Recently Read

I don’t consider myself an avid reader. Sometimes I go months without reading a book. I have been in a season of reading, engaging my brain in a different way. As I get back into writing more, it’s a delight to read those who write well. (And perhaps frustrating to come across a book that isn’t written well.)

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous

The last handful of books I’ve read must’ve been off of a list somewhere because I can’t remember how I stumbled across them. On Earth by Ocean Vuong was a captivating story of a man growing up in America dealing with his Korean identity and his gay identity. Ocean Vuong is a poet and at times in the book, his writing slips into poetic prose in a way that feels ephemeral and touching.

A Ghost in the Throat

This book is a work of autofiction in which she researches a poet from the 1700s while dealing with her own life as a mother in the present. The perspective was fascinating in a way that made me feel like I was in her head, hearing her thoughts. I didn’t find the story as compelling and as such, it took me months to get around to finishing it.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

This book was at the top of Amazon’s books for 2022 and figured I’d give it a go. I was surprised to discover that it was about two childhood friends who end up starting a video game company. In some ways, it reminded me of the nostalgia of Ready Player One, but with better writing and less nostalgia, if that makes sense. The book is really about relationships spanning over the course of decades and the game references brought back good memories without feeling like it was pandering in a way that Ready Player One often did. Overall, I enjoyed the story and definitely felt myself compelled to finish the book once I hit the pivot midway through it.

Sea of Tranquility

Also came across this on Amazon’s book list and was surprised to find Canada featured so prominently in the first chapter. The book is an interesting story at time travel that is short enough and delightful enough to make the book an enjoyable quick read. With a story that reaches a few hundred years into the future, it would’ve been easy for it to lean on clichés but I think Sea of Tranquility does a great job of painting a realistic environment.

No One is Talking About This

I debated mentioning this as I haven’t and will not be finishing this book. It felt like I’m reading someone’s Twitter feed and not in a good way.

Next?

I’ll likely hit up a list or two to see if a book stands out. Or maybe it’ll be my movie era and I’ll spend the next month binging on movies.