1. Passing for Human by Liana Finck
A sad graphic-memoir about identity. Not a brilliant way to start the new year (as far as my own sense of gloom goes) but effective and well executed.
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Yes, I'm re-reading all the Harry Potter books, this time accompanied by the excellent chapter-by-chapter discussion of the "Harry Potter and the Sacred Text" podcast. I enjoyed Chamber of Secrets more than I knew was possible this time and particularly loved the podcast episodes on Sanctuary and Heartbreak.
3. Useful Phrases for Immigrants by May-Lee Chai
Well-written, interesting stories. None of them stuck with me, though that might be more of a reflection on my relationship to short stories (I have a hard time really getting into any short stories and they don't impact me the way longer fiction does) than a criticism of the author's ability.
4. The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson
High fantasy: world building, characters galore and so much intrigue and deception it'll make your head spin. In other words, a romping fun read. And there's a sequel!
5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
I'm continuing my chapter-by-chapter re-read of the series with the "Harry Potter and the Sacred Text" podcast. This has always been my favorite book of the series, maybe because it is less focused on Voldemort? But the podcast didn't have as many enlightening moments as the previous book so maybe there's a good use of a total villain in driving revelation and response in the other characters. This book still holds a soft space in my heart, maybe because Lupin's class shows an inspiring view of education (so much of the actual education at Hogwarts is, as the podcast hosts call it, "failed pedagogy.")
6. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
Book 3 of the 4-part Murderbot diaries and just as entertaining as the first two. I'll miss this series when it ends!
7. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
Book 4 of 4. Fun strategy to work through, but ultimately the moving part is near the end during which the sympathetic humans convince Murderbot that it is more than a machine; that it is a "person" with free will and ideas and is much more than its original programming.
8. The Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
A lovely, lovely story set in 1350. Ostensibly a children's novel I found it lovely and moving and perceptive. Pilgrimage provides lots of opportunity for insights about the nature of people and goodness.
9. The Ashes of London by Andrew Taylor
A decent enough historical mystery set during and after the great London fire. The male characters were better written than the female characters which were kind of thin and had no interiority (right down to the male main character telling his story in 1st person and the female main character's story told in 3rd person.)
10. The Raven Tower by Anne Leckie
A fantasy novel from the author of the wonderful Ancillary Sci-Fi series. The narrator's voice, an ancient god of stone that has watched the ages go by and only recently started to care about humanity, reminded me a lot of the voice of the ship who falls in love with one of her human captains in the Ancillary series. I love the voice so really enjoyed the book. I'm not quite sure what to make of a few aspects of the plot that seem unresolved: the trans main character, the ending with its uncertainty and the fate of both the main character and the god.
11. Jeeves and the King of Clubs by Ben Schott
A bit of frothy fun to get through the week.
12. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Maybe not the most original fantasy novel (the bits and pieces from many cultures' stories are to be found throughout) but still a thumping good read with well-rounded, interesting characters, a plot that moves along (very important quality in a 800+ page book) and writing that doesn't get in the way of the story. I enjoyed it a great deal.
13. Last Stories by William Trevor
Ugh so sad, so beautifully written, but so sad. I'd read a couple of these before in the New Yorker and they were my least favorite of the collection. I liked the one about the piano student who steals from his teacher and the one about the house painters in rural Ireland the best.
14. The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
Excellent audio-book version of this novel. The names were somewhat incomprehensible in the audio version (I like to think my brain would have recognized the pattern of the letters when my ear did not) but still a lovely fantasy novel about a neglected 4th son who becomes emperor and against all expectations (including his own) becomes a ruler who may even end up being beloved. It feels a bit like the start of a series though I see no sign of a sequel so maybe the author said all that she wants to say.
15. The Eulogist by Terry Gamble
An interesting, engaging historical fiction novel. I liked the voice of the main character who was prickly and complicated. There were lots of threads that weren't tied up at the end, which I think is fine, plus some overly-convenient retreats in the narrative (repeatedly staying with rich relatives when things go wrong is nice, but not terribly compelling in a narrative). Enjoyable, but not sure if the book will stick with me.
