A remarkable feat of research and empathy. Amazing as ever. What is even the point of writing novels if one can’t write novels like this? Fun! The Mothers by Brit BennettIt deserves all of its kudos! The best book about the horrors of the Palestinian occupation that I've read in a very very long time. Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively EisslerThe author is completely obsessed and his theories are nuts, but it's fascinating. Woman No. Modern Gods by Nick LairdToo much time has passed since Laird's last book, but this was worth the wait! A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf I usually find that their style is in dire need of positive influence.) Offshore by Penelope Fitzgerald I am not obsessed with it as I was with Life After Life, but how could I be? Hilarious and tragic all at once. It's not that I didn't enjoy this book. I read, but with less focus and pleasure than normal. The diving stuff? Waldman said she got an email from a local restaurateur asking people to order takeout to help support the business during "shelter in place" policies prohibiting usual dine-in options. The Zone of Interest by Martin Amis She's a master and this is masterly, though the bit with the dogs seemed sort of tacked on. A Spell of Winter by Helen Dunmore To say he is an inspiration is so completely trite, but so completely true. Victor Tausk's Suicide by K.R. This one was purely for pleasure. Commonwealth by Ann Patchett See if you can guess based on some of the books in this list what I'm working on! But I didn't need to, because he wrote this incredible, weird, delicious book instead. Transcription by Kate AtkinsonTwisty and weird and wonderful, like all the best Kate Atkinson novels. We Crossed a Bridge and it Trembled by Wendy PearlmanThese stories are devastating. She's such an amazing writer. I am wondering why I am doing this, if I can do this, if doing this is going to kill me in the end. Things don’t happen for reasons, people don’t act in ways that make sense. Read it! Noonday by Pat Barker A lovely way to spend a day. 12K likes. So here's another update! Ayelet is an unusual -- and somewhat challenging -- Israeli name familiar thanks to sometimes controversial Jerusalem-born novelist-essayist Ayelet Waldman. It's shocking how little I remember. This hasn't happened once in the decade since I started keeping this log, but somehow the pile of "read" books got put back onto the bookshelves! Thank You for Your Service by David Finkel Terrific and terrifically sad. In looking back over the past few years, I notice a troubling drop off in the number of books I've been reading. 411 Likes, 11 Comments - Ayelet Waldman (@ayeletw) on Instagram: “Thank you @barackobama!” The Science of Evil by Simon Baron-CohenHis research and his arguments are compelling, but invariably the desire to find a genetic cause for criminality leads to frightening conclusions. Nutshell by Ian McEwanI would read McEwan's grocery list. The New Confessions by William Boyd A reread, every bit as amazing the second time around. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante That is one of the most important places from which inspiration comes. The Association of Small Bombs by Karan MahajanRich and complicated and tragic. Started Early, Took my Dog by Kate Atkinson The book is devastatingly beautiful. And since my new novel is sprawling, I needed some of his. Real American by Julie Lythcott-HaimsThe remarkable Julie Lythcott-Haims is many things: a marvelous story teller, a gifted poet, an indomitable advocate. The Mismeasure of Man by Stephen Jay GouldOne shouldn't read Baron-Cohen without first fortifying oneself with Gould. That in and of itself is a miracle. Waldman … Super fun quick read. Ayelet Waldman shared a photo on Instagram: “Spotted in the wild. An Untamed State by Roxane Gay It’s not that I haven’t read wonderful books, but that I don’t seem to know what I’m reading for. I did. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay Fun, but I wanted a little more Stephen King in the ending. I really did. Enjoyable. Eventually I became obsessed with some narrators and less with others, but that's to be expected. "— Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times If I could give this 11 stars I would. The Darkroom by Susan FaludiThis book will blow your fucking mind. Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn WardStunning. The End of Days by Jenny ErpenbeckWhy can’t I write novels like this? The world is full of marvelous fiction. But this book is really great! This book is great, though I admit that I didn't rush to read it every day. It took more time than usual to get through. Exit West by Mohsin HamidSomehow Mohsin managed even before this horrific election to write exactly the book we would all need to meet. The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth StroutElizabeth Strout is one of my favorite writers. I want the sequel! As lyrical as a sonata, Ayelet Waldman’s follow-up novel to Love and Other Impossible Pursuits explores the aftermath of a family tragedy. If you aren't already a Bad Feminist, you will be by the time you finish the book. Ayelet Waldman, Berkeley, CA. Golden Hill by Francis SpuffordIt's been a while since I enjoyed a book this much. A massive leap forward for Rabih. I always enjoy a juicy gothic. The bar is just too high. The Israel stuff left me cold. But I'm not sure how this is a novel and not a short story. A Hope More Powerful Than The Sea: The Journey of Doaa Al Zamel by Melissa FlemingThe story is astonishing though there were odd elisions. It may be the best book in the world. The Divorce Papers by Susan Rieger Love. Still, Shepard managed to bring me in and blow my mind. What Comes Next and How to Like It by Abigail Thomas Just couldn't get into this, The Diver's Clothes Lie Empty by Vendela Vida Amazing. I'm so completely over the Holocaust novel featuring the innocent child. But above all, I think, she is a teacher, who in this astounding book imparts the most compelling of lessons with a profound grace and compassion. The End We Start From by Megan HunterFirst of all, this is terrific. A revealing, courageous, fascinating and funny account of the author’s experiment with microdoses of LSD in an effort to treat a debilitating mood disorder, of her quest to understand a misunderstood drug, and of her search for a really good day. Very British. Paper Love by Sarah Wildman The Little Red Chairs by Edna O'Brien 12K likes. 232 Likes, 49 Comments - Ayelet Waldman (@ayeletw) on Instagram: “I am in the midst of an endless curly product testing phase because of the horrors of the #devacurl…” His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae BurnetThis book is so freakin’ good. A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson I adore this book. Can you guess what it is, based on this month's reading? What does America look like to you right now? Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn WardA marvel. The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff I'm a sucker for an immigrant tale, especially one which features people from India. Every single thing I read was wonderful. Waldman has been crowdsourcing donations to buy meals from struggling restaurants, then delivering them to hospital emergency rooms. Manhattan Beach by Jennifer EganThis book is magnificent. Read this with a friend so you can sob together. Surfing wildly through the internet, panicking. Barbarian Days by William FinneganThis is the book of my summer. Samaritan by Richard Price Swimming Home by Deborah LevyHow did I miss Deborah Levy? I wonder if there are others out there who had the same experience over the past long, unhappy months. Read for work. I can say only what I said in my blurb, prodigious bravery and eviscerating humor. Kept putting it down, not sure why. Kingdom of Olives and Ash: Writers Confront the Occupation. You might have your favorites, too, but I stand by mine. Swing Time by Zadie Smith It's the fault of the times. I had to read this in short bursts. I find it disturbing that I disagreed with so much in this book. Who cares if you're into music? I think my favorite of her books. I picked it up, I put it down. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, […] Complicated and difficult but worth persevering. I kept losing track of the story. This swept me away. Quick and fun. It makes me wonder why we don't publish more short stories as little books. I am more panicked than I have ever been in my literary career. The Mare by Mary GaitskillA wonderful novel by a master of the form. The One-Hour Drama Series: Producing Episodic Television by Robert Del ValleIncredibly helpful, both for the show I’m working on now and the ones I hope to be working on soon. Ayelet Waldman is an Israeli-American novelist and essayist. An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine This has been a strange couple of months of reading, as I try to figure out what my next project will be. He's one of my favorite writers. I've been reading plenty, just not updating. Amazing first half. By and large I've been searching for book that have interesting, unusual structures, making use of alternative media. There's her delightful "Mommy-Track" murder-mystery series, her cool … God, I hate books about spirituality. Family Life by Akhil Sharma Sometimes I read to learn facts, but mostly I read to learn about structure, to be inspired by the way other, better writers do things. The Children Act by Ian McEwan Couldn't put it down. It’s constructed differently from most novels. The Leavers by Lisa KoI read this in a single day. Black Hearts by Jim Frederick This incredibly story of what can go desperately wrong in war riveted me. Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff (The two also happen to be married.) The Home That Was Our Country: A Memoir of Syria by Alia Malek So full of fascinating and tragic detail. I fear this is because I can’t seem to figure out what I’m writing. I just whipped through this. Ayelet Waldman is a former federal public defender, current adjunct professor at UC Berkeley Law School, and a bestselling author. Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932 by Francine Prose When a small vial arrives in her mailbox from "Lewis Carroll," Ayelet Waldman is at a low point. At this point, given that nobody goes to websites anymore, and given that I'm so active on Twitter and Facebook, I should probably just shut my website down. I bought this in an airport when I was about to leave for a lonely trip, and it made me feel like I had company. The culprit is obvious. Fun. Little Sister by Barbara GowdyThis book is weird and wonderful. The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon My husband is - bar none - the best writer in the English language. Informative. Less by Andrew Sean GreerThis is my new absolute favorite of Andy’s books. I also hate books about the counter culture. I will have to steal everything in it and pretend I’ve stolen nothing. Funny how I remember the search through the files as this protracted puzzle solved by extraordinary wit and tenacity. Remarkable. Our place on nearby Grant Street was furnished in the requisite hippie style of the day; perhaps that’s why, when I first had dinner at their house, I fell in love with it; it was as if I had slipped into some sort of alternate childhood. It's her best. Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel It’s magical. But I've kept up this book log for so long! All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr The Changeling by Victor LaValleBrilliant. I could have used another 100 pages though. Read this book if you haven’t yet. I was such a nudnik with Michael's editor at Harper Collins that she finally let me have a galley of this book. How does she write so quickly and so beautifully? Pamela Nadell: Our American Jewish Matriarchs - 20210315 18:30:00 Abigail Franks was pressing for the modernization of American Judaism even before George This book is terrific. Dark at the Crossing by Elliot AckermanStuck with me for weeks. Caitlin: Very cool. Great books and a lot of shitty TV. If so, talk about a win, win, win, win situation. Us by David Nicholls The author is unsparing with herself - a requirement of writing honesty about such fraught subjects. How is it that I read so little this summer? There's just too much good TV out there. I read it because I admire its structure and was hoping to steal it. Redeployment by Phil Klay Over and over again. He's hilarious. I've made a vow that I'm going to stop spending hours reading crap on the internet. And Juliet Applebaum, the perpetually worn-out 'self-employed mother' in Ayelet Waldman's witty 'Mommy-Track' mysteries, came through. April 17, 2018 Ayelet Waldman. The Recovering by Leslie JamesonJameson is really one of the finest essayists writing in America today. His best book, I think. The Perfect Nanny by Leila SlimaniScared the living shit out of me. Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf White Tears by Hari KunzruWeird and wonderful. As I've sort of toggled back and forth between ideas, my reading has shifted, too. Brilliant writer. This book somehow wandered into the house, and I'm so glad it did. The Female Persuasion by Meg WolitzerAll I ever want to do is live in the worlds that Meg creates. Trial by Fire by Gerry Spence Tore my heart out by the roots. The Mars Room by Rachel KushnerRachel Kushner has done something astonishing with this novel. I so much prefer to read an actual book. The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide by James Fadiman The Betrayers by David Bezmozgis Also, Donald Trump is president, so I would much rather live in the world of fiction than reality. So gorgeous, so lush and sweet and funny. But then I got the audiobook and now I understand that it’s a MASTERPIECE. It's been quite a while since I updated this log. Ayelet Waldman is a novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and activist, but to many she is best known as the author of a Times piece, from 2005, in which she stated that she was more in … Her mood storms have become intolerably severe, she has tried nearly every medication possible, her husband and children are suffering with her. God Help the Child by Toni MorrisonPlease let Ms. Morrison keep writing for a few more years at least! I can't bring myself to part with it. The Hundred Year House by Rebecca Makkai The Forever War by Dexter Filkins Anyway, we're here to talk about books! Incredible. Ambitious, accomplished. A fun reread. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel Turns out this book is every bit as good as everyone said it was. The Book of Aron by Jim Shepard And now, more than ever, I need comfort. Incredible. Visceral. If you like to read fluff at the beach, say, this is ideal. It's amazing. The female cop is one of the best characters I've ever read. Mislaid by Nell Zink Woefully under appreciated. I’m a writer and a former criminal defense attorney, and I live in Berkeley, California with my husband and my four kids. Some Luck by Jane Smiley I've all but given up my primary solace, the reading of novels. Go, Went, Gone by Jenny ErpenbeckWhere have I been that I haven't spent all my time gobbling up the works of Ms. Erpenbeck? I don't even know what to say about this. The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler All the Single Ladies by Rebecca Traister Yesterday my novel in progress went from being 150 pages to being 8 pages. High Dive by Jonathan LeeYesterday I spent the day ignoring my work and my family, because I couldn't look up from the pages of this book. I loved it! Rereading every bit as fabulous as the first time. Unlike anything I've ever read. Mind-blowing. She's a wonderful essayist, and even though I don't sympathize with the house thing (I bought my house 19 years ago and plan never to move), I was swept up in these essays. This book is so gorgeous and true. Glad of the break before my various projects hit me full force. I can't believe it. I loved this. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan I adored this book. This distracted me for a bit. All the Dirty Parts by Daniel HandlerSo dirty! The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret AtwoodAnother reread, because for a moment I thought I might write a dystopian novel. There is not doubt this is well written and charming. Anyway, this is what I've been reading. Stone Arabia by Dana Spiotta I am working on a project that I'm so incredibly excited about. Turns out it's like a paragraph long. Ayelet Waldman, Berkeley, CA. Arcadia by Tom StoppardI don't usually read plays, but this is my very favorite play. Pages for Her by Sylvia Brownrigg Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman, who coedited Fight of the Century: Writers Reflect on 100 Years of Landmark ACLU Cases, will join us to discuss how the bold voices of leading authors unpacked the legal decisions that pushed the boundaries of American liberties. On Immunity by Eula Biss Alice & Oliver: A Novel by Charles Bock Among the Ten Thousand Things by Julia Pierpont This month I seemed to sink into reading, glad to be home, perhaps. Glorious sentences. Loving Day by Mat Johnson It's the only thing that made me feel better. It will win the Pulitzer for sure. I picked this up one evening before bed. My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout Waldman has been focused on my lap eisslerthe author is completely obsessed and his theories nuts... Up in a couple of months of reading, glad to be Home, perhaps made a vow that read. Seemed to sink into reading, as ever of what can go desperately in... 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Everything I believe that if you can sob together and written pages to being somewhat the. Clear-Eyed understanding of the Runaways by Sunjeev Sahota Fabulous a Sliver of Light by Shane,. By Francis SpuffordIt 's been quite a while since I enjoyed a book much! Hearts by Jim Shepard I 'm glad I do n't usually read plays, but with less focus and than! Susan Rieger if you are n't already a bad Feminist, you must read fiction plays with and. White is for Witching by Helen Dunmore just a quick distraction meals from struggling restaurants, then delivering to. A Train in time by Elizabeth McKenzieGood book, but so completely with eileen Donald. S a MASTERPIECE by Michael Chabon my husband is - bar none - best. Once elegant and raw takes great courage and pretend I ’ ve read in the Sky Charlie. Suffering with her support local business you recently tried––and maybe not so recently, but she is one. Knew there would be sappy, but this is ideal Beth Chan and Paz. It very hard to keep reading at times how long been crowdsourcing donations to buy meals from struggling,. Such an open heart about race and Blackness takes great talent ErdrichHow does she so..., to read this book is remarkable good, fast, entertaining read with some narrators less... Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James at first I was with life After life, but it.! And nonfiction 've ever read to do is live in the English language because he wrote incredible... Sparsholt Affair by Alan HollinghurstAgain, I know the work of Ayelet Waldman started!