Hello, readers! Thank you to everyone who subscribed to The Dish upon seeing this post from Platonic Love, where Aliza and Aja were kind enough to mention me and my writing. I’m so glad to have you here!
On this random Thursday, I’d like to talk about books, for no reason other than that I’d like to think and write about them.
In addition to the MANY cookbooks I consume, I also love to read fiction, memoirs, and the occasional mystery. My boyfriend Teo and I have hilariously opposite tastes in books. He gravitates toward history tomes that challenge the structural integrity of our shelves. I like small-enough books that I can throw in my purse for a day of walking and subway-riding without injuring my shoulders. His favorite books tend to cover faraway places, politics, and conflicts, while mine tend to focus on people, feelings, and growth. When Teo and I enter a bookstore together, we immediately say ciao for now and head in opposite directions.
With that in mind, here are some of MY most beloved books, and why I think they’re worth reading. I’m saving my cookbook and food writing recommendations for another post down the line, so stay tuned for that!
Books I Love
“For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you.”
- Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Jhumpa Lahiri’s name is the first that comes to mind when I think of my favorite authors. I was lucky enough to meet her in Rome, and she presents as elegantly as her prose reads. In contrast, I was flustered and sweaty after a long kitchen shift. If I had to choose only one of her books to keep with me forever, I’d choose The Namesake, a story that’s somehow both intimate and vast, covering over three decades of an immigrant family’s lives. Lahiri’s gift, I think, is to write subtle, restrained sentences that somehow unlock deep, specific feelings.
Writers & Lovers by Lily King
This book’s narrator, Casey Peabody, is a writer struggling to finish her book while confronting life’s sorrows and watching her peers follow different trajectories (promotions, marriages, etc.). Although she and I are different in many ways, I relate to the predicament of committing to your art even when it feels pointless. Lily King develops believable, complicated, lovable characters, and Casey is no exception.
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
When Breath Becomes Air is a memoir written by a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi, facing an early death from cancer. He was clearly a brilliant man; he not only excelled in medicine, but also thought deeply about a range of subjects and wrote with such gravitas and care. In the book, he discusses his diagnosis from the perspective of a doctor — somewhat removed and clinical — and as an ambitious, loving person with so much life within him. I have a distinct memory of finishing the book as a high school senior and weeping in my parents’ kitchen in the aftermath. It was only later that I realized Kalanathi was Cup of Jo writer Joanna Goddard’s brother-in-law. (I read Cup of Jo every day and have since middle school.)
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
I read Bird by Bird before starting to write The Dish in 2021, and it helped me shed some of the perfectionist tendencies holding my writing back. It’s a brief, funny, warm-hearted guide to writing by Anne Lamott, a longtime writer with excellent advice. I won’t tell the story behind the book’s title, but I will say that it refers to taking things one step at a time. One word after another, one sentence, one paragraph, and so on. The only way to do anything is one at a time, and I have to remind myself of that when I’m pulled in a million directions — in writing and in life. Bird by bird!
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
Content warning: This book is about sexual assault and the havoc it invokes.
Chanel Miller is a poet, writer, artist, and one of my biggest heroes. She is also a survivor of sexual assault. In Know My Name, Miller introduces herself in all her radiant nuance and reclaims her identity after the dehumanizing experience of assault and the procedures that followed. The content is, of course, hard to read sometimes, but in a challenging, empowering way. Miller writes poetically and powerfully about trauma, about bias against victims, and about her life following the assault. And, somehow, she ends the book with resolute hope. I think that Know My Name should be required reading for all young people before going to college.
How to Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy
This book is a creative guide, similar to Bird by Bird, but from the perspective of a songwriter, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. I am, at present, a closeted songwriter, only writing for myself and my voice memos app, but I used to perform original songs often. Whether you consider yourself a songwriter or not, you should still read this book; much of Tweedy’s advice is about creativity in general, and how to lead a creatively fulfilling life. In one of my favorite passages, he writes, “You can’t quit because there’s a Beyoncé in the world. You can’t quit because you went to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and realized that everyone on stage knows more about music than you ever will.” That’s not the point! Creativity is a lifeline, and everybody’s voice deserves to be heard.
Everything by Tana French
I read all of Tana French’s books (other than her most recent one) in a single breathless week. It was like when I got my hands on the seventh Harry Potter book — inhaled. The downside of this approach is that all of her books have blurred together in my memory. So I have nothing specific to tell you besides the fact that Tana French is my favorite mystery writer. Her books are haunting, smart, fast, and set in moody Irish landscapes. This New York Times article is a good round-up of her books.
It’s funny how easy it is to write over 1,000 words when you’re writing about what interests you. If you’re still with me, thank you!
I’ll close with my top reading essentials:
The Brooklyn Public Library, because libraries are the best, and I’m lucky to live near a big one
The Libby app, which allows you to download library books onto your phone or Kindle
My Ember mug, a gift from Teo that keeps my coffee or tea piping hot for hours
An oversized hoodie to close me off from my world and enter the world of my book
I’ll be back with a list of fun links next week!
Love,
Phoebe
I love your book suggestions! Thank you.
Just loved reading about your favourite books
and you write so well too