One quarter of the year is in the books, so we thought it was a good time to check in.
What books did you enjoy most in the first three months of 2022? What are you looking forward to reading in the weeks ahead?
We’ll go first.
Donna really enjoyed Jo Ann Beard’s essay collection ‘The Boys of My Youth,’ which was recommended by her writing-class instructor. ‘Beard’s masterful descriptions made me feel like I was in the room with her as she told of her experiences,’ Donna says. Next on her reading list is ‘How Should a Person Be?’ by Sheila Heti.
I liked Fernanda Melchor’s new novel, ‘Paradais,’ and finally got around to reading ‘The Secret History,’ by Donna Tartt, which was terrific. (If you missed these reviews, look here.)
In the weeks ahead, I’m excited to read ‘Black Leopard, Red Wolf,’ by Marlon James, ‘A Tale For the Time Being,’ by Ruth Ozeki and ‘The Lathe of Heaven,’ by Ursula K. Le Guin.
'The Secret History' is on my list for later this spring, and I loved 'The Goldfinch.'
As for me, two books I read since the 1st of the year and loved are Agatha Christie's 'Death on the Nile' and Candice Millard's 'The River of Doubt.' The latter is about Theodore Roosevelt's journey down the River of Doubt, a tributary of the Amazon River in Brazil, back in 1913-14. It's a lot like 'The Lost City of Z' -- I love adventure stories like that.
Right now, I'm about a third of the way through Amor Towles' 'Rules of Civility,' which I'm loving, and also 'The Swerve: How The World Became Modern' by Stephen Greenblatt. Also checking out the new Sally Rooney book, but haven't gotten very far into it yet.
I like to fly like a butterfly from book to book 😃
Thanks, Terrell! Some great books here! We have 'The Goldfinch' on our shelf and I was looking at it this week thinking I should add it to the queue. I enjoyed 'A Gentleman in Moscow' and had been meaning to return to Towles, either the Civility book or his new one. The Roosevelt book sounds fascinating. I wish I cloud move through books like a butterfly; I've tried and it's difficult for me to remember what thread is in which book. I have learned that the one-at-a-time approach works best for me. Let us know what you think of 'A Secret History' when you get to it!
Will do! Just as an aside, I discovered Millard and 'River of Doubt' thanks to John Grisham's Book Tour podcast, which he put out 2 or 3 seasons of a few years ago. Whether you like Grisham or not (I like his books a lot, but I know he's not everyone's cup of tea), the podcast is really interesting b/c he brings authors out to talk about their books in each city he visits. Gives them lots of time to talk about their work; I got introduced to a number of authors whose work I'm loving right now thanks to it.
I finally read "The Woman in the Window" and really enjoyed it. Currently, I am doing a very poor job of jumping between a book about Frederick Douglass, a history of Christianity and "Educated," all nonfiction.
Thanks, Diane! Are you going to watch the movie version of 'Woman in the Window'? Would be interesting to see how it compares to the book. I have had 'A History of Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years' on my bookshelf for what feels like at least 1000 years but haven't gotten to it yet. Is that the book you're tackling? I also wanted to read the new Douglass biography and 'Educated' has been recommended to me as well. I have tried jumping between books too, but I always lose the thread and struggle with it. Better for me to go one book at a time!
Yes, on the Christianity book. It is a behemoth to get through! I have yet to see the film "Woman in the Window," and I'm a bit hesitant because so often the book is much better than the movie. Although sometimes it's a pleasant surprise.
I'm currently reading "Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void" by Mary Roach. My library is hosting an exhibit from NASA on discovering exoplanets so this title was a pretty good fit for our monthly book club. But my favorite read of 2022 so far is "Crying in H Mart" by Michelle Zauner.
Thanks, Kim! 'Crying in H Mart' is very high on my list, too. I hear nothing but good things about it, so I'll have to add it to my queue. I love science books, too. I haven't read one in a while, but my favorite is 'Chaos' by James Gleick. The library exhibit sounds awesome. Enjoy!
This is my first Mary Roach book although everyone talks about how much they love her work and I've always intended to read her other books. I like her voice on the page.
