It’s been a while since I posted in the Grim Reader, which is my effort to read books about the important topics and report on them. I’ve read a few good Grim books recently, and here’s some quick info about some I recommend, plus one book at the end of the list that is pure fun and not grim at all.

My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem: This book is about healing from racialized trauma, but incidentally it is about healing all trauma. Currently, I am working on healing from my own medical trauma (and incidentally healing from all of my trauma). Healing is important work, possibly the work of the remainder of my life. Although the book is grim sometimes, it is predominantly hopeful and helpful. Menakem divides the book into three different parts—one focussed on Black people, one on White people, and one on police, and the latter really surprised me. It’s a very readable format, but even so, it took me about a month to get through it and I know I have to go back to it again. Why you should read it: This is a book that creates empathy.

Knife, by Salmon Rushdie: Rushdie details the Knife attack that almost killed him and the course of his healing. Throughout are his thoughts about the trauma. Honestly, I probably would not have read this book if it were not a book club book, but I’m glad I did. On the “healing from trauma” front, it was helpful to see someone else’s process and progress. There are similarities to my own experiences for sure, particularly when he describes his time in the hospital. His ideas about why we must continue to create art in these fascistic times are important. Why should you read it? Because we need to remember that there are real lives behind all the headlines and it is a good example of someone creating art in these times.

What If We Get It Right by Alayna Elizabeth Johnson: Oh, it’s a door stopper, but don’t let the length of this book deter you. Through a series of interviews on a wide variety of mostly climate related topics, Johnson manages to talk about the biggest challenges of our time while predominantly focussing on solutions. She asks all of her interviewees what the future might look like if we get it right. It is very readable. So it is not actually predominantly grim, unless you think even being reminded of climate catastrophe is grim. It reminds me of another book I talked about in the Grim Reader series, I Want A Better Catastrophe. If you liked that, you’ll like this. Currently, I am busy recommending it to politicians who are backing away from climate commitments. One warning though—some of the more specific and practical discussions are almost moot now because of that darn president who shall not be named. That’s the problem with writing a book on the cusp of an administration change. Johnson gives addenda when necessary, mostly very grim, explaining how the hopeful thing they were discussing in the previous interview is now gone because of cuts by the current administration. In this way, the book is unintentionally an affirmation of the importance of politics and of voting. Why should you read it? There is a lot of doom out there and it’s important to remember how many people are working on solutions so you can counter it.

One Day, Everyone Will Always Have Been Against This by Omar El Akkad: Well, it’s about as grim as can be. Palestine. Genocide. What I admire about this book the most, besides the absolutely moral clarity of the writer, is the manner in which he addresses the genocide. He describes just enough, and no more. The reader knows. The temptation is always to look away from atrocities, but the descriptions of the genocide are mostly brief and are used to anchor the further discussion, which offers a searing indictment of Western imperialism, colonialism and Zionism. Why should you read it? Because media coverage is so biased and it is a look into how history will view these times, and you want to be on the right side of history.

Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe: The story of the Sackler family will haunt you. Here in Victoria, there is an area where the opiate crises is in your face and unavoidable. Every city and town has these places now. In BC, there were 116 drug related deaths (approximately 4 per day) in April 2026. If this many deaths were attributed to, I don’t know, ANYTHING else, we would be doing something about it. The book traces responsibility for the opiate crisis, the countless deaths, and the ruined lives to the Sackler family. My God, you will hate these people well before the end. Despicable. You will also shake your head in dismay in the systems that enabled them to make a fortune from such human suffering. Full disclosure: I listened to this book on a very long road trip a while back. If I’d been reading it, I probably would have thrown it across the room because I hated these people so much. I’m glad I finished it. The title came up in one of my book clubs and as soon as it was mentioned, I recalled it so vividly. It will stay with you. Haunting. Infuriating. Why should you read it? To once and for all disabuse yourself of the notion that addiction is just an individual’s problem and responsibility.

And if you are still with me, here’s a really fun read I can recommend to you—nothing grim about it. The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances by Glenn Dixon. Delightful in every way. The main character is a sentient Roomba. Need I say more? It is utterly charming. But it is also about the big ideas like AI and surveillance and freedom. If I were still teaching English, this book would be part of my plan and I would love to discuss it with a bunch of high-schoolers. There’s a lot in here.

Go forth and read!