Read Like the Wind
I’m really enjoying the new-ish “micro column” ‘Read Like the Wind,’ penned by Molly Young and appearing each week in the NYT Sunday Magazine. In it, Young “recommends old and new books.” Which is very to-the-point, as is the format: Quick summations and breezy — not to mention interesting — “read if you like” comparisons. None of this generic “If you like hot-book-of-the-month, you’ll like…” No, it’s more like, Read if you like… “cryptic crossword puzzles” … “suffering from an inability to link cause and effect” … “eavesdropping” … or “the film My Dinner With Andre.”
They’re short and punchy and include recommendations from smaller presses such as Tin House. Recommendations have run the gamut from The Maker of Swans by Paraic O’Donnell (this past week, pictured) to A Glass of Blessings by Barbara Pym to Washington Square by Henry James. Don’t worry if you only know the last one (like me)…that’s the point. Goodbye to “let’s all read the same bestseller.”
In other words, it’s basically like…reading a great Instagram caption and walking away with a thoughtful and unique recommendation.
{If you’re a NYT subscriber, you can subscribe to the Read Like the Wind newsletter. (There’s also a Google form where you can tell Molly what to read!)}
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