Thanks, Andrea! I've wanted to visit Marfa, but so far have only been to Houston and Austin. Some great bookstores in Texas! I've heard good things about 'The Idiot' but I had not heard of Sequoia Nagamatsu's book. It looks interesting. Enjoy!
LOL! I've been to BookPeople! I bought 'Tell Me How it Ends' by Valeria Luiselli there. I also really liked South Congress Books. I got 'Eileen' by Ottessa Moshfegh there. I was in Austin for work a few years back and had a great time. Had great food. Saw a band. Went to a place to watch people Two Step. People were super nice. Bats. Would go back!
My faves so far this year are "Four Thousand Weeks" by Oliver Burkeman and "Written in Bone" by Sue Black. Two nonfiction titles that are SO different but equally fascinating—one about how to use our limited time on earth wisely and the other about all the biological information that lives in our bones and can help forensic scientists to identify skeletal remains.
You are going to LOVE "A Tale for the Time Being"! It's one of the few books I find myself thinking about years after reading it.
Thanks, Ashley! If memory serves, I did a thread like this last year and the main takeaway from it was that I should read Ruth Ozeki and do so immediately lol. It took me a while, but I am finally going to do it. I've heard nothing but good things. The nonfiction books sound interesting, but I don't know if I could mentally handle a book about how much time we have left to live. I am constantly stressed about dying before I've gotten through my TBR pile. What books will remain unknown to me in life? So stressful!
The book isn't quite so pessimistic; it's more about spending your time on things that fill you up. But also noting to not just have "experiences" on a to-do list. He writes about going to the Grand Canyon (or some other National Park, I don't remember) and being like, "Welp, there it is. Big hole. What's next?" and wanting to rush onto the next thing rather than being in the moment and admiring the beauty and all that jazz.
Ah, got it. That makes sense. I am a big to-do list maker, but that's for work and projects. I'm trying to be more in the moment and go with the flow when I'm in real life. I often critique memoirs that are like first I did this then I did that as being kinda boring. I am trying to take my own advice (and the book's) for sure lol!
Books I enjoyed in the first three months of 2022:
Stranger Care: A Memoir of Loving What Isn't Ours by Sarah Sentilles
Bewilderment by Richard Powers
Pirinesi by Susanna Clarke
The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence by Jessica Lahey
Smile: The Story of a Face by Sarah Ruhl
Ancestor Trouble: A Reckoning and a Reconciliation by Maud Newton
I guess I've been on a bit of a nonfiction bender. I just finished The Verifiers by Jane Pek, and right now I'm reading The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd.
Thanks, Sarah! This is a great list. 'Piranesi' is high on my list but I haven't picked it up yet. And I've been meaning to read Richard Powers, too. But I need to get more nonfiction into my mix. I lean heavily toward novels. Definitely looking to read 'Ancestor Trouble.'
I am really a pretty mainstream reader. So far in 2022 I have loved The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois by Honoree Fannone Jeffers, A Calling for Charlie Barnes by Joshua Ferris, Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang and King Richard: Nixon and Watergate - an American Tragedy by Michael Dobbs. All were immersive stories, although all were very different. Charlie Barnes was a stress fest, because of the material, but Joshua Ferris’ writing forced me to continue. Honoree Fannone Jeffers wrote a most difficult book to read, but it is SOOOO important. You would think I have nothing in common with Qian Julie Wang, but her memoir taught me differently; immigration is not the only thing that can isolate you in childhood. And I have been fascinated by Nixon since high school. This book at around 400 pages just focused on the period a after the crimes. So tightly written and you see how he almost completely unravels. Thanks for the opportunity to think about these books again and what made me love them
Thanks, Kate! Always great to know what you're reading. The Jeffers book seems right up my alley, and the other titles are also really interesting. I have read a lot about the Watergate era as well, but mostly about the journalism/journalists of that time. From All the President's Men to The Boys on the Bus to Hunter S. Thompson to Theodore White, it's such a rich and fascinating era, and still relevant today. You've also reminded me that I need to get a memoir lined up in the near future. Haven't read one in a while.
