This was the tipping point for me to request "The Creative Act" from the library. I've also heard good things about "Energy and Civilization", may give that a go as well. I had a fiction-heavy year so I appreciate the depth of nonfiction recommendations here!
I love the Creative Act! One of the few books I /almost/ finished this year. Dilla Time is also on my list - will have to poke around on your other recs.
I would recommend Celine Nguyen's Personal Canon as a starting place for reading recs. She reads... SO much, it's a bit overwhelming. But delightful.
But imagine how many book-equivalents you've read on Substack!
I'm now subscribed to Celine's excellent Substack. Thanks for the rec — I'm surprised I hadn't come across her sooner. Beyond the great book reviews, I loved her piece "in praise of writing on the internet"
I like reading reviews like this. Thanks for sharing and for some good suggestions.
I read the Neapolitan novels over the summer and really liked them. I got semi-obsessed for a while. I'm not a big fiction reader and this didn't seem like my thing. But, we were traveling to Naples, so I thought I'd give it a go. Maybe don't need to read all of them, but hard to stop once you're into them. I write myself little remembrances and extract quotes for my own use and future reference. Interestingly, this is by far my most popular blog on medium, even tho I've never posted or promoted it. People find it through search. The interest/audience in Ferrante is huge.
I'm jealous of the reading productivity of my non-parent friends ;) I might have to try My Brilliant Friend again, I started but never finished it years ago. This year I really enjoyed Solito by Javier Zamora. Just was gifted The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer and looking forward to reading it. I'm definitely taking notes on a few other of your recs!
More Saturdays at the library with the kids! It wasn’t until I was 50% through My Brilliant Friend that I got into it. I’d love to hear from another man who has read it. Seems very focused on a woman’s way of seeing the world … if that’s not too outdated / politically incorrect to say.
Currently reading James by Percival Everett. In many ways, an exploration of white and black masculinity under systemic racism. Everett is always provocative, so I look forward to discovering how this one ends.
Amir Towles Lincoln Highway was a favorite of the year - boyhood/friendship, American road trip gone sideways, the pain and liberation of absent parents.
I’m a huge Gretchen Whitmer fan, so just read her latest “Big Gretch”. Midwest values/politics, centrism, how to swear with class. Fast read. Includes the Big Gretch playlist.
I don’t thing I’m Michigan enough for a Whitmer political memoir. But very much want to read both James and Lincoln Tower! Bumped both up on the list. Thank you
If you’re serious about lightening up - anything by David Sedaris. Try starting with Naked or Me Talk Pretty Someday. To get out of your white man bubble, Black AF History: The Unwhitewashed Story of America, by Michael Harriott. And for great political analysis with a historical perspective, no one beats Jamelle Bouie - who also has a great newsletter in which he offers further reading recs. Happy 2025!
I’m reading My Brilliant Friend right now too! Still waiting to be hooked for why I should care about the characters. Thanks for the reading list!
It wasn’t until I was 50% through that I got into it. Curious to see how the friendship evolves in books 2 and 3.
This was the tipping point for me to request "The Creative Act" from the library. I've also heard good things about "Energy and Civilization", may give that a go as well. I had a fiction-heavy year so I appreciate the depth of nonfiction recommendations here!
I love the Creative Act! One of the few books I /almost/ finished this year. Dilla Time is also on my list - will have to poke around on your other recs.
I would recommend Celine Nguyen's Personal Canon as a starting place for reading recs. She reads... SO much, it's a bit overwhelming. But delightful.
But imagine how many book-equivalents you've read on Substack!
I'm now subscribed to Celine's excellent Substack. Thanks for the rec — I'm surprised I hadn't come across her sooner. Beyond the great book reviews, I loved her piece "in praise of writing on the internet"
I like reading reviews like this. Thanks for sharing and for some good suggestions.
I read the Neapolitan novels over the summer and really liked them. I got semi-obsessed for a while. I'm not a big fiction reader and this didn't seem like my thing. But, we were traveling to Naples, so I thought I'd give it a go. Maybe don't need to read all of them, but hard to stop once you're into them. I write myself little remembrances and extract quotes for my own use and future reference. Interestingly, this is by far my most popular blog on medium, even tho I've never posted or promoted it. People find it through search. The interest/audience in Ferrante is huge.
https://medium.com/@niawag/the-neapolitan-novels-a72ef629d79a
I'm jealous of the reading productivity of my non-parent friends ;) I might have to try My Brilliant Friend again, I started but never finished it years ago. This year I really enjoyed Solito by Javier Zamora. Just was gifted The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer and looking forward to reading it. I'm definitely taking notes on a few other of your recs!
More Saturdays at the library with the kids! It wasn’t until I was 50% through My Brilliant Friend that I got into it. I’d love to hear from another man who has read it. Seems very focused on a woman’s way of seeing the world … if that’s not too outdated / politically incorrect to say.
My heart aches you didn’t like Pedro Paramo, my favorite Mexican novel ever written 💔
I knew you’d be part of the 1% to look at the full list 😍
Adding on:
I gravitate primarily towards fiction.
Currently reading James by Percival Everett. In many ways, an exploration of white and black masculinity under systemic racism. Everett is always provocative, so I look forward to discovering how this one ends.
Amir Towles Lincoln Highway was a favorite of the year - boyhood/friendship, American road trip gone sideways, the pain and liberation of absent parents.
I’m a huge Gretchen Whitmer fan, so just read her latest “Big Gretch”. Midwest values/politics, centrism, how to swear with class. Fast read. Includes the Big Gretch playlist.
I don’t thing I’m Michigan enough for a Whitmer political memoir. But very much want to read both James and Lincoln Tower! Bumped both up on the list. Thank you
If you’re serious about lightening up - anything by David Sedaris. Try starting with Naked or Me Talk Pretty Someday. To get out of your white man bubble, Black AF History: The Unwhitewashed Story of America, by Michael Harriott. And for great political analysis with a historical perspective, no one beats Jamelle Bouie - who also has a great newsletter in which he offers further reading recs. Happy 2025!