January 2021 Reading:
Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs by Beth Ann Fennelly (Amazon, Bookshop) -- I love essays, and I loved the idea of "micro-memoirs." A very interesting structure.
The Corner That Held Them by Sylvia Townsend Warner (Amazon, Bookshop) -- A fascinating historical novel where nothing much happens at a Benedictine convent in the late 12th century through 1382.
K-Pop Confidential by Stephan Lee (Amazon, Bookshop) -- A wonderful YA novel that shows that if you tell a classic story in a fresh way, it's as compelling as ever.
Circe by Madeline Miller (Amazon, Bookshop) -- Indies Choice Best Adult Fiction of the Year Award; Red Tentacle Award, American Library Association Alex Award, and Elle Big Book Award; shortlisted for the 2019 Women's Prize for Fiction. People have been telling me forever to read this book—I loved it. I've been reading a lot of things classical lately, not sure why.
The Informed Air: Essays by Muriel Spark (Amazon, Bookshop) -- I love the work of Muriel Spark so was very eager to read her essays.
Lost in the City by Edward P. Jones (Amazon, Bookshop) -- Pen/Hemingway Award for Best First Fiction Finalist, shortlisted for National Book Award. A thought-provoking collection of short stories—I've found myself reflecting back on several of them. Really creates a sense of place.
Secrets by Nancy Hale (Amazon) -- A wonderful novella about a family, a place, and a time.
The Case for Keto: Rethinking Weight Control and the Science and Practice of Low-Carb/High-Fat Eating by Gary Taubes (Amazon, Bookshop) -- We interviewed Gary Taubes in episode 308 of the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast. As I write about in my book about habit change, Better Than Before, Taubes's work changed my life (and my father's life).
Little, Big: Or, The Fairies’ Parliament by John Crowley (Amazon, Bookshop) -- Winner of the World Fantasy Award and Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. I heard about this book because it was recommended by Ted Chiang, and I love the work of Ted Chiang. I was astonished that I'd never heard of this novel before, let alone read it; it's exactly the kind of thing I like. A true fairy tale for adults.
The Cancer Journals by Audre Lorde (Amazon, Bookshop) -- The American Library Association's Gay Caucus Book of the Year Award. Short, powerful, meditative.
Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore (Amazon, Bookshop) -- I'm a huge fan of Cashore's work so have been eagerly awaiting this novel.
Searching for Whitopia: An Improbable Journey to the Heart of White America by Rich Benjamin (Amazon, Bookshop) -- A fascinating look at demographic change, real estate, and racial attitudes in the United States.
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