Thank you all for book suggestions. I love Ocean Vuong’s writing. I’ll stick with fiction- I generally read non-fiction but the atmosphere is changing a wee bit. I read Sigrid Nunez’ book The Friend twice, so good snd just re-read The Presence of Absence by Simon van Booy. If you want a story about inviting a wild hare into your life without it becoming domesticated I highly recommend Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton. It’s beautiful story of how to be a friend to a non human person - and how rich that experience can be. I generally borrow fiction but bought these three so I can mark pages.
Thank you, Satya, and thank you to the people adding more recommendations in the comments! I’ll add to the feast with two books I’ve recently loved as audiobooks, and that feel right for the time: Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (violinists, demons, and donuts in the San Gabriel Valley, a cozy listen), and Sour Cherry by Natalia Theodoridou (a poetic, horror-adjacent fairytale retelling, a chilling listen with an amazing reader). And a favorite summer read from a few years ago is Umami by Laia Jufresa (a meditation on grief and community, in a courtyard in Mexico City). May the summer bring everyone excellent reading and delicious tastes of freedom. -Kate B
I've added two of these to my next independent bookstore trip! A few I've been enjoying - Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, All Russians Love Birch Trees by Olga Grjasnowa, Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde, The Copenhagen Trilogy by Tove Ditlevsen. Also fully affirm before bed reading...it may take me ages as I can sometimes only do 10 pages at a time but a lovely way to drift into another state of being!
All this will be older books (because I'm old?), some of my own favorites: *Marcelo in the Real World*, by Francisco X. Stork, about a young man on the high-functioning end of the Asperger's spectrum who hears inner music, and what happens when he goes to work at his father's corporate law office in downtown Boston. (Stork worked as a lawyer in Boston, and lived at a halfway house for autistic people.)
*The Fifth Sacred Thing* (fantasy, utopia/dystopia) by Starhawk (pub 1993, available thru used online bookstores and at bookshop.org) and *Dreaming the Dark*, essays about how to take back the night.
*The Dispossessed* by Ursula Le Guin, s.f. about a utopia going dark from rigidity; set against a world like our own (only not quite as bad), and the temporal physicist who sparks revolution.
*Lost Connections: why you're depressed and how to find hope* by Johann Hari, journalist and researcher, who was on anti-depressants for decades; traveled around the world to get answers to question posed in the title. Interesting research and excellent stories (nonfiction).
*Nation* by Terry Pratchett, one of his few not-Discworld novels, about an alternate South Seas island, and two survivors of a tsunami, Mau (who lives on the island), Ermintrude aka Daphne, an English girl on a boat that got stuck there, and the people who wash ashore, and how they come to make ... a nation.
*The Deptford Trilogy* by Robertson Davies; about Dunstan Ramsey, scholar and hagiographer, his frenemy Boy Staunton, wealthy business man/philanderer, Magnus Eisengrim, the greatest magician in the world, and his mentor/patron, Liesl 'Vitzliputzli' -- all told in Jungian terms.
Great list Satya, thank you! I also recently finished Emperor of Gladness and LOVED it. I'm about to finish Susan Choi's Flashlight - the first half may be slow going but the second half makes up for it, recommend!
Great list! I would encourage both reading and listening to Orbital. The audio narrator has a calm British accent and it’s pretty dreamy. And thanks for the suggestion of the Mere Wife! It reminded me of reading Grendel (John Gardner) in high school after reading Beowulf and realizing the possibilities of point-of-view in storytelling. Looking forward to James for the same reason…
Marvelous list! thank you... I would add Elif Shafak's latest, There are Rivers in the Sky. Poetic, historical, mythic, an intricate interweaving... Perhaps to be followed up by Robert MccFarlane's latest: Is a River Alive? which I just purchased for my sister after sitting beside her and swimming together for two days in her slow, ambling river in Northern Ontario.
Thank you all for book suggestions. I love Ocean Vuong’s writing. I’ll stick with fiction- I generally read non-fiction but the atmosphere is changing a wee bit. I read Sigrid Nunez’ book The Friend twice, so good snd just re-read The Presence of Absence by Simon van Booy. If you want a story about inviting a wild hare into your life without it becoming domesticated I highly recommend Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton. It’s beautiful story of how to be a friend to a non human person - and how rich that experience can be. I generally borrow fiction but bought these three so I can mark pages.
