The Book of Delights

Essays

By: Ross Gay

Narrated by: Ross Gay

Length: 5 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's Summary

The winner of the NBCC Award for Poetry offers up a spirited collection of short lyric essays, written daily over a tumultuous year, reminding us of the purpose and pleasure of praising, extolling, and celebrating ordinary wonders. 

Ross Gay’s The Book of Delights is a genre-defying collection of essays - some as short as a paragraph; some as long as five pages - that record the small joys that occurred in one year, from birthday to birthday, and that we often overlook in our busy lives. His is a meditation on delight that takes a clear-eyed view of the complexities, even the terrors, in his life, including living in America as a Black man; the ecological and psychic violence of our consumer culture; the loss of those he loves.

©2019 Ross Gay (P)2018 Recorded Books

A True Delight!

This is one of the best feel good books I’ve ever purchased. The author has the amazing ability to turn even the most mundane observations into food for thought. His stories are also heartwarming, relatable, and at times absolutely hilarious. A true storyteller. I was also really inspired by his positivity and his gratitude. Definitely my new favorite author!

I loved this book! But...

...the rest of my Book Group didn’t even finish it. If you require a plot, you will not like this book. If you require character development, you will not like this book. If, though, like me you delight in sensitive observation of the world around us; if you love a book you can pick up and put down without stress or guilt; if you love hearing beautiful everyday language beautifully read; then you will love this book as much as I did. Another book I loved, which in some ways is similar, “A Natural History of the Senses,” by Diane Ackerman. Mr. Gay has made us a lovely book: thank you!

Beautifully written, bursting with joy

i took great pleasure in listening to this one, eapecially because the author captures and ahares, in his narration, the very delight he describes. i apprwciate, too, the way he finds delight alongside sorrow, pain, and the ugliness of the world without turning from those things..

Delightful, don't miss this..

Awesome. Don't miss this collection of simple delights carefully curated by a delightful author. Buy it and enjoy.

Delight!

The perfect book for this moment.

In every recommendation to a friend, I strongly encourage the sea acquire the audio version because one of my favorite things about this book is the frequent, added delight that comes every time Ross chimes in with the frequent punctuation— “Delight!” —just to make sure the reader notices it, in his particularly kindly authoritative half surprised way.

Anyway, this is where I’ve been turning for some lyrical terra firma in a wild world these days. I could say more, but he pretty much says it all.

Completely delighted.

In a time and space where we could all use delight, this book can truly lift spirits. Ross Gay’s easy and sweet essays made me think, cry, laugh and wonder. I found myself searching for delight in my own day, simple and profound. I love when he dives into the meaning of words and history, digging deeper. I also love when he marveled at the most simple, hilarious things that brought him delight. I ordered this (hard copy) book and I am grateful that I’ll hear it in his voice when I pick it up again one day.

Timeless and yet perfect for right now.

This audiobook was utterly amazing on so many levels. The prose is beautiful and I love the warmth, playfulness, and musicality of Ross Gay's narration. The content was genuinely delightful without ever veering into the saccharine. I believe this is one of those rare books that will permanently transform the way I see the world.

I only wish that there was more of it...

I couldn’t finish this book

Sorry
I was attracted by the title but struggled with the excessive use of profanity.

Delightful insights!

Recommended by a dear friend, this book so honestly examines life in all its awkwardness and spontaneous joy. It's content is likely best appreciated by adults for some content and language, and I absolutely loved it, listening to it as I worked in the garden or on a house project, increasing my delight all the while.

Excellent balance of delight with reality

Ross paints a picture of which I'm very familiar and so I easily embed myself. Though we've never met, his Bloomington is my Bloomington. I find myself both smiling and managing my inner sadness for the child that never truly was, but presents in his adult curiosity. I think this book will be a slow burn and find itself among some of the great reads of our time after our time. The audio version is superior because we hear his voice, but I plan to purchase the hardback for my physical collection.

Delightful Enough

Some essays I could relate to, and others not so much. Regardless, I found the book delightful enough.

A reminder that there is Joy hiding in everything

I found this book through Oprah's recommendation. It felt like something I had to read and it sure was a joyful read. It reminded me to look for joy in every day. It was pure delight to listen to the author's warm and sweet sounding voice full of joy. It's no coincidence that his last name happens to be "Gay" another word for delight! 🙌🏾 ❤️

Delight

I absolutely loved this book. It’s inspired me to seek out and note delights. Delight!

beautiful stories of delight, beautifully read

love this audiobook, hopefully I can train myself to think of the world from this perspective!