To Read #002

Literally four years ago, I published my first "To Read" post. In an effort to knock down my exponentially growing to-read list and frankly shameful backlog, I had the idea that I would share a few books on my list and then, later, give brief reviews of each and share the next set I planned to read. I thought it was a great idea!

And then, true to form, I just... didn't do it.

I mean, I did read the books* eventually. I just read a bunch of other books in-between (not to mention it took me ages to get through Body Counts), so I never got around to writing my thoughts down or picking the next set. (I think my mistake may have been choosing six books. Six, I think, is too many.)

But now I'm back! Before getting into the next batch, here are my very brief thoughts for the books on #001.

1. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty - ★★★★
   Incredibly interesting, well-written, and will definitely make you rethink your ideas on death and the dead.
2. Us by David Nicholls - ★★★★★
   I originally questioned whether this book would be anywhere near as good as One Day (one of my favorites) and it definitely is—but in its own unique way. It was funny and sad and real, and I really enjoyed the characters and story.
3. Body Counts: A Memoir of Activism, Sex, and Survival by Sean Strub - ★★★★★
   Equal parts memoir and history book, Strub's story is told with such passion and love—but pulls no punches. Take your time with this one.
4. The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides - ★★★
   I rounded up to three stars because Eugenides is an undeniably great writer (and it's obvious he knows this) and there were some passages I really loved, but I did not like this book. Save yourself some time and pass on this one.
5. Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling - ★★★★★
   Simply delightful, but I would expect nothing less from our dear Mindy.

On to the next set (of a hopefully more realistic four) books!

• Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

I've heard only wonderful things about Jason Reynolds, but have never gotten around to reading any of his work. A friend suggested I start here, and I'm really looking forward to finally digging in. A 300-page novel written in verse that spans the course of a 60-second elevator ride just sounds like it's gotta be good, right? 

• There There by Tommy Orange

When I worked at BookPeople, there were many times that a book would create an audible buzz around the store. Most had either read it or were waiting to get their hands on an ARC, and everyone was talking about it. There There was one of those books. It follows twelve characters from Native communities, all traveling to the Big Oakland Powwow and all connected in ways they've yet to realize.

• Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley

Solomon is agoraphobic and hasn't left his house in over three years. Lisa is determined to "fix" him (and get into the second-best psychology program in the country), so she and her boyfriend Clark befriend Solomon, but no one expects what comes next. John Corey Whaley is an author that I will just always buy books from, no matter what—yet somehow his third book has sat unread on my bookshelf for four years and I think it's well past time to change that.

• The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Joan Didion is an author who I've always known of, but never really known anything about. Within the last few years, I've probably seen a dozen Instagram friends mention this book in particular, which is what finally led me to pick this off the shelf when I spotted it at a used bookstore in San Antonio. I love memoirs in general, but something tells me this one will be special—and especially heartbreaking.

To be honest, I'm a big mood reader, so chances are high that I will do exactly the same thing with this list and be back here again sometime towards the end of 2024, but we'll just have to risk it (mostly because this post has been sitting, almost finished, in my drafts for a year... I am so bad at blogging).

-Maggie

* Okay, I still haven't read Love in the Time of Cholera yet, but I've got to move on at some point!

To Read #001

My to-read list, like most readers, grows exponentially. I've had to learn to accept that I will never catch up; there is simply not enough time for all the books I want to read. It is the greatest tragedy of my life.

A more disciplined person would finish reading a book before buying more, but I've never been very good at telling myself "no." I like to think that I'm a fairly logical person in life, but all of that goes out the window when it comes to books.

To put it simply: I just counted and I currently own nearly 80 books that I have not read yet.

Clearly, it's getting out of hand. I've issued a moratorium on books (both purchased myself and given as gifts) several times over the course of my life to varying to degrees of success, and I think it's time for another. I'm going to knock down my to-read list starting with the books sitting on my shelf right now (and I'm sharing them here so maybe someone will hold me accountable). Here's what's up first:

● Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty
At the age of twenty-three, armed only with a degree in medieval history and (what some would call) a morbid fascination, Caitlin Doughty took a job at a crematory. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes tells the story of her first six years working in the American funeral industry, and (according to the San Francisco Chronicle) "will make you reconsider how our culture treats the dead."

● Us by David Nicholls

Douglas and Connie Petersen have been married for nearly three decades when Connie decides she wants a divorce. Naturally, this happens right before they are supposed to leave on a month-long European tour with their teenaged son, Albie. Connie can't bring herself to cancel the trip, and Douglas is convinced this is his chance to fix things. Will it work? Will this be a happy ending? Will this book be even half as good as One Day? I'll let you know.

● Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez

Having been an English major, there are many books that I haven't read that I feel I should have read already (like The Catcher in the Rye or anything by Ernest Hemingway). Love in the Time of Cholera is included on that list, and even though I can't read the title without hearing Robin Scherbatsky say, "More like Love in the Time of Don't-Bother-a," I'm looking forward to it.

● Body Counts: A Memoir of Activism, Sex, and Survival by Sean Strub

In his memoir, Strub takes us through his own diagnosis and experiences as an activist living in New York during the AIDS epidemic of the early 1980s. It will be a tough read, but also, I think, a very important one.

● The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides

Full disclosure: I started this book over a year ago and for some reason put it down about a third of the way through. I don't know why I stopped reading because I was enjoying it (in an I-studied-English-and-can-relate-to-this-level-of-unabashed-pretension kind of way) and would like to finish it. From what I remember, two of the three main characters were intensely unlikeable, which always makes for an interesting read.

● Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling

I think Mindy Kaling is ridiculous in the best possible way and am so excited to finally read one of her books. They're calling it a "second coming-of-age" story–best for anyone who's ever reached a turning point in their life. (I hear there are also details about her "weird as hell" relationship with B.J. Novak and I don't know about you, but that's something I've always been super invested in.)

I'm already halfway through Why Not Me? (delightful) and we're reading Smoke Gets in Your Eyes for book club this month (very macabre–in a good way!), so I'm starting off strong. Maybe I could even knock these out before the new year?! We'll see.

What about you? What's next up on your to-read list?

-Maggie