16. The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
An interesting novel that kept me thinking throughout. I disagreed with much of the way the main character and her friend talked about writing and the writer's role in society, but that was part of the fun. I loved the meditations on grief and animals and how we process emotions. I found the "friend" who the narrator is mourning to be incredibly unappealing and have been trying to decide if that was intentional or not, but ultimately it didn't matter: I don't think I missed out on anything by not also mourning him. It was enough to bear witness to someone else's genuine grief. Surprisingly not a depressing book though it meditates on loss and grief.
17. The Last Painting of Sara De Vos by Dominic Smith
Grrrr. Frustrating book. Three main characters, two of which are interesting and one of which is such a horrible arrogant prick that it made me want to tear my hair out. The worst part is, it's pretty clear he's the author's favorite since the growth arc of the narrative is about him being a dick and then finally apologizing for being a dick when he's in his 80s. I'm pretty sure that in the author's eyes this is a story of redemption while I read it as just another instance of privilege and the low standards that are applied to the upper class. It didn't help that I listened to the audio book and the narrator was male while the two other main characters were women. I kept hoping that the story would change focus and turn towards the (obviously) two more interesting characters but they were just there to provide the damn asshole rich white man something to bounce his shallowness off of.
18. Capital by John Lanchester
A kaleidoscopic novel with many story lines, all twined around one London street. I found it a relatively satisfying read. The ending of the novel showed a bit too much of an urge to tidy up loose ends and settle everyone in comfortably going forward. But I guess I prefer that to wallowing in misery.
19. Circe by Madeline Miller
Re-read this wonderful book. So many good moments and so much to re-absorb about how we grow into knowledge of ourselves and the world.
20. The Book of Dust, Book 1 by Philip Pullman
I listened to the excellent audio book read by Michael Sheen for this re-read. I highly recommend it and it was lovely to be back in Pullman's world for a short time.
21. There There by Tommy Orange
Devastating novel told in kaleidoscopic fashion about Native American's in Oakland culminating in a powwow. Hard to breathe while reading the last few chapters.
22. Cherokee America by Margaret Verble
A strange yet appealing book set in the Cherokee Nation in 1875. Post civil-war politics, internal family politics and Native/white politics inform many of the events. I wished (repeatedly) that there were some maps to help locate events geographically since old nation, new nation and different routes for Trail of Tears kept being brought up. It took a little while for me to get into the groove of the book, but a little patience was worth it in getting to know many of the characters. There were some things I found tiresome but all in all, I liked the book and felt like it showed me things I didn't already know which is a welcome relief.
23. Why Mermaids Sing by C.S. Harris
A schlocky Regency era mystery novel. Kinda dumb but all I could handle at the time.
24. Cinderella Liberator by Rebecca Solnit
This is the only Cinderella story that anyone should read to their children. Still magical and whimsical, but with a firm moral basis for the insane world in which we live.
25. Winter by Ali Smith
Exquisite second book in Smith's season quartet. Full of surprise and subtlety. This will be a book to be re-read and re-visited. Now on to reading Spring and waiting for Summer to come out.
26. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey
Interesting concept (muggle detective investigating a murder at a school of magic where her twin sister works) and some nice insights/descriptions of magic. It needed a better editor (I got really irritated with the number of times people "bit their lip" to show flirting, cuteness) and the ending is weak but there are still some interesting ideas about magic that make it a pretty fun read.
27. The Western Wind by Samantha Harvey
Ehhhh. Well written but problematic, both in historical detail and in intent. I do like a story that unspools backwards, but this one didn't really do it for me.
28. Lucy Gayheart by Willa Cather
An odd little book. Can't say that I loved it as a whole, but there were moments that stuck with me, particularly the one chapter that dives into the title character's sister's perspective. I would have loved to have heard more from Pauline.
29. Bellweather Rhapsody by Kate Racculia
I loved this book. It's funny, serious, has some of the most seriously beautiful writing about music that I can remember and really terrific characters. There are two prodigies, a psychopath, a pair of quirky twins, a senile old man and many more, all written with compassion (well, except for the psychopath) and unique voices. What a wonderfully weird, fun read.
30. Spring by Ali Smith
A whopper of a book, so beautiful and so heartbreaking. I have no idea how she wrote such a luminous piece of fiction with so much contemporary relevancy so quickly. It feels like a book that would take years to craft: intertwined stories, numerous references, exquisite language and fantastic dialogue. But it is clearly a book about events taking place right now. Just breathtaking, and I mean that literally; I sometimes had to set down the book and take deep breaths to process what I'd just read before diving back in.