Oh, Satya!! this made my day to see. thank you so very much for reading and including me here. love you so xx
Love YOU! And loved your book!!
Thank you, Satya, and thank you to the people adding more recommendations in the comments! I’ll add to the feast with two books I’ve recently loved as audiobooks, and that feel right for the time: Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (violinists, demons, and donuts in the San Gabriel Valley, a cozy listen), and Sour Cherry by Natalia Theodoridou (a poetic, horror-adjacent fairytale retelling, a chilling listen with an amazing reader). And a favorite summer read from a few years ago is Umami by Laia Jufresa (a meditation on grief and community, in a courtyard in Mexico City). May the summer bring everyone excellent reading and delicious tastes of freedom. -Kate B
I’m anxiously waiting to start the Emperor of Gladness which is sitting next to my bed…
If you have not heard this interview with Ocean Vuong and the major influences of EoGladness it’s pretty incredible from start to finish.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002cckf
Thank you, thank you....Looking forward to reading those i have not read and maybe revisiting some.
I've added two of these to my next independent bookstore trip! A few I've been enjoying - Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, All Russians Love Birch Trees by Olga Grjasnowa, Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde, The Copenhagen Trilogy by Tove Ditlevsen. Also fully affirm before bed reading...it may take me ages as I can sometimes only do 10 pages at a time but a lovely way to drift into another state of being!
I am always so grateful with people I love and respect share their recommended book lists. Thank you so much, Satya, and everyone else, too!
All this will be older books (because I'm old?), some of my own favorites: *Marcelo in the Real World*, by Francisco X. Stork, about a young man on the high-functioning end of the Asperger's spectrum who hears inner music, and what happens when he goes to work at his father's corporate law office in downtown Boston. (Stork worked as a lawyer in Boston, and lived at a halfway house for autistic people.)
*The Fifth Sacred Thing* (fantasy, utopia/dystopia) by Starhawk (pub 1993, available thru used online bookstores and at bookshop.org) and *Dreaming the Dark*, essays about how to take back the night.
*The Dispossessed* by Ursula Le Guin, s.f. about a utopia going dark from rigidity; set against a world like our own (only not quite as bad), and the temporal physicist who sparks revolution.
*Lost Connections: why you're depressed and how to find hope* by Johann Hari, journalist and researcher, who was on anti-depressants for decades; traveled around the world to get answers to question posed in the title. Interesting research and excellent stories (nonfiction).
*Nation* by Terry Pratchett, one of his few not-Discworld novels, about an alternate South Seas island, and two survivors of a tsunami, Mau (who lives on the island), Ermintrude aka Daphne, an English girl on a boat that got stuck there, and the people who wash ashore, and how they come to make ... a nation.
*The Deptford Trilogy* by Robertson Davies; about Dunstan Ramsey, scholar and hagiographer, his frenemy Boy Staunton, wealthy business man/philanderer, Magnus Eisengrim, the greatest magician in the world, and his mentor/patron, Liesl 'Vitzliputzli' -- all told in Jungian terms.
Thank you for these! I came very close to putting The Dispossessed on the list. So good.
Great list Satya, thank you! I also recently finished Emperor of Gladness and LOVED it. I'm about to finish Susan Choi's Flashlight - the first half may be slow going but the second half makes up for it, recommend!
Flashlight has been on my list! Glad for your recommendation.
This is a great list- thank you so much for compiling this!
I love a book list! I just read The Seas by Samantha Hunt, beautiful writing and imagery. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/332768.The_Seas
Thanks. I'm recommending Daniel Mason's North Woods to everyone who asks. Read, then listen.
Glad for the reminder about this one!
Great list! I would encourage both reading and listening to Orbital. The audio narrator has a calm British accent and it’s pretty dreamy. And thanks for the suggestion of the Mere Wife! It reminded me of reading Grendel (John Gardner) in high school after reading Beowulf and realizing the possibilities of point-of-view in storytelling. Looking forward to James for the same reason…
Marvelous list! thank you... I would add Elif Shafak's latest, There are Rivers in the Sky. Poetic, historical, mythic, an intricate interweaving... Perhaps to be followed up by Robert MccFarlane's latest: Is a River Alive? which I just purchased for my sister after sitting beside her and swimming together for two days in her slow, ambling river in Northern Ontario.
“There are Rivers” is next on my list! I’ve been looking forward to it.