Curious Reading Club
@readcurious.xyz
Brilliant, hand-picked non-fiction delivered to your door every month.
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Curious Reading Club
@readcurious.xyz
· Jan 20
In case you missed it... We're a book recommendation service focused on hand-picking brilliant non-fiction that will entertain you, provoke your imagination and expand your horizons.
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Sign up to get a new book each month: It's $25/month to subscribe (US-only)
readcurious.xyz/collections/...
What makes "Red Memory", our pick of the month for November, tick?
It's an unflinching set of portraits of people dealing with what happened during China's brutal, baffling Cultural Revolution—and here are five things that we appreciated about it: newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/red-memory...
It's an unflinching set of portraits of people dealing with what happened during China's brutal, baffling Cultural Revolution—and here are five things that we appreciated about it: newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/red-memory...
Five things I appreciated about "Red Memory"
A closer look at what makes this month's book tick.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz
November 9, 2025 at 6:37 PM
What makes "Red Memory", our pick of the month for November, tick?
It's an unflinching set of portraits of people dealing with what happened during China's brutal, baffling Cultural Revolution—and here are five things that we appreciated about it: newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/red-memory...
It's an unflinching set of portraits of people dealing with what happened during China's brutal, baffling Cultural Revolution—and here are five things that we appreciated about it: newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/red-memory...
Our book pick for November is Red Memory by
@taniabranigan.bsky.social, a look at what happened during China's Cultural Revolution through the eyes of people who lived it. It's full of powerful, compelling and often harrowing interviews and deep analysis. newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur019-ann...
@taniabranigan.bsky.social, a look at what happened during China's Cultural Revolution through the eyes of people who lived it. It's full of powerful, compelling and often harrowing interviews and deep analysis. newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur019-ann...
Bring history back with November's book of the month
Tania Branigan's "Red Memory: The Afterlives of China's Cultural Revolution."
newsletter.readcurious.xyz
November 1, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Our book pick for November is Red Memory by
@taniabranigan.bsky.social, a look at what happened during China's Cultural Revolution through the eyes of people who lived it. It's full of powerful, compelling and often harrowing interviews and deep analysis. newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur019-ann...
@taniabranigan.bsky.social, a look at what happened during China's Cultural Revolution through the eyes of people who lived it. It's full of powerful, compelling and often harrowing interviews and deep analysis. newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur019-ann...
We’ve spoken to so many great authors in the last 18 months. Want to see what they had to say?
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/curious-au...
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/curious-au...
What authors have to say about life, the universe and everything
A little tour around Curious Reading Club's archive of interviews.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz
October 19, 2025 at 6:55 PM
We’ve spoken to so many great authors in the last 18 months. Want to see what they had to say?
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/curious-au...
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/curious-au...
Dice are a beautiful example of how games connect us through time.
"Dice were a Roman obsession. This was a culture intimately acquainted with their heft and bounce, the hollow, toothy rattle of the dice box and the clatter of knucklebones on marble."
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/the-weird-...
"Dice were a Roman obsession. This was a culture intimately acquainted with their heft and bounce, the hollow, toothy rattle of the dice box and the clatter of knucklebones on marble."
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/the-weird-...
The weird and wonderful history of dice
And what they say about us.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz
October 6, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Dice are a beautiful example of how games connect us through time.
"Dice were a Roman obsession. This was a culture intimately acquainted with their heft and bounce, the hollow, toothy rattle of the dice box and the clatter of knucklebones on marble."
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/the-weird-...
"Dice were a Roman obsession. This was a culture intimately acquainted with their heft and bounce, the hollow, toothy rattle of the dice box and the clatter of knucklebones on marble."
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/the-weird-...
Our October book of the month is "Across the Board: How Games Make Us Human" by @timclare.bsky.social — a fascinating, charming history of games and why they matter.
Join our club now to get brilliant hand-picked non-fiction every month!
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur018-acr...
Join our club now to get brilliant hand-picked non-fiction every month!
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur018-acr...
Curious Reading Club's October book of the month is "Across The Board"
Tim Clare’s “Across The Board: How Games Make Us Human”.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz
October 1, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Our October book of the month is "Across the Board: How Games Make Us Human" by @timclare.bsky.social — a fascinating, charming history of games and why they matter.
Join our club now to get brilliant hand-picked non-fiction every month!
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur018-acr...
Join our club now to get brilliant hand-picked non-fiction every month!
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur018-acr...
"The very era that this book kind of covers is coming to an end... that sense of what American power looks like in Asia. I wish it was a happier end. "
A chat with The Pacific Circuit's @alexis-madrigal.bsky.social, about where we are and how we got here.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/the-wheel-...
A chat with The Pacific Circuit's @alexis-madrigal.bsky.social, about where we are and how we got here.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/the-wheel-...
