Ross Gay is one of my favorite people - and in this book, which has a lot of footnotes - is full of absolute joy again. I love it and refer to his work often in real life and mentally. A treat.

Another book that is a wonderful gift to yourself or anyone you love. Gay never fails to deliver writing that you can return to again and again.

At this point, Gay's deciphering of delight is a well-oiled machine. If you enjoyed his prior titles about the subject and wanted more of the same, then this book is for you. It's a continuation of this theme without much variation, but I was more than happy to digest more thoughts on gardening and produce, basketball, or the peculiarities of small-town life.

While I found the footnotes of his previous 'Inciting Joy' Essays a bit more compelling, what I did love about this book is the sense of place that he creates throughout the essayettes. As someone who grew up in Bloomington but no longer lives there, this book is a welcome salve for (and sometimes a source of...) nostalgic homesickness.

Ross Gay's gratitude is infectious. At the very least, these essays will rewire your brain to more easily notice the "delights" all around us. That alone makes this collection worth recommending.

The Book of (More) Delights; Essays by Ross Gay was not for me, personally. I am still thankful that I got to read this!

Super cute book by Ross Gay and an enjoyable read overall! Not something that you can read in one sitting but a nice way to pass the time.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

I read this not knowing what to expect, and really loved it! Gay has a way with words and a beautiful perspective on life. This book was very knowing, and I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Book of (More Delights: Essays
Author: Ross Gay
Genre: Essays
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: September 19, 2023

I received complimentary eARC from Algonquin Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad

T H R E E • W O R D S

Familiar • Reflective • Delightful

📖 S Y N O P S I S

For Gay, what delights us is what connects us, what gives us meaning, from the joy of hearing a nostalgic song blasting from a passing car to the pleasure of refusing the “ubiquitous, nefarious” scannable QR code menus, from the tiny dog he fell hard for to his mother baking a dozen kinds of cookies for her grandchildren.

As always, Gay revels in the natural world—sweet potatoes being harvested, a hummingbird carousing in the beebalm, a sunflower growing out of a wall around the cemetery, the shared bounty from a neighbor’s fig tree—and the trillion mysterious ways this glorious earth delights us.

💭 T H O U G H T S

The Book of Delights had been recommended to me by a fellow griever, so even though I had yet to read the first volume, when I saw Ross Gay was releasing a second volume of more delights my interests was immediately sparked. I knew it would be the type of gentle read I could pick up and come back to as needed.

I alternated between reading with my eyes and listening to Ross Gay narrate his latest collection of essays. Each small instance of delight he talks about is easy to digest, making this an accessible read for avid readers and occasional readers alike. The essay format allows the reader to move at their own pace, whether it be reading it straight through, or savouring it and reading one story a month. Ross Gay is practiced in the art of finding meaning in ordinary life and this second collections is a reminder that it is possible. It made me stop to reflect on my own small delights.

The Book of (More) Delights is a gift, a beautiful reflection of the human experience. It's the reminder that even when life is hard finding the things worth delighting in, worth celebrating, worth noticing - no matter how big or how small - can be what gets us through. I will definitely be reading his first collection at some point in the near future. This book would make a great gift for anyone in need of a little light.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers in need of a hug
• Ross Gay devotees
• anyone needing a little good in their daily life

⚠️ CW: grief, death, death of parent, bullying, cursing, pandemic/epidemic, police brutality, racism,

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"I've completed another year of delights. Or maybe I should say another year of delights has completed me."

Ross Gay is an excellent teacher in the art of delight I felt like I was digging for delight in my own life - the tiny moments of it, not ignoring the brutality in life, but trying to find these glimmers. Delight as an art form, a resiliency practice - that's what I'm taking away. Thank you.

essay collections are quickly becoming one of my favorite forms of non-fiction to read and this book was no exception

True to its name, the book is truly a delight to read. Consider it a book to turn to when you are having a bad day. To be comforted and affirm the joy in the world. It is not a book to be read in one sitting but one to take it slow and savor. A book that you can return to time and again. It hones your own delight radar to appreciate the simple joys of life. Some essays make you introspect. Some make you nostalgic. Some bring a smile to your face.

Apart from the 81 essays, it also includes an appendix of brief delights. Tiny delights that include people talking to their dog, a new book, or simply the word “belong”.

That said, the essays are not all sunshine and rainbows. The author also addresses racism, toxic masculinity, consumerism, lack of human interaction, and the continuous threats to our natural world.