31. Big Sky by Kate Attkinson
Nice to spend more time with Jackson Brodie and, for me, even nicer to have it set in the familiar landscape of North Yorkshire. I loved the references to Whitby, Helmsley, Rievaultx Abbey, Robin Hood's Bay and Scarborough.
32. There But For The by Ali Smith
The Ali-Smith-fan-fest continues with this quirky, lovely book. Smith's love of word play is apparent in the 4 sections (each one for the words in the title) that touch and play and question the word, while simultaneously circling a strange event and a somewhat unknowable man. I loved the author's confidence: she doesn't ever resolve why the particular event took place, just looks at the ripples and effects of the event and how different people respond. Deeply humanistic.
33. Autumn by Ali Smith
re-read for book group, just as good the 2nd time around.
34. How to Be Both by Ali Smith
Holy cow I did not want this book to end! I wish it came with prints of Francesco del Cossa's referenced works in it because looking at the images was such an integral part (for me) of reading the second half of the book. I can't even imagine how to summarize such a strange and wonderful story except to say that it meant so much to me.
35. and 36. The Last Wife and The Virgin Trial by Kate Hennig
The stunning first two plays (of the trilogy that is completed by the play Mother's Daughter) re-imagining the Tudor power structure from the women's point of view. I loved these plays so much (saw the 3rd one at Stratford this summer) and particularly the way it complicates history by giving Katherine Parr and Queen Mary a voice. There is so much here that is STILL so relevant when it comes to women and power and Hennig shows the maneuvering and the strategy necessary. It also makes one stand in awe of Mary and Elizabeth as sisters who, despite their differences, were the first two reigning Queens of England and how they changed the power dynamic and gender assumptions forever.
37. Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell
Cute (and a little cutsie) graphic novel about two teenagers working at a sorta cheesy pumpkin patch fair. I liked the part at the end where the author and artist talked about their process a bit.
38. Outline by Rachel Cusk
I really didn't like this book for 3/4 of the way and then, all of a sudden, I really did. The passivity of the main character drove me crazy at first, but then the "tellings" started to grow on me and I didn't need much narrative support to filter all the stories that were being draped over her. Really can't figure out where the change occurred and when I went from dislike to feeling sad that the book was almost over...strange reading experience.
39. Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia
ehhh...It was kind of a fun read because it's a grown-up version of the Westing Game, but there's a reason that the Westing Game works better than this book in that it is NOT a grown up book and so the characters don't have to conform to certain standards of depth/consistency that are lacking in the characters in this book. Maybe if this was a YA book...but then the whole thing would be told from Dorry/Ned's point of view instead of them just being side characters to the 30 year-olds who are at the center.
40. Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
Really lovely YA novel about seeing the angels and monsters of the world, particularly when the world says the latter doesn't exist. The angel in this book isn't identified as such until near the end, but for anyone who has read/seen "Angels in America" it is clear that the creature (Pet) who arrives is a terrifying angel. And that monsters hide under banalities and smiling faces. The fact that the main character is trans, and that that isn't a plot point, has to be noted because it is so matter of fact and non-sensational. A hopeful book about seeing and being.
41. Guts by Raina Telgemeier
Youth graphic novel. People love her stuff. I don't totally get it. It's fine, but I don't really see what's so special or relatable about it. Maybe just too normal for me?
42. Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout
Ugh. I wanted to love this. And I didn't. There was one story that I enjoyed (where Olive visits a cancer patient). The rest of the time I felt fed up with the old white people, particularly the rich old white men. FED UP. Do. Not. Care. About. Them. There may have been wise lines and nice observations but they were buried for me under the slog of reading about fear of aging.
43. Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell
Opposite feeling about this sequel! I really loved it--the wit, the feeling, the energy. Made me want to go back and read Carry On again.
44. Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman
I re-read and I loved it again. I tried going back and re-reading Seraphina after finishing this, but I much prefer Tess to her sister.
45. The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson
Quirky novel that I really liked at times, but that ran out of steam. In the end, the narcissism of the two parents was sort of one-note: there was no complex explanation for how they used their children. Some of the writing from Buster and Annie's points of view was really lovely and captured the confusion of being raised by flawed people (as everyone is, but in their case, especially so).