Out of new releases, I just finished Charmaine Wilkerson's "Black Cake" and am now in the middle of "Last Night at the Telegraph Club" by Malinda Lo, which is great so far. I had been in the middle of the latest Isabel Allende but something about the narrative really wasn't working for me and I decided it was OK to let it go. "The Letters of Shirley Jackson" is on my nightstand as something I chip away at when the mood strikes.
I have a pile of books to get through - I'm leaning toward taking V.S. Naipul's "A House for Mr. Biswas" with me on vacation, but let's see where my mood ultimately takes me!
Thanks, friend! Always glad to see Rad Dishes! 'Mr Biswas' is on my list, too, so I'd love to hear your thoughts about it if you end up taking it on vacation. Also heard mixed things about the new Allende book, and the other books look really interesting. Looking forward to seeing your newsletter in my inbox, too. I'm back cooking again! Watch out lol!
I sent a newsletter today! And yes, been seeing your chaats, which look delicious. I’ll let you know if Mr. Biswas does get read next and if you should move it up your pile.
Oh! I just saw it! I use the new Substack app now and that sucks all my newsletters into it so I don't see things right away. I look forward to reading it! My first chaat came out well! I had never made a chutney before and I was astonished at how good it was. Thank you for starting me on this path!
I really enjoyed 'The Song of Achilles' and loved the way Madeline Miller used her Greek mythology knowledge to tell the story of Achilles in a new way. It was such a satisfying read and I didn't want it to end. Planning to read 'Circe' later this year. I was also on a graphic memoir/novel binge in February, and the best of the lot was 'Almost American Girl' by Robin Ha. You might enjoy 'Good Talk', much of the memoir is set in Brooklyn, NYC and I think you'd appreciate Mira Jacob's sense of humor.
I'm now re-reading 'Beloved' (last time was in high school!) and slowly working through a handful of non-fictions.
So excited to finally see 'A Tale For the Time Being' in your queue and can't wait to read the review! : )
Thanks, Manki! I liked Circe and I've been thinking about picking up Achilles, too. I also really liked Good Talk, so much so I flew through it in one night. It's so good! It has been so long since I've reviewed a graphic novel. I really need to get one into the mix! And I am so excited to read 'Time Being'! I hope the review lives up to it!
I have been reading short stories collections by Anton Chekov and enjoying it. I just finished two full scales this year. One is The President is Missing,a timely novel after Ukraine invasion by Russians and old classic The Murder of Ackroyad by Agatha Christie. Suddenly i discovered Mary Oliver's Upstream and other collected essays which are marvelous. My other read which i started in 2021 The Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky is still unfinished.
Thanks, Mohan! Great stuff. I’ve been meaning to read Mary Oliver as well. Several friends have recommended her work. I will keep an eye out for Upstream. And you remind me that I need to get more classics into the mix as well. Cheers!
I wish short stories were more popular! As someone who, sadly, struggles to read for fun, I find it much easier to pick up a book of short stories. Plus, sometimes they are as good or better than the author's more famous and heavier work. I'm thinking of J.D. Salinger's Short Stories (which beat the pants off of Catcher in the Rye) and of Primo Levi's Periodic Table (which is some of the best "soft" science fiction I've read).
Nazim! Thank you for all your comments. You are in luck because I am working on a round-up of short story collections. I hope to have it completed and sent out in the coming weeks!
Currently reading Borges and Me by Jay Parini. It's a great window into a twenty-year-old's random road trip with the literary giant, and easy to read at that, despite Borges being the kind of person that speaks the way he writes.
I'm teaching a tech and ethics course this fall, which I'd like to find a good book of fiction for. I'm thinkin of The Jazz by Melissa Scott, and The Circle by Dave Eggers if I can't find something shorter and as good.
I looked through my archive and I don't think I've reviewed anything so far that I could recommend. But I have 'The Lathe of Heaven' by Ursula K. Le Guin coming later this month and that might be a fit. The back of the book says: 'It is a dark vision and a warning—a fable of power uncontrolled and uncontrollable—a truly prescient and startling view of humanity, and the consequences of God-playing.' And it's only 175 pages! (Heidegger's 'The Question Concerning Technology' is also short lol!) Keep an eye on your inbox April 24!
'The Secret History' is on my list for later this spring, and I loved 'The Goldfinch.'
