Bodies on the Line by Lauren Rankin
Really good history of clinic escorts and clinic defenders!
Rankin does a great job historically situating the pro-choice movement.
Written pre Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health, so some of the chapters,
particularly the last one, felt like watching a slow moving car crash.
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
The first 200 pages and like whatever but then the last 50 are INSANE.
If you enjoy a slow-build or stories with unexpected twists, then I highly recommend.
Thanks for Everything (Now Get Out) by Joseph Margulies
This was kind of meh. The author profiles the Olneyville neighborhood of
Providence, RI but in my opinion it spends too much time on the case study
and not enough on the general point about gentrification and displacement
that the author is trying to make.
The White Album by Joan Didion
What can I say about Joan Didion that hasn't already been said?
I coincidentally read this right before moving out to California,
which felt very on-the-nose. Didion reflects on counter culture, life
in the 60s, and much more.
Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino
I first became obsessed with Jia Tolentino's work when I
listened to a podcast episode where she talked about using
Bitcoin to buy drugs in 2015. Needless to say her essay c
ollection did not disapoint. She writes about everything from
marriage to sexual assault on college campuses to the wellnss industry.
If there's one book from this summer I'll definetly re-read, it's this one.
INVISIBLE WOMEN: DATA BIAS IN A WORLD DESIGNED FOR MEN BY CAROLINE CRIADO PEREZ
This book was very. . . underwhelming. It touches on lots of important areas but jumps from one
statistic to another without any real analysis. This book seemed like
it just wanted to prove data bias against women is real without deeply
engaging with the subject.
NORMAL PEOPLE BY SALLY ROONEY
I read Normal People in two sittings. The hype is real and this book is fantastic – I even convinced my mom
and several of my friends to read it.
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
No matter how crazy that you think the Theranos saga was, I promise it's crazier.
Great investigative reporting and a suprisingly quick read.
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
I picked this up in a used bookstore on Valencia Street in San Francisco's
Mission District. Joan Didion is incredble as always.
Cultish: The Language of Fanatacism by Amanda Montell
This book isn't as "deep" as my usual non-fiction reads, but it goes quickly and
it's very interesting. An accessible intro to new relgion studies.
Profiles in Ignorance: How America's Politicians Got Dumb and Dumber by Andy Borowitz
I picked up this book after I heard the author speak on the New Yorker Radio Hour about the rise
of anti-intellectualism in American politics. I was interested in reading more about why
politicians need to pretend they're a "common man" and "close to the
people" to get elected. This book didn't discuss any of that! It was 200 pages of 'wow these
Republicans are so stupid!' I do not recommend this book, a waste of money and time.
The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein
This was one of the best books I read in 2022. This excellent book breaks down the myth that segregation in America is
primarily the product of individual preference and explains the many ways the government
used the law and state power to reinforce segregation and create de jure segregation in areas where
it didn't already exists. Covers a wide range of topics, including racially restrictive housing
covenants, white flight, redlining, and mortgage discrimination.
The Idiot by Elif Batuman
This is a book where nothing happens but everything happens. On one level
I really enjoyed it, but on another level I couldn't get over how much of a
self insert character the protagonist was.
Field Notes From a Catastrophe by Elizabeth Kolbert
Good overview of a lot of topics related to climate change — it covers both the ecological
and human impacts, as well as what the future may look like under climate change. Each chapter
is self-contained, so this was a good read for when I was busy during midterms.