46. The Huntress by Kate Quinn
Kinda cheesy but kinda fun WWII and post-war thriller about tracking down a Nazi on the run.
47. The Travellers by Regina Porter
A wonderful novel with a sprawling cast of characters whose lives intersect. I loved the inclusion of the strangeness of Rosencrantz and Gildenstern Are Dead being a particular character's talisman/security blanket. There are so many stories and subtleties in the pages of this book and I didn't feel like any of them got short shrift.
48. The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo
I feel a rant coming on. This book drove me crazy and pissed me off and ultimately is what I think is wrong with publishing these days. Total OBVIOUS Iowa Writer's Workshop pablum: I don't care if you can write characters (which she can) and occasionally snappy dialog. The sentimentality of this idealized, white, privileged family overwhelms what the book purports to be doing: showing how a (ridiculously) great marriage damages the kids who grow up with these parents by setting an unrealistic goal of perfection that none of them can live up to. The best, most interesting character in the whole book is introduced as a trigger: that's really all he is, the thing (not even really a person) who is wielded by these rich white people to question all their lives. Oh how I wanted to shake the author and say "Jonah is your story. Stop treating him like a trigger. Follow HIM." But she is so overwhelmingly in love with the two eldest sisters: 1%ers in Evanston and Lincoln Park/Gold Coast (because of course one of them has two homes a few miles apart), that she drops the ball on the more interesting people. I was so sick of these two and hearing the dropped references to their expensive wine and core barre and bikram yoga classes. What a fucking shame that no one at the Iowa Writer's Workshop (lookin' at you Ethan Canin) told her to be brave and put them in the background and focus on the people who are actually a part of the real world: maybe the lost younger sister, or the depressed, unemployed outsider boyfriend of the middle sister, or, for chrissakes Jonah who by the end of this book has been comfortingly folded into this family and all his previous trauma forgotten. A few other things that drove me batshit crazy: are we seriously supposed to believe that this idealized marriage does not consist of oral sex at all until after the 3rd child is born??? That no one, after the adopted-out kid is refound in foster care thinks to get him a therapist or talk to him about the trauma he's experienced? And friends don't exist in this book: you have your family or you are totally alone. There is not ONE character who has a friend in the book and that's just fucking freaky. And don't even get me started about white people's stories: this may be the whitest book I ever read from Jonah-the-trigger's encounters with the police (what a benign presence the Chicago police have become if you are white and living in the suburbs!) to the fact that there isn't even a person of color showing up as a maid to make these people question their status. The final scene, at the family's cutesy annual "Second Thanksgiving" looks like it was written in order to be turned into a schlocky TV closing shot. You could feel the effort of rewrites in the final paragraphs where the author tried to be profound and poetic and didn't know how to end her story except with a stereotypical scene of family togetherness (can you get more stereotypical than a thanksgiving dinner gathering?) And we are supposed to sigh and feel affirmed and how sweet and complicated life is but oh so worth it if you have a lovely family. Instead, I felt rage at being served this pathetic porridge. Ugh Ugh Ugh. I'm going to go find an author who knows how to take a RISK and write as a BRAVE person to counteract this crap.
49. The Wrong Heaven by Amy Bonnaffons
Book of generally quirky short stories, quick read. I really liked the story "Horses," liked "A Room to Live In" and "Little Sister" and found the rest sort of forgettable.
50. Moonglow by Michael Chabon
A fictionalized memoir of Chabon's grandparents. Fascinating, meandering, loving. He's a beautiful writer and while it wasn't a compelling read (I picked it up and put it down numerous times), I felt grateful to be allowed to share the thoughts and stories.
51. I Was Their American Dream by Malaka Gharib
A decent YA graphic memoir about growing up in the US between cultures.
52. The Cleaner of Chartres by Salley Vickers
A sweet little novel that feels like it was written in, say, the 1950s or 60s, but was published in 2012. The characters are sort of types (the kind priest, the lonely bitter old woman, the pure innocent) but they are charmingly rendered and the story doesn't gloat in the elevation of the good and the punishing of the wicked. There were lots of little lovely moments in the book too. Quiet, almost serene, and not a bad way to end this year of reading.