As much as I enjoyed reading the book, it does have its issues. Given the spontaneous nature of penning down the thoughts, the writing in some of the essays feels disjointed. Some feel repetitive too, but then, one cannot judge a person’s joy and gratitude. One does not connect with all the delights. That is what makes us human.

I would definitely recommend the book. It is indeed a powerful read. This is a book that inspires you to pen down your own daily delights.

I really love Ross Gay’s attention to the sometimes mundane parts of life, like he’s squeezing joy from some or many parts of his day; happening upon a flowering tree, remembering a special date, chance encounters, the love of a pet. I can majorly get behind his f!ck the man, anti-capitalist sentiments, and his reflections had me thinking “Ross Gay seems like someone big on communal care, I bet he’s out there holding “radical” masked booked signings to protect himself & his fans and stick it to the surveillance state,” (spoiler: he’s not) but it’s actually his kind of crass reflections on the pandemic that sat sour with me. I enjoy his poetic takes on delight, even if they don’t all land for me, and will continue to read them if he publishes more.

This book is truly stunning. Ross Gay delights and surprises with vulnerable small essays. I love the format of daily pieces and the routine of writing that Ross Gay used, but I have to say it too me a bit longer to really connect with this book vs the first. I wish I had listened on audio…but may do that as a follow up. Highly recommend this book and plan to share with a few friends as gifts during the upcoming holiday season.

Outstanding, uplifting, but not saccharine or silly. This feels like a smooth continuation of where The Book of Delights left off, and I love seeing the world through Ross Gay's eyes. He helps me learn how to be more appreciative, more thoughtful, more considerate, more observant. That is such an excellent gift.

“The Book of More Delights” by Ross Gay is enjoyable, memorable and thought-provoking. This non-fictional memoir and nonfiction book of intriguing essays is one that I highly recommend to others. There are different essays, and although they are entertaining, Ross Gay writes about racism, male roles, his preferences, and his love of nature. I appreciate that Ross Gay writes with a positive point of view. Ross Gay delights in plants, animals, his family, and children. The author also mentions that in journaling his “delight,” he is thanking his readers and showing appreciation.

I am a plant murderess, and I am impressed when the author mentions the orange sweet potatoes he picks and that garlic seems to come up when neglected. He mentions a sunflower that grows from stone, and I am so bewildered. I am a rule follower, and nothing helps. That certainly is both a blessing for him and a delight to hear. I also enjoy when Ross Gay speaks about cats and dogs. I found this both delightful and amusing. I also enjoy it when he feels protective of his mom and her attitude. I was “delighted” with many of the essays, and some are pretty thought-provoking. Again, I highly recommend these well-written essays.

I enjoyed the Book of Delights more than this "sequel." I think the chapters in the pri0r book were a little shorter, which made it easier to read a lot quickly. I liked it, but ended up DNF at 25%.

Award-winning poet Gay returns with another collection of essayettes, compiling a year’s worth of eloquent gratitude for ordinary things—that is, if you consider the satisfaction of being weirdly early for a coffee shop meeting or a cluster of sweet potatoes that looks like snuggled bunnies to be “ordinary.” This is like reading the gratitude journal I wish I could write: there’s no false cheer here, just deep joy and copious appreciation for the wonder and frailty of our everyday lives. Be sure not to miss—and maybe even begin with—the Appendix of Brief Delights and reading list tucked in the back.

This is a lovely book that I will be gifting to my family and friends this holiday season. Pure delight!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a delight to read more work by poet and essayist Ross Gay. I’m beginning to see these essays are best approached as a devotional of sorts, savored in slow, attentive reading sessions. Like his original book of essays, this one has so much depth, insight, and writing technique to digest. It’s composed in a wandering, light-hearted tone I’ve come to recognize as Gay’s voice on the page.

I love how he talks about masculinity with such awareness and tenderness, and the way he zeroes in on delights I didn’t know I shared with anyone else. Case in point: the zone of public solitude a writer craves and the way the expected miracle of a seed sprouting surprises and thrills a gardener every time.

I couldn’t get enough of his musings on figs, purple sweet potatoes, mulberries, and garlic, which paired well with his commentary on capitalism, cancel culture, and alienation machines (aka phones, tablets, etc.). Like many of Gay’s readers, I find myself wanting to start my own book of delights. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

In this page turner Ross Gay wants people to find what delights them. What brings you joy and makes you smile.This will be a great book to share with family and friends. The book will keep you on your toes about what bring you delight and a makes you happy.