Bottled ※ Brain

Manong Ralph arguably reads more books than me. I invited him to write something for here. Here's his list. What books did you particularly enjoy this year? Let me know in the comments! * * * 2024 Best Reads I’m on my way to finishing the incomparable Barbara Kingslover’s opus Demon Copperhead, which would be my 40th book this year.  This has been a good year for reading. Here are some memorable books I’ve read in 2024, in no particular order:  Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingslover. She’s a brilliant author. Her characters are deeply flawed, human, and full. Poisonwood Bible threads the themes of religion, patriarchy, race, trauma and how one experience can affect each member of a family differently. I am including Copperhead in this list, although I’m still making my way through it, because it’s also very good. The narrator, the titular Damon Copperhead is authentic, funny, and resilient, and this book is a testament to the beauty of the human spirit in a dark,...

Last-minute shopping with Auntie Nanic, seen here with Manong.

Year 2024 has been a great year for reading. I have no reading list to plow through. I read whatever I like, usually two to five books at any given time. There's no virtue in it for me; it's the way I live. 2024 is the year when I discovered and quite enjoyed audiobooks. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride is one of my favorite reads. To prove my point, let me tell you that I'm listening to Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince, written by JK Rowling, and read by the brilliant Stephen Fry.