My 2022 Reading List

Once again behind on posting my annual reading list. I always get psyched to see Obama’s top ten list of books, and I like to see my daughter’s annual list (which you can see here), and am always curious to hear what other people are reading (please feel free to share favorite reads in the comments). In any case, the highlight was definitely finishing Ulysses and finally reading The Odyssey (somehow I skipped that in college). I continue to read a variety of poetry, and will try to put together a list of some collections in the near future. This list also includes quite a few memoirs, and a number of books by Irish writers, inspired by our family trip to Ireland, which also spearheaded Ariel and I joining the international reading group: Ulysses in 80 Days. (I’ve written about that experience in my infrequent Substack newsletter, which also includes a list of resources for those interested in reading Ulysses).

Antrim, Donald. One Friday in April

Bayley, John. Elegy for Iris

Bechdel, Alison. Are You My Mother

Boyer, Anne. The Undying

Caldwell, Lucy. These Days: Two Sisters, Four Nights, One City

Cobain, Ian. Anatomy of a Killing: Life & Death on a Divided Island

Clark, Heather. Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath

Cunningham, Michael. Specimen Days

Doctorow, E.L. Ragtime

Egan, Jennifer. Welcome to the Goon Squad (reread)

__________. The Candy House

Erneaux, Annie. Shame

Fox, Paula. Desperate Characters

Friedman, Matt. Who By Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai

Godfrey, Rebecca. Under The Bridge

Hadley, Tessa. Free Love

Hall, Donald. Without

__________. Best Day Worst Day

Harris, Nathan. The Sweetness of Water

Homer. The Odyssey (Emily Wilson’s translation was my favorite)

Horn, Dara. People Love Dead Jews

Jaouad, Suleika. Between Two Kingdoms

Jeffers, Honoree Fanonne. The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois

Joyce, James. Ulysses

Karen, Yehuda. Lover of Unreason

Keegan, Claire. Small Things Like These

Kennedy, Louise. Trespasses

Kincaid, Jamaica. My Brother

Kolker, Robert. Hidden Valley Road

Krouse, Erika. Tell Me Everything

Lish, Atticus. The War for Gloria

Manguso, Sarah. The Guardians

McCann, Colm. Everything In This Country Must

Mendelsohn, Daniel. An Odyssey: A Father, A Son, & An Epic

Morrison, Toni. Jazz

Nelson, Maggie. Jane

____________. The Red Parts

____________. Bluets

Nguyen, Eric. Things We Lost in the Water

Ruskovich, Emily. Idaho

Saks, Elyn R. The Center Cannot Hold

Stout, Elizabeth. Oh William!

Taddeo, Lisa. Three Women

Ward, Jesmyn. Salvage The Bones