As for me, two books I read since the 1st of the year and loved are Agatha Christie's 'Death on the Nile' and Candice Millard's 'The River of Doubt.' The latter is about Theodore Roosevelt's journey down the River of Doubt, a tributary of the Amazon River in Brazil, back in 1913-14. It's a lot like 'The Lost City of Z' -- I love adventure stories like that.
Right now, I'm about a third of the way through Amor Towles' 'Rules of Civility,' which I'm loving, and also 'The Swerve: How The World Became Modern' by Stephen Greenblatt. Also checking out the new Sally Rooney book, but haven't gotten very far into it yet.
I like to fly like a butterfly from book to book 😃
Thanks, Terrell! Some great books here! We have 'The Goldfinch' on our shelf and I was looking at it this week thinking I should add it to the queue. I enjoyed 'A Gentleman in Moscow' and had been meaning to return to Towles, either the Civility book or his new one. The Roosevelt book sounds fascinating. I wish I cloud move through books like a butterfly; I've tried and it's difficult for me to remember what thread is in which book. I have learned that the one-at-a-time approach works best for me. Let us know what you think of 'A Secret History' when you get to it!
Will do! Just as an aside, I discovered Millard and 'River of Doubt' thanks to John Grisham's Book Tour podcast, which he put out 2 or 3 seasons of a few years ago. Whether you like Grisham or not (I like his books a lot, but I know he's not everyone's cup of tea), the podcast is really interesting b/c he brings authors out to talk about their books in each city he visits. Gives them lots of time to talk about their work; I got introduced to a number of authors whose work I'm loving right now thanks to it.
This is a great list. I'm hoping to finally read Towles' "Gentleman From Moscow" before the spring evaporates.
Thanks, Elizabeth! I hope you enjoy 'Gentleman from Moscow'.
I finally read "The Woman in the Window" and really enjoyed it. Currently, I am doing a very poor job of jumping between a book about Frederick Douglass, a history of Christianity and "Educated," all nonfiction.
Thanks, Diane! Are you going to watch the movie version of 'Woman in the Window'? Would be interesting to see how it compares to the book. I have had 'A History of Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years' on my bookshelf for what feels like at least 1000 years but haven't gotten to it yet. Is that the book you're tackling? I also wanted to read the new Douglass biography and 'Educated' has been recommended to me as well. I have tried jumping between books too, but I always lose the thread and struggle with it. Better for me to go one book at a time!
Yes, on the Christianity book. It is a behemoth to get through! I have yet to see the film "Woman in the Window," and I'm a bit hesitant because so often the book is much better than the movie. Although sometimes it's a pleasant surprise.
Did you read the New Yorker story about AJ Finn? Check it out if you haven't. Wild stuff.
No, I will have to look for that!
I'm currently reading "Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void" by Mary Roach. My library is hosting an exhibit from NASA on discovering exoplanets so this title was a pretty good fit for our monthly book club. But my favorite read of 2022 so far is "Crying in H Mart" by Michelle Zauner.
Thanks, Kim! 'Crying in H Mart' is very high on my list, too. I hear nothing but good things about it, so I'll have to add it to my queue. I love science books, too. I haven't read one in a while, but my favorite is 'Chaos' by James Gleick. The library exhibit sounds awesome. Enjoy!
LOVE Mary Roach. Her 'Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers' is on my all-time top-five list.
This is my first Mary Roach book although everyone talks about how much they love her work and I've always intended to read her other books. I like her voice on the page.
I just finished "Valentine" by Elizabeth Wetmore, which was a good companion book to a recent trip I took to Marfa, out in West Texas.
Future reads I hope to get to soon are "How High We Go in the Dark" and "The Idiot" (the Batuman one, not the Dostoevsky).
Thanks, Andrea! I've wanted to visit Marfa, but so far have only been to Houston and Austin. Some great bookstores in Texas! I've heard good things about 'The Idiot' but I had not heard of Sequoia Nagamatsu's book. It looks interesting. Enjoy!
BookPeople here in Austin is wonderful. It was wild to drive seven hours west and still be in Texas. Breaking news: Texas is a big state!
