The Anthropocene Reviewed

 The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green, 304 pages

In the introduction to this book John Green quotes Allegra Goodman, who says that she is writing her own life story but "since (she's) a novelist, it's all in code." Green says that he didn't want to write in code anymore, and the resulting first foray into nonfiction is both startlingly honest and completely unusual. The book is made up of dozens of "reviews" on a 1-5 scale from things as specific as "The Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest" and as general as "Sunsets." The reviews tend to be one part microhistory, one part memoir, and one part broader cultural context. Even essays about timeless phenomena (Sycamore Trees, Canada Geese) are processed through the lens of the modern day and living on what has inarguably become a human-centric planet. 

While all of this is true, it is still difficult to describe what exactly this book is. I listened to the audiobook, which is read by the author, and I don't think I can count the number of times it brought tears to my eyes. Green is utterly sincere about not only his fear, but also his hope, and it is difficult not to feel some of the ache of the words for myself. This is a fairly short book that I feel richer for having read, and I believe there is something in it for anyone living in the world today.

The Book of (More) Delights

 The Book of (More) Delights by Ross Gay, 304 pages.

This follow-up to Gay's The Book of Delights comes five years after the first volume, and follows the exact same formula. Poet Ross Gay handwrites a new essay everyday about something that delighted him that day. Some of these are things that are very obviously delightful, such as the joy of shared fruit and tiny dogs, and some of them are things that take a unique perspective to find delight in darkness.  

I found this volume a little less focused then the first one, but still (if you'll forgive me the pun) delightful. I continue to find Gay's perspective inspirational, to the point where I've decided to try this project for myself this year. I do think there was a little more darkness in this one, to the point where it was sometimes easy to miss where the delight was supposed to be in the entry. That being said, even the less delight-full entries were still solid essays that were good to read. I would recommend this to fans of the first book, but I do think I would still recommend starting with that one.  

P.S. I love this book cover so much. Please take a moment to admire it.

Get Me Through the Next Five Minutes

 Get Me Through the Next Five Minutes: Odes to Being Alive by James Parker, 240 pages.

This book collects the "odes" which James Parker wrote for the Atlantic as their unofficial "gratitude correspondent." These odes are mostly for small and specific things, such as taking naps and running in movies, with the purpose of trying to appreciate the small things in life and (as the title suggests) get through the next five minutes. 

I feel like the first thing I need to address is that these don't seem much like odes to me in either the traditional or colloquial sense. Almost every ode is a prose essay, which eliminates the traditional "lyric poem" definition. I would also say that most of these odes don't seem to particularly like the experiences they describe. Parker observes the subjects in close detail, but often with as much or more complaining than praise. I went into this expecting something in the same spirit as Ross Gay's Book of Delights, and found myself disappointed by how much Get Me Through the Next Five Minutes seemed to fail to live up to it's own premise. I'm afraid I can't recommend this one, and if the premise sounds interesting I would recommend checking out Gay's book instead. 

The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic

The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic, by Jessica Hopper, 426 pgs 

Much of the time, reading criticism of someone else's artistic work is pure drudgery, but this book is just the opposite. Jessica Hopper's glorious prose is witty, hyperbolic and aggressive--just like a rock critic should be. This book is essentially a collection of articles and interviews from the last twenty years of the author on a band circuit in Chicago, where she built her own career without any schooling or professional network--a monumental task for anyone in this field. She wrote her heart out for music, chronicling the rise of Chance the Rapper, lamenting the capitalist take-over of meaningful punk rock venues and applying feminist theory to outdated ideas of rock music--the lack of inclusion and tearing down the punk rock "boys" club--band by band. Particularly fascinating is her transcription of an interview with Jim Derogatis, a fellow music critic working at the Chicago Tribune, who details how his investigative work led to R. Kelly being prosecuted for sexual assault. Each essay is more or less a memoir of Hopper's fixation on music and how it helps her learn more about herself and ourselves. The great thing about reading music criticism is getting to listen to the music after you've read something--try to hear what Hopper is hearing--and in so doing, you become a more involved listener. 

The Book of Delights

 The Book of Delights by Ross Gay, 288 pages.

