Favorite non-fiction books read in 2019-2020

  • Word by Word: the secret life of dictionaries
    • Who knew dictionaries could be so fascinating? I had a lot of assumptions about how dictionaries are currently created, and even when I was correct (which was not always), I often oversimplified.
  • Blindspot: hidden biases of good people
    • Great exploration of the complexity of our brains and what we can do to manage our blindspots.
  • Amaro: the spirited world of bittersweet, herbal liqueurs with cocktails, recipes, and formulas
    • Interesting to learn about Amaros and then I ended up buying a copy as a reference when in restaurants reading about their cocktails or when purchasing an amaro.
  • Rats: observations on the history and habitat of the city’s most unwanted inhabitants
    • A memoir and exploration of rats in NYC. I loved it!
  • Never Home Alone: From Microbes to Millipedes, Camel Crickets, and Honeybees, the Natural History of Where We Live
    • Absolutely fascinating read about all of the creatures who live in our homes with us and how little we know about them. I had thought I should not be a naturalist because everything was known on the more macro level in my local environs, and boy, was I wrong! Who wants to send me to graduate school to study creatures in our houses?!?

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Favorite fiction books read in 2019-2020

  • Mairelon the Magician by Patricia Wrede
    • I’ve loved all her stuff — and I read most of it this past year. Mairelon the Magician reminded me of Knives Out but set in the 1800s. The “Cecelia and Kate” novels are delightful as well. Also have elements of Agatha Christie, Jane Austin, and Dickens.
  • Martin Marten by Brian Doyle
    • Wonderful fiction set on Mt. Hood. Fell in love with Brian Doyle this past year. I feel like a better person after reading Brian Doyle.
  • Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman
    • Fantasy, I guess. There is an invisible library at the heart of our reality, guys! Who doesn’t want to read about that? And chaotic fairies and lawful dragons.
  • 9 Perfect Strangers, Liane Moriarty
    • Contemporary novel with a mystery set in Australia. This book made me laugh and slap my face in horror at bad ideas/behavior.
  • Wayfarers series (The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, A Closed and Common Orbit, Record of a Spaceborn Few, etc.) by Becky Chambers
    • Science Fiction that I devoured. Humorous and exciting. Great escapist trip
  • Murderbot series by Martha Wells
    • More science fiction that I devoured. Exciting and humorous. Interesting ruminations about kindness and humanity.

Read other blog posts about favorite things (mostly books).