Q2 Book Roundup: 2022
Luster by Raven Leilani
This one took me through Covid! It was kind of heavy but also kind of funny at the same time, and it was very beautiful in an unusual kind of way.
Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
I’m embarrassed to say that this was my first Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel. This one was short but sweet and kept me engaged throughout. It also left me wondering if I had missed a twist at the end…but I think it was just a very uncanny reflection on society and how what we do and say (and don’t say) can sometimes mean life or death.
The Old Woman with the Knife by Gu Byeong-mo
I was really excited for this one - a bestselling mystery novel from South Korea - but it kind of missed for me. I wanted to love it, but something was missing. Maybe some of the compelling content was lost in translation? Impossible to say, but 100/100 for the small format and jacket design!
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
I’ve felt like kind of a hack going around saying how much I love mystery novels but never having picked up an Agatha Christie one. I’m so glad I finally did! This is the first in the Detective Poirot series, and it’s just a really good, twisty, old fashioned mystery. I thought it was a great place to start with the Queen of Crime.
The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet by Leah Thomas
Another book I highly recommend! This small-but-mighty tome wasn’t as light as most of the others on my list, but it moves quickly and is an excellent primer on the interconnectedness of pretty much alllll the important things happening in the world right now.
Missing Man: The American Spy Who Vanished in Iran by Barry Meier
This was one of three nonfiction books I read this quarter. You know when you pick up a book by a journalist, it’s going to move along quickly and be well researched; this one didn’t disappoint on either account. What a wild and terrible story.
The Maid by Nita Prose
This was as fun and quick read. It definitely made me think about people who think / process / learn differently while also being very entertaining. It did get a little frustrating at times because some of the internal dialogue was repetitive, but it was also really effective at putting me into the mind of someone who thinks that way. Plus it was just a fund mystery!
Trust by Hernan Diaz
This was definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year. The prose is beautiful, the story is unique, and it unfolds at such a good pace. I absolutely loved this and thought its message on socioeconomic status and wealth was delivered in a way that was very human. Highly recommend this one!
Cultish by Amanda Montell
This is her second book (I read + loved WordSlut earlier this year), and it was really interesting. The beginning was pretty heavy (delving into infamous cults), but I loved her take on some of the other cultural trends that share qualities with cults and how influential language is throughout it all.
