Hey Smarties! Hope you’re having a great holiday season. We’re still on break, but as we did in August, we wanted to update you on what Team Make Me Smart is reading lately, and what’s on our list for 2024. As before, you can find all the books mentioned here on our Goodreads account.

Kai Ryssdal: I’m reading “The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism.” Author Tim Alberta, a staff writer at The Atlantic, is super thoughtful about the big issues affecting American politics. I also highly recommend his first book, “American Carnage,” about Donald Trump’s takeover of the GOP. 

Kimberly Adams: I have to point to the Washington Post’s important, but very hard to read coverage of mass shootings in America. A very powerful series — here’s a gift link. In 2024 I want to read Liz Cheney’s book “Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning” and “Children of Anguish and Anarchy,” the third installment in Tomi Adeyemi’s “Legacy of Orïsha” series.

Marissa Cabrera: I read “The Walk” on a flight to Southeast Asia this fall, it’s by my dear friend Daniel Porras who is also a space attorney! I’m looking forward to Kiley Reid’s new novel “Come and Get It” next year.

Drew Jostad: I just finished Jenny Odell’s “Saving Time,” and I recommend it along with her previous book “How To Do Nothing.” Odell writes meditations on time, attention, and humanity’s place in nature, pulling from sources as diverse as indigenous oral histories, French philosophy, and “Beavis and Butt-head.” Next year I hope to read “Yellowface” by R.F. Kuang and “Doppelganger” by Naomi Klein.

Reema Khrais: I just bought “Saving Time”! And I’ve been digging into The Verge’s series on “The Year Twitter Died.” 

Ellen Rolfes: Super nerdy but I’m reading “In The Field: The Art of Field Recording,” a collection of interviews with sound artists about their work.

Amy Scott: I’m reading “The Water Knife” by Paolo Bacigalupi. After wrapping up a season of “How We Survive” all about the water crisis in the West, I had to read some science fiction…about the water crisis in the West! Next on my list is “Demon Copperhead.” I’m a longtime fan of author Barbara Kingsolver, my friends won’t stop talking about this one and it won the Pulitzer.

Courtney Bergseiker: I could rave about “The Candy House” forever. It’s the deeply satisfying follow-up to Jennifer Egan’s “A Visit from the Goon Squad,” and had me thinking a lot about the consequences of the internet and algorithms and social media. Also, in a shameless attempt to meet my Goodreads goal for the year, I will be reading Ottessa Moshfegh’s novella “McGlue” over the holidays.

Bridget Bodnar: Reading “Circe” by Madeline Miller and the new translation of “Aladdin” by Yasmine Seale and Paulo Lemos Horta took me back to college, studying for my comp lit degree. On my reading list for 2024: “Good Fortune” by C.K. Chau, a retelling of “Pride and Prejudice” set in contemporary Chinatown, and “Flawless” by Elise Hu, which inspired an upcoming episode of “This Is Uncomfortable,” and I want to know more.

Matt Levin: “Trick Mirror” by the great Jia Tolentino. If you have this creeping feeling that the internet has fundamentally rewired your brain and the broader social fabric in ways you can’t quite articulate, this collection of essays is for you. Of course, this assumes your attention span is still capable of reading long-form essays. I checked my phone four times before I finished writing this paragraph.

We’re still looking for your cocktail recipes!

Inspired by Wisconsin’s brandy Old Fashioneds, Smarties have suggested a bunch of cocktails (and mocktails) to represent the other 49 states. We’re working on a fun project for all these recipes in 2024, so don’t hold back! Reply with the best drink to represent your state.