camelopardalis | book recommendations

Since graduating from college, I've slowly been pushing myself to read more for fun and wanted to collect some of my favorites in one place for any friends who are interested. I've tried to vaguely organize them and added short spoiler-free blurbs to help you choose what you'd be interested in. I'd love to hear from you if you read anything on this list or if you've already read something here and want to talk about it! For now, recs are under the cut!

FICTION

The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg

This is a children's novel that incorporates alternating perspectives and intersecting storylines to tell the story of four students/quiz bowl teammates as they they make their way to the state championships. I read this for the first time in 5th grade and have reread it several times since <3

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Another children's novel that served as inspiration for the famous Studio Ghibli film. I don't really think this one needs any introducing, but I actually enjoyed it significantly more than the movie.

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

The first in the Earthsea Cycle, it's a sort of coming-of-age tale that follows the adventures of a young mage named Ged. I think this one often gets looked over and is labeled as children's fiction but I read it for the first time as an adult and it left a strong impression on me.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

I can't praise this book highly enough! It's a generational history that starts with one Asante woman's two daughters, who are half-sisters and each subsequent chapter focuses on a different generation of their descendants from the time of British colonization and the slave trade to the present day. It's only the author's debut novel, but the characters had remarkable depth and the pacing was excellent from start to finish. I read this in a single sitting. I just couldn't put it down!

Pachinko by Min-Jin Lee

This is another all-time favorite! It's a historical fiction that starts in the early 1900s in Korea and follows the protagonist Sunja's family throughout the 20th century. It's an emotionally gripping family drama set against the backdrop of Japanese occupation in Korea and World War II. Similar to Homegoing, we're able to get inside the heads of members from multiple generations of Sunja's family and get a better understanding of each of their particular struggles. It's a fairly long book, but well worth the time spent.

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

This book is technically a memoir, but that isn't quite enough to describe it. Much of it is written in second-person and it's difficult to discern fact from fiction. The author manipulates narrative structure and introduces classic horror elements to give an account of an abusive same-sex relationship. I don't think this book is for everyone, but if you're fine with the trigger warnings and interested in reading something 'innovative' you should give this a try.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

I also read this book in a single sitting! It has some horror/mystery elements and can drag a bit at the beginning, but I really enjoyed the premise and there was a good amount of suspense to keep things interesting. It's about a man named Piranesi who inhabits a labyrinth and you're taken along on his project to catalogue the many rooms and secrets of the House.

The Time in Between by Maria Dueñas

This one is great for fans of historical fiction and strong female characters! Set in pre-WWII era, it follows a woman named Sira Quiroga who, after being abandoned by her lover in Tangier becomes seamstress for the wealthy spouses of Nazi officials and engages in espionage. It's a bit long and can drag at some parts but overall I really enjoyed it.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

This is the first in a four-part series. It's set in Barcelona after the Spanish Civil War and tells the story of Daniel, the son of a book dealer, whose search for works by the author Julian Caráx begins to unravel a web of dangerous secrets. It includes elements of fantasy, gothic romance, and horror.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

I'm honestly obsessed with Kazuo Ishiguro's writing style. This book is written from the point of view of Kathy, as she reflects back on her life from her school days at Hailsham to her eventual career as a carer. It has some science fiction elements which I'll refrain from spoiling, but this was very much a character-driven story and I really love how the author captures tension both in the characters' relationships with each other and the tension inherent in their circumstances.

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

Franzen is kind of a polarizing choice for this list, but I'm a sucker for a family drama and he absolutely nails in The Corrections. It's about a Midwestern couple, the Lamberts, and their adult children all navigating life in the late 20th century and attempting to come together for Enid's wish of "one last Christmas." I found it equal parts absurd and engaging, and admire his ability to craft such detestable characters who still intrigued me enough to devour this book.

Erasure by Percival Everett

I think about this book so often! In Erasure, the main character, a writer-academic named Thelonious "Monk" Ellison, is offended by the publication of a book called "We's Lives in Da Ghetto," which he perceives as exploitative, but is hailed by media as an "authentic" representation of the African American experience. In his anger, he pens his own parody of such exploitative ghetto-lit under a pseudonym and to his surprise it gets picked up by a publisher unlike any of his previous more serious works, even going on to become a bestseller. It's part satire, part family drama and makes me think a lot about what representation in literature means and how despite how many new voices we have that are supposedly writing diverse stories, there is still a sense in which they have to meet to broader audiences' expectations of what minority stories are.

Oranges are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson

One of my college professors put me onto Jeanette Winterson and I've never gone back. This is her first work and is inspired by her upbringing as the queer adopted child of religious fundamentalists. It's a sad, yet humorous coming of age story in which a young lesbian woman grapples with the pressure to conform to the standards of a community that refuses to recognize her identity and accept her for who she is. Some parts of it can feel a little dated, and it's probably not her best work but I love her prose and even led a book group on this in college so it's pretty special to me.

Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson

I love this book so much, that I can't even really find the words to describe it. I've probably read it 4-5 times now and each time I come away with some new understanding. At first, I was intrigued by the fact that the gender of the narrator is never revealed. For a novel that revolves around the narrator's relationships, it's easy to make assumptions so this deliberate choice to obfuscate gender makes us question our own preconceived notions about gender and sexuality in relationship dynamics. I also just adore her prose! I'll spare you quotes, but it's a gorgeous meditation on love without being a romance.

Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino

This is just pure escapism. The novel is framed as a conversation between the emperor Kublai Khan and Marco Polo, who has come to tell him about his travels across the empire and each of the short chapters describes a different fictitious city. Even though it's a short read, I took my time with this one ♡

Marcovaldo by Italo Calvino

This is a collection of stories about an unskilled laborer in an industrial city who is captivated by all the little things in life. He dreams and schemes with varying results, confusing all those around him. Overall, this is a charming and funny little book and a perfect bedtime read.

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (Pevear/Volokhonsky translation)

The Master and Margarita was my first foray into Russian novels, having only ever read Chekhov's short stories before and I loved every moment of this book. It alternates between telling the story of Pontius Pilate and the exploits of the Devil who has arrived with a few of his underlings to wreak havoc on the city of Moscow. I'm approaching it as a reader who doesn't quite have the historical context to fully understand its portrayal of Stalinist Russia, but I still found it deeply moving and am excited to return to it in the future after doing some more background reading.

NONFICTION

Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou

This chronicles the rise and fall of Theranos, the infamous company started by former Silicon Valley darling Elizabeth Holmes. I chose the audiobook version, but either way you're in for a ride as the author and journalist behind the startling WSJ exposé takes you through this messy and honestly bafflingly long scam.

Here We Are: American Dreams, American Nightmares by Aarti Namdev Shahani

I won't be able to describe this as well as the NPR feature so I'm actually just going to quote from it, but this is perfect on audiobook as well. It's a moving memoir about the Shahani family's circuitous road to citizenship and the hurdles they faced in their pursuit of the American Dream.

"Here We Are contains multiple messages: the value of grit and hope and determination; the relentless work immigrant families undertake just to tread water; the fortitude and generosity of such families; and the gaping flaws in American justice."

Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by Gretchen McCullough

This one can drag a bit at times, but I think it's a fun read for other Chronically Online individuals like myself. It looks at the neat field of internet linguistics and the speed at which the internet has changed the way we use language. I never really thought to interrogate the rules and patterns of internet slang, which largely are unspoken but it was a fun, nerdy read.

A Good Provider Is One Who Leaves: One Family and Migration in the 21st Century by Jason DeParle

I've lost count of how many 'generational histories' are in this list of recommendations but here's one more for good measure! Jason DeParle is a journalist who writes about one Filipino family's story over generations to illuminate the larger politics of migration. It's such amazing nonfiction reporting, and the personal connection makes it that much more immersive. I really enjoyed the sensitivity with which he explored heavy topics.

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green

I was hesitant to pick this up at first, since I've never really enjoyed John Green's fictional works, but I think that this is such a clear distillation of everything I do like about him as a person. This essay collection, written in the form of star reviews of various things tangible and intangible, is thoughtful, nuanced, and humorous. I read about half of it in ebook form and the rest in audiobook, which Green himself narrates. It was probably the comfiest, most life-affirming pandemic read and I know there are several essays I'll be returning to in the future.

Boom Town: The Fantastical Saga of Oklahoma City, Its Chaotic Founding, Its Apocalyptic Weather, Its Purloined Basketball Team, and the Dream of Becoming a World-class Metropolis by Sam Anderson

I spent five years in Oklahoma for undergrad, and I read this shortly after I moved away for graduate school in Houston. I think so much of my attachment to this book comes from the fact that I too love to proselytize about how lovely OKC is, but it really is a fun and engaging read. Oklahoma has such an interesting history, and I enjoy how the author weaves that in with the dramatic story of the OKC Thunder's creation.

The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson

It's a memoir about the author's marriage to artist Harry Dodge, who was transitioning at the time of her pregnancy and reflects on bodily and social transformation. The title itself is a reference to Roland Barthes' idea that to love someone is similar to an Argonaut who constantly replaces parts of their ship without the ship changing names. Kirkus described it as a work of "autotheory" and it's written in a more scholarly style, which seems like it would be off-putting but I found to be very enjoyable and readable.

Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman

The book mainly concerns itself with what happens when media and politics become forms of entertainment, specifically television news which is a medium in which quality is sacrificed in favor of visual elements (e.g. commercials, selling of lifestyles) that satisfy the needs of entertainment. Perhaps it's a bit dated now since it was originally published in 1985, but I still think that it's worthwhile to consider the ways the internet has quickly exacerbated these issues.

Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood

This is a memoir from Patricia Lockwood of miette tweet fame about her upbringing as the child of a married Lutheran minister who converted to Catholicism and her eventual return to her family home in adulthood. It's highly entertaining, witty, and emotionally moving. I think that her writing may feel too flowery and poetic for some, but I deeply enjoyed it and think often about this quote.

“You must always believe that life is as extraordinary as music says it is.” Rebecca West said that. You must also believe that it is as high, and as low, as strained to the breaking, and that the silence before and after it is as sweet.”

SHORT STORIES

Last Evenings on Earth by Roberto Bolaño

This is an amazing short story collection that follows the "failed generation" of the Chilean exile diaspora, many of them struggling artists who found refuge in Latin America and Europe. The prose is beautiful, yet there's a sense of doom that pervades the collection, perhaps best described by the author himself when he referred to it a "melancholy folklore of exile."

Tenth of December by George Saunders

This is a genre-bending short story collection by someone I consider one of the most brilliant living authors. I personally loved "Home", "The Semplica Girl Diaries", and "Tenth of December" from this collection, but every one of the stories shines in its own way.

book recommendations

FICTION

NONFICTION

SHORT STORIES

no subject