This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.

1. 1. The Lonely City

   Adventures in the Art of Being Alone

   

   The book explores the profound sense of isolation experienced by individuals in urban environments, weaving together personal reflections with the lives and works of various artists who grappled with loneliness. Through a blend of memoir, biography, and cultural criticism, it delves into the emotional landscapes of figures like Edward Hopper, Andy Warhol, and David Wojnarowicz, examining how their art reflects and transforms their solitude. The narrative also touches on themes of technology, connection, and the human need for intimacy, offering a poignant meditation on the complexities of being alone in a crowded world.

   The 9069th Greatest Book of All Time

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2. 2. Crudo

   

   "Crudo" is a vibrant and introspective novel that follows a writer named Kathy as she navigates the chaotic world of her own mind and the tumultuous political landscape of the summer of 2017. Set against the backdrop of Brexit and the Trump presidency, Kathy grapples with the realities of aging, love, and the constant fear of impending doom. With a unique blend of humor and poignancy, the book delves into the complexities of identity and the struggle to find one's place in an ever-changing world.

   The 10450th Greatest Book of All Time

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3. 3. The Silver Book

   

   Set in 1974, the novel follows Nicholas, a young English artist who becomes apprentice and lover to Danilo Donati, a celebrated Italian film designer. Drawn into the dreamlike world of Cinecittà and the politically tense Italy of the era, the book explores how art, illusion, desire, and power intersect as Nicholas's hidden secret sets events in motion.

   The 12945th Greatest Book of All Time

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4. 4. The Trip To Echo Spring

   On Writers and Drinking

   

   The book explores the complex relationship between creativity and alcoholism by delving into the lives of six renowned American writers: Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tennessee Williams, John Cheever, John Berryman, and Raymond Carver. Through a blend of literary analysis, biography, and personal reflection, the author examines how these writers' struggles with addiction influenced their work and personal lives. The narrative weaves together the author's own journey across America, visiting places significant to these writers, and offers a poignant meditation on the costs and consequences of their drinking.

   The 17125th Greatest Book of All Time

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5. 5. The Garden Against Time

   

   In "The Garden Against Time," Olivia Laing embarks on a journey to restore a walled garden in Suffolk, uncovering the deep connections between gardens and the concept of paradise. As she navigates through various historical and fictional gardens, Laing explores the diverse roles gardens have played, from symbols of privilege to spaces of rebellion and community. The narrative weaves through stories of gardens as sites of both exclusion and innovation, highlighting their potential as places for new ways of living, especially in the face of climate change. This book offers a rich exploration of gardens as vibrant spaces of encounter and discovery.

   The 17125th Greatest Book of All Time

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6. 6. Funny Weather

   Art in an Emergency

   

   This collection of essays explores the profound impact of art on society and the human experience, delving into the lives and works of various artists, writers, and thinkers. Through a series of insightful and often personal reflections, the author examines how creativity can serve as a form of resistance, a means of understanding, and a source of solace in turbulent times. The essays weave together themes of politics, identity, and the transformative power of art, offering a compelling argument for its necessity in navigating the complexities of the modern world.

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7. 7. Everybody

   A Book About Freedom

   

   This compelling exploration delves into the intricate relationship between the human body and freedom, weaving together historical narratives, personal anecdotes, and cultural critiques. It examines how bodies have been sites of both oppression and liberation, tracing the struggles and triumphs of various figures who have fought for bodily autonomy and rights. Through a blend of memoir, biography, and social commentary, the narrative illuminates the ongoing battle for control over one's own physical self, offering a profound reflection on the universal quest for freedom and the enduring impact of societal constraints on individual identity.

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8. 8. Тело каждого

   A Book About Freedom

   

   A hybrid of cultural history, memoir, and criticism that investigates how freedom is lived and contested through the body, tracing the body’s exposure to control, violence, illness, and desire as well as its capacities for pleasure, care, and collective resistance. Threading through the life and theories of Wilhelm Reich, it revisits twentieth- and twenty-first-century struggles—from civil rights and feminism to queer and trans liberation—alongside portraits of artists and activists, ultimately arguing that any politics of freedom must begin with bodily autonomy, solidarity, and the right to live safely in one’s own skin.

9. 9. К реке. Путешествие под поверхностью

   A Journey Beneath the Surface

   

   An intimate, reflective journey along an English river from source to sea, weaving natural observation, geology, folklore, and local history with a personal meditation on loss and renewal. As the walker follows the water’s course, the narrative attends to flora and fauna, traces of industry and pollution, and literary echoes—especially the life and death of Virginia Woolf—showing how rivers hold memory and shape human lives.
10. 10. Непредсказуемая погода. Искусство в чрезвычайной ситуации

    Art in an Emergency

    

    A collection of essays and columns about how art helps us think and act during emergencies, from the AIDS crisis to present-day political turmoil. Mixing criticism, biography, and memoir, it profiles artists and writers to show how creativity can build empathy, solidarity, and resistance, offering practical tools for care when the world feels unstable.