I‘m starting a new venture: a newsletter on Substack devoted to charting my reading life with a focus on independent press books and translations. Subscribe here if interested! https://readingindie.substack.com

This is a powerful memoir about growing up in Oakland, focusing on the author‘s brother and his struggles and death. It‘s also a great portrait of a complicated family and an important look at the consequences of racism in the US.

Currently reading. This is a powerful memoir about the author‘s complicated childhood in Oakland and particularly the struggles of her beloved brother. A great book for thinking about race in the US.

This book is nightmarish in the best way. A family stays one day longer on their summer vacation than normal and...nothing is ever the same. It‘s creepy and weird and fascinating.

ZADIE. I love her so much. If reading a brilliant—brilliant—person think about the pandemic as it‘s happening sounds good to you, read this book.

Currently reading. A memoir of Moore‘s escape from Liberia as a child and her attempts to deal with this past as an adult.

A really fun book that‘s a takeoff of Anna Karenina, with her children as main characters, AND ALSO TOLSTOY. There‘s a fairytale-like book Anna wrote included as well, plus working-class protests and activism as the Russian Revolution gets going. Brilliant.

Just finished this on audio. What an absorbing, thoroughly-enjoyable book! I loved the characters and the experiences the book explores. Great audio reading too.

Started these two books recently, one a memoir in essays about masculinity and being a trans man, and the other a takeoff on ANNA KARENINA, sort of, with Anna‘s son as a character.

Just finished this beautiful, meditative novel about grief and loss. Set in Italy, the protagonist travels, observes, and thinks about her life and losses. Not for those who need plot! But it‘s a gorgeous piece of travel and nature writing.

Just finished this super interesting memoir about medicine, trauma, and one woman‘s true crime obsession.

Currently reading, THE VANISHING HALF on audio, the other two in print.

I wrote a brief review here: https://ofbooksandbikes.com/2020/07/07/real-life-by-brandon-taylor/

This is breaking my heart, in a good way. I‘m about halfway through and totally into it.

Time for REAL LIFE!

A strong collection of essays, some lyric, some narrative, all personal pieces about family, culture, being Indian-American, being a writer and writing teacher, and a lot more.

So many great, dark stories of women struggling with men and children and family (and some stories of men struggling too). A great range of characters and settings. Bleak and real and excellent.

Starting this on audio—a compelling story so far.

Adding this one into the mix. It‘s always good to be in the middle of an essay collection.

Kate Zambreno is, I‘m discovering, one of my favorite contemporary writers. I loved loved loved DRIFTS and now this one, this time nonfiction, although not that different in style and mood. It‘s about the death of her mother and also memory, art, family, secrets, guilt, love.

Adding this into the reading mix: short stories translated from Korean. The first two were great.

I‘m looking for more Kate Zambreno in my life.

Currently reading, the first in print, the second on audio.

A complex, compassionate attempt to understand midwestern Christian harvesters and the”heartland” generally by a secular writer from California, who also happens to own a Nebraska farm. Lots of info and ideas about farming, religion, race, politics, and culture.

My god did I love this book, so much. Just brilliant.

I decided to post on my blog again after over a year of ignoring it: https://ofbooksandbikes.com

Totally into this one, on audio.

20 pages or so into this, I know it is very much my thing.

I really liked this genre-bending book on lighthouses. It‘s part memoir, part cultural history, part travel book. I found it meditative and calming.

This one was really fascinating! A rare look at North Korea, about marriage and what people owe themselves, their families, and their country.

Up next!

Finished this essay collection today and really liked it— interesting thoughts on race, writing, and the U.S.

Starting this one for some more translated fiction, this time from North Korea.

Just finished this on audio—super fun! By Quan Barry.

Currently reading: fiction and essays.

This book is NOT for the faint of heart but I found it really compelling and atmospheric. About a woman looking for companionship who adopts a puppy. Things get complicated. Out in August.

Time for more fiction in translation. This one is out in August from World Editions.

I just finished this book last night. Ugh, it‘s so brilliant, weird, unclassifiable, angry, dark, bewildering, I love it. And it just won the Pulitzer!!!

What I‘m reading next.

This made me cry at the end, which hardly ever happens. I am so into this book. It‘s a story about a virus, this time from the mid 80s.

Started this yesterday and it‘s so good!

Some recently read, currently reading, and hope to read soon books.

This was great on audio!

I started this! Who knows when I‘ll finish it but I‘m loving it so far. 1,000+ pages, out in September.

Next up. Out in September.

Currently reading!

I bought books today.

This one was fun and serious both: a lightly humorous take on the serious business of race and identity in America.

Up next: FU PING by Wang Anyi

This book made dishwashing enthralling. I‘m serious. It‘s also about Montreal, gambling, music, work. It‘s so good.