"The wheel is turning right now"
What the author of The Pacific Circuit had to say about people, cities, technology and American power.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz
September 29, 2025 at 9:15 PM
"The very era that this book kind of covers is coming to an end... that sense of what American power looks like in Asia. I wish it was a happier end. "
A chat with The Pacific Circuit's @alexis-madrigal.bsky.social, about where we are and how we got here.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/the-wheel-...
A chat with The Pacific Circuit's @alexis-madrigal.bsky.social, about where we are and how we got here.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/the-wheel-...
Our latest book of the month is a real humdinger: "The Pacific Circuit" by @alexis-madrigal.bsky.social — a book focused on a very specific place and people that also reveals truths about everything and everywhere at the same time.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur017-the...
Sign up to get a copy!
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur017-the...
Sign up to get a copy!
Connect the dots with September's book of the month
We're reading Alexis Madrigal's rangey, riveting modern history "The Pacific Circuit".
newsletter.readcurious.xyz
September 1, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Our latest book of the month is a real humdinger: "The Pacific Circuit" by @alexis-madrigal.bsky.social — a book focused on a very specific place and people that also reveals truths about everything and everywhere at the same time.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur017-the...
Sign up to get a copy!
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur017-the...
Sign up to get a copy!
📣 Our book of the month for August is... STRATA: STORIES FROM DEEP TIME by @laurapoppick.bsky.social
We loved this detailed, deliberate overview of geoscience—and its mixture of lyrical prose and detailed profiles of researchers and the things they study.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/announcing...
We loved this detailed, deliberate overview of geoscience—and its mixture of lyrical prose and detailed profiles of researchers and the things they study.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/announcing...
Deep thoughts on deep time with August's book of the month
Laura Poppick's "Strata" takes the long view on geology.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz
August 1, 2025 at 7:36 PM
📣 Our book of the month for August is... STRATA: STORIES FROM DEEP TIME by @laurapoppick.bsky.social
We loved this detailed, deliberate overview of geoscience—and its mixture of lyrical prose and detailed profiles of researchers and the things they study.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/announcing...
We loved this detailed, deliberate overview of geoscience—and its mixture of lyrical prose and detailed profiles of researchers and the things they study.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/announcing...
📢 Our pick of the month for July is "The Salmon Cannon and the Levitating Frog": @biologycarly.bsky.social's fun new book showing how silly science can lead to serious discoveries.
Publishers Weekly called it "pop science at its finest" and they're right!
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur015-sal...
Publishers Weekly called it "pop science at its finest" and they're right!
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur015-sal...
Silly science is serious business in July's book of the month
We're reading Carly Anne York's "The Salmon Cannon and the Levitating Frog".
newsletter.readcurious.xyz
July 1, 2025 at 4:23 PM
📢 Our pick of the month for July is "The Salmon Cannon and the Levitating Frog": @biologycarly.bsky.social's fun new book showing how silly science can lead to serious discoveries.
Publishers Weekly called it "pop science at its finest" and they're right!
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur015-sal...
Publishers Weekly called it "pop science at its finest" and they're right!
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur015-sal...
Our interview with "Empire of AI" author @karenhao.bsky.social covered everything from the inception of artificial intelligence to OpenAI's voracious business to global journalism and Silicon Valley's "politics of exit".
Read more in our newsletter:
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/at-the-mom...
Read more in our newsletter:
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/at-the-mom...
“At the moment, LLMs are the worst trade-off” — Karen Hao
Our live Q&A with the author of "Empire of AI"
newsletter.readcurious.xyz
June 30, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Our interview with "Empire of AI" author @karenhao.bsky.social covered everything from the inception of artificial intelligence to OpenAI's voracious business to global journalism and Silicon Valley's "politics of exit".
Read more in our newsletter:
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/at-the-mom...
Read more in our newsletter:
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/at-the-mom...
The great @laurenmarkham.bsky.social is almost there with her Kickstarter for a new "guerrilla newspaper" on "how to approach—thwart, upend, survive—autocracy"
More in our weekly update:
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/curious-ne...
More in our weekly update:
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/curious-ne...
June 17, 2025 at 4:25 PM
The great @laurenmarkham.bsky.social is almost there with her Kickstarter for a new "guerrilla newspaper" on "how to approach—thwart, upend, survive—autocracy"
More in our weekly update:
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/curious-ne...
More in our weekly update:
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/curious-ne...
Four things we loved about @karenhao.bsky.social's EMPIRE OF AI, our book of the month for June.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/close-read...
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/close-read...
What I loved most about Karen Hao's Empire of AI
A few highlights from this new book looking into OpenAI, Sam Altman and the dramatic, deterministic, technological world they are building.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz
June 8, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Four things we loved about @karenhao.bsky.social's EMPIRE OF AI, our book of the month for June.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/close-read...
