Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood

A rare non fiction favorite, and a book that broke me out of a long reading drought and made me laugh out loud so often that even strangers felt compelled to ask what in the world I was reading.

The author is a poet who moves back in with her parents when her husband is getting eye surgery. The twist is that her father is a Catholic Priest and Patricia is not religiously persuaded. My therapist thinks I idealize Patricia’s ability to turn anything (even pain) into a beautiful cosmic joke that only she is in on. Maybe I do! All I know is ever since I read this I have felt like I can approach heavy feelings with more lightness. Every sentence is lyric genius and stands alone.

Side note: I also read her second book, “No One Is Talking About This” which was a kaleidoscope of culture and unexpected depth of feeling. I appreciated it, but for me it doesn’t make my list of most loved.