Melissa Kirsch

We'll be right back.

We'll be right back.

Today we're talking about the best books of the year. We asked our colleagues at The Book Review to recommend some of the books they loved in 2024.

Today we're talking about the best books of the year. We asked our colleagues at The Book Review to recommend some of the books they loved in 2024.

If you were scrambling for a pen to write down those titles, here they are once again.

If you were scrambling for a pen to write down those titles, here they are once again.

When we come back, Dwight Garner cracks open his commonplace book. What's a commonplace book? We'll tell you all about it in just a minute. My colleague Dwight Garner is a book critic at The Times, and he's also a kind of literary scavenger. As he reads, he collects sentences that move him, and he keeps them all in one huge document. This practice actually has a name.

When we come back, Dwight Garner cracks open his commonplace book. What's a commonplace book? We'll tell you all about it in just a minute. My colleague Dwight Garner is a book critic at The Times, and he's also a kind of literary scavenger. As he reads, he collects sentences that move him, and he keeps them all in one huge document. This practice actually has a name.

It's called keeping a commonplace book. And Dwight is here today to talk about his commonplace book. Dwight, hello. Thank you for being here.

It's called keeping a commonplace book. And Dwight is here today to talk about his commonplace book. Dwight, hello. Thank you for being here.

Okay, let's start with the basics. Explain the concept of a commonplace book.

Okay, let's start with the basics. Explain the concept of a commonplace book.

And talk about what spurred you to start writing down snippets that jumped out at you while you were reading.

And talk about what spurred you to start writing down snippets that jumped out at you while you were reading.

So do you have any idea of how many quotes or sentences or lines you added in 2024?

So do you have any idea of how many quotes or sentences or lines you added in 2024?

Okay, I need you to, like, break down to me Dwight Garner reading, because I'm imagining you, like, with a keyboard next to you while you're reading, or are you highlighting in the book? Are you...

Okay, I need you to, like, break down to me Dwight Garner reading, because I'm imagining you, like, with a keyboard next to you while you're reading, or are you highlighting in the book? Are you...

Okay, so let's take a look at your commonplace book for 2024. Give me a line that you added to the book this year.

Okay, so let's take a look at your commonplace book for 2024. Give me a line that you added to the book this year.