New Year’s Reading Recap: Transcendence, BookTok 2.0 + More
Hi there, and happy 2023! For those of you who may be new here, I’m Alexandra, a book lover, writer, knitter, and yogi living in Nashville. I’m excited to share with you the evolution of this space, with talk about all things books plus some new content I’m eager to work on and share this year. What started out as my new year’s resolution last year turned into a sacred writing space that I came back to each month to reflect and connect on my latest reads. I’m looking forward to this year’s journey and with that, let’s jump into my reading recommendations for January and see what I have planned for February!
My first book of 2023 ended up being my favorite book for all of January — Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi. A richly written novel, the author paints a complicated picture of an immigrant family rocked by addiction and depression as the main character, Gifty, uses her doctoral research to better understand her mother and brother’s journeys with their mental health. I loved Gyasi’s writing — even though her book was fiction, it almost felt autobiographical, or at least like a memoir. With deep conversation around nuanced topics like higher education, racism, and religion, Transcendent Kingdom is a beautifully crafted read. I’m already looking forward to picking up a copy of Gyasi’s Homecoming sometime this year.
Get Alexandra Cooke’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
A quick blurb about BookTok 2.0: I wrote about an uber-popular TikTok book last September, Colleen Hoover’s It Ends with Us, and just wrapped reading its sequel, It Starts with Us, a couple weeks ago. Picking up right where the first book left off, the sequel takes us deeper into the lives of Lily and Atlas as they explore how their romantic past can shape their future. I do like that Hoover’s books, at least these two I’ve read, are fast-paced and written in a way that keeps me reading late into the night. While her novels may not be my all-time favorites, I do recommend them to someone looking for a quicker-paced, dramatic read.
On to the next recommendation: one of my favorite actresses and funny women published her second set of essays recently, and I was thrilled to have received it as a gift — Have I Told You This Already? Stories I Don’t Want to Forget to Remember by Lauren Graham. Following her hit Talking As Fast As I Can (another book I’d recommend!), this go-around of essays dives deeper into Graham’s experiences working in Hollywood, friendships and relationships that have shaped who she is along the way, and what she’s been up to after returning to the world of Gilmore Girls in 2016. Her essays are laugh-out-loud funny, thoughtfully written, and insightful as they detail memorable learnings and insight over the course of Graham’s career. I admire her authentic voice — after this second book I’ve read from her, her writing feels like that of a good friend or confidante, someone you’d share a mix of belly laughs and tears with.
My final recommendation for January is Days of Distraction by Alexandra Chang. This book follows a 20-something Chinese-American woman as she navigates her post-college world as a journalist for the San Francisco tech landscape. As she balances complex relationships with her friends and family while dealing with racism and sexism in Big Tech, she’s also faced with life-changing decisions about her job and a cross-country move to follow her partner, J, as he pursues a Ph.D. The uncertainty and anxiety she faces as she tries to find her footing in the professional world felt really relatable; big decisions like changing jobs, moving cities, and starting or ending relationships in your 20s can change the entire course of your life, leading to a moment where you may pause and contemplate the outcome of the road you hadn’t taken.
Looking ahead to February, I’m nearing the end of The Bright Hour by Nina Riggs, and I’ll also be exploring some new non-book related content to post here on Medium. In the meantime, if you’ve read any of the books above, let me know in the comments! If there are any book recommendations you have that you’d like me to read in 2023, also give me a shout — I’m always looking for new books to read and share. Until next time! 👋🏻
