It turns out that my New Year’s goal of choosing books is working very well for me. I have fallen back in love with reading. I was looking through my list of what I’ve read so far, and there are so many good ones that I wanted to share my year-to-date list of everything I’ve read. Maybe you’ll find something that intrigues you, or maybe you’ve read some of these and have strong opinions about them, one way or the other; if you do, please share!
Most of what I read is contemporary “literary” fiction (for lack of a better term), but there are some other genres in there- celebrity memoir, short stories, theology, essays, fantasy, and children’s books. In particular I’ve been intentionally reading poetry each morning, something I’ve always picked up via osmosis just by living with Michael, but felt like I hadn’t ever read for myself, and I am loving it.
I’m also noticing I did most of my reading in winter and spring, and I’ve slowed down since the warm weather came. I actually feel really good about that; reading, like anything you love, has weeks where you’re all in, and weeks where you’re too busy with other things, and in this case, it means it’s because I’ve been spending my time in the pool with friends, walking around the lake, having impromptu BBQs, and hosting out-of-town guests. When the warm weather comes in MN, you gotta embrace it!
Without further ado, my mid-year list of everything I’ve read so far. Hope you enjoy!
January
The Rabbit Hutch – Tess Gunty
Schmutz – Felicia Berliner
This Time Tomorrow – Emma Straub
Black Cake – Charmaine Wilkerson
Spare – Prince Harry
Safer Than the Known Way – Maria Francesca French
Hello, Molly! – Molly Shannon
Faith, Hope and Carnage – Nick Cave & Seán O’Hagan
Trust – Hernan Diaz
What Writers Read – ed. Pandora Sykes
February
Galatea – Madeline Miller
No One Is Talking About This – Patricia Lockwood
Lapvona – Ottessa Moshfegh
Woman Without Shame – Sandra Cisneros
Having and Being Had – Eula Biss
Bliss Montage – Ling Ma
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing – Matthew Perry
Homie – Danez Smith
Happy-Go-Lucky – David Sedaris
Babel – R.F. Kuang
March
Ninth House – Leigh Bardugo (this was a re-read for me, in anticipation of the sequel)
Hell Bent – Leigh Bardugo
Don’t Call Us Dead – Danez Smith
The Octopus Museum – Brenda Shaughnessy
A Heart That Works – Rob Delaney
April
Winter Recipes From the Collective – Louise Glück
Stay True – Hua Hsu
The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
Whereas – Layli Long Soldier
The Phantom Tollbooth – Norton Juster (re-read)
Our Missing Hearts – Celeste Ng
The English Understand Wool – Helen DeWitt
Abel’s Island – William Steig (re-read)
The Marriage Portrait – Maggie O’Farrell
Signal Fires – Dani Shapiro
I Have Some Questions For You – Rebecca Makkai
May
The Whalebone Theatre – Joanna Quinn
The Hurting Kind – Ada Limón
June
All About Love – bell hooks
The Guest – Emma Cline
The Divorce – César Aira
currently…
indulging in my favorite summer pastime, watching Love Island (UK). Nothing says summer to me more than listening to a bunch of Essex girls “get their graft on” and “lipsing” the boys. Pure pleasure.
This reading list is an ABSOLUTE INSPIRATION