New subscriber as of today because I've been mooching off of Austin's generous and awesome blog and Friday newsletters for years! I've been in a reading slump too - thanks to the numbing powers of Twitter and Instagram - but of the 30 books I've read this year, I have several that got my 4-4.5 star rating (no one got a 5, but Ocean Vuong for "On Earth We Are Briefly Gorgeous".) I LOVE humorous travel writing and I also love cold stark climates (I'm a Minnesotan in Tex-ile) so "Artic Solitaire" by Paul Souders was a solid delight full of great photos too. For the Texans among you, I really liked the seemingly cheesy collection of essays, articles, stories in "Being Texan" that was published by Texas Monthly. Those folks can really curate. I had 2 random picks that I grabbed off of the new books shelf at my San Antonio library that blew me away this year: "I Will Die in a Foreign Land" by Kalani Pickhart is an incredible lyrical story about the 2013-2014 battles in Ukraine. I was transfixed and need to read again!! "After Parties" by Anthony So moodily brought to life a culture (Cambodian) and experience (as a young gay man in that culture) that was super transporting. Maybe for the last 29 days of December, I can finish strong by setting up my apps to shut down by 8pm so I can read like I used to!
I like the blue pencil sharpener in your studio gift guide. I got an Amazon gift card for my birthday last year and purchased it. My kids also love it :) Anyways, it has been a fun thing to have around, and really does a good job “sharpening the pencil, with the pencil sharpener”.
So when you update your studio gift guide be sure to keep that one on the list!
My entire year has felt like a bit of a reading slump, which for me means reading just 50 books instead of 75+ (for those of you wondering how I do it - lots of graphic novels/memoirs/non-fiction). A few that I enjoyed:
"Some New Kind of Kick" by Kid Congo Powers - I enjoy musician memoirs and this one is great! He played on my favorite album by The Cramps (Psychedelic Jungle) and I loved reading about his rise from mega music fan (he ran the Ramones Fan Club) to accomplished musician.
"Hunger" by Alma Katsu - the story of the Donner Party with a horror spin? Count me in! Totally creepy.
"Sex Cult Nun" by Faith Jones - cults! Another of my favorite topics to read about. Faith tells about her life growing up as a member of The Children of God (founded by her grandfather). She escaped the grips of the cult in her early 20's, but not before enduring a variety of abuses.
I'm intermittently re-reading Lynda Barry's books on creativity. I only have "What It Is" left to go. But I also have the big new "Greatest of Marlys" to read and I'm thinking that will be a fun treat to wrap up the year.
Reading slumps are uncomfortable! I think a slump-buster for you, Austin, might be Kevin Wilson’s newest release Now is Not the Time to Panic (two misfit teens in the 90s create a poster that creates a moral panic. The narrator is one of the teens as an adult looking back at that time in her life - I loved it!). The audio is narrated by Ginnifer Goodwin, and she’s fabulous.
It’s going to be so hard to land on my top reads of the year. Putting it off until 12/31, since I’m still adding to my list. Last night I started They’re Going to Love You by Meg Howrey. It’s set in the ballet world in NYC in the 80s (AIDS crisis) and in the present (from what I can tell so far). I am only a few chapters in and loving it.
I could have easily done 25, but I didn’t want to bore your other readers. Plus, I might have included books that I read that were not published in 2022, but here are 12 new books that loved in 2022 (and there are still 29 days left):
JOE BRAINARD: THE ART OF THE PERSONAL by Jon Yau
SHY by Mary Rogers
THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF AN ORDINARY MAN by Paul Newman
LIBERATION DAY by George Saunders
THE RABBIT HUTCH by Tess Gunty
LESS IS LOST by Andrew Sean Greer
MY PINUP by Hilton Als
THE BOY WITH THE BIRD IN HIS CHEST by Emme Lund
I WAS BETTER LAST NIGHT: A MEMOIR by Harvey Fierstein
I finally broke down and paid for a subscription today because the newsletter makes me happy, dammit. Austin, I see you though! I attended Keep Going through BookBar in 2020 and you said you were only going to continue doing a monthly newsletter. Now I feel like I'm underachieving again.
The most memorable books I've read this year include Vladimir by Julia May Jonas, Bomb Shelter by Mary Laura Phillpot, Bunny by Mona Awad (not a new release, but it's amazing,) and The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix. I can't help myself. I love snooty literature, but I also love horror.
I'm reading Ungrading, a collection of essays and reports from the front lines of education about how to eliminate grades from a teaching/learning lifestyle. Lots of great gradeless strategies. I'm inspired.
New subscriber as of today because I've been mooching off of Austin's generous and awesome blog and Friday newsletters for years! I've been in a reading slump too - thanks to the numbing powers of Twitter and Instagram - but of the 30 books I've read this year, I have several that got my 4-4.5 star rating (no one got a 5, but Ocean Vuong for "On Earth We Are Briefly Gorgeous".) I LOVE humorous travel writing and I also love cold stark climates (I'm a Minnesotan in Tex-ile) so "Artic Solitaire" by Paul Souders was a solid delight full of great photos too. For the Texans among you, I really liked the seemingly cheesy collection of essays, articles, stories in "Being Texan" that was published by Texas Monthly. Those folks can really curate. I had 2 random picks that I grabbed off of the new books shelf at my San Antonio library that blew me away this year: "I Will Die in a Foreign Land" by Kalani Pickhart is an incredible lyrical story about the 2013-2014 battles in Ukraine. I was transfixed and need to read again!! "After Parties" by Anthony So moodily brought to life a culture (Cambodian) and experience (as a young gay man in that culture) that was super transporting. Maybe for the last 29 days of December, I can finish strong by setting up my apps to shut down by 8pm so I can read like I used to!
