My Life in Books
The books that stuck, the ones I avoided, and why they all matter
An issue of this newsletter solely about books was inevitable (and probably won’t be the last one). But this issue is just as much about me as it is about books. I love reading, and I believe the books you read — and even the ones you don’t — say a lot about who you are. The stories that grab your attention, the ideas that linger in your mind, the moments that move you emotionally or teach you something — they all reveal pieces of who you are and what you value. Here’s a look at some of the books that have shaped me.
Books I Haven't Stopped Thinking About Since I First Read Them
This category is the closest thing to my "favorite books right now," though I hesitate to use the word "favorite." Favorite for what reason? Tender is the Flesh is dark and unsettling, even a little gross, yet it's also beautiful and thought-provoking. I want to read it in Spanish one day, in its original language. I love all of Emily St. John Mandel's books, but Sea of Tranquility has stuck with me—a novel about the passing of time, something I think about often. My Year of Rest and Relaxation was my introduction to the weird-girl-lit genre, and I'll be forever grateful. Weird in just the most interesting way. Scattered All Over the Earth explores language and how we communicate, which I found incredibly fascinating. And Persuasion, my favorite Austen—a book with so much yearning.
Books I Was Obsessed With as a Child
I caught the reading bug early. The Westing Game was one of my first mysteries, and I was hooked. It was the first time I remember needing ( the kind of needing where you can’t eat, can’t sleep, can’t do anything else) to know what happened. I tore through Goosebumps books from the library, especially the choose-your-own-adventure ones—I always read those more than once because I had to know what happened if I made a different choice. Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging felt so relatable—the perfect book at the perfect age. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was my first foray into magical realism (because really, how did those pants fit every girl?). But more than that, it was a wonderful book about friendship. I probably shouldn't have read Carrie in seventh grade, but I was a horror girlie from the start.
Books I'm So Glad I Was Forced to Read in School
Growing up as a white girl in a predominantly white suburb, Invisible Man was not only a good book but an important one—eye-opening in ways I needed. I read Frankenstein in my freshman lit class in college and got an A on the paper I wrote about it. It made me feel smart. The Things They Carried was another eye-opening read in high school—what did I know about war as a teenager? Tell Tale Heart, remember what I said a horror girlie from a young age. Fahrenheit 451 was my first dystopian novel, and I remember feeling drawn to the genre after that book.
Books I Temporarily Made My Entire Personality
Eat Pray Love was an obsession. I think it was the travel more than anything—I read every travel memoir I could get my hands on after that book. Like many millennials, I was also obsessed with Harry Potter. Conversations with Friends introduced me to Sally Rooney, and I immediately devoured everything she'd written—books, short stories, articles—whatever I could find. Her Body and Other Parties made me want to write short stories, which is perhaps the highest compliment I can give a book. And while The Da Vinci Code might be a guilty pleasure, I couldn't stop talking about that book for weeks to anyone who would listen.
Books That Taught Me Truth Can Be Stranger Than Fiction
Killers of the Flower Moon is not only an engaging story but also an eye-opening account of the injustices perpetrated against American Indians in this country—something I'm ashamed I didn’t know more about sooner. A Girl's Story explores girlhood in a way that felt deeply personal. Slouching Towards Bethlehem made me want to be Joan Didion. The '60s are a decade I’ve always been fascinated with, and this book cemented that. The Devil in the White City is a nonfiction book I recommend to everyone because it reads like a novel. As a self-described public health nerd, I was enthralled by The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, yet also appalled—these are stories everyone should know.
Books I Keep Meaning to Read
By all accounts, I should love The Secret History, and maybe that's why I keep putting it off. The Left Hand of Darkness is on my list because I want to read more sci-fi. War and Peace is considered one of the greats, but it's quite the undertaking. Know My Name is a book I need to be in a certain mindset to start. At the time of the publishing of this edition The Wedding People no longer fits in this category because I finally read it. Sometimes I'm hesitant to read books that seem to be everywhere, but this one surprised me in the best way.
Best Movie/TV Adaptations of Books I Loved
Station Eleven is one of my favorite books, and this may be blasphemy, but dare I say I liked the show even more? (we’re starting off with a controversial take) The creative choices expanded the story in ways that felt both bold and beautiful. Gone Girl nailed the twist—the movie did the book justice. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books, and while I love Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy in the '90s miniseries, I am a 2005, Keira Knightley, version fanatic. Probably one of my most rewatched movies. I read Holes in middle school, and it was such a fun story that taught me adults aren’t always right. The movie adaptation was just as fun. And Normal People? The book gutted me, and the show might have gutted me even more.
Honestly, narrowing down books I love is impossible — slightly chaotic, borderline painful, and I’ll probably change my mind tomorrow. So yeah... this probably won’t be the last book-themed issue. I’d also love to hear from you about the books that have made an impact on your life for one reason or another. And honestly, the silly or small reasons a book made an impact on you? Even better.
I’ve recently gotten into a style of music I’ve never been into before. Tbh I don’t even know what you would call it. But its been on repeat while working, writing, and sometimes just relaxing. A playlist I started.
An important history of public health in this country.
Parker Posey’s accent on White Lotus Season 3, it’s iconic.
