I haven’t written one of these blog posts since 2020, which is the last time I completed my Goodreads reading challenge. But I set a goal to get through the pile of paperbacks in my house this year and I’ve done pretty well. And needless to say, I covered so many topics!
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A Night at the Sweet Gum Head: Drag, Drugs, Disco, and Atlanta’s Gay Revolution by Martin Padgett
After Rae found a copy at McKays, our favorite used bookstore, I checked a copy out of the library to include in research for my book about Atlanta nightlife. It discusses Atlanta’s gay nightlife scene in the 1970s and the people who paved the way.
Among the Bros: A Fraternity Crime Story by Max Marshall
When in St. Simon’s Island for my cousin’s wedding, I popped into Righton Books, another favorite store, where I saw this book about a drug ring that happened on my college campus. Some parts of it were a bit annoying, mainly the author including his own fraternity experiences, but it was a wild read.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
This one was a popular book club pick and I got a borrowed copy from a friend. I have yet to watch the television version, but I really enjoyed it and read it quickly! We absolutely need more queer rom-com books like this.
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami, translated by Philip Gabriel
I know people are die-hard Murakami fans and this was my first one, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I borrowed it from Sammi and it took me a while to get into. It’s definitely strange, but I’d read another just to get the feel for it.
Slimed!: An Oral History of Nickelodeon’s Golden Age by Mathew Klickstein
I bought this at McKays hoping it would talk about the bad stuff that was going on at Nickelodeon and it included some less-than-savory details but was mostly a “how great was that” sort of look at the heyday of kids tv.
Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine by Mike Michalowicz
A friend sent me a couple of business books and so far I’ve only read this one. There are some really interesting concepts and not all are easily to apply to my business, but it definitely made me think differently about the way I’d been working.
One in a Millennial: On Friendship, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In by Kate Kennedy
As a longtime listener to her podcast, Be There in Five, I had this one pre-ordered so it was fun when it finally arrived. If you’ve listened to her, you know what her voice sounds like in terms of tangents and metaphors. Some of the chapters really hit home with me.
Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
I’d been meaning to read a few of what I call “trashics,” so when I saw this one at an estate sale, I knew I had to buy it. I’d heard the premise before, but what surprised me was that the first half of the book felt super tame.
Flirting with Disaster: True Travel Tales of Fear, Failure, and Faith by Angie Orth
Another pre-order was my friend Angie‘s book, which I’ve been hearing about for maybe as long as I’ve known her! It was great to read about her experiences, which lined up with my time in Australia. She also dives into her faith and life at home.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: A Memoir of Life in Death by Jean-Dominique Bauby, translated by Jeremy Leggatt
I can’t remember where I got this, either at a secondhand store or in a Little Free Library. I was looking for a short read and it was a tough one about a man who had a stroke and somehow was able to communicate using what ability he had left in his face.
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
I had probably owned this copy for a decade without touching it. I’d obviously seen the movie several times but there were some differences. It was a fairly fast-paced read.
Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World by Rita Golden Gelman
Early in my career, I would buy just every travel memoir out there. I took this one from Rae and it wasn’t my favorite. I think that there were some tone-deaf white savior moments, especially since the author’s travels happened decades ago.
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
I’m a fan of the movie (and the canceled-too-soon Hulu series!) but I enjoyed reading the book, especially because it’s set in England. Hornby also has a quick wit in his writing that I like.
Clubland: The Fabulous Rise and Murderous Fall of Club Culture by Frank Owen
I read Party Monster this year but dove further into the “club kid” culture of the 1990s in researching my nightlife book. The events went even further than I knew from the famous murder trial.
Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
During spooky season, I listened to the audiobook version of this classic for free as a podcast. I enjoyed it but there were several characters to keep up with.
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
This was a hand-me-down from my mom and was one of the big book club picks of the past few years. I read it very quickly and enjoyed it but I felt like there were some unnecessarily traumatic moments for a novel.
All Over But the Shoutin’ by Rick Bragg
Writer Bragg’s first of several books about his family and upbringing focuses mostly on his mom, who held his family together in light of his absent father and addict brother.
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Another spooky season pick was this classic tale of Count Dracula. I also listened to it in a free podcast audiobook format and the narration was fantastic. The reader had different voices and accents for the characters, which was helpful.
The Condé Nast Traveler Book of Unforgettable Journeys: Great Writers on Great Places by Klara Glowczewska, Editor
I’ve been reading travel writing for many years, so this anthology of stories from the magazine were interesting. Again, the book was published around 20 years ago and the stories written 20 before that so there were some cringe-inducing passages.
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
I bought this book a few years ago in Winston-Salem at Bookmarks, one of my favorite stores in the state. It was really interesting to read a fictionalized account of real things that happened including the Appalachian people with blue skin and the horseback riding librarians.
In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin
There’s a reason this is a classic. I’d downloaded it for my Kindle a long time ago and got around to it while I was in Antarctica. You really get a sense of the characters and landscapes of the region.
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines
This is a tough read, but an excellent book about a man who takes another man under his wing before he is sentenced to die. I bought it a few years ago from For Keeps Books in Atlanta.
100 Nights of a Lifetime: The World’s Ultimate Adventures After Dark by Stephanie Vermillion
I just got this book last week after preordering it a while ago. My friend Stephanie wrote this beautiful book with National Geographic about the incredible experiences around the world that take place at night.
Circe by Madeline Miller
This one came from a Little Free Library during my trip to Vermont last year. It’s a novelized story of the Greek gods and figures.
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