This book of essays was born out of a challenge. Every day for a year, birthday to birthday, the author (a poet) wrote by hand a short essay about one of the day's delights. The essays meander through a variety of topics, but are consistently filled with a joy that's uplifting to read. This is especially impressive considering how often he also thinks of heavy topics, such as racism and grief. Overall the reading experience of this book is (if you'll excuse me for being obvious) delightful, and I think I would recommend it to pretty much anyone. 

Bonus: the audiobook (which I listened to) is read by the author, which adds a lot of personality to the essays.

Happy-Go-Lucky

Happy-Go-Lucky by David Sedaris, 259 pages

In this 2022 collection of essays, Sedaris covers a wide variety of topics, including his father's death, the destruction of his beach home (The Sea Section) during a hurricane, his experience with orthodontia, and, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic. As always, these essays are filled with Sedaris' trademark dry, dark humor, and as always, made me laugh way more than these topics otherwise would. I listened to the audiobook, which is read by the author and features some live recordings, making it particularly wonderful. Another solid offering from one of my humor staples.

Wow, No Thank You

Wow, No Thank You: Essays by Samatha Irby, 319 pages

In this 2020 essay collection, blogger, writer, and all-around funny human Samantha Irby writes about her experiences turning 40 and moving out of Chicago to an actual house in Wisconsin to live with her now-wife. The essays detail Irby's attempts at making new friends in her new hometown; her approach to being a stepmom (what is she supposed to teach these children???); and the five stages of grief getting ready to go out with friends. All in all, this is a delightful collection, and I particularly enjoyed listening to the audiobook, which is read by the author. I'm going to have to check out the rest of her books now.

Please Don't Sit on My Bed in Your Outside Clothes

Please Don't Sit on My Bed in Your Outside Clothes by Phoebe Robinson, 335 pages

In this collection of essays, humorist, producer, and all-around-awesome businesswoman Robinson offers up her opinions on everything from cohabitating during a pandemic to the racial protests of the summer of 2020 to running a business as a Black woman to the aforementioned rules about Outside Clothes (which I'm capitalizing because I fear her wrath). It's an illuminating, thoughtful, and funny collection, and I highly recommend it.

Upstream

 Upstream: Selected Essays by Mary Oliver, 178 pages.

This collection of essays by poet Mary Oliver reflects on the natural world, her place in it, and the process of writing and creativity. The book is broken into five sections (although the final section is a single short essay), loosely sorted thematically. 

I really enjoyed the first couple of section in this book, which read almost like poetry about the natural world. There was also several in the collection that I found fairly boring, or didn't enjoy for assorted other reasons. I tend to have very weird feelings about Mary Oliver, where the things I like I think are completely wonderful, and a lot of the rest doesn't really do anything for me. That being said, there are some very nice essays in here, and the whole volume is short enough that it doesn't take much effort to read it.

World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments

 World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, 165 pages.

This book, by poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil, is described as a series of essays about the natural world and the things we can learn from it. The fact that the author is a poet rather than any sort of naturalist or biologist probably should have been my first hint that this probably wasn't the book that I thought it would be. I had expected a book a little like Braiding Sweetgrass, which I loved. What I got instead was more like a memoir that used various plants and animals as metaphors for things in the authors life, which isn't inherently a bad thing, but the final product was a little too disjointed to be a great memoir either. 

Note: The illustrations by Fumi Nakamura are very cool.

The Anthropocene Reviewed

 The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green, 293 pages.

This collection of personal essays reviews a wide range of concepts from the current geological age, from diet coke to plague, and rates them on a five star scale. These essays are often informative, and always at least a little philosophical, in addition to often being deeply personal. 

I really enjoyed this book, I think largely because I really enjoy how John Green sees the world. This book was written during the current pandemic, and if it has a central theme it is healing and the power of community, even (or especially) in the face of huge amounts of pain. I enjoyed this book more than I've enjoyed any of the authors novels, and I recommend this easy read whole-heartedly.

The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death

 

The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death: Reflections on Revenge, Germaphobia, and Laser Hair Removal by Laurie Notaro, 218 pgs.

This book from 2008 manages to have an essay that, perhaps, foretells the  pandemic and our rapid onset germaphobia. There are other essays that are pretty awesome and a few that feel dated.  What the heck, 2008 wasn't that long ago, right? I still love me some Laurie.

