Books I finished in the first half of 2024

Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly

My dad bought me this book. Micheal Connelly is just about the only book preference we have in common. I don’t really know why I like Michael Connelly but I do. Had fun with this one.

White Holes by Carlo Rovelli

I wrote about this book here.

Necropolis by Boris Pahor

Blake and I were talking about holocaust literature back when I went to read in Baltimore last winter, because he either mentioned it in an interview or in Molly or both, I can’t remember. I asked him to recommend a holocaust book and this is one he recommended. This is definitely the best holocaust book I’ve read, artistically.

Monsters on the Loose by Richard Carrico

Chris bought me this for Christmas. It’s about 3 unsolved murders in the Prohibition Era in San Diego. Really loved this. It was very much a historian’s book, in the best way, like kind of technically dry but fascinating to me, in terms of its historical details.

The World Undressed by Tytti Heikkinen, translated by Niina Pollari

This is a chapbook. Niina gave it to me when I was in Asheville. Really impressed by this one. I also just love translations in general, particularly this one because I love Niina’s writing— it felt like a Niina mask on top of a different poet, because that’s what it was.

Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan

Was slightly disappointed by this. I loved her first book so, so much, and this started out strong, but then, yeah…

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

I read most of this in grad school, when I was interning in a class to learn to teach. The class was on banned books and I was trying to read along but then I got too inundated with other readings. I was enjoying reading it and felt sad to have to put it down. Now, 10+ years later, I finally returned to it. Unsurprisingly, this is a great book.

The Little Friend by Donna Tartt

I got mad at this book. I finally read The Secret History last year and enjoyed it so so much. This book started out great but the ending pissed me off.

Raising Lazarus by Beth Macy

This felt haphazard in terms of structure but the info was good. Like all books I’ve read on addiction/the opioid epidemic, it made me mad.

The Best Minds by Jonathan Rosen

Excellent book but put me in a very dark headspace.

(I think a book or two is lost to time here; I wasn’t keeping track for about a month.)

The Biography of X by Catherine Lacey

Felt jealous of Catherine while reading this, but in a good way, like DAMN she’s good. Really admired the ambition of it, loved reading it, A++.

FIGHTS! by Scott McClanahan

Scott thinks he is one tiny draft away from being finished. This is a novel about fights. It is framed around me and Gian. Scott’s best work yet, just so so beautiful and so so Scott-y. Can’t wait for everybody to be able to read it. Julia is very cool and funny (and insane). I finished it while Scott was asleep next to me and I had to go upstairs to sob.

Carolyn Carrie Coco by Sarah Gerard

I do not recommend reading this and the Rosen book in close succession; too depressing. Loved this book, feel really “proud” of Sarah for writing it. Looking forward to seeing it published so other people can read it too. It’s coming out July 9. We are reading together in LA on August 2!

Committed by Suzanne Scanlon

Of course I liked this one. I love her writing in general and I love stuff about crazy ladies and being institutionalized. I disagree on one tiny premise of her book, though. She was talking about the marginalization of crazy ladies and I disagree. The crazy ladies have won. People love us. WE WON!!!!

Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin

God I love Baldwin when he’s on a roll. Beautiful book.

My First Book by Honor Levy

Was “delighted” by this book. Read this very fast. I love how she lulls you into a numb sort of state with her language and then just bonks you on the head, taking you somewhere surprising and strange and tender. One of the most original writers alive. I want to yell at the people who said mean things about Honor/this book in reviews etc because they are WRONG and I AM SORRY YOU HATE YOUNG WOMEN!

Koresh by Stephan Talty

I read this with Ashleigh. We had fun messaging about David as we read it. Both of us enjoyed reading about Vernon more than David.

Log Off by Kristen Felicetti

A+ reading experience. I wrote more about this book here, right after the bulleted list.

Vague Predictions and Prophecies by Daisuke Shen

I love Daisuke and I love this book. They are such a true genuine weirdo.

Del Mar: Looking Back by Nancy Ewing

Historical book about my hometown. This guy in this pic from Del Mar in the ‘70s is cool. Scott says he looks like Joe Strummer. I want to hang out with him. California history is so strange because “ye olden days” were 100 years ago, unlike the east coast where ye olden days were 300 years ago, unlike Europe where they were 2000 years ago. Del Mar was a nothing for so long! Even in the ‘50s! Just basically the Wild West!

Cool fact: In the ‘40s, the main road through Del Mar was called “slaughter alley” because so many people died in car wrecks. One summer, 219 people died!

Uncool fact: Del Mar Heights is currently on fire and my mom got evacuated last night. (She’s back at home now.) The area that is burning is full of my favorite tree, the Torrey pine, which is very rare and only grows in a tiny patch in Del Mar & La Jolla, and on one of the Channel Islands.

First Love by Gwendolyn Riley

Feels in the vein of Jean Rhys but less abject.

All Fours by Miranda July

First I liked this book, then I hated it, then I liked it, then I liked it with reservations. It is Miranda July x Miranda July, squared.