One of my goals going into this year was to finish more books. I was pretty successful. Here are five that I think are worth a read. Writers and LoversI read Lily King’s Writers and Lovers (2020) after watching a TikTok by Eliza McLamb in which she discusses how contemporary fiction written by women is so rarely viewed as “true” literature by the general population. Reading these kinds of books instill in her an excitement and love of reading in ways the classics just don't. Her experience hit close to home as a young woman, reader, feminist, and media scholar. Writers and Lovers was one of those deeply relatable books. A struggling young writer copes with loss and navigates romantic relationships while trying to define her next steps in life. This book is filled with poignant representation of grief and the uncertainty of being in your mid-20s balanced with moments of hilarity and joy. The setting of Boston in the late 90s was the icing on the cake, and I loved that the story involved a visit to the MFA. Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self DelusionIf you’re chronically online, interested in internet culture, or have ever girlbossed a bit too close to the sun, you will find interest in Jia Tolentino’s 2019 collection of essays Trick Mirror. Her life experiences – from attending mega-churches in Houston, to starring in a reality TV show as a teen, to being a second generation Filipino-American – paired with her impeccable commentary on media, feminism, and self-delusion result in such unique perspectives and criticisms that keep me thinking about them months later. I’m dying to re-read this one. Fun fact: Tolentino’s essay on optimization was an influence for Lorde’s song Mood Ring. Such a Fun AgeSuch a Fun Age by Kiley Reid (2019) unravels like a dramatic farce: Emira, a young black woman is babysitting a white child when bystanders accuse her of kidnapping, and the novel follows her relationship with the wealthy, white family she babysits for after these events. Reid tackles heavy subjects like privilege, wealth, and the white savior narrative with wit and satirical criticism in a way that’s deeply engaging and often funny. I related to Emira’s lack of direction in her newfound adulthood and her all-too-relatable concern for where her health insurance was going to come from, and I loved her relationship with Briar, the “rich people baby.” BelovedThe events of this past year, COVID-19 deaths, the insurrection at the Capitol, and continued acts of violence against Black and Asian Americans to name a few, have inflicted trauma upon many Americans. We cannot begin to understand the lasting impacts that these traumatic events will have upon individuals and how society may be impacted as a result. Beloved (1987) by Toni Morrison follows Sethe, a mother who has escaped slavery as she encounters a haunting spirit representing her past. As a reader, you catch glimpses of her past in small parts, each more horrifying than the last. This is the first book I've read by Morrison, and it made me so hungry for more of her work. It is also the first time that I’ve read something about the traumatic impacts of slavery that resembled modern psychological horror. Nothing I could write would do this story justice, it literally won a Pulitzer Prize, but this work is so important for everyone to read in the present, particularly so if you're interested in the themes of motherhood, trauma, and slavery in the United States. Get Well Soon: History's Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought ThemIt's hard to understand the scope of human history when you're living in what feels like unprecedented times, but this 2017 book proved to me that plagues are an inevitable, very precedented kinda thing. Wright demonstrates the ways that people have persevered through devastating illness, which not only include innovations in medicine, but also hopefulness, unity, and supporting those most affected. This book is a great balance of science, history, and humor. It is mind-blowing to understand how much we have advanced medically as a society within the last few hundreds of years, but it's also disheartening to understand how little we have learned from the past when considering our society's mishandling of COVID-19. After reading this I am interested in learning more about infectious diseases and the ways societies have progressed through pandemics throughout history. There were too many books I loved this year to cover in a single blog post, but honorable mentions include Tana French's The Likeness and the rest of her Dublin Murder Squad series, The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, Crying in H-Mart by Michelle Zauner, I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara, and The Liars' Club by Mary Karr.
What did you think of these books if you have read them? And do you have recommendations for what I should read next? I'd love to chat with you about what you're reading! Add me on StoryGraph for more updates on my reading progress in 2022. Have a happy, healthy, and safe New Year.
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