I like the blue pencil sharpener in your studio gift guide. I got an Amazon gift card for my birthday last year and purchased it. My kids also love it :) Anyways, it has been a fun thing to have around, and really does a good job “sharpening the pencil, with the pencil sharpener”.
So when you update your studio gift guide be sure to keep that one on the list!
My entire year has felt like a bit of a reading slump, which for me means reading just 50 books instead of 75+ (for those of you wondering how I do it - lots of graphic novels/memoirs/non-fiction). A few that I enjoyed:
"Some New Kind of Kick" by Kid Congo Powers - I enjoy musician memoirs and this one is great! He played on my favorite album by The Cramps (Psychedelic Jungle) and I loved reading about his rise from mega music fan (he ran the Ramones Fan Club) to accomplished musician.
"Hunger" by Alma Katsu - the story of the Donner Party with a horror spin? Count me in! Totally creepy.
"Sex Cult Nun" by Faith Jones - cults! Another of my favorite topics to read about. Faith tells about her life growing up as a member of The Children of God (founded by her grandfather). She escaped the grips of the cult in her early 20's, but not before enduring a variety of abuses.
I'm intermittently re-reading Lynda Barry's books on creativity. I only have "What It Is" left to go. But I also have the big new "Greatest of Marlys" to read and I'm thinking that will be a fun treat to wrap up the year.
Read almost 30 books this year, quite a lot for me but only 6 made it to my favourites list.
BEAUTIFUL WORLD, WHERE ARE YOU by Sally Rooney
First book of Rooney's that I finally got all the hype around her writing.
THE CANDY HOUSE by Jennifer Egan
Liked it better then A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD.
FOUR THOUSAND WEEKS: TIME MANAGEMENT FOR MORTALS by Oliver Burkeman
More of a philosophy then just time management. Felt totally vindicated in the way I’ve always lived my life. Find the present moment and live there.
FOREVERLAND: ON THE DEVINE TEDIUM OF MARRRIAGE by Heather Havrilesky
Brilliant writing by one of our best social commentary writers. Havrilesky writes Ask Polly, better then Ask Sugar IMO.
PURE COLOUR by Sheila Heti
Have no idea how to explain this novel but it moved me so much.
PRIESTDADDY by Patricia Lockwood
I guess this would now be classified as autofiction? Weird and I was always wondering is this a real memoir? Loved the writing.
2 Favorite books that pop into my head... River of Doubt by Candice Millard and City of Thieves by David Benioff.
Reading slumps are uncomfortable! I think a slump-buster for you, Austin, might be Kevin Wilson’s newest release Now is Not the Time to Panic (two misfit teens in the 90s create a poster that creates a moral panic. The narrator is one of the teens as an adult looking back at that time in her life - I loved it!). The audio is narrated by Ginnifer Goodwin, and she’s fabulous.
It’s going to be so hard to land on my top reads of the year. Putting it off until 12/31, since I’m still adding to my list. Last night I started They’re Going to Love You by Meg Howrey. It’s set in the ballet world in NYC in the 80s (AIDS crisis) and in the present (from what I can tell so far). I am only a few chapters in and loving it.
I could have easily done 25, but I didn’t want to bore your other readers. Plus, I might have included books that I read that were not published in 2022, but here are 12 new books that loved in 2022 (and there are still 29 days left):
JOE BRAINARD: THE ART OF THE PERSONAL by Jon Yau
SHY by Mary Rogers
THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF AN ORDINARY MAN by Paul Newman
LIBERATION DAY by George Saunders
THE RABBIT HUTCH by Tess Gunty
LESS IS LOST by Andrew Sean Greer
MY PINUP by Hilton Als
THE BOY WITH THE BIRD IN HIS CHEST by Emme Lund
I WAS BETTER LAST NIGHT: A MEMOIR by Harvey Fierstein
DINOSAUERS: A NOVEL by Lydia Millet
MADLY, DEEPLY: THE DIARIES OF ALAN RICKMAN
MERCURY PICTURES PRESENTS by Anthony Marra
I finally broke down and paid for a subscription today because the newsletter makes me happy, dammit. Austin, I see you though! I attended Keep Going through BookBar in 2020 and you said you were only going to continue doing a monthly newsletter. Now I feel like I'm underachieving again.
The most memorable books I've read this year include Vladimir by Julia May Jonas, Bomb Shelter by Mary Laura Phillpot, Bunny by Mona Awad (not a new release, but it's amazing,) and The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix. I can't help myself. I love snooty literature, but I also love horror.
I'm reading Ungrading, a collection of essays and reports from the front lines of education about how to eliminate grades from a teaching/learning lifestyle. Lots of great gradeless strategies. I'm inspired.