2025 Reading Challenge discussion
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Anna's Attempt at 52 Books and Reviews
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1/52 10:04 by Ben Lerner. 5 stars! While this book seems to have a lot of controversy, the language is phenomenal and the humor is there if you pay attention. And while the book might be about a "stereotypical writer," the book itself is in no way a stereotype — it's captivating and aware.
2/52 You Get So Alone at Times That it Just Makes Sense by Charles Bukowski. 3 stars. Some wonderful poems and some questionable ones. Bukowski gets credit for making you think about life, poetry, and addiction.
Erin wrote: "Good luck!!"Thank you so much!
3/52 Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and More Tell Us About Crime by Val McDermid. 5 stars! This nonfiction book is great at storytelling while still laying out the facts — it's an interesting perspective on how crime scene investigation has developed over time, without overstimulating you with the science. Through its chronology, McDermid offers you a historical perspective while still staying current.
4/52 The Art of Description: World into Word by Mark Doty, 5 stars. While focused on poetry, Doty manages to be compelling with every sentence, masterfully dictating how important description builds a narrative.
5/52 The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus by Richard Preston. 5 stars — this was one of those rare books that I read in one sitting. Compelling, terrifying, and a rare insight into how infectious diseases are handled throughout their progression in the medical and political spheres.
6/52 Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy, 4 stars. Grealy's autobiography is not about cancer — it's about self-acceptance. Her writing is poetic and insightful, a loss heightened by her premature death.
7/ 52 Living Politics in South Africa's Urban Shacklands by Kerry Ryan Chance, 3 stars. Chance’s ethnography of slums in South Africa is vivid in it’s depiction of the violence, challenges, and fight for citizenship in what is referred to as “living politics.” While well-written, detailed, and highly reflective of the population it depicts, Chance’s choice to organize the ethnography into the four elements, water, air, fire, and land, falls short. The final arguments in which she combines these elements to make points about the pogrom in 2009 can barely be called arguments — there’s no clear thesis or points as to how these elements combine to answer questions on heavy topics like police brutality or ethnicity. However, I acknowledge her attempt is creative. It does force you to re-organize ideas on how to view life in an urban slum and poverty, and its ongoing battle with government policies. Note: I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone without a background on the South African apartheid.
8/52 The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, 5 stars! This book was hysterical, lively, and everything I wanted it to be. It's been described as "compulsively readable," and I have no other phrase for it — you'll fall in love with this book, Don, and Rosie over and over again.
9/52 The Summer Book by Tove Jansson, 4 stars. This book doesn't really have a plot, but in a way it doesn't need one. It's a characterization of a family in the summertime, on an island in northern Finland — and their stories about life, nature, and the world. -1 star for finding the youngest character irritating in her narration (though accurate).
10/52 Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder. 5 stars! How deeply compelling to hear an account of Paul Farmer's life, his vision, and his growth of one of today's most well-known non-profits, Partners in Health. A must-read for anyone going into medicine or public health.
11/52 Anthem by Ayn Rand. 4 stars. A quick read, but an interesting commentary on how collectivism can degrade identity. Focuses on explaining why the "I" should triumph over "we," but through the perspectives on a dystopian society.
12/52 Hydraulic City: Water and the Infrastructures of Citizenship in Mumbai by Nikhil Anand. 5 stars for being an incredibly well-written ethnography highlighting the important social, structure, and political challenges with water infrastructure in Mumbai. More importantly, it manages to add commentary on how these challenges speak to our ability to develop a "livable future," without presuming or encroaching on unrelated ideas. Truly excellent.
13/52 Reclaiming the Discarded: Life and Labor on Rio's Garbage Dump by Kathleen M. Millar, 5 stars for being a well-structured ethnography. Millar's depiction of life on the garbage dump is well-researched and complete — giving a profound story of life, labor, and loss among catadores in Rio de Janiero. Interesting for its challenging views of how the informal economy is integrated into the formal.
I am all about magic this year. I hope that your reading goal is your little touch of magic.
2025 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Reclaiming the Discarded: Life and Labor on Rio's Garbage Dump (other topics)Reclaiming the Discarded: Life and Labor on Rio's Garbage Dump (other topics)
Hydraulic City: Water and the Infrastructures of Citizenship in Mumbai (other topics)
Hydraulic City: Water and the Infrastructures of Citizenship in Mumbai (other topics)
Anthem (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Kathleen M. Millar (other topics)Kathleen M. Millar (other topics)
Nikhil Anand (other topics)
Nikhil Anand (other topics)
Ayn Rand (other topics)
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1. 10:04 by Ben Lerner, 5/5
2. You Get So Alone at Times That it Just Makes Sense by Charles Bukowski, 3/5
3. Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and More Tell Us About Crime by Val McDermid, 5/5
4. The Art of Description: World into Word by Mark Doty, 5/5
5. The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus by Richard Preston, 5/5
6. Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy, 4/5
7. Living Politics in South Africa's Urban Shacklands by Kerry Ryan Chance, 3/5
8. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, 5/5
9. The Summer Book by Tove Jansson, 4/5
10. Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder, 5/5
11. Anthem by Ayn Rand, 4/5
12. Hydraulic City: Water and the Infrastructures of Citizenship in Mumbai by Nikhil Anand, 5/5
13. Reclaiming the Discarded: Life and Labor on Rio's Garbage Dump by Kathleen M. Millar, 5/5