A sad graphic-memoir about identity. Not a brilliant way to start the new year (as far as my own sense of gloom goes) but effective and well executed.
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Yes, I'm re-reading all the Harry Potter books, this time accompanied by the excellent chapter-by-chapter discussion of the "Harry Potter and the Sacred Text" podcast. I enjoyed Chamber of Secrets more than I knew was possible this time and particularly loved the podcast episodes on Sanctuary and Heartbreak.
3. Useful Phrases for Immigrants by May-Lee Chai
Well-written, interesting stories. None of them stuck with me, though that might be more of a reflection on my relationship to short stories (I have a hard time really getting into any short stories and they don't impact me the way longer fiction does) than a criticism of the author's ability.
4. The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson
High fantasy: world building, characters galore and so much intrigue and deception it'll make your head spin. In other words, a romping fun read. And there's a sequel!
5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
I'm continuing my chapter-by-chapter re-read of the series with the "Harry Potter and the Sacred Text" podcast. This has always been my favorite book of the series, maybe because it is less focused on Voldemort? But the podcast didn't have as many enlightening moments as the previous book so maybe there's a good use of a total villain in driving revelation and response in the other characters. This book still holds a soft space in my heart, maybe because Lupin's class shows an inspiring view of education (so much of the actual education at Hogwarts is, as the podcast hosts call it, "failed pedagogy.")
6. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
Book 3 of the 4-part Murderbot diaries and just as entertaining as the first two. I'll miss this series when it ends!
7. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
Book 4 of 4. Fun strategy to work through, but ultimately the moving part is near the end during which the sympathetic humans convince Murderbot that it is more than a machine; that it is a "person" with free will and ideas and is much more than its original programming.
8. The Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
A lovely, lovely story set in 1350. Ostensibly a children's novel I found it lovely and moving and perceptive. Pilgrimage provides lots of opportunity for insights about the nature of people and goodness.
9. The Ashes of London by Andrew Taylor
A decent enough historical mystery set during and after the great London fire. The male characters were better written than the female characters which were kind of thin and had no interiority (right down to the male main character telling his story in 1st person and the female main character's story told in 3rd person.)
10. The Raven Tower by Anne Leckie
A fantasy novel from the author of the wonderful Ancillary Sci-Fi series. The narrator's voice, an ancient god of stone that has watched the ages go by and only recently started to care about humanity, reminded me a lot of the voice of the ship who falls in love with one of her human captains in the Ancillary series. I love the voice so really enjoyed the book. I'm not quite sure what to make of a few aspects of the plot that seem unresolved: the trans main character, the ending with its uncertainty and the fate of both the main character and the god.
11. Jeeves and the King of Clubs by Ben Schott
A bit of frothy fun to get through the week.
12. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Maybe not the most original fantasy novel (the bits and pieces from many cultures' stories are to be found throughout) but still a thumping good read with well-rounded, interesting characters, a plot that moves along (very important quality in a 800+ page book) and writing that doesn't get in the way of the story. I enjoyed it a great deal.
13. Last Stories by William Trevor
Ugh so sad, so beautifully written, but so sad. I'd read a couple of these before in the New Yorker and they were my least favorite of the collection. I liked the one about the piano student who steals from his teacher and the one about the house painters in rural Ireland the best.
14. The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
Excellent audio-book version of this novel. The names were somewhat incomprehensible in the audio version (I like to think my brain would have recognized the pattern of the letters when my ear did not) but still a lovely fantasy novel about a neglected 4th son who becomes emperor and against all expectations (including his own) becomes a ruler who may even end up being beloved. It feels a bit like the start of a series though I see no sign of a sequel so maybe the author said all that she wants to say.
15. The Eulogist by Terry Gamble
An interesting, engaging historical fiction novel. I liked the voice of the main character who was prickly and complicated. There were lots of threads that weren't tied up at the end, which I think is fine, plus some overly-convenient retreats in the narrative (repeatedly staying with rich relatives when things go wrong is nice, but not terribly compelling in a narrative). Enjoyable, but not sure if the book will stick with me.
