Grinnell [PLANS] Book Recommendations discussion
If you could recommend ONE book you read in 2014
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My absolute top recommendation for the year has been the novel Submergence by J.M. Ledgard. (I hope the formatting of that worked!) Beautiful, thought-provoking, dealing with the deepest stuff of the human heart and the ocean trenches.
Zealot by Reza AslanFascinating read about the historical Jesus. I have learned so much that I never knew about the Bible.
I think I'd recommend Bad Feminist: Essays by Roxane Gay. Smart, funny, thought-provoking thoughts about pop culture and beyond... everything I'd expect as a devotee of her Twitter & Tumblr :)
I thought I might have some hidden gem to recommend, but I loved Tenth of December by George Saunders. It was the rare short story collection where every story felt well-realized. A huge range of genres, voices, and storylines. A strong, thought-provoking undercurrent of class commentary running through the whole thing.
Seconds: A Graphic Novel by Bryan Lee O'Malley - This is going to be a new go-to recommendation for people who want to read a graphic novel but aren't too sure about them. I think I partly enjoyed this because it really spoke to where I'm at right now. But what I really liked is that it took a somewhat familiar premise (what if you could go back and fix one mistake, essentially) and dug into what that would look like if a real, flawed person had that power.
His art has also changed since Scott Pilgrim - more lived-in, less glossy, and a few spreads that I could just frame and stare at.
The God Engines by John Scalzi. It's a "novella" - somewhere between short story and novel. It grabbed me right from the start and held on the entire way. It also sent me on an ongoing Scalzi kick. It's somewhere in between sci-fi and fantasy, but IMO holds appeal beyond those genres.
Ian wrote: "The God Engines by John Scalzi. It's a "novella" - somewhere between short story and novel. It grabbed me right from the start and held on the entire way. It also sent me on an ongoi..."I really like Scalzi's work, especially The Android's Dream. His Old Man's War books (including the short story "The Sagan Diary") are solid. He's one of the only sci-fi writers who, in my opinion, can write female characters who actually have some dimension to them. I thought that Redshirts was a bit of a let-down, but I've yet to read one of his books that I didn't like.
The Soul's Code: In Search of Character and Calling by James Hillman. Full of heterodox insight, Hillman argues for readmitting the idea of destiny (or something akin to it) into our understanding of human existence (both 'what' and 'why'). A really interesting book from a heroic thinker, this book changed my perspective and gave me hope that life perhaps is not as senseless as it can seem. His other books are pretty tight, too; I especially enjoyed "100 Years of Psychotherapy & the World Has Gotten Worse."
This was tough. Since Overwhelmed was already suggested, I'll resist the urge to favor my fantasy reads and go with: Happy All The Time by Laurie Colwin. It's a short read, but such a wonderful look at friendships. It actually pairs really nicely with Overwhelmed and the idea of hygge, right now, I feel like. The idea that your life can be your work, not just the other way around.
Malinda wrote: "Zealot by Reza AslanFascinating read about the historical Jesus. I have learned so much that I never knew about the Bible."
Aslan is a fantastic writer. I haven't read Zealot, but I'd recommend No God but God (I read it in Trads of Islam).
Americanah came out last year, but I read it this December. It's worth the hype.All The Truth is Out is about the presidential campaign of Gary Hart and the dumbing down of presidential campaigns. I didn't find Hart particularly sympathetic, but the book makes some smart points about the problems with personalizing politicians.
Grinnell [PLANS] Book Recommendations
Books mentioned in this topic
The Soul's Code: In Search of Character and Calling (other topics)The God Engines (other topics)
The God Engines (other topics)
Bad Feminist (other topics)
Submergence (other topics)
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Though it's a tough call for me, I think I'd recommend Overwhelmed: Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time. Although I'm not usually into this style of non-fiction book, this one really spoke to me at a time I needed it most, and I feel like it actually helped me understand and work through some of the work/life balance issues I've been having. I think new parents will especially appreciate this one - Oh, and it sparked quite the conversation at my book club.