A very nice write up of
Conversations with Ghosts in @laurenpassell.bsky.social "podcast the newsletter." (And definitely check out The Harbingers and Everything is Alive)

Finished a big writing project, so you know what that means… Popeye’s. Not sure why I only eat Popeye’s once I finish a big writing thing, but I’m into it. (Also, super excited about the BRAND NEW THING @stereophobe.bsky.social and I are working on)

Realizing that sometimes I text like an fbi agent trying to infiltrate a bisexual group chat

I’m also halfway through The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, and it’s FANTASTIC so far, absolutely heartbreaking.

Foster by Claire Keegan. This beautiful Irish novella about grief and family MIGHT be the best thing I read all month, aside from Caro. I recommend it highly, the ending will devastate you, and you can finish it in an afternoon.

It isn’t his best, and suffers slightly in comparison because another book of his, Cage of Souls, is set in a post-apocalyptic prison and it’s a goddamn masterpiece. But still, very good, and you should def check out Tchaikovsky. (Start with Elder Race)

It’s a bit Obama’s-favorite-book-core, and I wished it was just a tad subtler, but I still really liked it.

I also read their novella Livesuit, set in the same universe. It answered some of the questions posed by the novel, and it was fine. The twist is easy to see coming, but I enjoyed the slow, encroaching dread.

The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey. A new novel by the expanse guys, a different take on an alien invasion. It suffered a bit in comparison to the other books I was reading, (the sentences aren’t as good as Robert Caro’s 🤷‍♂️ go firgure) but it was a quick, easy read, and it felt original.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman. What a cute, funny read! Definitely of its time, but it was delightful. The meta-textual nature of it all would have BLOWN my mind in high school, as it was, I still found it charming. If you’ve only seen the movie, def read the book too.

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch. An experimental Irish novel about descending authoritarianism. Was reading this the day after the election. Not sure if I was in the right or wrong headspace for it, but I did find it powerful

The Years of Lyndon Johnson: The Path to Power by Robert Caro. Yes, I finished The Power Broker and immediately started his LBJ books. I have become fully Caro-pilled. Yes, he starts off the book talking about soil composition, yes, it’s fucking enthralling.