Indulge your inner bookworm with these must-reads.
We’re proud to say that the Katie Couric Media staff are avid readers (with great taste). We’ve taken great time to periodically gush over our favorite books of the moment and we regularly source reading recommendations from other experts, too. And naturally, the Katie Couric Media founders like to join in on the fun.
While we’ve previously listed Katie’s all-time favorite books, we were curious about her favorite books of 2022. But since Katie and John are both avid bookworms, we wanted to make sure we got his top picks, too. We’re happy to say that their selections are a lively mishmash of literary fiction, mysteries, memoir, and hard-hitting sociology. Whether you’re a regular reader or just need a good audio book to give you a boost during your commute, you’ll find the perfect page-turner here.
Katie’s Picks
Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro
I love Dani as a person and a writer. Unsurprisingly, Signal Fires is a beautifully written book about how a traumatic event — and a failure to confront it — reverberates within a family. I had Dani on my podcast once and I loved being on hers. I highly recommend this gorgeous tale, which weaves together the lives of ordinary people in a suburban New York neighborhood and how their lives intersect through the years—from birth to death.
In Love by Amy Bloom
This is a heartbreaking story about assisted suicide, which I know makes it sounds like a real downer, but I swear it’s not. I loved Amy’s book White Houses — a fictional and sometimes fantastical account of the relationship between Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hitchcock — but this is a profoundly personal memoir about terminal illness and deliverance.
Olive Again by Elizabeth Strout
I fell in love with the irascible, surprisingly tender-hearted Olive Kitteridge a few years ago. This picks up Olive’s story where Strout left off. Strout is the kind of writer who makes me re-read sentences and marvel at her way with words.
Stories to Tell by Richard Marx
Richard Marx went to school with John in Chicago, so we’ve gotten to spend some time with him and his wife, Daisy Fuentes. Reading about the provenance of some of his biggest hits was a blast — and a trip down memory lane. Richard, wherever you go, whatever you do, I will be right here waiting for you.
They’re Playing Our Song by Carol Bayer Sager
Clearly I was on a tear with the musical memoirs this year — Carole Bayer Sager’s They’re Playing Our Song details her journey from young songwriter to wife. She also delves into her unhappy marriage to Burt Bacharach and her current state of happily-ever-after. I’ve gotten to know Carol a bit, but reading her life story gave me a whole new perspective on her talent and her wicked sense of humor.
Out of the Corner by Jennifer Grey
A nose is a nose is a nose. Jennifer Grey’s charming and evocative memoir was so fun to read: She ruminates on everything from her childhood as the daughter of Joel Grey to Dirty Dancing. And of course, Grey tells all about the rhinoplasty that changed everything. I love this book!
From Scratch by Tembi Locke
Full disclosure: I bought this book to read over the holidays because I was utterly obsessed with the show (check out my conversation with Tembi and her sister Attica here). I’m so excited to fall in love with these characters again, and hope you’ll fall in love with them, too.
John’s Picks
Going There by Katie Couric It goes without saying that this is my favorite book of the year (or any year). If you haven’t read Katie’s memoir — and really, what are you waiting for? — pick up a copy ASAP.
Aurora by David Koepp
You might know David Koepp from his work in Hollywood (he wrote wildly successful films like Jurassic Park). But as much as I love Dave’s movies, I may be an even bigger fan of his books. This one is about a solar storm that knocks out power around the globe. I also loved his debut novel, Cold Storage.
Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia MD I’m reading the galley for this amazing book on how to promote “health span” — not just longevity. Dr. Attia delves into the things we can do to promote a healthy lifestyle so we can enjoy being active for as long as possible (not just aging, but aging well). Dr. Attia reviews the factors in our control that will improve our chances of enjoying a long health span. It’s available for preorder now.
The Beauty of Dusk: On Vision Lost and Found by Frank Bruni
A few years ago, Frank Bruni woke up one morning to discover that he had suddenly lost vision in one eye — probably from a stroke. Since his other eye could suffer the same fate, he had to make peace with the fact that he might lose his vision entirely. This spring, I talked to him about how these changes still affect his life.
Children of the State: Stories of Survival and Hope in the Juvenile Justice System by Jeff Hobbs This is a tough look at our broken system of juvenile detention. In it, Hobbs follows three different stories of children who are living in that system, and the staff who are trying to help them. It’s a hard topic to confront, but a necessary read.
The Match by Harlan Coben
The Match is the sequel to Coben’s The Boy from the Woods, and both are page-turners. The basic plot? After months away, a man named Wilde has returned to the Ramapo Mountains of New Jersey. A failed bid at domesticity confirms what he’s known all along: He belongs on his own, free from the comforts and constraints of modern life. Then, he confronts two mysteries that are linked by a DNA match. Expect twists and turns.
We Should Not Be Friends: The Story of a Friendship by Will Schwalbe Schwalbe’s memoir explores his unexpected friendship with a classmate from Yale and their amazing 40-year-long relationship. This’ll be published in February, but you can place a preorder now and I really recommend that you do.
