6 Books I Like—May 2024
Ever feel like Larry David?
I began dedicating more time to reading during the pandemic—it replaced my morning commute as a way to transition between waking up and diving into Microsoft Teams. For a few years now I’ve been asking people for books that they’ve enjoyed to try and ensure that I’m reading a broad range of work. If you’re going to read a book this summer, I want you to enjoy it!
Here are some of the books that I’ve really enjoyed recently, shared with an eye on why you might want to read it. If you don’t see anything that interests you below, the previous list of books I liked from November 2023 is here:
Fiction
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adeji-Brenyah
Thrilling action that makes you think and feel
I’ll start by saying that I flat-out love this book, and reading it was a powerful experience (I cried when it ended). It’s about a near future where those convicted of crimes can opt in to a prison deathmatch reality TV show to try and earn their freedom, and it was a 2023 National Book Award finalist, so you know the writing quality is good—I was particularly impressed by Nana’s command of so many different characters and their unique voices, as well as how he can put you in the middle of action sequences—but it has stuck with me because of how deftly it challenges so much of what we see and accept in our world.
Here’s a blurb on it from some guy who wrote another book on this list:
“This book is so good. Brutal subject matter, beautiful writing. This one is from the heart.”
—Stephen King
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
A fascinating study in good intentions gone wrong
In New Zealand (in this fictional novel) there is a nonprofit dedicated to conservation, and a billionaire bent on excavation, and the way the conflict plays out is through interpersonal interactions and ideological agendas. I feel like each character is extremely well thought out, with rich interior lives and motivations and desires that fuel their actions, which tangle together to drive the plot to a thrilling conclusion.
Fairy Tale by Stephen King
Turns out he’s a pretty good writer
There are 98 novels and novellas listed on Stephen King’s website, and it only takes a few pages of Fairy Tale to see that all that practice has paid off (take a second to scan the list and it’s remarkable how many also became iconic movies). This book from 2022 is a page-turning fantasy novel where I actually enjoyed the non-fantasy part of the book the most because of how well King handles anticipation and foreshadowing. It lives in an interesting space just too adult for YA but not as adult as A Song of Ice and Fire or American Gods. I feel like I would have loved this book in high school. Shoutout Aimee for the recommendation!
How I Won a Nobel Prize by Julius Taranto
Some satire for your summer?
There’s an island off the coast of Connecticut with a university where professors can go to teach if they are unable to get a job on the mainland because they were cancelled for their bad behavior or questionable beliefs. Tuition is free. What could go wrong?
That’s the premise, which is fascinating, and the novel is propelled by protagonist Helen’s experience. I thought this book was incredibly inventive, and I think it’s the right length for a vacation.
The Candy House by Jennifer Egan
Revisiting the Goon Squad
Jennifer Egan is one hell of a writer. 2011’s A Visit from the Goon Squad was centered on the record industry but the story was told via 13 chapters with different narrators. This novel shares some of the same characters as well as a similar stylistic approach, but it is centered on a social network that allows people to access and share memories. If you read the first one, read this one. If you haven’t, read the first one and then this one, and your summer is set.
The Sympathizer by Viet Tanh Nguyen
I understand why this is an HBO Series
A double agent with allegiances to North Vietnam but working for South Vietnam comes to America after the fall of Saigon. Everything remains complicated, and tense, and actually so tense, and difficult. The narrator’s voice is distinctly compelling, and the events of the novel provide endless opportunities to think about the complexities and allow the tension to play out. It’s an HBO show now so you know it’s good, and also it’s always fun to read something you can watch after. Shoutout Joe for the recommendation!
