Lots of great books have come out these past few years, many of which have been featured on the site in some capacity (many thanks to our fabulous contributors). Below, find poignant memoirs, fresh cultural commentary, and more. The only thing off the table was theology, a full list of which is coming soon, from Todd Brewer (per the usual). In alphabetical order:

An Ordinary Age by Rainesford Stauffer

After years of striving to be extraordinary perhaps it’s time we allowed ourselves to be ordinary. For anyone struggling with the pressures of being a twenty or thirty-something or struggling to love a twenty or thirty-something, An Ordinary Age may offer some solace from the endless cycle of burnout. Rainesford Stauffer creates space for adults to consider what life has in store besides endless expectations, daunting demands, and fleeting accomplishments. Stauffer uses a combination of personal stories and those of others to craft an empathetic and validating piece of writing. I felt less alone in my fears and exhaustion after reading this. Oh, and the chapter that comments on the value, but also pit-falls (!) of self-care is golden.

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

I’m not usually a memoir person. And if you aren’t a memoir person either, perhaps this is the book that will make you a memoir person too. Michelle Zauner has the remarkable ability of telling a story that is so personal and vulnerable, yet so deeply human and relatable. In Crying in H Mart, she understands the love, loyalty, rebellion, and resistance that comes with all mother-daughter relationships. She knows the multi-layered process of grief — the loss, the anger, the confusion, and the longing. But she also experiences the messy grace of memories, recipes, kimchi, and comfort food.

Faith, Hope and Carnage by Nick Cave and Sean O’Hagan

We’ve featured Nick Cave’s writing many a time on Mockingbird, and we’ve been more than happy to lead the Nick Cave bandwagon. So, we were very excited when Faith, Hope and Carnage was released in late September. Created from intimate conversations between artist Nick Cave and journalist Seán O’Hagan, the book follows Cave’s music, creativity, life, and faith. More specifically, this book touches on Cave’s grapple with addiction and grief that eventually “enlarged [his] heart” to love, faith, and hope. It is a raw lamentation of loss, a powerful prayer for hope, and a striking experience of grace.

Foreverland by Heather Havrilesky

Foreverland is a fresh, perceptive, and witty assessment of an age-old institution: marriage. Marriage isn’t all flowers and chocolate. Perhaps there are flowers and chocolate, but there will also be aggravating conflicts and nagging frustrations. But Harilesky’s memoir isn’t just filled with candid stories of the ins and outs of her marriage (Although her humor and honesty is enough to keep even single people reading.) Foreverland is also a delightfully tender book about the intricacies of love: “I’ve struggled to stand still and feel his love for me. It’s the hardest thing to do, sometimes: just to stand still and be loved. It feels frightening. It feels like surrender.” Feels like grace?

Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman

Anyone else get anxiety reading the title? I suppose it is supposed to inspire our anxiety, remind us that we are merely human — mortal beings, temporarily living on Earth before we return to dust. Dust to dust and all that jazz. But maybe there’s more to it than just reminding us of our humanness. Burkeman suggests, with witty prose and comedic timing, that accepting our finitude is, perhaps, the first step to meaningfully using our time. This book feels like a self-help book for people that don’t like (um, trust) self-help books. There’s a reason we love his writing at Mockingbird!

Strangers to Ourselves: Unsettled Minds and the Stories That Make Us by Rachel Aviv

“There are stories that save us, and stories that trap us.” These are the words of Rachel Aviv in Strangers to Ourselves, a work of groundbreaking research and immense empathy. How do the stories we share about mental illness shape our lives? Aviv is thoughtful and articulate as she unravels how real people struggle to understand themselves amidst mental illness and sociocultural crises. Deeply captivating and introspective, there’s a reason why Strangers to Ourselves is on almost every top book list of 2022. Also, Joey Goodall wrote a post for us a while back all about it. Check it out here.

Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story by Bono

Bono, well beloved and known lead singer of U2, has finally taken to pen and paper, the stories of his life of music, activism, and faith. For Bono, to surrender means stillness and songs are his prayers: “Someone has likened prayer to being on a rough sea in a small boat with no oars. All you have is a rope that, somewhere in the distance, is attached to the port. With that rope you can pull yourself closer to God. Songs are my prayers.”

The Invisible Kingdom by Meghan O’Rourke

Meghan O’Rourke’s The Invisible Kingdom sheds light on the mismatch between chronic illnesses and the Western medical system. Millions of Americans have struggled to find a voice and be heard regarding their illnesses. Many are poorly understood or unseen, isolated or alone. A poet, O’Rourke provides fresh descriptions of the burden of chronic illness, giving voice to the millions struggling to be heard. O’Rourke uses her careful research and own medical experiences to give practical recommendations for a reimagined medical system. The Invisible Kingdom is beautifully written and easily accessible for both medical professionals and patients.

The Status Game by Will Storr

The Status Game surveys human nature from the hunter-gatherers to people in today’s society. From his research, Will Storr discovered that humanity has a deep need for status, and that that need permeates into all generations. What ensues as a result of this need? The status game — in which we all are caught in the storm of hierarchical structures, workplace competitions, and culture wars. Status games don’t just apply to our work, though, we see them everywhere — from what grocery store we shop at to where we travel to for vacation. A great work of psychological and social insight, Storr invites us to rethink the importance we place on our prestige or position in life.

This Boy We Made by Taylor Harris

Taylor Harris’ prose shines in her debut novel, This Boy We Made. Her memoir is beautifully woven with the threads of uncertainty, beauty, fear, and hope that make up the fabric of motherhood. Harris is vulnerable, but strong, when sharing her difficulties with anxiety, her fears with her son’s unknown medical illness, and her experiences with racism in the medical world. Through it all, she grapples with her faith and trust in an ever-present, ever-loving God. This Boy We Made is a gripping, but heartwarming and grace-filled story about the love of family that keeps us standing.

P.S.

• Mbird Contributor, Blake Nail wrote a fantastic dystopian-esque novel entitled Reintegration. Check it out here.
• You might have missed it, but Jeremiah Webster published an entire novel on our site this year. Think Dante’s Divine Comedy, but not boring.

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