CURRENTLY READING
I always have a short stack of books going at once, and this is my morning nonfiction read right now. I’ve long admired Pollan (even though we don’t agree on everything), so it’s good to finally read one of his books. I love how he weaves story, history, science, and psychology into the telling of apples, tulips, marijuana, and potatoes.
(MOST) CURRENTLY LISTENING
When I go down a rabbit hole, I go down pretty far. Now, I haven’t bought this hook line and sinker, but I am definitely learning a lot about eating more ancestrally. Take or leave the purported health benefits; I’m just as interested in the deliciousness. Alison and Andrea have two different approaches to food and the kitchen, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say Alison’s British accent is at least 30% of why I listen.
CURRENTLY WATCHING
This documentary had me feeling so many different emotions. Worth a watch.
CURRENTLY JAMMING
I’ve been revisiting some old favorites lately, and Renee still hits. Gabe always knows if I’m in a mood if I’m blaring opera (TBD if the mood is good or bad).
RECENTLY READ
I just finished this book for book club, and it’s another reason I’m grateful to have a group of women to read with: I probably never would have picked this up on my own, but I enjoyed it. I had actually already read the nonfiction book it’s based on (A Midwife’s Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich), so seeing it turned into a novel was fun. It’s not my favorite style of writing, but the story was good enough to keep going.
READ IN 2025
Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit — Barry Estabrook
The Botany of Desire — Michael Pollan
The Frozen River — Ariel Lawhon
Wild Girls: How the Outdoors Shaped the Women Who Challenged a Nation — Tiya Miles
Movement Matters: Essays on Movement Science — Katy Bowman
A Visit from the Goon Squad — Jennifer Egan
Grow Wild: The Whole-Child, Whole-Family, Nature-Rich Guide to Moving More
The Read Aloud Handbook — Jim Trelease
The Outermost House: A Year of Life on the Great Beach of Cape Cod — Henry Beston
Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time — Jeff Speck
Trust — Herman Diaz
READ IN 2022
Crying in H Mart — Michaelle Zauner
The Heart’s Invisible Furies — John Boyne
Stranger Care — Sarah Sentilles
Maid — Stephanie Land
READ IN 2021
Whistling Season — Ivan Doig
I Hope This Finds You Well — Kate Baer
Uncanny Valley — Anna Wiener
The Little Book of Hygge — Meik Wiking
Writers and Lovers — Lily King
Life From Scratch: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Forgiveness — Sasha Martin
Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love — Dani Shapiro
The Devil in the White City — Erik Larson
Eat a Peach — David Chang
Fellowship of the Ring — J.R.R. Tolkien
What Kind of Woman — Kate Baer
The Seed: Infertility is a Feminist Issue — Alexandra Kimball
Mother is a Verb: An Unconventional History — Sarah Knott
Bright Evening Star: Mystery of the Incarnation — Madeleine L’Engle
World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments — Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Let Your Life Speak — Parker J. Palmer
READ IN 2020
The Excellent Lombards — Jane Hamilton
Educated — Tara Westover
Of Mess and Moxie — Jen Hatmaker
A Midwife’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard — Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
Showing — Agnes Howard
Having and Being had — Eula Biss
Solace of Open Spaces — Gretel Ehrlich
Freedom — Jonathan Franzen
Swing Time — Zadie Smith
Fates and Furies — Lauren Groff
Where the Crawdads Sing — Delia Owens
On Beauty — Zadie Smith
The Girl with Seven Names — Hyenseo Lee
The Dutch House — Ann Patchett
The Rose Project — Graeme Simsion
READ IN 2019
Remarkable Ordinary — Frederick Buechner
The Honey Bus — Meredith May
For You, Mom, Finally — Ruth Reichl
Speak What We Feel — Frederick Buechner
Wishful Thinking — Frederick Buechner
Kitchen Yarns — Ann Hood
READ IN 2018
Living with a Wild God — Barbara Ehrenreich
Miller’s Valley — Anna Quindlen
Enon — Paul Harding
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking — Susan Cain
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine — Gail Honeyman
When Breath Becomes Air — Paul Kalanithi
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos — Jordan B. Peterson
READ IN 2017
[this is my most embarrassing year of reading since the age of 5 — I blame falling in love and getting married, but I’m still not so sure that’s a good enough excuse]
America’s Women — Gail Collins
My Name is Lucy Barton — Elizabeth Strout
Commonwealth — Ann Patchett
The Bean Treas — Barabara Kingsolver
Road to Little Dribbling — Bill Bryson
Upstream — Mary Oliver
READ IN 2016
Searching for Sunday — Rachel Held Evans
Captivating [sometimes I read for research…]
Yes Please — Amy Poehler
What Do Women Want? [again, research]
A Field Guide to Getting Lost — Rebecca Solnit
He — Robert A. Johnson
The Enlarged Heart — Cynthia Zarin
The Road to Character — David Brooks
Tips from the Top — Kreigh Knerr
The Giver — Lois Lowry
Pastrix — Nadia Bolz-Weber
Wise Blood — Flannery O’Connor
Ariel — Sylvia Plath
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn — Betty Smith
Far From the Madding Crowd — Thomas Hardy
The Colossus — Sylvia Plath
Gut Feelings — Gerd Gigerenzer