykette: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5749008545?book\_show\_action=false
my review of post-traumatic in comparison to another book about trauma: https://open.substack.com/pub/thelavendermenace/p/3-women-writers-3-book-reviews?utm\_campaign=post&utm\_medium=web
The Lavender Menace podcast episode wrapping up 2023 media: upcoming Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6KoWHeYT8M0svZhvTsOUgt?si=LzGU-55zSOmbanf7-vlTMg&dl\_branch=1 Apple Podcasts: https://t.co/agmaoiRQRy?amp=1 Patreon, for exclusive bonus episodes & early access: https://www.patreon.com/TheLavenderMenace
The Persistent Desire: A Femme-Butch Reader link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ujU1cXx4eZV7njNXIYokmO-bDei84tfn/view?usp=sharing
Timestamps: 00:00-02:47 intro 02:47-03:53 #16 03:53-04:33 #15 04:33-05:53 #14 05:53-07:06 #13 07:06-08:59 #12 08:59-10:18 #11 10:18-11:55 #10 11:55-13:17 #9 13:17-14:24 #8 14:24-15:42 #7 15:42-17:29 #6 17:29-19:10 #5 19:10-21:18 #4 21:18-23:10 #3 23:10-25:10 #1 & #2 25:10-26:50 lesbian 2023 reflections 26:50-35:00 honorable mentions
25 books
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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Jan 2 2024
every book i read in 2023 reviewed in one sentence 📚
hope you enjoy these super quick reviews!
17 books
Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Dec 27 2023
my TOP TEN favourite books of 2023 📚✨ BEST BOOKS OF 2023
tell me your favourite books of the year in the comments!
16 books
sunny thoughts\ \ Sunny\ \ • Dec 9 2023
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very belatedly reacting to the Goodreads Choice Award nominations & winners of 2023
back from my hiatus! To comment and bitch about the people's reading taste of course.
🍉🕊️🫒 donation info: Please DO NOT mention PaIestine in your donation. VENMO: @three-dee or @Lina-Shahid PAYPAL: @deesturbance ZELLE: 720-240-1108
last year's vid: https://youtu.be/VBSOGbDJloM?si=XSDL\_LNyMF2sMoSf
Find me: Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/asunnybooknook (I don't update my Storygraph profile, sorry!! only upload my goodreads data there once a year for data purposes :( too hard to keep up with 2 tracking apps and I'm more familiar with Goodreads at this point) Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sunnyboxhouse My Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/sunnyinstlouis/ Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/asunnybooknook Business contact - asunnybooknook @ gmail dot com
🍑🍊🕊🌸🍓🍒🍇 Listen to me and my best friend's lesbian comedy media & pop culture commentary podcast, The Lavender Menace! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6KoWHeYT8M0svZhvTsOUgt?si=LzGU-55zSOmbanf7-vlTMg&dl\_branch=1 Apple Podcasts: https://t.co/agmaoiRQRy?amp=1 Patreon, for exclusive bonus episodes & early access: https://www.patreon.com/TheLavenderMenace
Us, elsewhere: Twitter - https://twitter.com/TheLavenderPod Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thelavendermenacepod/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiuLKSL75Tcd5Zu7DMnC5vQ Letterboxd - https://letterboxd.com/thelavenderpod/ Substack - https://thelavendermenace.substack.com/ Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thelavendermenacepod?\_t=8V5Ee2joahq&\_r=1
29 books
Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Nov 13 2023
tier ranking every book i've rated five stars ⭐️ in the past three years
we love a good tier-ranking video! let me know your faves!
39 books
Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Sep 10 2023
the books i read in august 2023 | 2 DNFs, 1 five star
💌 for business/sponsorship inquiries please contact eric@smallscreenmarketing.com 💌 for all other inquiries please contact me at thisstoryaintover@gmail.com
faqs 🤍 how do you pronounce your name? - my name is Jananie—pronounced JEN-nuh-nee (like a knee!)
🤍 what's your background/ethnicity/etc? - both my parents are Sri Lankan Tamil, and I was born and raised in Canada!
🤍 what is your job? - aside from youtube I also work in product marketing!
5 books
sunny thoughts\ \ Sunny\ \ • Jul 11 2023
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checking in on my 2023 reading with the classic Booktube tag! featuring bookshop.org #sponsored for Anti-Prime day. Get free shipping today on July 12th and a tote bag if you spend over $100, all while supporting independent bookstores!! Also, I forgot to answer Kayla’s second tag question but here are my Booktube faves: @mynameismarines for her critical reviews of booktok darlings, @caricanread for her wholistic vlogs and recaps of things I will never read, and @rinceyreads for her thoughtful reviews.
(another disclaimer-- I meant to get this video up yesterday but like it's fine! lol)
My letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/sunnyinstlouis/
Find me: Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/asunnybooknook (I don't update my Storygraph profile, sorry!! only upload my goodreads data there once a year for data purposes :( too hard to keep up with 2 tracking apps and I'm more familiar with Goodreads at this point) Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sunnyboxhouse Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/asunnybooknook Business contact - asunnybooknook@gmail.com
🍑🍊🕊🌸🍓🍒🍇 Listen to me and my best friend's lesbian comedy media & pop culture commentary podcast, The Lavender Menace! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6KoWHeYT8M0svZhvTsOUgt?si=LzGU-55zSOmbanf7-vlTMg&dl\_branch=1 Apple Podcasts: https://t.co/agmaoiRQRy?amp=1 https://www.patreon.com/TheLavenderMenace
11 books
sunny thoughts\ \ Sunny\ \ • Jun 30 2023
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too tired to do timestamps for all of these books but I read a lot of really good ones early this year! hope you enjoy this very belated wrap up
50 books
The Inky Phoenix\ \ Kathryn Budig\ \ • Feb 7 2023
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This is one hell of an launch day! Yes, I will be running to the bookstore today and experiencing severe anxiety over which one to start first. Congrats to all these amazing authors!
STONE BLIND by @nataliehaynesauthor YOUR DRIVER IS WAITING by @priya.guns OUR SHARE OF NIGHT by @marianaenriquez1973 BIG SWISS by @jenbeagin
4 books