Joan Wong is a visual artist and designer for books and narratives. She has worked at Penguin Random House, where she designed book covers for Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, H.G. Wells, Samantha Irby, and Jonathan Lethem. Joan is currently a visual artist and collagist for various news outlets and publications across the globe. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, the New Yorker and The Atlantic.
Which three books would you recommend?
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Betty Smith
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in family dynamics. This novel is a very intimate portrait of the Nolan family and it puts the reader in the shoes of not only Francie, the protagonist, but her mother, father, aunt, and various characters in the streets of 1900's Brooklyn. I find it to be one of the most empathetic stories that highlight both the sweetness and grittiness of a family and a neighborhood.
Tiny Beautiful Things Cheryl Strayed
Everyone can find a reason to love this book. I would also recommend that they revisit it in different stages of their life. It is a collection of letters and responses from the advice column, Dear Sugar, where people wrote in about everything from family matters to miscarriages to sexual kinks. So many things that make life tough to live are addressed with a level of compassion and tenderness that only Cheryl Strayed can pull off. It touches me in a different way every time I read it.
The Book of DelightsRoss Gay
It is, as the title would indicate, wholesome, lovely and delightful without being cheesy. Ross Gay made it a personal project to write down something that delighted him every day. Some days, it is a simple interaction with a stranger. Other days, it is an observation that sparks a memory which he describes in his distinct poetic language, making it so so so joyful to read.
What is your favourite bookstore or library?
McNally Jackson, Greenlight, Books Are Magic, Grand Army Plaza Central Library (all in NYC)