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/close-read...
Our book of the month for June is @karenhao.bsky.social's astonishing look at the hottest company in tech: "Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI"
It's a detailed, critical dive into what AI is, where it comes from, and what it costs.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur014-kar...
It's a detailed, critical dive into what AI is, where it comes from, and what it costs.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur014-kar...
Get ready for some deep learning with June's book of the month
Our pick is Karen Hao's stupendous, skeptical "Empire of AI".
newsletter.readcurious.xyz
June 2, 2025 at 4:24 AM
Our book of the month for June is @karenhao.bsky.social's astonishing look at the hottest company in tech: "Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI"
It's a detailed, critical dive into what AI is, where it comes from, and what it costs.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur014-kar...
It's a detailed, critical dive into what AI is, where it comes from, and what it costs.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/cur014-kar...
Our book of the month for May is the fascinating ON MUSCLE by @bonnietsui.bsky.social.
It's a perfect blend of science and memoir, social history and technical detail, with some rivetingly beautiful personal stories.
Find out more and sign up here: newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/bonnie-tsu...
It's a perfect blend of science and memoir, social history and technical detail, with some rivetingly beautiful personal stories.
Find out more and sign up here: newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/bonnie-tsu...
On Muscle: Curious Reading Club's book of the month for May 2025
Bonnie Tsui’s new book will make you look at your body and what it can do in a whole new way.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz
May 2, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Our book of the month for May is the fascinating ON MUSCLE by @bonnietsui.bsky.social.
It's a perfect blend of science and memoir, social history and technical detail, with some rivetingly beautiful personal stories.
Find out more and sign up here: newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/bonnie-tsu...
It's a perfect blend of science and memoir, social history and technical detail, with some rivetingly beautiful personal stories.
Find out more and sign up here: newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/bonnie-tsu...
Ok, here’s a feelgood story given the state of everything else
Residents of one Michigan town form a human chain to move a bookstore’s stock to its new location: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Residents of one Michigan town form a human chain to move a bookstore’s stock to its new location: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
‘Book brigade’: US town forms human chain to move 9,100 books one-by-one
A small Michigan community banded together to help a beloved local bookstore move its stock to a new storefront
www.theguardian.com
April 17, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Ok, here’s a feelgood story given the state of everything else
Residents of one Michigan town form a human chain to move a bookstore’s stock to its new location: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Residents of one Michigan town form a human chain to move a bookstore’s stock to its new location: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Reposted by Curious Reading Club
"I'm free. I'm free forever!" this was the voice memo I woke up to the other day from Hassan, one of the Moria 6, accused and convicted with zero credible evidence for burning down the Moria refugee camp in Greece.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Moria refugee camp fire: Three migrants acquitted
The huge fire at the overcrowded camp left some 13,000 people without shelter on the island of Lesbos and sparked a humanitarian crisis.
www.bbc.com
April 7, 2025 at 9:13 PM
"I'm free. I'm free forever!" this was the voice memo I woke up to the other day from Hassan, one of the Moria 6, accused and convicted with zero credible evidence for burning down the Moria refugee camp in Greece.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Curious Reading Club
🧵🐺🧬 An important point is getting lost in the discussion abt today's "deextinction" news: Colossal is not just claiming to have created something akin to a dire wolf. They claim they've made new/unpublished genetic discoveries that would rewrite our understanding of dire wolf evolution & anatomy 🧪
April 7, 2025 at 9:28 PM
🧵🐺🧬 An important point is getting lost in the discussion abt today's "deextinction" news: Colossal is not just claiming to have created something akin to a dire wolf. They claim they've made new/unpublished genetic discoveries that would rewrite our understanding of dire wolf evolution & anatomy 🧪
What Goodreads alternatives are people using? What do you recommend?
We've tried a few but none of them really stuck, so still mainly tracking reading lists in the good old notes app.
We've tried a few but none of them really stuck, so still mainly tracking reading lists in the good old notes app.
April 2, 2025 at 4:31 PM
What Goodreads alternatives are people using? What do you recommend?
We've tried a few but none of them really stuck, so still mainly tracking reading lists in the good old notes app.
We've tried a few but none of them really stuck, so still mainly tracking reading lists in the good old notes app.
Announcing our April book of the month - PAVED PARADISE by @henrygrabar.bsky.social, an anger-inducing, funny and very smart look at our relationships with cars and specifically where and how we store them.
It's easy to sign up and get your copy!
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/announcing...
It's easy to sign up and get your copy!
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/announcing...
Park up and prepare for our April book of the month
Curious Reading Club's pick for April 2025 is Henry Grabar's Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains The World -- a book that is anger-inducing, funny and very smart.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz
April 1, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Announcing our April book of the month - PAVED PARADISE by @henrygrabar.bsky.social, an anger-inducing, funny and very smart look at our relationships with cars and specifically where and how we store them.