The Anthropocene Reviewed

 

The Anthropocene reviewed / John Green, read by the author, 293 pgs.

This is a collection of essays in the form of reviews that talk about all manner of things. The Anthropocene is our current geologic era.  Realistically the reviews are mostly about things Green is familiar with, some with a view to the larger era.  As you can imagine, a lot of things are left out.  It was wonderful hearing the author's voice as he talks about things as important as the Indy 500 and mundane as humanities temporal range...or maybe I have those backwards. 

Yearbook

 

Yearbook / Seth Rogen, 271 pgs.  Read by the author and a full cast

Seth Rogen talks about his childhood, his family and many things since then. Did you know he started his stand up career at age 12? Never one to turn down a hit of almost any drug, Seth takes us though his childhood, growing up Jewish in Canada where he assumed his grandparents liked his sister much more than him. Now a success in "the business," he has spent plenty of time getting high before meetings, after meetings, and working with many of the Hollywood elites. As you can imagine, these are pretty funny stories. Consider allowing them to be read for you by a full cast, mostly Seth, but along with many of the featured individuals reading their own parts. A must for Rogen fans. If you are on the fence about Rogen, this will probably put you in the "like" camp.

All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis

 

All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis. Edited by Drs. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson. One World, 2020. 448 pp.

In this FABULOUS collection of essays, poetry, and illustration, Dr. Johnson and Dr. Wilkinson have collected wisdom from women (some famous, some little known) all over the world to address climate change in all its forms. Here you'll find doctors to journalists, models to attorneys, young and old from many races and backgrounds and activists all, expressing their hopes and fears about the crisis we face on Earth. The collection is structured in a very organic way (surprise, surprise!) starting from Root and ending with Rise, to provide a context and leave readers feeling empowered and inspired themselves to continue on their journey.

I first learned about this book when listening to the podcast How to Save a Planet, which is co-hosted by Dr. Johnson, and readers/listeners will find a pleasant overlap. I can confidently say that I learned something new or felt something new in every essay, and I am certain I will draw inspiration from it for some time to come. I am excited to have a new roster of organizations and media to further explore to continue action as a globally-conscious citizen.

Solutions and Other Problems

Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh, 518 pages

In her long-awaited followup to the FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC Hyperbole and a Half, Allie Brosh once again knocks it out of the park with her funny, awkward, and gut-wrenchingly honest autobiographical essays (that are, in large part, illustrated). I love her honesty, her weirdness, her sense of humor. And while readers know that she isn't always aware of her impact on the rest of us, I hope she knows that we love her and her goofy drawings for exposing so much truth in such great ways.

One long river of song

One Long River of Song: Notes on Wonder for the Spiritual and Nonspiritual Alike by Brian Doyle
This is a very beautiful collection of essays, some spiritual but more focused on the great and small things that surround us. Who doesn't want to read about the things Doyle's dog ate then later threw up? Why do two of his children sleep with "normal" childhood things, stuffed animals and the like while the third child won't sleep without a can of anchovy fillets? These are the kinds of things we can all marvel about. I enjoyed every word of this book.

Wow, no thank you

Wow, no thank you: essays / Samantha Irby, read by the author, 319 pgs.

Oh yea, Samantha Irby still has it.  Profane and hilarious.  I'm so glad I got to listen to her read her own work.  On to moving, marriage, and still having the realistic attitude we all love.  I wish she could publish a book every few months.

Little weirds

Little Weirds / Jenny Slate, read by the author, 233 pgs.

I like Jenny Slate but this collection of 40+ essays is just a little too much for me.  I did finish it but maybe I shouldn't have. Some of the chapters are just snippets that are stream of consciousness including one about how her heart is really a plum.  Well mine is a little piece of charcoal and thus I can't appreciate this book.

Do You Mind If I Cancel?

Do You Mind If I Cancel? by Gary Janetti, 159 pages

In this short memoir, Hollywood producer Janetti offers up essays on different experiences in his life, many of them filled with his dreams of what could have (or, in his mind, should have) happened. The experiences range from his years working in a snooty New York City hotel, to his lifelong love of soap operas, to the multiple times he has missed seeing Patti Lupone. Throughout, the essays are hilarious and insightful. I listened to the audiobook, which is read by the author, and I flat-out loved it.