Jackie's Garden
Books and Other Readings:
Currently Reading:
- Chimera(?)
My recommendations:
Here are some of my favorite things that I've read. If you read any of them because of this list, let me know in my guestbook, I think that'd be really cool. In general, I like books about science topics (usually nature related) that also have nice writing, weird and unique fiction books, and memoirs by interesting people (that I end up looking up to). I also like poetry and texts related to mythology.
"On The Move" - Oliver Sacks -- Dr. Oliver Sacks is a neurologist, writer, motorcycle enthusiast, power-lifter, adventurer, homosexual, the list goes on and on. In this autobiography, Sacks details his incredibly interesting, exciting, often tragic, often beautiful life. I wanted to re-read this book as soon as I finished it. It’s an inspiring read and Sacks’ writing is captivating and humorous. A huge recommendation from me for just about anyone. Reading this made me want to do bigger and better things with my life.
"Why Fish Don't Exist" - Lulu Miller -- This book was so many things that I wasn’t expecting it to be. I went in knowing it would be a biography of a taxonomist and found so much more in the way of memoir, investigative journalism, and an overall litany against chaos. I can’t say too much without spoiling it. Please read it, even if you don’t have an interest in fish or biology or taxonomy, it’s so much more.
Poet at the Poker Table -- Interesting interview with poet and gambler DJ Renegade.
"Tinkers" - Paul Harding -- A fiction novel about a man who lay dying, hallucinating about his life. It spans multiple generations of New England family. The words are so good it makes my heart hurt.
Double S Double S -- I love all of the poetry I've read by Kim Hyesoon.
"Lab Girl" - Hope Jahren -- A memoir about trees and a life of science and friendship. Jahren describes her interesting life of plant research spent with her eclectic friend Bill. This book touches a lot of different emotional strings from sadness to humor. Would recommend.
"How Far the Light Reaches" - Sabrina Imbler -- A memoir and a book about sea life. Imbler describes her life in seamless parallels to ocean creatures. A chapter on queer community is intertwined with tiny clear clones called salps. A chapter about processing an old relationship is linked with the the history of whale hunting and the nature of whale falls. A great read that made me cry. I love marine life and it’s always amazing to hear about the lives of other queer people told by queer people. 100% recommend
"All About Love" - Bell Hooks -- A well researched and thorough look at the place of love in our society and lives. I went into it expecting it to mostly be about romantic love but that was just a small portion. Parts of the book read like socialist literature and a lot of the ideas in it can be considered radical. I’d say the first ¾ are stronger than the last ¼ but the whole thing was a great read.
"Giovanni’s Room" - James Baldwin -- Tragic. Beautiful. I want to live in Baldwin’s words. Reminder that if you try to exist between two worlds, never showing either your true self, you’ll lose both.
"Invisible Cities" - Italo Calvino -- Beautiful prose. semi-historical fiction. Incredibly dense with amazing sentences, I underlined more than I have ever underlined before. A dialogue between Kublai Khan and Marco Polo that recounts Polo's experiences travelling the world and seeing many incredible cities. A journey of a read. I don’t know how much I can say other than that I highly recommend this book.
"Cloud Cuckoo Land" - Anthony Doerr -- This is a book that jumps between a cast of characters across centuries and across thousands of miles. Each character and their struggles are linked by a story. The story is ancient and translated and many parts are lost to time. I won't spoil anything. The book is about stories, nature, our place in the world, what really matters. I love a lot of the words and while it was an easy read, I know it will stick with me for a long time.
"Nevada" - Imogen Binnie -- Read it in 2 days. It's already important to me. If you're like me, you'll love it. I know that's not a helpful review but maybe I'll write a lot about this book at a later time.
