Other Great Books 2023
We’re almost halfway through 2023 (I don’t feel like waiting until June, sue me!) and I’ve read some incredible books outside of the horror genre. I know my loyal followers don’t all love horror so I thought I’d throw you guys a bone.
I Have Some Questions For You, Rebecca Makkai ☆☆☆☆
Oh yeah baby! Rebecca Makkai is back again with another novel that I absolutely loved. While I still prefer The Great Believers (one of my favorite books of all time), I Have Some Questions For You uses very modern themes (podcasting, true crime, getting canceled, vlogging) without making it seem like it was written by aliens or someone who is one hundred years old. A fun mystery with a beautiful setting, her newest novel seamlessly moves back and forth through time without being clunky. Rebecca Makkai is becoming one of my favorite authors and I’ll read anything she puts out!
Happy-Go-Lucky, David Sedaris ☆☆☆☆
The king of the personal essay, David Sedaris is a master of writing about difficult topics in a refreshing and thoughtful way without losing any of his humor. I particularly loved his stories about dealing with the grief of losing his younger sister to suicide. He manages to honor her memory while not sugarcoating the difficulties she (and the rest of his family) faced. I didn’t love his essays about the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, as it felt super out-of-touch and elitist, so if you’re just starting out with Sedaris, I recommend beginning with his essay collection titled Me Talk Pretty One Day.
README.txt, Chelsea Manning ☆☆☆☆
Chelsea Manning is cool as hell. When I was 21 I was hungover in sociology class, when she was 21, she was in solitary confinement in Kuwait. This memoir is a devastating look at the war in Iraq and the way LGBTQ people are treated not only in the military but also growing up in rural America. After she was destroyed in the media, I was so glad to read Chelsea Manning in her own words.
Happy Place, Emily Henry ☆☆☆☆
Just because I read gross books doesn’t mean I’m immune to the charms of the occasional cheesy romance novel! Emily Henry’s friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers tropes are predictable, sweet, and just the right amount of horny to make me feel awkward about recommending it to friends. A palate cleanser, a summer beach read, a reminder of how shockingly single I am, Happy Place makes me wish my rich, witty friends had a cabin in Maine.
The Hot Zone, Richard Preston ☆☆☆☆
Once described by Stephen King as the scariest piece of nonfiction he’s ever read, The Hot Zone is not for the fainthearted. Exploring the origins and outbreaks of diseases like Ebola Zaire, the Marburg virus, and touching on the AIDS crisis, Richard Preston shares the gory truth about some of the worst viruses known to mankind. With its comprehensive history and narrative chapters, the science aspects of it are not overwhelmingly difficult to understand. This took me approximately two months to read because reading about bleeding from every orifice is simply not my idea of a relaxing time.
Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes, Eric Larocca ☆☆☆☆
Ok YES this is horror and it’s really gross crazy horror at that, but because it was written by a dude it can’t have its own spot on my blog because I make the rules. This book (namely the title story) blew me away with how gross and fun it was. The three stories are all stylistically different (one was all emails, another was dialogue, and the third was mostly narration) but all carried themes of body horror and gore. Unsettling!