Finding Good Books to Read
What I read: The Best Books of 2022 So Far by The New Yorker Editors and Critics. Published October 26, 2022.
It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I’m a book lover. Reading books is central to my life. It’s a primary way I learn. It broadens my worldview. It keeps me informed. It improves my skills. It gives me insight into different types of people and cultures. It fosters empathy through other people’s real or fictional life narratives. Reading makes me a better person.
That’s why when I run across recommended book lists from sources I trust, I pay attention. The New Yorker is one such source, but there are many. I suggest regularly scanning multiple book lists. When a book pops up on various recommendation lists, it’s often a signal to pay special attention to that book and perhaps add it to your reading queue.
I maintain a list of books I encounter that I might want to read someday. I’ll never read them all. But much like having a library of unread books inspires us to continue to reach for more world- and self-knowledge, lists of interesting books we curate for ourselves serve a similar purpose.
One’s library should therefore contain not just what one knows, but much more of what one doesn’t yet know. “Indeed, the more you know, the larger the rows of unread books. Let us call this collection of unread books an antilibrary.” This passage comes from Taleb’s The Black Swan, a book all about the human tendency — defied by Eco — to overvalue the known and undervalue the unknown.
“The antilibrary’s value stems from how it challenges our self-estimation by providing a constant, niggling reminder of all we don’t know,” writes Big Think’s Kevin Dickinson. “The titles lining my own home remind me that I know little to nothing about cryptography, the evolution of feathers, Italian folklore, illicit drug use in the Third Reich, and whatever entomophagy is.” The New York Times‘ Kevin Mims connects Taleb’s concept of the antilibrary to the Japanese concept of tsundoku, previously featured here on Open Culture, which captures the way books tend to pile up unread in our homes. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, as long as we’ve stocked those piles with valuable knowledge — and more of it than we can ever use.
Periodically, I do an online search for the phrase “best books of” followed by the year or another set qualifier such as “all time” or in a certain field of study or genre of fiction. Best books to learn philosophy. Best mystery books of all time. Best books about climate change. You get the idea.
Even when I don’t end up reading a book I’ve added to my “to read someday” list, merely noting the book can be a mini education itself. Reading a book’s synopsis can open to me areas of inquiry or thought I might not have known existed prior to my exposure to the book. Simply knowing a book on a certain topic or storyline exists prompts me to be aware of such content elsewhere in books, articles, videos, and anywhere that content might emerge in my day-to-day life.
Unread book libraries, whether they be physical paper books lining our walls, e-books we’ve purchased that live in digital format awaiting our deeper gaze, or as lists of books we might want to read in the future, have power. They are useful.
Let me also make a pitch for two other forms of book lists I recommend we all consider embracing – bookstores and libraries.
Brick and mortar bookstores have sadly begun to disappear, although I’ve noticed a few new ones opening lately and that give me hope for their survival. Scanning online bookstores is certainly useful too as a means for future reading inspiration, but as much as I love e-books, I’m not sure digital can replace the tangible feeling of walking the aisles of a well-stocked bookstore. Randomly grabbing a book that piques my interest has been a path to entire series of readings I would never have thought about prior.
Libraries are temples of wisdom, knowledge, and exploration. I consider libraries among the most important of our public institutions and I wish more people took advantage of them. Recently I couldn’t find my local library card and immediately trekked the blocks to my city’s main branch location to get a new card issued. Being without a library card would make me feel as ill-prepared for life as not having a proper identification card.
It should be noted that public libraries these days also loan out e-books from the comfort of your own home. Free books are readily available anytime you want them. As a writer, of course I love it when readers buy my books or those of other authors because that’s how we make a living, but at the same time I must tout the incredible value public libraries offer in terms of free knowledge and entertainment in book form.
One other source I use for adding to my book list is among the most reliable. When a friend or colleague recommends a book, I pay attention. Many of those people know of my interests and are recommending a book they’ve read and enjoyed because they know it might prove interesting to me too.
Consider starting your own list of good books if you don’t have one already. I think you’ll find it useful, and perhaps inspiring.
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