By M+R Everyone has their own relationship with reading.
Maybe you haven’t finished a book since the last time one showed up on a syllabus. (No judgment.)
Maybe you have a daunting “to-read” pile on your nightstand that keeps growing taller and taller until it threatens to topple over and bury you under an avalanche of deckled edges. (No judgment).
Maybe, like a certain member of M+R’s own staff who shall remain nameless, you set an absurdly high goal for how many books you would read this year, and got there by listening to most of them at 2.25x speed. (To be honest… a little judgment? Or at least some follow-up questions?)
Whatever the case, and whatever your taste, we want to share some of our favorite books with you. M+R staff have recommended the books they would most like to share across three categories: books that offer inspiration, escape, or nourishment. Here are a few of the many choices:
Death’s End by Cixin Liu
“Okay hear me out: this is a 600-page hard sci-fi novel at the conclusion of a trilogy of increasingly lengthy hard sci-fi novels, which means you’re gonna have to get through 1000 prerequisite pages of computer science, game theory, and weird stuff about the speed of light — but it’s worth it, I promise! This book turned into an unexpectedly moving meditation on loss, eternity, grief, and love… and you don’t really need to get all the science stuff to follow it. Also, the covers for all three books include a blurb where Barack Obama calls them “Wildly imaginative,” which I liked because it sounds like he’s trying to be polite about a precocious (but somewhat annoying!) child.” — recommended by Sarah Coughlon, Director of Advertising Technology
The Accidental Fundraiser by Stephanie Roth and Haley Bash
“When the going gets rough…a whole lot of people start showing up, hackles raised and ready to do their part. That, of course, includes fundraising! There is no better book to help you figure out the ins and outs of raising money for good causes than this book! Well written, comprehensive, and easy to read by two pros who’ve benched the work. Get it for yourself or for the new fundraiser in your world and thank me later!” — recommended by Madeline Stanionis, Partner
Big Vegan Flavor by Nisha Vora
“I live with a horde of constantly-hungry, hungry hippos, so cooking has become a chore I just have to get through instead of a fun opportunity to explore. But years back, a fellow M+R staffer introduced me to Nisha Vora’s recipe website, Rainbow Plant Life, and I’m so glad she did. I’m slowly cooking my way through her latest cookbook, which is thankfully a far cry from the compendiums of nutty, twiggy “health food” dishes that afflicted many a vegan and vegetarian household in my youth. To say that Ms. Vora is big on squeezing every iota of flavor out of the food she makes would be an understatement. Her recipes are so darned delicious, likely still solidly on the healthy(ish) end of the spectrum, and worth the extra steps to prep the accompanying sauces, glazes, chili crisp and whatnot that turn each dish up to an 11. I’m still irrationally vexed that dinner doesn’t make itself, Beauty & the Beast-style — but if I must cook, I want the food to taste good, and Big Vegan Flavor delivers.” — recommended by Nzinga Koné-Miller, Senior Vice President
If you want to give yourself a little gift this holiday, we’ve linked to an independent bookstore that’ll be glad to take your order. Happy reading!