It's easy to sign up and get your copy!
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/announcing...
It's easy to sign up and get your copy!
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/announcing...
This week's newsletter is out, featuring highlights from our live conversation with @ayanaeliza.bsky.social.
It was a fun chat: she talks about how her book What If We Get It Right? came together, what surprised her about it and what it doesn't cover.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/trying-not...
It was a fun chat: she talks about how her book What If We Get It Right? came together, what surprised her about it and what it doesn't cover.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/trying-not...
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson: “I was trying to not be boring”
Our live Q&A with the author of What If We Get It Right? the Curious Reading Club book for March 2025.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz
March 29, 2025 at 5:22 PM
This week's newsletter is out, featuring highlights from our live conversation with @ayanaeliza.bsky.social.
It was a fun chat: she talks about how her book What If We Get It Right? came together, what surprised her about it and what it doesn't cover.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/trying-not...
It was a fun chat: she talks about how her book What If We Get It Right? came together, what surprised her about it and what it doesn't cover.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/trying-not...
This week's newsletter is out, featuring a decades-old beef between Ansel Adams and Henri Cartier-Bresson that should give you some perspective.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/ansel-adam...
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/ansel-adam...
Wherever you go, there you are
Ansel Adams once said "There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.” There are also two people in every book.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz
March 15, 2025 at 5:07 PM
This week's newsletter is out, featuring a decades-old beef between Ansel Adams and Henri Cartier-Bresson that should give you some perspective.
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/ansel-adam...
newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/ansel-adam...
Great book, we highlighted it for club members last September.
Copies still available at readcurious.xyz … You don’t *have* to join to get back list titles, but you won’t regret it if you do.
Copies still available at readcurious.xyz … You don’t *have* to join to get back list titles, but you won’t regret it if you do.
March 14, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Great book, we highlighted it for club members last September.
Copies still available at readcurious.xyz … You don’t *have* to join to get back list titles, but you won’t regret it if you do.
Copies still available at readcurious.xyz … You don’t *have* to join to get back list titles, but you won’t regret it if you do.
Reposted by Curious Reading Club
Spring is almost here & the extended Becoming Earth tour continues! So excited to team up with @ericajberry.bsky.social & Lee van der Voo in Portland; @zoeschlanger.bsky.social & more in Tucson; and @edyong209.bsky.social in San Francisco. More details + links on my website www.ferrisjabr.com/events
![A schedule of Spring events for the book Becoming Earth by Ferris Jabr. The text is on a black background strewn with stars. In the bottom right corner is an image from the book's cover: a dynamic living Earth collaged with exquisite organic shapes in shades of yellow, green, pink, and turquoise.
The event details:
March 15 - 16: Tucson Festival of Books (Tucson, AZ)
Wednesday, April 2
Paperback Launch Event
6:00 PM: Broadway Books (Portland, OR)
In conversation with Lee van der Voo, author of The Fish Market and As the World Burns
Saturday, April 19
4:00 PM: Barnes & Noble (Hillsboro, OR)
In conversation with Erica Berry, author of Wolfish
Wednesday, April 23
7:00 PM: Science on Tap: Alberta Rose Theater (Portland, OR) [TICKETED]
Saturday, May 10
San Francisco Botanical Garden (San Francisco, CA)
In conversation with Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize-winner and author of An Immense World and I Contain Multitudes](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:i4cn6hmf2bu54j6wozz2ckzb/bafkreifqaihhugacgafgo6wpgqbmikeebwuwr65zfr3pr6pwvc3yskmwkq@jpeg)
March 5, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Spring is almost here & the extended Becoming Earth tour continues! So excited to team up with @ericajberry.bsky.social & Lee van der Voo in Portland; @zoeschlanger.bsky.social & more in Tucson; and @edyong209.bsky.social in San Francisco. More details + links on my website www.ferrisjabr.com/events
Reposted by Curious Reading Club
The attempted mugging of a visiting president was about the world war that Musk, Trump, and Vance have chosen. If we attend to what Vance and Trump said yesterday, we can work our way to the unreason of American policy, and to the chaos that will follow.
snyder.substack.com/p/the-war-tr...
snyder.substack.com/p/the-war-tr...
The War Trump Chooses
That wasn't Trump against Zelens'kyi. It was Americans against reason
snyder.substack.com
March 1, 2025 at 6:42 PM
The attempted mugging of a visiting president was about the world war that Musk, Trump, and Vance have chosen. If we attend to what Vance and Trump said yesterday, we can work our way to the unreason of American policy, and to the chaos that will follow.
snyder.substack.com/p/the-war-tr...
snyder.substack.com/p/the-war-tr...