The Books I Read In 2023 and 2024 and the Places I Read Them

2023

BIG SWISS BY JEN BEAGIN
Bed and the metro north and a lobby of a theater in New York

MOBY DICK or THE WHALE BY HERMAN MELVILLE
Bed and classroom and a rehearsal room

ARCHIVE OF ALTERNATE ENDINGS BY LINDSEY DRAGER
A room in an airbnb at the Pocano’s. It starts to snow. We are trapped.

MONSTERS: A FANS DILEMMA BY CLARE DEEDERER
Up and down East Rock in New Haven. It’s spring and I can run again.

THE RABBIT HUTCH BY TESS GUNTY
a hammock in a campground in Connecticut.

(Text message from liv: “Those RV campgrounds are so funny”)

THE ARGONAUTS BY MAGGIE NELSON
My mom’s cousin’s attic room in the Berkshires and the back of her car, I don’t get carsick.

YELLOWFACE BY RF KWON
St. Louis, Missouri: the american flag room and later on the Treadmill at Yale’s Fitness Center

2024

MEMBER OF THE WEDDING BY CARSON MCULLERS
Under the light in that chair in that corner where it no longer is

WORRY BY ALEXANDRA TANNER
Sick with COVID, on the couch, next to my paper and pastels

THE SWIMMERS BY JULIE OTSUKA
O’hare airport. On my way back from Chicago after seeing Annie Share’s play.

SAVE THE CAT BY BLAKE SNYDER
In the lobby of the Graduate Hotel across from my Mom whose shredding a bagel and egg into strips.

ALL FOURS BY MIRANDA JULY
Shirtless in my underwear at 3pm sprawled across my bed

OUT ON THE WIRE BY JESSICA ABEL
On the couch in the new spot that is different from the old spot

THE FRIEND BY SIGRID NUNEZ
California. The Calistoga Roastery.

(there were also plays and short stories, too many to list)