CultureLab: The best books of 2023, from joyful escapism to sobering reads

Are you looking forward to catching up on some reading over the holiday season? Or perhaps you are on the prowl for book recommendations after receiving a few literary gift cards? If so, you are in luck – this episode is all about the books we think you’ll love to read.In this episode of CultureLab, culture and comment editor Alison Flood appears in her role as professional bookworm to share some of her favorite reads of the year. From a sobering story of life in the human-polluted ocean (narrated by a dolphin) to science fiction that takes you to parallel worlds, to the real story of the world’s longest study of happiness. The full list of Alison’s recommendations (and a few from host Christie Taylor) is below. Non-fictionThe Good Life: lessons from the world’s longest scientific study of happiness by Robert Waldinger and Marc SchulzBeing Human: How our biology shaped world history by Lewis DartnellOf Time and Turtles: Mending the world, shell by shattered shell by Sy MontgomeryThe Power of Trees: How ancient forests can save us if we let them by Peter WohllebenEnchantment: Reawakening wonder in an exhausted age by Katherine MayElderflora: A modern history of ancient trees by Jared FarmerThe Possibility of Life: Science, Imagination, and Our Quest for Kinship with the cosmos by Jaime GreenBreathe: Tackling the climate emergency by Sadiq KhanWasteland: The dirty truth about what we throw away, where it goes, and why it matters by Oliver Franklin-WallisFire Weather: A true story from a hotter world by John VaillantFictionIn Ascension by Martin McInnesThe Ferryman by Justin CroninBridge by Lauren BeukesThe Future by Naomi AldermanStarter Villain by John ScalziPod by Laline Paull Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.