LOL! I've been to BookPeople! I bought 'Tell Me How it Ends' by Valeria Luiselli there. I also really liked South Congress Books. I got 'Eileen' by Ottessa Moshfegh there. I was in Austin for work a few years back and had a great time. Had great food. Saw a band. Went to a place to watch people Two Step. People were super nice. Bats. Would go back!
My faves so far this year are "Four Thousand Weeks" by Oliver Burkeman and "Written in Bone" by Sue Black. Two nonfiction titles that are SO different but equally fascinating—one about how to use our limited time on earth wisely and the other about all the biological information that lives in our bones and can help forensic scientists to identify skeletal remains.
You are going to LOVE "A Tale for the Time Being"! It's one of the few books I find myself thinking about years after reading it.
Thanks, Ashley! If memory serves, I did a thread like this last year and the main takeaway from it was that I should read Ruth Ozeki and do so immediately lol. It took me a while, but I am finally going to do it. I've heard nothing but good things. The nonfiction books sound interesting, but I don't know if I could mentally handle a book about how much time we have left to live. I am constantly stressed about dying before I've gotten through my TBR pile. What books will remain unknown to me in life? So stressful!
The book isn't quite so pessimistic; it's more about spending your time on things that fill you up. But also noting to not just have "experiences" on a to-do list. He writes about going to the Grand Canyon (or some other National Park, I don't remember) and being like, "Welp, there it is. Big hole. What's next?" and wanting to rush onto the next thing rather than being in the moment and admiring the beauty and all that jazz.
Ah, got it. That makes sense. I am a big to-do list maker, but that's for work and projects. I'm trying to be more in the moment and go with the flow when I'm in real life. I often critique memoirs that are like first I did this then I did that as being kinda boring. I am trying to take my own advice (and the book's) for sure lol!
Books I enjoyed in the first three months of 2022:
Stranger Care: A Memoir of Loving What Isn't Ours by Sarah Sentilles
Bewilderment by Richard Powers
Pirinesi by Susanna Clarke
The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence by Jessica Lahey
Smile: The Story of a Face by Sarah Ruhl
Ancestor Trouble: A Reckoning and a Reconciliation by Maud Newton
I guess I've been on a bit of a nonfiction bender. I just finished The Verifiers by Jane Pek, and right now I'm reading The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd.
I just heard about Ancestor Trouble and am so intrigued!
I've been following Maud Newton online for years and was lucky enough to get an ARC. It's really, really good.
Same, and have been waiting for the book to come out. I think it just did. Sounds really interesting!
Thanks, Sarah! This is a great list. 'Piranesi' is high on my list but I haven't picked it up yet. And I've been meaning to read Richard Powers, too. But I need to get more nonfiction into my mix. I lean heavily toward novels. Definitely looking to read 'Ancestor Trouble.'
Very excited for Ancestor Trouble.
I am really a pretty mainstream reader. So far in 2022 I have loved The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois by Honoree Fannone Jeffers, A Calling for Charlie Barnes by Joshua Ferris, Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang and King Richard: Nixon and Watergate - an American Tragedy by Michael Dobbs. All were immersive stories, although all were very different. Charlie Barnes was a stress fest, because of the material, but Joshua Ferris’ writing forced me to continue. Honoree Fannone Jeffers wrote a most difficult book to read, but it is SOOOO important. You would think I have nothing in common with Qian Julie Wang, but her memoir taught me differently; immigration is not the only thing that can isolate you in childhood. And I have been fascinated by Nixon since high school. This book at around 400 pages just focused on the period a after the crimes. So tightly written and you see how he almost completely unravels. Thanks for the opportunity to think about these books again and what made me love them
Thanks, Kate! Always great to know what you're reading. The Jeffers book seems right up my alley, and the other titles are also really interesting. I have read a lot about the Watergate era as well, but mostly about the journalism/journalists of that time. From All the President's Men to The Boys on the Bus to Hunter S. Thompson to Theodore White, it's such a rich and fascinating era, and still relevant today. You've also reminded me that I need to get a memoir lined up in the near future. Haven't read one in a while.
