I haven’t done a highlight post of recent reads in a while, so here’s a reading recap of the past few months:
Endling
Maria Reva
This book was wild! Totally see why it wound up on so many prize lists. It’s primarily set in Eastern Ukraine in early 2022, meaning everything happens against the backdrop of the Russian invasion. Its plots include a scientist fighting to save a snail species in a war zone, a missing mother, and a bachelor-like matchmaking service getting disrupted by war. Has the feel of a heist movie while exploring being under threat.
Babel
RF Kuang
As soon as I realized I was reading a book about a magical school where all the alchemy was unlocked through the power of LINGUISTICS- I was in. It hit all the right nerdy notes for me while also addressing the challenges of colonialism and being in a setting that simultaneously exoticizes but demeans your origins. This book was brilliant.
Something in the Woods Loves You
Jarod K. Anderson
A very vulnerable and very well written memoir featuring the author’s struggle with severe depression and the role nature played in saving his life. While it’s always admirable when someone opens up about these struggles, it doesn’t always translate to the most enjoyable read. There are so many beautiful insights and well-worded thoughts here, however, that make this one of my most highlighted reads.
Kitchen Confidential
Anthony Bourdain
I picked this as my memoir-read this time around because I truly couldn’t remember if I’d read it or not. I was so familiar with many of its anecdotes, tone, etc., but that may have been from the many Bourdain interviews and documentaries made over the years. Not everything ages immaculately, but this throwback to his grungiest kitchen days showed he always had it as a storyteller.
The Message
Ta Nehisi Coates
This pseudo-memoir-slash-essay-collection connects a lot of dots between Palestine, Coates’ travels to the Senegalese Coast, and his home in Baltimore. His writing is sharp as always but it’s his ability to blend personal narrative with global concerns that carries a reminder of James Baldwin in the best way.
A World of Curiosities
Louise Penny
I picked this up because I wanted a read to correspond with my Quebec trip. This was a dive into a genre I don’t typically read much of–mystery surrounding a quirky detective. I loved shows like Monk and Colombo, so maybe I should pick them up more often. This world definitely fit that bill, with an element of time jumps back and forth over several decades to see how different characters evolve. Great character work.
The Hike
Drew Magary
This book was weird, frenetic, and basically what would happen if you took Alice in Wonderland and then swapped Alice out with a dude going through a mid-life crisis. It’s absurdist, funny, but at the very end manages to tie things together with a little surprise that adds a meaningful touch in an Everything-Everywhere sort of way.
The Inheritance of Orquieda Divina
Zoraida Córdova
Another read I picked up in order to sync with my travel plans. This one has a good dose of magical realism in an accessible YA sort of delivery. The world was rich and the plot was interesting, but I often found myself lost in the details. Maybe I just read this too late at night too many times. I still liked it.
Amsterdam
Ian McEwan
A bit of a melancholic feeling novel about a couple of friends reunited after a funeral and a trip to Amsterdam. Some interesting bits pop up around a political scandal and other things unfolding, however this one had a fairly bleak and heavy feel– and featured a lot less of Amsterdam than I would’ve liked. Will take recs for books actually set in the Netherlands.
The Cross and the Lynching Tree
James Cone
This was a long overdue read for me, as I’ve been familiar with Cone’s work through the many theologians and thinkers he’s influenced. Still, it was great to finally go to the source of his main argument– connecting the crucifixion to the lynching tree in Black History, along with figures like Emmett Till and elements like blues and spirituals. Such a profound look at Black liberation theology.
Lost in the Valley of Death
Harley Rustad
This was one of my favorite recent reads– an investigation into the mysterious disappearance of an Instagram travel influencer in 2016 somewhere in the valley of the Himalayas. This book had a really similar feel to Jon Krakauer’s books, and makes direct reference to Into The Wild a few times to acknowledge the uncanny similarities. Also introduces the eerie pattern of disappearances in India’s Parvati Valley which now feel underreported.
An African History of Africa
Zeinab Badawi
I loved this! While I don’t know if I can ever consider a single book on Africa “fully comprehensive” this is the closest thing I’ve seen! Especially because it’s written to very deliberately feature Africans’ retelling of their own history. This spans the continent well, but I especially loved the highlights on Ethiopia, Tunisia, Angola, and Great Zimbabwe.