I read so many good books this year! (Last year!?) So many! I decided at the end of 2021 that I wanted to slow down in general - read slower, read less, read deeper - spend less time doing things that felt compulsive or unhelpful, reach deep into projects that challenged my skills, actually memorize…
Educated – Tara Westover
I read a lot - around 50 books a year. Each year, there are usually about fifteen books that I really like, and five or six that are great. If I'm lucky, one or two will be truly spectacular. Last year, I read All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy and was blown over by how gorgeous…
In Praise of Harry Potter (and in criticism of other recent YA works)
Over the summer, I spent many lonely nights in Chicago and Mexico re-reading the Harry Potter series. Okay, so maybe the nights weren't lonely at all, but I was alone, and Harry Potter kept me great company - same as he did when I was a teenager, when the first books came out. It's been…