in the past few months, i can recommend a few that i really enjoyed.

Non-Fiction

The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin by H.M. Brand - this was the first biography that i had read in a long time and i really enjoyed it. it's definitely an in depth look at franklin, but with a figure like franklin, even a seemingly in depth look only scratches the surface. it is written very well and reads fairly easily.

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell - it took me a while to get around to reading this, but i'm glad i finally did. i didn't enjoy it in the same way that i enjoyed the tipping point. i really enjoy how gladwell brings academia to the everyman. it's an easy weekend read, but even better for the toilet.

Housekeeping vs. The Dirt by Nick Hornby - this is the second set of his writings in Believer. i enjoy hornby's fiction, but i like his non-fiction even better. there is something endearing about him that makes me like him, even if i disagree with him. also, his non-fiction makes me like his fiction even more. as an added bonus, all of the articles are about what hornby has been reading, so you'll probably come out of it with at least a few more additions to your "to read" list.

Fiction

Manhattan Loverboy by Arthur Nersesian - i had read a few other things by nersesian (most notably, the fuck-up) and i really enjoyed them. all of his tales seem to be about the old new york hip and how they are dealing with the effects of gentrification. this is good, but read "the fuck-up" first if you're not familiar with his work. it's a little less fantastic, which is a good thing.

i'm always a bit intimidated by the ptp book posts, mostly because janey is the most well-read person i semi-know about, but i can recommend all of these books. also, we should start one of those book shipping clubs. the type where you send a book to the next person on the list and what not. that way we can recommend new books to people and have someone to talk with about them afterwards.

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