Out of new releases, I just finished Charmaine Wilkerson's "Black Cake" and am now in the middle of "Last Night at the Telegraph Club" by Malinda Lo, which is great so far. I had been in the middle of the latest Isabel Allende but something about the narrative really wasn't working for me and I decided it was OK to let it go. "The Letters of Shirley Jackson" is on my nightstand as something I chip away at when the mood strikes.
I have a pile of books to get through - I'm leaning toward taking V.S. Naipul's "A House for Mr. Biswas" with me on vacation, but let's see where my mood ultimately takes me!
Thanks, friend! Always glad to see Rad Dishes! 'Mr Biswas' is on my list, too, so I'd love to hear your thoughts about it if you end up taking it on vacation. Also heard mixed things about the new Allende book, and the other books look really interesting. Looking forward to seeing your newsletter in my inbox, too. I'm back cooking again! Watch out lol!
I sent a newsletter today! And yes, been seeing your chaats, which look delicious. I’ll let you know if Mr. Biswas does get read next and if you should move it up your pile.
Oh! I just saw it! I use the new Substack app now and that sucks all my newsletters into it so I don't see things right away. I look forward to reading it! My first chaat came out well! I had never made a chutney before and I was astonished at how good it was. Thank you for starting me on this path!
I really enjoyed 'The Song of Achilles' and loved the way Madeline Miller used her Greek mythology knowledge to tell the story of Achilles in a new way. It was such a satisfying read and I didn't want it to end. Planning to read 'Circe' later this year. I was also on a graphic memoir/novel binge in February, and the best of the lot was 'Almost American Girl' by Robin Ha. You might enjoy 'Good Talk', much of the memoir is set in Brooklyn, NYC and I think you'd appreciate Mira Jacob's sense of humor.
I'm now re-reading 'Beloved' (last time was in high school!) and slowly working through a handful of non-fictions.
So excited to finally see 'A Tale For the Time Being' in your queue and can't wait to read the review! : )
Thanks, Manki! I liked Circe and I've been thinking about picking up Achilles, too. I also really liked Good Talk, so much so I flew through it in one night. It's so good! It has been so long since I've reviewed a graphic novel. I really need to get one into the mix! And I am so excited to read 'Time Being'! I hope the review lives up to it!
I have been reading short stories collections by Anton Chekov and enjoying it. I just finished two full scales this year. One is The President is Missing,a timely novel after Ukraine invasion by Russians and old classic The Murder of Ackroyad by Agatha Christie. Suddenly i discovered Mary Oliver's Upstream and other collected essays which are marvelous. My other read which i started in 2021 The Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky is still unfinished.
Thanks, Mohan! Great stuff. I’ve been meaning to read Mary Oliver as well. Several friends have recommended her work. I will keep an eye out for Upstream. And you remind me that I need to get more classics into the mix as well. Cheers!
I wish short stories were more popular! As someone who, sadly, struggles to read for fun, I find it much easier to pick up a book of short stories. Plus, sometimes they are as good or better than the author's more famous and heavier work. I'm thinking of J.D. Salinger's Short Stories (which beat the pants off of Catcher in the Rye) and of Primo Levi's Periodic Table (which is some of the best "soft" science fiction I've read).
Nazim! Thank you for all your comments. You are in luck because I am working on a round-up of short story collections. I hope to have it completed and sent out in the coming weeks!
Currently reading Borges and Me by Jay Parini. It's a great window into a twenty-year-old's random road trip with the literary giant, and easy to read at that, despite Borges being the kind of person that speaks the way he writes.
This book looks really interesting!
I'm teaching a tech and ethics course this fall, which I'd like to find a good book of fiction for. I'm thinkin of The Jazz by Melissa Scott, and The Circle by Dave Eggers if I can't find something shorter and as good.
I looked through my archive and I don't think I've reviewed anything so far that I could recommend. But I have 'The Lathe of Heaven' by Ursula K. Le Guin coming later this month and that might be a fit. The back of the book says: 'It is a dark vision and a warning—a fable of power uncontrolled and uncontrollable—a truly prescient and startling view of humanity, and the consequences of God-playing.' And it's only 175 pages! (Heidegger's 'The Question Concerning Technology' is also short lol!) Keep an eye on your inbox April 24!