Fiction
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clarke. Quite possibly the best book I have ever read. You should read it, and then you should convince your friends to read it.
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, by Fannie Flagg. Have you read it? You should read it.
The Magicians, by Lev Grossman. An enthralling modern fantasy trilogy.
City of Stairs, by Robert Jackson Bennett. A fantasy novel that’s built on the premise: What if a people knew their gods, and then the gods died?
Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. A riot.
A Certain Ambiguity, by Gaurav Suri and Hartosh Singh Bal. An endearing novel that also happens to communicate the joy of mathematics.
To Say Nothing of the Dog: or, How We Found the Bishop’s Bird Stump at Last, by Connie Willis. A delightfully ridiculous time-travel romp.
Nonfiction
Why We Sleep, by Matthew Walker. The science of sleep and dreaming from the pen of a sleep scientist. It contains a forceful wake-up call to the importance of sleep and the harms of modern near-ubiquitous sleep deprivation.
We the Corporations, by Adam Winkler. The history of American corporate rights from the 17th century to the Citizens United case of 2010, with a detailed analysis of the methods and arguments employed by corporations to co-opt individual rights.
The Emerald Mile, by Kevin Fedarko. Fedarko’s prose is remarkably vivid, and he weaves the the story of the near destruction of the Glen Canyon Dam together with the history of the Grand Canyon and the fastest speed run through it into the tapestry that is this book.
Books that changed my mind
The Case against Education, by Bryan Caplan.
The Deficit Myth, by Stephanie Kelton
(Lengthier reviews forthcoming)
Bonus: My two favorite songs right now
Adventurers by Holley Maher. A call to joy, happiness, and wonder.
Michigan and Again by The Accidentals. A beautifully lyrical ode to home and belonging.