Orbital by Samantha Harvey

Orbital is simply stunning!  More than anything, I think I loved it because the sentences are gorgeous.  It’s rare that I find myself reading and re-reading at the sentence level because I find the expression to be so thoughtfully crafted.  I picked the book up because it won the Booker Prize this year and I really do recommend that you read it too. 

The novel follows the lives of 4 astronauts and 2 cosmonauts as they orbit the earth.  In a typical 24-hour day on Earth, an astronaut will experience 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets.  Every chapter is one of these 90-minute orbits of Earth.  Harvey captures mundane activities that sound profound and profound moments that sound mundane for these 6 characters in space.  Time and time again, I was blown away by the insights into what makes us human.  Sometimes, we all need a beautiful book in our lives.  This one is it!

Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

Margo’s Got Money Troubles is completely different from Orbital.  If Orbital is mesmerizing and mystical and almost magical, Margo’s Got Money Troubles is realistic, but sharp and funny and original in a depressing kind of way. Margo, a freshman at university, ends ups having an affair with one of her professors.  She gets pregnant, decides to keep the baby, and then to earn money – she is fired from her waitressing job as she can’t find reliable babysitting – creates an OnlyFans account.  The plot revolves around her entry into this platform – to put it mildly – and the re-introduction of her father into her life.  He was a former professional wrestler (WWE style).  The similarities between the two are incredibly fascinating, but what I loved about this book is the narrative voice.  It’s sharp, funny, and makes you want to find out what happens to Margo. 

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

The Ministry of Time is a strange, but oddly believable read.  The novel rests on the premise that time travel exists.  And the government – in this case, the British government – want to control it (better).  They extract five people from history and bring them into the 21^st century.  The novels centers on one of those historical figures – Graham Gore, an artic explorer from 1847 as he is transplanted to 2024.  The narration is told from the point of view of his “bridge,” or a civil servant who is tasked with helping him adjust to the 21^st century.  She has a year to make it happen, and as the novel unfolds, you start to get the sense that she’s not privy to key information.  That missing information is what drives the plot – there’s a lot of subterfuge going on – and makes this book really fun to read!

Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg

If you are looking for a nonfiction read, you might pick up Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg.  He wrote The Power of Habit and this one, while not as good, still reads easily enough.  He suggests that almost all conversations fall into one of three types – he outlines them in the book – and he argues that the best communicators understand what type of conversation is happening and what is needed in it.  If you have ever had a fight with a partner and neither of you were hearing what the other one was saying, he explains why!  He also details how really good communicators get people to talk – often by listening and being vulnerable in the information they provide back.  If you are interested in communication, this book might be for you! 

How to Retire by Cristine Benz

Why am I reading a book about retirement?  I don’t know!  But I read a review of it, I know I like reading light non-fiction (at times about finances), and I thought I’d give it a shot.  I’m glad I did.  There are 20 chapters – or 20 interviews with people in the finance or retirement industry – each one covering a different aspect of retirement.  But what I liked about it most wasn’t the practical advice about Social Security per se (caveat: it is US centric and the book is geared toward Americans).  Instead, what I liked about it is how it pushed me to think now about what matters in life: cultivating strong relationships, having a sense of purpose or meaning, and living life to the fullest.    

I’ve also bought the following books and hope to start reading them soon!

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

Cold Crematorium by József Debreczeni

Good Material by Dolly Alderton

The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain by Sofia Samatar