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fbroom's review
3.0
A collection of essays. Even if I didn’t like some of those essays, the reward of discovering new writers and new essays that I love is worth it. My favorite essays included Vision by Tiffany Briere, Stepping Out by David Sedaris, Charade by Kendra Atleework and The Crooked Ladder by Malcolm Gladwell
Notes:
Hilton Als Islands [Transition]
Roger Angell This Old Man [The New Yorker]
"Getting old is the second-biggest surprise of my life, but the first, by a mile, is our unceasing need for deep attachment and intimate love. We oldies yearn daily and hourly for conversation and a renewed domesticity, for company at the movies or while visiting a museum, for someone close by in the car when coming home at night."
Kendra Atleework Charade [Hayden’s Ferry Review]
A warm and touching essay portrayed the friendship of two girls in Wheeler Crest, California
Isaiah Berlin A Message to the Twenty-First Century [The New York Review of Books]
Sven Birkerts Strange Days [Lapham’s Quarterly]
An essay following the recovery days from a hip replacement surgery
Tiffany Briere Vision [Tin House]
Touching and sweet essay. Her mother, her roots and culture of relating to the dead. Her days as an undergraduate working in a lab harvesting organs from mice
Justin Cronin My Daughter and God [Narrative]
A sweet essay about
Meghan Daum Difference Maker [The New Yorker]
I’ve read this before in Meghan’s book
Anthony Doerr Thing with Feathers That Perches in the Soul [Granta]
The story of the first suburban family house in Boise, Idaho.
Malcolm Gladwell The Crooked Ladder [The New Yorker]
The Mafia back at the beginning of the 20th century and today. The American Dream and Organized crime.
Mark Jacobson 65 [New York]
A view of the aging process for Mark’s generation, the baby boomers.
Throughout my life, there has always been a number that sounded old. When I was sixteen, it was twenty-seven; at twenty-nine, it was forty-two; at thirty-eight, it was fifty-two. At sixty-five, however, it was sixty-five.
Margo Jefferson Scenes from a Life in Negroland [Guernica]
I liked this essay a lot
Philip Kennicott Smuggler [Virginia Quarterly Review]
Tim Kreider A Man and His Cat [The New York Times]
Cute essay about this man’s love for his cat. Although Tim never imagined that he’d be a cat guy, he now can’t imagine ever being without one.
Kate Lebo The Loudproof Room [New England Review]
An essay about using hearing loss aids.
John Reed My Grandma the Poisoner [Vice] X
Ashraf H. A. Rushdy Re ections on Indexing My Lynching Book [Michigan Quarterly Review] X
David Sedaris Stepping Out [The New Yorker]
This essay was about acquiring a Fitbit! I enjoy everything David Sederis writes!
Zadie Smith Find Your Beach [The New York Review of Books]
"Here the focus is narrow, almost obsessive. Everything that is not absolutely necessary to your happiness has been removed from the visual horizon. The dream is not only of happiness, but of happiness conceived in perfect isolation. Find your beach in the middle of the city. Find your beach no matter what else is happening. Do not be distracted from finding your beach. Find your beach even if—as in the case of this wall painting—it is not actually there. Create this beach inside yourself. Carry it with you wherever you go. The pursuit of happiness has always seemed to me a somewhat heavy American burden, but in Manhattan it is conceived as a peculiar form of duty."
Rebecca Solnit Arrival Gates [Granta]
Cheryl Strayed My Uniform [Tin House]
The 5 year old pants
Kelly Sundberg It Will Look Like a Sunset [Guernica]
Notes:
Hilton Als Islands [Transition]
Roger Angell This Old Man [The New Yorker]
"Getting old is the second-biggest surprise of my life, but the first, by a mile, is our unceasing need for deep attachment and intimate love. We oldies yearn daily and hourly for conversation and a renewed domesticity, for company at the movies or while visiting a museum, for someone close by in the car when coming home at night."
Kendra Atleework Charade [Hayden’s Ferry Review]
A warm and touching essay portrayed the friendship of two girls in Wheeler Crest, California
Isaiah Berlin A Message to the Twenty-First Century [The New York Review of Books]
Sven Birkerts Strange Days [Lapham’s Quarterly]
An essay following the recovery days from a hip replacement surgery
Tiffany Briere Vision [Tin House]
Touching and sweet essay. Her mother, her roots and culture of relating to the dead. Her days as an undergraduate working in a lab harvesting organs from mice
Justin Cronin My Daughter and God [Narrative]
A sweet essay about
Meghan Daum Difference Maker [The New Yorker]
I’ve read this before in Meghan’s book
Anthony Doerr Thing with Feathers That Perches in the Soul [Granta]
The story of the first suburban family house in Boise, Idaho.
Malcolm Gladwell The Crooked Ladder [The New Yorker]
The Mafia back at the beginning of the 20th century and today. The American Dream and Organized crime.
Mark Jacobson 65 [New York]
A view of the aging process for Mark’s generation, the baby boomers.
Throughout my life, there has always been a number that sounded old. When I was sixteen, it was twenty-seven; at twenty-nine, it was forty-two; at thirty-eight, it was fifty-two. At sixty-five, however, it was sixty-five.
