I was hung up for a long time with the insecurity that I wasn’t reading enough kale (I think it was a mindset leftover from advanced classes in school - I always put pressure on myself to achieve at a “high level,” whatever that means). But a few years ago, I gave myself permission to read whatever I wanted without worry, which has resulted in the highest reading stats of my adult life, made up of 90% chips. It does mean that sometimes I have a harder time focusing when I do have a kale book in front of me, but the bottom line is that there shouldn’t be shame in whatever we pick up, as long as it makes us happy.
Yes! It's sad when there is shame around specific books or genres, like reading chips is a better hobby than SO MANY other options (or just endlessly doomscrolling).
Coincidentally, I took a big step back from social media a few months ago, and having some fun ebooks on my phone really helps in the moments when I still feel the urge to mindlessly scroll.
I know several of your chips are “fantasy” novels/series, right? Not my cup of tea. For instance, I read the first 3 Harry Potter books…started the 4th and put it down after my husband walked out 22 years ago after 28 years. Never picked it up again…in fact didn’t read again for a few years! Will be married 20 years to husband #2, so all is good!
Could not get into Daisy Jones and the Six…the format drove me crazy!
Started the Barbra Streisand book…ONG she goes into such detail! Got bored and haven’t picked it up again!
Reading Beach Read now…liking it. Really into the many book series set in Nantucket by various authors…like those by Nancy Thayer. Love Kristin Hannah and Armistead Maupin…also Jodi Picoult.
My coworker’s husband is a transplant nurse and he’s often the one who goes to pick up an organ for transplant! Often he’ll fly on a medical transport plane if there is one already bringing a patient to the location he needs to go, but if not then he flies commercial with a fancy cooler.
Also I have to strongly UNrecommend Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby because in it there is a story about a partner who asked her to pee in his mouth, and then he kissed her and spat all the pee into her mouth. What the fucking fuck???!! It was an ebook on my kindle but if it had been a physical book I would have thrown it in the trash haha because it completely ruined my day and I DNF’ed it right then.
Hahahahah I figured it had to be something like that, but this was in 2009 and I was very much in my Twilight / vampire era... ;)
Also I have never personally read anything by Samantha Irby, but I think you had a similar reaction to a book I tried to read by Lindy West that I was absolutely allergic to but other people seemed to be obsessed with
Love a good book post! I wouldn’t necessarily group the below list with the Kale List since it seems to be mostly nonfiction works but below is a list of mostly fiction books that are “dense” chips - maybe kale chips lol!?
Oh I love the idea of kale chips, I would say The Heart's Invisible Furies is absolutely kale chips for me!!! Omg THE PUSH is definitely chips for me and one of the craziest fucking books I've ever read, I'm sweating just thinking about the ending
I love this categorization. It crystallized for me that my ideal chips to kale reading ratio is about 3:1 and when I’m off from that, I get book-fidgety. I’m going to canvass my book club on their ratios, I think it will explain a lot about our respective picks. Mist and Fury is 10/10 chips.
Oh I looooooove this I never thought of an ideal chips:kale ratio! 3:1 feels really good honestly, need to survey my book club as well and see what they think. Mist and Fury is absolutely a 10/10 chips and I will absolutely read it again just for its chippy pleasure
I was hung up for a long time with the insecurity that I wasn’t reading enough kale (I think it was a mindset leftover from advanced classes in school - I always put pressure on myself to achieve at a “high level,” whatever that means). But a few years ago, I gave myself permission to read whatever I wanted without worry, which has resulted in the highest reading stats of my adult life, made up of 90% chips. It does mean that sometimes I have a harder time focusing when I do have a kale book in front of me, but the bottom line is that there shouldn’t be shame in whatever we pick up, as long as it makes us happy.
Yes! It's sad when there is shame around specific books or genres, like reading chips is a better hobby than SO MANY other options (or just endlessly doomscrolling).
Coincidentally, I took a big step back from social media a few months ago, and having some fun ebooks on my phone really helps in the moments when I still feel the urge to mindlessly scroll.
I read mostly chips and love it 😋
Absolutely support this
i read Fourth Wing (partly on your rec, partly bc of BookTok) and i fully enjoyed it despite the veeery cringe writing hahahhaa
That's the thing about chips; you notice the cringe writing and choose to mostly accept it anyway!!
Just a few thoughts…
I know several of your chips are “fantasy” novels/series, right? Not my cup of tea. For instance, I read the first 3 Harry Potter books…started the 4th and put it down after my husband walked out 22 years ago after 28 years. Never picked it up again…in fact didn’t read again for a few years! Will be married 20 years to husband #2, so all is good!
Could not get into Daisy Jones and the Six…the format drove me crazy!
Started the Barbra Streisand book…ONG she goes into such detail! Got bored and haven’t picked it up again!
Reading Beach Read now…liking it. Really into the many book series set in Nantucket by various authors…like those by Nancy Thayer. Love Kristin Hannah and Armistead Maupin…also Jodi Picoult.
Oh yes chips will absolutely differ by the reader! Important distinction!
My coworker’s husband is a transplant nurse and he’s often the one who goes to pick up an organ for transplant! Often he’ll fly on a medical transport plane if there is one already bringing a patient to the location he needs to go, but if not then he flies commercial with a fancy cooler.
Also I have to strongly UNrecommend Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby because in it there is a story about a partner who asked her to pee in his mouth, and then he kissed her and spat all the pee into her mouth. What the fucking fuck???!! It was an ebook on my kindle but if it had been a physical book I would have thrown it in the trash haha because it completely ruined my day and I DNF’ed it right then.
Hahahahah I figured it had to be something like that, but this was in 2009 and I was very much in my Twilight / vampire era... ;)
Also I have never personally read anything by Samantha Irby, but I think you had a similar reaction to a book I tried to read by Lindy West that I was absolutely allergic to but other people seemed to be obsessed with
Love a good book post! I wouldn’t necessarily group the below list with the Kale List since it seems to be mostly nonfiction works but below is a list of mostly fiction books that are “dense” chips - maybe kale chips lol!?
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
Sorrow and Bliss by Mag Mason
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Babel by R.F. Kuang
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Deamon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Horse by Geraldine Brooks
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Good Morning Monster by Catherine Gildiner
Everything Here is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee
French Exit by Patrick DeWitt
The Push by Ashley Audrain
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
My Brilliant Friend series by Elena Ferrante
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Oh I love the idea of kale chips, I would say The Heart's Invisible Furies is absolutely kale chips for me!!! Omg THE PUSH is definitely chips for me and one of the craziest fucking books I've ever read, I'm sweating just thinking about the ending
I love this - kale chips! I was thinking Amor Towles books might fall in between categories so I’m glad someone else feels similarly!
I wish to know more about the man with the heart. Hearts.
I would like to carry your heart around with me in a cooler! <3
I love this categorization. It crystallized for me that my ideal chips to kale reading ratio is about 3:1 and when I’m off from that, I get book-fidgety. I’m going to canvass my book club on their ratios, I think it will explain a lot about our respective picks. Mist and Fury is 10/10 chips.
Oh I looooooove this I never thought of an ideal chips:kale ratio! 3:1 feels really good honestly, need to survey my book club as well and see what they think. Mist and Fury is absolutely a 10/10 chips and I will absolutely read it again just for its chippy pleasure
I agree with this ratio!!