Some Books I've Read


2024
 
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Mostly horror. ★★★★☆
 
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
"You're the ship, they're the bottle." ★★★★☆
 
Evicted by Matthew Desmond
Daily reminder to cherish my rent stabilized apartment. ★★★☆☆
 
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
Entirely too much detail about vomit. ★★★☆☆
 
The Guest by Emma Cline
Exactly why I don't hang in the Hamptons. ★★☆☆☆
 
Did Ye Hear Mammy Died? by Seamas O'Reilly
Trying to earn my Derry Girl chops. ★★★★☆
 
Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
"work is what you do for others; smoking is what you do for yourself." ★★☆☆☆
 
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Patiently waiting for some octopi to run for office. ★★★☆☆
 
2023
 
Finna by Nino Cipri
Reading material for when you're waiting for someone at Ikea. ★★☆☆☆
 
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
"Other people's parents are often a delight." ★★★★☆
 
The Library Book by Susan Orlean
Rethinking my pyromania era. ★★★☆☆
 
The Martian by Andy Weir
Before Elon Musk ruined Mars for everyone. ★★★★☆
 
The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa
I rarely use my left leg anyways. ★★★☆☆
 
The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty
"It seems to her that she's spent her whole life sitting in a laundromat, freaking peoeple out." ★★★★☆
 
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Inspiration for the woman who's good at everything. ★★★☆☆
 
The Maid by Nita Prose
Here for the cleaning tips. ★★★☆☆
 
2022
 
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
I too am simply an extension of Costco. ★★★★☆
 
Afterparties: Stories by Anthony Veasna So
All these stories happened after I Irish exited. ★★★★★
 
The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
Still not a good enough reason for me to go upstate. ★★★★☆
 
Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder
Just be weird enough so you can call it art. ★★★☆☆
 
Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman
"Poke the scar until it speaks." ★★☆☆☆
 
My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson
Good to know a museum gift shop can sustain life. ★★★★☆
 
Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho
Driving around doing nothing is the basis of most teenage friendships. ★★☆☆☆
 
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
Hated all the characters by the end. Just like real life. ★★★☆☆
 
2021
 
This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens
Appropriately disparaging of New Year's eve. ★★☆☆☆
 
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
What we're hoping happens to Jeff Bezos. ★★★☆☆
 
The Perfect Nanny by Leïla Slimani
Yet another reason not to have children. ★★★☆☆
 
Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker
Sadly not about ranch dressing. ★★★★☆
 
Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler
Good reminder to make friends in Canada. ★★★★☆
 
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
My memoir will be called Talking About Costco at Weddings. ★★★☆☆
 
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
Really hoping my end of days doesn't involve so much camping. ★★★★☆
 
Brotopia by Emily Chang
More sex parties than expected. ★★☆☆☆
 
Funeral Diva by Pamela Sneed
"two three thirty forty fifty Americas maybe more" ★★★☆☆
 
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Hope my twin is out there somewhere so we can go in on an air fryer together. ★★★★☆
 
Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall
In case your biggest problem isn't finding good help. ★★★☆☆
 
2020
 
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
Hope some boys read this book. ★★★★☆
 
How We Became Human by Joy Harjo
"The world begins at a kitchen table." ★★★☆☆
 
Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami
A love letter to bathhouses. ★★★☆☆
 
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
Bring me to Boystown. ★★★★☆
 
Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong
Further proof Oberlin would destroy me. ★★★★☆
 
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
A journey towards health insurance coverage. ★★★★☆
 
I Have Crossed an Ocean by Grace Nichols
"Such golden obsessions Could only create golden monsters" ★★★☆☆
 
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
There's hope for all of us. ★★★★☆
 
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Essentially quarantine 2020. ★☆☆☆☆
 
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
As lady-centric as advertised. ★★★★★
 
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Great if you love love. I do not. ★★☆☆☆
 
Dear Girls by Ali Wong
She writes about spam musubi and Costco so it's impossible for me to be impartial. ★★★☆☆
 
2019
 
Territory of Light by Yūko Tsushima
Not afraid to portray small children as very annoying. ★★★★☆
 
On Earth, We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
"Every grain of rice you leave behind is one maggot you eat in hell." ★★★★☆
 
Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino
An appropriate number of words dedicated to scammers. ★★★☆☆
 
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
The natural outcome of having to date millenial men. ★★★☆☆
 
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Still recovering from the deaths in chapter one. ★★★★☆
 
I Must Be Living Twice by Eileen Myles
"Life is a plot to make me move." ★★☆☆☆
 
How to Write an Autobiographical Novel: Essays by Alexander Chee
If you need material for you autobiography become a cater waiter. ★★★☆☆
 
Educated by Tara Westover
Combines my top fears of religion and heavy machinery. ★★★★☆
 
Severance by Ling Ma
My end of the world also involves one last taste of shark fin soup. ★★★☆☆
 
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Really couldn't have been more endearing. ★★★★☆
 
2018
 
Dietland by Sarai Walker
Being a girl is exhausting. ★☆☆☆☆
 
This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Philipps
Story of a very full teenage life. ★★★★☆
 
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
"our struggle to celebrate each other is what's proven most difficult in being human" ★★★☆☆
 
The Wonder by Emma Donaghue
Extreme dedication to summer bod. ★★★★☆
 
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Exactly how I imagined Ohio would be. ★★★☆☆
 
Push by Sapphire
Based on the movie Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. ★★★★☆
 
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Probably coming in 2019. ★★★★☆
 
salt. by nayyirah waheed
"listen to my poems. but do not look for me. look for you." ★★★☆☆
 
There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé by Morgan Parker
"When I get to heaven I'm going to wear my good bra" ★★★★☆
 
Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher
Being Princess Leia was the least weird thing about her life. ★★★☆☆
 
Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
Only an advice columnist could melt my black heart. ★★★★☆
 
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
A letter to his son on the fragility of his black body. Not light. ★★★★☆
 
Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami
Possibly the origin story of those Japanese body pillows. ★★★☆☆
 
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
"The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everyone" —Tupac ★★★★☆
 
2017
 
Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman
Some boys playing with their apricocks. ★★★☆☆
 
Hunger by Roxane Gay
Our bodies are unruly. Also, an entire joyful chapter on Ina Garten. ★★★☆☆
 
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
A book within a book. V meta. ★★★★☆
 
Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee
Annoyingly similar to the novel I started writing. ★★★☆☆
 
Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
Made me hate The Help. ★★★★☆
 
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
So depressing. Read immediately. ★★★★★
 
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
Confirms my suspicion of high altitudes. ★★★☆☆