Margo Jefferson Scenes from a Life in Negroland [Guernica]
I liked this essay a lot
Philip Kennicott Smuggler [Virginia Quarterly Review]
Tim Kreider A Man and His Cat [The New York Times]
Cute essay about this man’s love for his cat. Although Tim never imagined that he’d be a cat guy, he now can’t imagine ever being without one.
Kate Lebo The Loudproof Room [New England Review]
An essay about using hearing loss aids.
John Reed My Grandma the Poisoner [Vice] X
Ashraf H. A. Rushdy Re ections on Indexing My Lynching Book [Michigan Quarterly Review] X
David Sedaris Stepping Out [The New Yorker]
This essay was about acquiring a Fitbit! I enjoy everything David Sederis writes!
Zadie Smith Find Your Beach [The New York Review of Books]
"Here the focus is narrow, almost obsessive. Everything that is not absolutely necessary to your happiness has been removed from the visual horizon. The dream is not only of happiness, but of happiness conceived in perfect isolation. Find your beach in the middle of the city. Find your beach no matter what else is happening. Do not be distracted from finding your beach. Find your beach even if—as in the case of this wall painting—it is not actually there. Create this beach inside yourself. Carry it with you wherever you go. The pursuit of happiness has always seemed to me a somewhat heavy American burden, but in Manhattan it is conceived as a peculiar form of duty."
Rebecca Solnit Arrival Gates [Granta]
Cheryl Strayed My Uniform [Tin House]
The 5 year old pants
Kelly Sundberg It Will Look Like a Sunset [Guernica]
lizzderr's review
4.0
These essays are arranged alphabetically by author’s last name, and I’m impressed by how well that’s worked out here, with several meditations on aging in the first third or so, and a final essay on love and abuse that took my breath away.
vdarcangelo's review
4.0
Faves:
Isaiah Berlin, "A Message to the Twenty-First Century"
Tim Kreider, "A Man and His Cat"
Kate Lebo, "The Loudproof Room"
John Reed, "My Grandma the Poisoner"
Ashraf H. A. Rushdy, "Reflections on Indexing My Lynching Book"
Isaiah Berlin, "A Message to the Twenty-First Century"
Tim Kreider, "A Man and His Cat"
Kate Lebo, "The Loudproof Room"
John Reed, "My Grandma the Poisoner"
Ashraf H. A. Rushdy, "Reflections on Indexing My Lynching Book"
megadallion's review
3.0
Read for Book Riot’s Read Harder challenge task #22: an essay anthology. I didn’t even realize these essay collections were published, much less every year. I’ll definitely be checking out more of these from the library. I love short story collections so these will be great alternatives when I’m in the mood for quick, diverse reads.
kbhenrickson's review
4.0
4.5 stars. Some essay collections are really hit or miss, but I only had to skim over a few essays in this one. Most of the selections were engaging.
rbrtsorrell's review
3.0
My favorites from the collection:
Roger Angell's "This Old Man"
Anthony Doerr's "Thing with Feathers that Perches in the Soul"
Margo Jefferson's "Scenes from a Life in Negroland"
Philip Kennicott's "Smuggler"
Ashraf H. A. Rushdy's "Reflections on Indexing my Lynching Book"
Zadie Smith's "Find Your Beach"
Cheryl Strayed's "My Uniform"
Kelly Sundberg's "It Will Look Like a Sunset"
Roger Angell's "This Old Man"
Anthony Doerr's "Thing with Feathers that Perches in the Soul"
Margo Jefferson's "Scenes from a Life in Negroland"
Philip Kennicott's "Smuggler"
Ashraf H. A. Rushdy's "Reflections on Indexing my Lynching Book"
Zadie Smith's "Find Your Beach"
Cheryl Strayed's "My Uniform"
Kelly Sundberg's "It Will Look Like a Sunset"
kevinsmokler's review
4.0
The annual Best American Essays volume published in November is what I call "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year." Reading the best non fiction in a concise, bundle chosen just for you. As always, some great, some not of interest, and always fun to hunt around for themes the famous editor has returned to. This year, aging, violence and family seem to come up more than once.
Worth it. Every time.
Worth it. Every time.
bookalong's review
3.0
For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
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🌟🌟🌟/5
Collections like this are hard to rate and review. I read this collection slowly over the last month or so. I connected with some essays more than others.
It has a wide range of pieces from a diverse selection of writers.
I do love reading these types of collections because it introduces me to new writers! This was my first experience reading Zadie Smith. I know, I know. I enjoyed her essay so I will definitely be reading more of her in the future. I also enjoyed Rebecca Solnit, Meghan Daum, David Sedaris, Tiffany Briere, and Margo Jefferson.
•
🌟🌟🌟/5
Collections like this are hard to rate and review. I read this collection slowly over the last month or so. I connected with some essays more than others.
It has a wide range of pieces from a diverse selection of writers.
I do love reading these types of collections because it introduces me to new writers! This was my first experience reading Zadie Smith. I know, I know. I enjoyed her essay so I will definitely be reading more of her in the future. I also enjoyed Rebecca Solnit, Meghan Daum, David Sedaris, Tiffany Briere, and Margo Jefferson.