Comedian Jordan Carlos shares his six favorite books

Comedian Jordan Carlos says he’s drawn to lesser-known works by famous authors, even as he feels “life’s too short for anything but the classics.” His new book, Choreplay, is out now. He looks for what he calls an author’s “B” sides — books that don’t announce themselves as important but linger longer than the loud ones.

He points to Billy Budd (Melville), The Last Tycoon (Fitzgerald) and Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned (Walter Mosley). Carlos describes his own book as part memoir and part advice about divorce and chores: “It encourages slobs (men) to do the latter to avoid the former,” and he adds that even the league minimum amount of housework can be a force multiplier for a relationship, noting that making sure there was enough TP in the house “could do more good than out-of-network couples therapy.” His six recommendations start with The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, praised for forceful arguments, singular wit and a cold eye for inequity that still resonates.

jordan carlos, choreplay, james baldwin, billy budd, last tycoon, walter mosley, divorce, chores, memoir, housework