i love russia: reporting from a lost country by elena kostyuchenko - super interesting though obviously a very depressing look at different aspects of life in modern russia. kostyuchenko is such a brilliant writer (some of the chapters were originally published in or drew on reporting sheād done while writing for the novaya gazeta) and her connection to the people of russia and love for her country despite its flaws is really beautiful.
say nothing: a true story of murder and memory in northern ireland by patrick radden keefe- youāve probably heard of this already, because itās pretty popular, but i thought it was worth the hype! itās basically a historical account of the troubles with a focus on an unsolved 1972 kidnapping believed to be committed by the ira. donāt be fooled by the length, i thought the book was super readable and easy enough to follow despite the sheer scale of the events of the trouble. certain parts really stuck with me, and even though i read it two summers ago, i still think about it frequently!
white negroes: when cornrows were in vogue... and other thoughts on cultural appropriation by lauren michele jackson - this is an essay collection about the appropriation of black culture (duh lol) and itās obviously pretty strongly pop culture focused. (though not completely!) i know thereās a lot of discourse surrounding cultural appropriation but i thought jacksonās takes were very refreshing and even entertaining to read at times. sheās a very witty writer with a really sharp eye! my personal favorite essay was the one about paula deen, though the miley/xtina one was a close second.
Aug 11, 2024
Related Recs
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memoirs:
finding me - viola davis - she's truly had such an interesting life
wild - cheryl strayed - memoir about a women walking the pct and all about her crazy life that lef her to that point
crying in h mart - michelle zauner - about a musician coping with her mother's death
educated - tara westover - about a woman who grows up in fundamentalist mormon family
i'm glad my mom died - jennette mccurdy - about her childhood as an actor and her relationship w/ her mother
the glass castle - jeanette walls
the anthropocene reviewed - john green - he reviews aspects of human life and shares parts of his own very interesting life
just kids - patti smith - about her life as a musician in nyc
kitchen confidential - anthony bourdain
down the drain - julia fox
engaging non fiction;
- seconding the patrick radden keefe rec below - also his books empire of pain and the snakehead
- cultish - amanda montell - about the language that cults use
- so you've been publicly shamed - jon ronson
- slouching towards bethlehem - joan didion - sharply written essays mostly about 60s culture
books on art:
- ways of seeing - john berger
- funny weather: art in crisis - olivia laing
- notes on 'camp' - susan sontag
- the art thief - micharl finkel
books on food:
- small fires: an epic in the kitchen - rebecca may johnson
- chop suey nation - ann hui
- eating animals - jonathan safran foer
Nov 13, 2024
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ok I love nonfiction (love to learn) some of my favorites are:
- anything by mary roach ā she writes books on different niche science fields & her books are so informative in an approachable way that doesn't feel condescending and her books are just so fun! and interesting! I donāt think I can pick a favorite
- marilyn johnson ā she writes books about different careers, my favorite of hers is dead beat (about obituary writers) but I also love this book is overdue! (about librarians)
- mediocre by ijeoma oluo ā looks at the historical patterns of white men grasping onto their power in american culture ,, truly incredible read
- white trash by nancy isenberg ā this one is DENSE but it looks at the history of white poor people and pulls back the curtain of classism in america and how it ties into racism, sexism, etc etc,, if you wanted more reasons to hate any historical american heroes this one is for you !
- odd girls and twilight lovers by lillian faderman ā lillian faderman is an incredible lesbian historian and this book is such a beautiful humanizing ode to lesbian history in the US with a lot of interviews of older queer women and it holds suuuch an important place in my heart
Jan 22, 2025
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It was spring break so I had a lot more time on my handsā¦
Articles/Essays/Short Stories/Newsletters
ā¢ Every Hair Casts a Shadow - Moira McCavana (via Paris Review)Ā
ā¢ Meaghan Garveyās interview with her crazy ex fiance (via her Substack SCARY COOL SAD GOODBYE #13 and unfortunately behind a paywall š«¤)
ā¢ Iām Looking to Jump Ship Sooner Than I Should: A Conversation with Percival Everett - Ayize Jama-Everett (via LA Review of Books)
ā¢A Descendantās Call for Whale Legal Personhood - Mere Takoko (via Atmos)
ā¦ did you know one whale can capture an average of 33 tons of carbon dioxide over its lifespan? and that when they die they sink (called a whale fall) and that carbon in their bodies gets trapped at the bottom of the sea floor! then their carcasses decompose and become a nutritious food source for deep see organisms! We š©· whales š!
ā¢ Andrew Hubermanās Mechanisms of Control - Kerry Howley (via NY Mag) lol
Books
ā¢ Foster by Claire Keegan - posted a rec for this the other dayā¦ a girl is sent to live with relatives for the summer on the coastal countryside of Ireland and experiences a warmth + affection sheās not known beforeā¦ had me crying on my red eye flight)
ā¢ Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson - It starts with two strangers meeting at a pub. Took me a little bit to get used to the second person point of view and I connected with it more once I read it as more of a narrative poem. Calebās writing is very lyrical with such lush descriptions throughout. It explores the complexities, community, and consequences that come with being Black. Ultimately an ode to Black joy, love, community, art, and music!
ā¢ Darryl by Jackie Ess (still readingā¦ about halfway through) - āDarryl Cook is a man who seems to have everything: a quiet home in Western Oregon, a beautiful wife, and a lot of friends to fuck her while he watchesā oooo baby!
Apr 1, 2024
Top Recs from @thegameoflove
itās stupid and perfect and lowkey one of the greatest movies of all time. itās fun !! itās california! weāre surfing and skydiving and robbing banks! what more can you ask for!!
Feb 22, 2025
bike with friends, invent something new, grow flowers, enjoy some reeses pieces, try not to get captured by the government.. stuff like that!
Sep 9, 2024
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i have 9 out right now and in no world am i finishing all 9 of them (including a 500 page oral history of the soviet union and like a 550 page one about the manson murders). but i really love checking books out, really satisfies some sort of innate consumer impulse in me. and i love having books around me.
Nov 21, 2024