What Are You Reading?
A Reason To Smile
Wait, is that Labor Day looming on the calendar? Is summer winding down already? What about our summer reading lists? We’ll go out on a limb and guess that most of you in the Steady community are avid readers.
One of the many wonderful things about books (as opposed to homegrown tomatoes, the subject of our last A Reason To Smile) is that they are not seasonal. So while we may talk about summer lists, there’s no reason those can’t stretch into the fall, winter, or even spring. A good book is a good book. Whether it’s a tome of nonfiction or a so-called “beach read,” it’s still there to be savored, curled up under a blanket on a crisp fall afternoon accompanied by a cup of hot tea.
A couple of times before, we’ve asked the Steady community to share book recommendations. And the response has been terrific. So we thought we would wrap up summer with another installment. After all, isn’t reading a new book A Reason To Smile?
We hope that many of you jump into the comments section. The more you share your thoughts and recommendations and respond to each other, the better the conversation becomes.
What did you read? What have you liked? What do you want to read? Did you have a list this summer (and if so, did you make it through)? Did you find something surprising to read? Did you finish an old classic that had eluded you?
Please keep the tone civil and positive. Part of what makes bookstores and libraries so wonderful is that they reflect a wide variety of tastes and interests. What’s better than walking through the aisles and stacks to explore the eclectic and unexpected? Hopefully today’s comments section will feel like that.
We will kick this off with a few recommendations of our own:
From Dan
I’ve enjoyed quite a few books recently, but I would like to highlight two. Both can be found in the “new release” section under nonfiction. I love a good novel and a book of poetry, but my reading tends to veer toward history, politics, and even sports.
I was captivated by David Grann’s new book, The Wager. You get a good sense of the contours of the plot from the subtitle: “A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder.” And what a tale it is. The title does not oversell. Grann is a master at combining great writing, immersive storytelling, and painstaking research. As with his previous books, like The Lost City of Z and Killers of the Flower Moon, I was left turning the pages and wondering why I had never heard this story before. There’s a reason it’s a runaway bestseller.
Longtime Washington Post sports reporter Sally Jenkins has a new book out (her 12th!) titled The Right Call. Again, the subtitle tells you what it’s about: “What Sports Teach Us About Work and Life.” Jenkins profiles athletes and coaches and focuses on key elements for success. The idea is that these are also applicable for those of us who will never know the feeling of breaking a record or hoisting a trophy in front of throngs of cheering fans. Some themes may be expected, such as conditioning and practice, but she also highlights ones like candor and intention. It’s a great read, and Jenkins’s own ability to reach the heights of her profession, especially as a pioneering woman reporter in what had been a man’s world, is testimony to what skill, tenacity, and work ethic can accomplish.
From Elliot
Like Dan, my reading interests tend toward nonfiction, but I followed a recommendation from my brother for what has become a very popular read, the novel Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin. I was initially skeptical because the book focuses on the world of video games, which is not a world I know well, but I was captivated. The narrative stretches across many decades and eras of life (some matching my own). It is a thought-provoking and often emotional examination of the complicated intersection of love, friendship, and work.
I am midway through An Immense World by Ed Yong, recently of The Atlantic (you may have read his Pulitzer Prize-winning COVID reporting). It is mind expanding. The book considers senses like smell and sight by exploring how differently the diversity of life forms engage with the stimuli of Earth. It turns out, very, very, differently, to a degree that you will never look at a fly, a fish, or even your dog the same way again. Yong is a brilliant writer (science or otherwise), and I appreciate his ability to use fascinating details to get at the nature of science and the mysteries of life.
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Well, those are some of our recommendations. We’d love to hear yours. And please share this piece with others and encourage them to add their book recommendations. The more suggestions (and discussion), the better.
Smiling, as we hope you are.
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I am reading as many banned books as I can. The mere idea that someone thinks a book should not be available makes me want to know what it is they want to keep from me or others.
Killers of the Flower Moon, by David Grann. Non fiction recounting of a period in Osage tribe history called the Reign of Terror, when dozens of Indians were murdered for their oil rights. It was one more piece of American history I previously knew nothing about. One more example of prejudice, hate and greed pointing an arrow straight into the heart of a culture to destroy it. It was well written and impactful. I highly recommend it.