TL
Currently reading
The Land and Its People
David Sedaris
Thoughts coming soon.
Reading and Writing
A running record of books that entertained me, challenged me, bored me, taught me something, or simply showed up at the right time. One day, I'll accept that life is short and be able to put down a book I don't enjoy, but that day has not come yet. Also, I write sometimes. Mostly on LinkedIn until I muster the courage for Substack. Check it out, https://www.linkedin.com/in/reisaasimovic.
2026 Reading Goal
My goal is 20 books this year. Not because I care about the number. Mostly because if I don't set a goal, I'll spend the entire year re-reading LOTR or much much worse, letting my phone and computer win over books.
11/20books
11 / 20 completed
Currently Reading
Recently Finished
The Design of Everyday Things
Don Norman
DesignWhat drew me to it
My husband recommended it.
Verdict
An exceptional primer on the design discipline at large. A lot of the concepts were already familiar to me, I just wasn't attributing them to Norman.
Would I recommend it?
Yes, especially if you want the vocabulary for design instincts you already have.
Y
Yesteryear
Caro Claire Burke
SuspenseWhat drew me to it
It's all over Brooklyn right now and feels like the default book club pick this summer.
Verdict
Made me... sad? Very original premise, and the twist at the end actually landed. I needed a palate cleanser after reading it.
Would I recommend it?
Yes.
S
Strangers
Belle Burden
MemoirWhat drew me to it
This was a palate cleanser after Yesteryear and a break from books that were actually teaching me something.
Verdict
Meh. It did the job as a palate cleanser, nothing more.
Would I recommend it?
Only if you're between heavier books and want something that reads fast.
TF
The Fine Art of Lying
Alexandra Andrews
ThrillerWhat drew me to it
It was already on my currently-reading stack — looked like the kind of fast, plot-forward read I could finish without too much mental overhead.
Verdict
Okay. A classic beach read. Nothing more, nothing less.
Would I recommend it?
Sure, if you want something easy and engaging for a vacation. Don't expect more than that.
A Court of Thorns and Roses series
FantasyWhat drew me to it
Enough people whose judgment I trust kept recommending Sarah J. Maas that I finally gave in. Also, she went to Hamilton and [fun fact] was one of the writing tutors while I worked at the Writing Center.
Verdict
Not exactly high literature. Doesn't matter. Loved the world she built.
Would I recommend it?
Yes. Especially if you're looking for something immersive and fun rather than something highbrow.
The Weekend
Charlotte Wood
Literary FictionWhat drew me to it
Found it on the stoop in my neighborhood, liked the cover. Three longtime friends, one weekend, decades of history.
Verdict
Sharp, uncomfortable, observant, mostly sad.
Would I recommend it?
Not wholeheartedly but yes, particularly for those readers interested in how relationships evolve over time and okay with slower stories.
The Art of War (Reread)
StrategyWhat drew me to it
I wanted to revisit it with a decade more leadership, operating, and life experience than I had the first time.
Verdict
Gets better every time. Much less about conflict than I remember.
Would I recommend it?
Yes, but read it as a book about positioning, incentives, and timing.
What do the books I've read have in common — AI analysis
Not a real model — just patterns I notice when I squint at the pile. Shifts a little as the list grows.
Theme 1
Trusted recommendations over algorithms
You held off on Sarah J. Maas until enough people whose judgment you trust kept pushing her. The algorithm probably served her up a hundred times before that landed.
Theme 2
Rereading to meet a different version of yourself
You went back to The Art of War with a decade more leadership experience and found a different book. Much less about conflict than you remembered.
Theme 3
You read to switch off as much as to switch on
The Fine Art of Lying and Strangers were exactly what they promised — fast, no mental overhead, palate cleansers between books that ask more of you. 'Okay' and 'meh' are verdicts, not complaints.
Theme 4
You'll read the hype, but you're not swayed by it
Yesteryear was inescapable in Brooklyn this summer, and you read it anyway and it actually got to you. The premise being original and the ending landing is doing real work in that sentence — most buzzy books get one or the other.
Recommendations Welcome
The best books I've read usually came from someone else's recommendation.