Welcome to a new series I’m calling The Dinner Party Test, where I share what I’ve read over the past month.
One of my favorite things about reading is that it gives me something interesting to think about, something new to learn, and often, something worth talking about. While I love hearing what others are reading, I’ve never been particularly drawn to assigning books stars, grades, or numerical rankings.
Part of that is because it feels nearly impossible to compare books across different genres. How do you fairly compare a memoir to a novel or a practical guide to a beach read? It feels a bit like comparing apples to Adirondack chairs.
The other reason is that, in the spirit of being polite, I’d rather focus on what a book did well than spend my time cataloging its shortcomings. Not every book is trying to accomplish the same thing. Some teach. Some entertain. Some challenge your assumptions. Some simply keep you company on a flight or a rainy afternoon.
So instead of points or grades, I’ll be sharing a few thoughts on each book through the lens of what I’m calling The Dinner Party Test:
🍽️ Would I bring it up at a dinner party?
💕 Would I recommend it to a friend?
✨ Did it change how I think?
With that, here’s what I read in May, which included the most fiction I’ve read in a while.
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