Three Books I'm Reading Now, 6/2/25 Edition

The Books I'm Reading Now

I'm reading Tommy Tomlinson's engaging nonfiction about the Westminster Dog Show, Dogland; I'm listening to Carys Davies's luminous historical fiction story set in 19th century rural Scotland, Clear; and I'm reading comedian and former pro tennis player Michael Kosta's memoir Lucky Loser.

What are you reading, bookworms?

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01 Dogland: Passion, Glory, and Lots of Slobber at the Westminster Dog Show by Tommy Tomlinson

Tommy Tomlinson's playful, intriguing nonfiction takes an engaging look at dogs--particularly show dogs, but also beloved pets as well as humans' connections to these onetime wild beasts.

Reporter and SouthBound podcast host Tomlinson found himself watching the Westminster Dog Show and wondering, Are those dogs happy? What's life like for a dog whose life is all about grooming, standing still, and moving in an orderly fashion around a ring? And: How did these wild beasts end up here, anyway?

In a fascinating, heartwarming, lovely account, Tomlinson focuses on one promising show dog, Striker, and his handler, Laura King, as they travel from show to show, tracking the rhythm of their lives as they head toward a potential victory at the biggest show of them all: Westminster.

Tommy Tomlinson was a reporter for the Charlotte Observer for over two decades and is the author of a memoir, The Elephant in the Room, which addresses being overweight in America.

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02 Clear by Carys Davies

Davies sets her slim, stark, beautiful, and heartrending story Clear against the backdrop of the Scottish Clearances of the 19th century, in which impoverished citizens were driven off their land.

A minister in need of funds for his new church accepts the job (against the advice of his wife) of evicting the sole inhabitant of a remote island off the northern coast of Scotland, and a series of events leads from disaster to recovery, to connection and secrets, to a surprising set of revelations.

Carys Davies is also the author of the novels West and The Mission House, as well as two collections of short stories, Some New Ambush and The Redemption of Galen Pike.

I'm listening to Clear as an audiobook.

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03 Lucky Loser: Adventures in Tennis and Comedy by Michael Kosta

I didn't know anything about Michael Kosta when I began reading this book, but I love memoirs, behind-the-scenes peeks, and tennis, so I was here for the combination.

Kosta digs into his history as a young professional tennis player--including the unglamorous early tour months, attempts to improve ATP ranking, sleeping on floors, and struggling to focus as a young man traveling the world.

His shift into comedy also offers a look behind the curtains at the good, bad, and ugly, but mainly focuses on his own drive to make it as a stand-up comedian.