Writers and Guardian readers discuss the titles they have read over the last month. Join the conversation in the comments
One of my favourite reads recently has been Childish Literature by Chilean author Alejandro Zambra, translated by Megan McDowell. It’s a mixed-genre book of memoir, short fiction and poetry on the theme of parenting and new fatherhood, with lots of lucidity, humour and humility throughout.
To 2049 by American poet Jorie Graham is one of my favourite collections of recent times and rereading it recently was incredibly rewarding. Filled with slippery and existentially evocative lines such as “Years pulled their / lengths through us like long wet strings”, it had me pointing at some of the pages gasping: “I wish I wrote this!” (a condition I frequently suffer from, known as poem-envy).
Another poetry collection I recently enjoyed is The Island In The Sound by Scottish poet Niall Campbell. Campbell writes concise, soulful and lyrically observant poems that are (subtly) apocalyptic and (sonically) beautiful.
Easy Beauty by Thai American author Chloé Cooper Jones is one of my favourite memoirs by a disabled author in recent years. It’s impressively scholarly, emotionally honest and very giftable for students, readers and writers looking for more nuanced disability narratives.