16. The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
An interesting novel that kept me thinking throughout. I disagreed with much of the way the main character and her friend talked about writing and the writer's role in society, but that was part of the fun. I loved the meditations on grief and animals and how we process emotions. I found the "friend" who the narrator is mourning to be incredibly unappealing and have been trying to decide if that was intentional or not, but ultimately it didn't matter: I don't think I missed out on anything by not also mourning him. It was enough to bear witness to someone else's genuine grief. Surprisingly not a depressing book though it meditates on loss and grief.
17. The Last Painting of Sara De Vos by Dominic Smith
Grrrr. Frustrating book. Three main characters, two of which are interesting and one of which is such a horrible arrogant prick that it made me want to tear my hair out. The worst part is, it's pretty clear he's the author's favorite since the growth arc of the narrative is about him being a dick and then finally apologizing for being a dick when he's in his 80s. I'm pretty sure that in the author's eyes this is a story of redemption while I read it as just another instance of privilege and the low standards that are applied to the upper class. It didn't help that I listened to the audio book and the narrator was male while the two other main characters were women. I kept hoping that the story would change focus and turn towards the (obviously) two more interesting characters but they were just there to provide the damn asshole rich white man something to bounce his shallowness off of.
18. Capital by John Lanchester
A kaleidoscopic novel with many story lines, all twined around one London street. I found it a relatively satisfying read. The ending of the novel showed a bit too much of an urge to tidy up loose ends and settle everyone in comfortably going forward. But I guess I prefer that to wallowing in misery.
19. Circe by Madeline Miller
Re-read this wonderful book. So many good moments and so much to re-absorb about how we grow into knowledge of ourselves and the world.
20. The Book of Dust, Book 1 by Philip Pullman
I listened to the excellent audio book read by Michael Sheen for this re-read. I highly recommend it and it was lovely to be back in Pullman's world for a short time.
21. There There by Tommy Orange
Devastating novel told in kaleidoscopic fashion about Native American's in Oakland culminating in a powwow. Hard to breathe while reading the last few chapters.
22. Cherokee America by Margaret Verble
A strange yet appealing book set in the Cherokee Nation in 1875. Post civil-war politics, internal family politics and Native/white politics inform many of the events. I wished (repeatedly) that there were some maps to help locate events geographically since old nation, new nation and different routes for Trail of Tears kept being brought up. It took a little while for me to get into the groove of the book, but a little patience was worth it in getting to know many of the characters. There were some things I found tiresome but all in all, I liked the book and felt like it showed me things I didn't already know which is a welcome relief.
23. Why Mermaids Sing by C.S. Harris
A schlocky Regency era mystery novel. Kinda dumb but all I could handle at the time.
24. Cinderella Liberator by Rebecca Solnit
This is the only Cinderella story that anyone should read to their children. Still magical and whimsical, but with a firm moral basis for the insane world in which we live.
25. Winter by Ali Smith
Exquisite second book in Smith's season quartet. Full of surprise and subtlety. This will be a book to be re-read and re-visited. Now on to reading Spring and waiting for Summer to come out.
26. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey
Interesting concept (muggle detective investigating a murder at a school of magic where her twin sister works) and some nice insights/descriptions of magic. It needed a better editor (I got really irritated with the number of times people "bit their lip" to show flirting, cuteness) and the ending is weak but there are still some interesting ideas about magic that make it a pretty fun read.
27. The Western Wind by Samantha Harvey
Ehhhh. Well written but problematic, both in historical detail and in intent. I do like a story that unspools backwards, but this one didn't really do it for me.
28. Lucy Gayheart by Willa Cather
An odd little book. Can't say that I loved it as a whole, but there were moments that stuck with me, particularly the one chapter that dives into the title character's sister's perspective. I would have loved to have heard more from Pauline.
29. Bellweather Rhapsody by Kate Racculia
I loved this book. It's funny, serious, has some of the most seriously beautiful writing about music that I can remember and really terrific characters. There are two prodigies, a psychopath, a pair of quirky twins, a senile old man and many more, all written with compassion (well, except for the psychopath) and unique voices. What a wonderfully weird, fun read.
30. Spring by Ali Smith
A whopper of a book, so beautiful and so heartbreaking. I have no idea how she wrote such a luminous piece of fiction with so much contemporary relevancy so quickly. It feels like a book that would take years to craft: intertwined stories, numerous references, exquisite language and fantastic dialogue. But it is clearly a book about events taking place right now. Just breathtaking, and I mean that literally; I sometimes had to set down the book and take deep breaths to process what I'd just read before diving back in.
