Linda Holmes thisislindaholmes.com Book Recommendations & Book Mentions

Linda Holmes thisislindaholmes.com

In addition to being a great and educational science book, it made me better understand my dog, plus it gave me lessons in empathy in general — the subjectivity of experience — that have had surprising applications throughout my life.

Linda Holmes thisislindaholmes.com

It’s really interesting to be watching Serena Williams right after the pub date of CARRIE SOTO IS BACK by Taylor Jenkins Reid, which I really liked, which is about an attempted comeback (so obviously not a direct parallel!) by a later-career tennis player.

Linda Holmes thisislindaholmes.com

I loved @MauriceRuffin’s WE CAST A SHADOW, and I recently read @jessaminechan’s THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD MOTHERS and Mohsin Hamid’s THE LAST WHITE MAN. They’re all sort of along these lines, and I devoured them all.

Linda Holmes thisislindaholmes.com

Mike Schur's book about ethics that grew out of his work as the creator of The Good Place, is informative and funny, but also an example of pop culture's capacity to be a gateway to things beyond itself.

Linda Holmes thisislindaholmes.com

Another is FIONA AND JANE by Jean Chen Ho. Thoughtful and heartfelt about friendships that last years, changing shape and brightening and dimming at different moments.

Linda Holmes thisislindaholmes.com

This book is great fun, and if you’re looking for something that kind of … believes in humanity in a way that feels welcome right now, I recommend it.

Linda Holmes thisislindaholmes.com

This book is indeed terrific, and it’s fascinating to me that the people who live and vacation in a place it depicts as ugly and dead and transactional love it so much. (If Simon is all the middle-aged men you know, who are *you*?)

Linda Holmes thisislindaholmes.com

So many books are gently funny, but I’m always so impressed when I read anything that is (among other qualities) repeatedly, vigorously funny, which is my way of mentioning that I’m reading @anthonyfmarra’s MERCURY PICTURES PRESENTS.

Linda Holmes thisislindaholmes.com

I loved Grant Ginder's novel Let's Not Do That Again, which is part political thriller, part family yarn and part dark comedy. To be frank, it would be worth the whole thing just to read about the idea of a musical adaptation of Joan Didion.

Linda Holmes thisislindaholmes.com

Blair’s book is exciting and surprising, a kind of wilderness/media mystery packed with insight and suspense. Highly recommend!