Hey Folks, Now that Silklist is back online, it is time to revive our almost-annual tradition of sharing our annual book recommendations. I would love to hear your recommendations.
Here are the best books I read in 2022: 1. The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey: A very meditative book. Loved it. A great pandemic read. 2. West with the Night by Beryl Markham: Not a new book, but a classic. Beryl's description of growing up in Kenya and becoming a bush pilot is beautifully written. I was lucky enough to live in Kenya much later, and had the chance to experience some of what she describes (though with more modern planes). 3. Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James: Part 2 of the 3-part trilogy. Imagine Lord of the Rings / Game of Thrones set in Africa. 4. In This Corner of the World by Fumiyo Kouno: The story (in manga format) of a young woman's coming of age in a suburb of Hiroshima during the war. Despite being prime material for war and suffering depictions, the book was actually quite beautiful and touching. 5. Fears of a Setting Sun: The Disillusionment of America's Founders by Dennis C. Rasmussen: Hmmm... I wonder what was in the air that made me want to read about the disillusioned final years of the Founding Father. 6. Masala Lab : The Science of Indian Cooking by Krish Ashok: Not much new for someone like me who reads Harold McGee as bedtime reading, or steeps in Serious Eats during the day, but he has a knack of customizing food science to Indian cuisine (in all its complexity). 7. Bending Adversity: Japan and the Art of Survival by David Pilling: A book that combines the micro (stories of a handful of people impacted by the Tohuku Tsunami and Fukushima nuclear disaster) and the macro (Japan's history in the recent past). Superbly sourced and cited. And the level of depth and clarity that I would expect from someone working at the FT. 8. Invisible Empire: The Natural History of Viruses by Pranay Lal: I loved Pranay's first book - Indica - and went into this book (Invisible Empire) also with high expectations. My expectations were met, and surpassed. Pranay weaves together history and natural history to paint a biography of viruses, and the roles they have played (and continue to play as I write this in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic) in history. Thaths -- Homer: Hey, what does this job pay? Carl: Nuthin'. Homer: D'oh! Carl: Unless you're crooked. Homer: Woo-hoo!
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