31. Big Sky by Kate Attkinson
Nice to spend more time with Jackson Brodie and, for me, even nicer to have it set in the familiar landscape of North Yorkshire. I loved the references to Whitby, Helmsley, Rievaultx Abbey, Robin Hood's Bay and Scarborough.
32. There But For The by Ali Smith
The Ali-Smith-fan-fest continues with this quirky, lovely book. Smith's love of word play is apparent in the 4 sections (each one for the words in the title) that touch and play and question the word, while simultaneously circling a strange event and a somewhat unknowable man. I loved the author's confidence: she doesn't ever resolve why the particular event took place, just looks at the ripples and effects of the event and how different people respond. Deeply humanistic.
33. Autumn by Ali Smith
re-read for book group, just as good the 2nd time around.
34. How to Be Both by Ali Smith
Holy cow I did not want this book to end! I wish it came with prints of Francesco del Cossa's referenced works in it because looking at the images was such an integral part (for me) of reading the second half of the book. I can't even imagine how to summarize such a strange and wonderful story except to say that it meant so much to me.
35. and 36. The Last Wife and The Virgin Trial by Kate Hennig
The stunning first two plays (of the trilogy that is completed by the play Mother's Daughter) re-imagining the Tudor power structure from the women's point of view. I loved these plays so much (saw the 3rd one at Stratford this summer) and particularly the way it complicates history by giving Katherine Parr and Queen Mary a voice. There is so much here that is STILL so relevant when it comes to women and power and Hennig shows the maneuvering and the strategy necessary. It also makes one stand in awe of Mary and Elizabeth as sisters who, despite their differences, were the first two reigning Queens of England and how they changed the power dynamic and gender assumptions forever.
37. Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell
Cute (and a little cutsie) graphic novel about two teenagers working at a sorta cheesy pumpkin patch fair. I liked the part at the end where the author and artist talked about their process a bit.
38. Outline by Rachel Cusk
I really didn't like this book for 3/4 of the way and then, all of a sudden, I really did. The passivity of the main character drove me crazy at first, but then the "tellings" started to grow on me and I didn't need much narrative support to filter all the stories that were being draped over her. Really can't figure out where the change occurred and when I went from dislike to feeling sad that the book was almost over...strange reading experience.
39. Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia
ehhh...It was kind of a fun read because it's a grown-up version of the Westing Game, but there's a reason that the Westing Game works better than this book in that it is NOT a grown up book and so the characters don't have to conform to certain standards of depth/consistency that are lacking in the characters in this book. Maybe if this was a YA book...but then the whole thing would be told from Dorry/Ned's point of view instead of them just being side characters to the 30 year-olds who are at the center.
40. Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
Really lovely YA novel about seeing the angels and monsters of the world, particularly when the world says the latter doesn't exist. The angel in this book isn't identified as such until near the end, but for anyone who has read/seen "Angels in America" it is clear that the creature (Pet) who arrives is a terrifying angel. And that monsters hide under banalities and smiling faces. The fact that the main character is trans, and that that isn't a plot point, has to be noted because it is so matter of fact and non-sensational. A hopeful book about seeing and being.
41. Guts by Raina Telgemeier
Youth graphic novel. People love her stuff. I don't totally get it. It's fine, but I don't really see what's so special or relatable about it. Maybe just too normal for me?
42. Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout
Ugh. I wanted to love this. And I didn't. There was one story that I enjoyed (where Olive visits a cancer patient). The rest of the time I felt fed up with the old white people, particularly the rich old white men. FED UP. Do. Not. Care. About. Them. There may have been wise lines and nice observations but they were buried for me under the slog of reading about fear of aging.
43. Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell
Opposite feeling about this sequel! I really loved it--the wit, the feeling, the energy. Made me want to go back and read Carry On again.
44. Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman
I re-read and I loved it again. I tried going back and re-reading Seraphina after finishing this, but I much prefer Tess to her sister.
45. The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson
Quirky novel that I really liked at times, but that ran out of steam. In the end, the narcissism of the two parents was sort of one-note: there was no complex explanation for how they used their children. Some of the writing from Buster and Annie's points of view was really lovely and captured the confusion of being raised by flawed people (as everyone is, but in their case, especially so).
46. The Huntress by Kate Quinn
Kinda cheesy but kinda fun WWII and post-war thriller about tracking down a Nazi on the run.
47. The Travellers by Regina Porter
A wonderful novel with a sprawling cast of characters whose lives intersect. I loved the inclusion of the strangeness of Rosencrantz and Gildenstern Are Dead being a particular character's talisman/security blanket. There are so many stories and subtleties in the pages of this book and I didn't feel like any of them got short shrift.
48. The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo
I feel a rant coming on. This book drove me crazy and pissed me off and ultimately is what I think is wrong with publishing these days. Total OBVIOUS Iowa Writer's Workshop pablum: I don't care if you can write characters (which she can) and occasionally snappy dialog. The sentimentality of this idealized, white, privileged family overwhelms what the book purports to be doing: showing how a (ridiculously) great marriage damages the kids who grow up with these parents by setting an unrealistic goal of perfection that none of them can live up to. The best, most interesting character in the whole book is introduced as a trigger: that's really all he is, the thing (not even really a person) who is wielded by these rich white people to question all their lives. Oh how I wanted to shake the author and say "Jonah is your story. Stop treating him like a trigger. Follow HIM." But she is so overwhelmingly in love with the two eldest sisters: 1%ers in Evanston and Lincoln Park/Gold Coast (because of course one of them has two homes a few miles apart), that she drops the ball on the more interesting people. I was so sick of these two and hearing the dropped references to their expensive wine and core barre and bikram yoga classes. What a fucking shame that no one at the Iowa Writer's Workshop (lookin' at you Ethan Canin) told her to be brave and put them in the background and focus on the people who are actually a part of the real world: maybe the lost younger sister, or the depressed, unemployed outsider boyfriend of the middle sister, or, for chrissakes Jonah who by the end of this book has been comfortingly folded into this family and all his previous trauma forgotten. A few other things that drove me batshit crazy: are we seriously supposed to believe that this idealized marriage does not consist of oral sex at all until after the 3rd child is born??? That no one, after the adopted-out kid is refound in foster care thinks to get him a therapist or talk to him about the trauma he's experienced? And friends don't exist in this book: you have your family or you are totally alone. There is not ONE character who has a friend in the book and that's just fucking freaky. And don't even get me started about white people's stories: this may be the whitest book I ever read from Jonah-the-trigger's encounters with the police (what a benign presence the Chicago police have become if you are white and living in the suburbs!) to the fact that there isn't even a person of color showing up as a maid to make these people question their status. The final scene, at the family's cutesy annual "Second Thanksgiving" looks like it was written in order to be turned into a schlocky TV closing shot. You could feel the effort of rewrites in the final paragraphs where the author tried to be profound and poetic and didn't know how to end her story except with a stereotypical scene of family togetherness (can you get more stereotypical than a thanksgiving dinner gathering?) And we are supposed to sigh and feel affirmed and how sweet and complicated life is but oh so worth it if you have a lovely family. Instead, I felt rage at being served this pathetic porridge. Ugh Ugh Ugh. I'm going to go find an author who knows how to take a RISK and write as a BRAVE person to counteract this crap.
49. The Wrong Heaven by Amy Bonnaffons
Book of generally quirky short stories, quick read. I really liked the story "Horses," liked "A Room to Live In" and "Little Sister" and found the rest sort of forgettable.
50. Moonglow by Michael Chabon
A fictionalized memoir of Chabon's grandparents. Fascinating, meandering, loving. He's a beautiful writer and while it wasn't a compelling read (I picked it up and put it down numerous times), I felt grateful to be allowed to share the thoughts and stories.
51. I Was Their American Dream by Malaka Gharib
A decent YA graphic memoir about growing up in the US between cultures.
52. The Cleaner of Chartres by Salley Vickers
A sweet little novel that feels like it was written in, say, the 1950s or 60s, but was published in 2012. The characters are sort of types (the kind priest, the lonely bitter old woman, the pure innocent) but they are charmingly rendered and the story doesn't gloat in the elevation of the good and the punishing of the wicked. There were lots of little lovely moments in the book too. Quiet, almost serene, and not a bad way to end this year of reading.