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2024: A Year in Books

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I read 37 books this year, which I don’t think is terrible considering there where big swaths of time where I didn’t read at all and just stared mindlessly at my phone. Of the 37, many of them were excellent, I think a higher percentage than normal where above average. I don’t know if this is because I have improved the way I pick the books or if I have gotten better at giving up on things that don’t appeal to me faster. Of course there are also a handful in here that are completely forgettable and I am glad that I made notes throughout the year or I would have no recall about them whatsoever.

Anywho, without further ado:

Babel by R.F Kuang

Savvy reads will remember that I was reading this at the end of 2023, but I wanted to include it here because the ending changed my overall impression of this book. I still think it is a unique and refreshing book however it needed to be about 50 pages longer, a lot happens at the end and there is no conclusion to explain the fall out of these events and after a book this long and involved there really should be.

Dispatches from Pluto by Richard Grant

This was a funny and refreshing memoir about an English journalist and his NYC based girlfriend buying an old plantation in rural Mississippi – having never been there or researched the area. Its an exploration about taking care of an old house but also about trying to learn and understand the inherent racism in the area. the writer is delightfully naïve and witty and I enjoyed every page of his story.

Everything in this Country Must by Colum McCann

I am generally not a fan of short stories, but Colum McCann is one of those authors where none of the usual rules apply. This was a collection of 4 stories of his and while I forget all the particulars (not all my notes are good ones) I do remember enjoying this book very much.

Borne by Jeff Vandermeer

Nobody does weird, dystopian fiction quite like Vandermeer. This book rocketed out from the start, if was part sci fi, part horror and deeply engaging. I read it in a day (maybe 2?).

Dead Astronauts by Jeff Vandermeer

The problem with Vandermeer is that he can get TOO FAR out there, he often writes in trilogy and usually loses me somewhere along the way. I was really excited for Dead Astronauts as the sequel to Borne but uuuggghhh… as usual it got TOO WEIRD and by the end I was just happy to be done.

The Island of the Sea Women by Lisa See

I read a lot of Lisa See this year, she is an excellent author but none of her books are light and this was no exception, it is the story Korean female divers but it is tragic and sad and in places hard to keep reading.

Theft by Finding by David Sedaris

Needing a little levity I turned to Theft by Finding that has sat in my TBR pile for years, being large and seemingly very time consuming. But as with all things Sedaris, I really enjoyed it – his observations of people and the world around him are fantastic, this book made me want to journal again, I haven’t but it made me at least think about it.

Gold Coast by Nelson Demille

I borrowed this book from my parents while visiting them in Florida, as its not something I would have ever picked up myself. I enjoyed it very much, it’s like if Tony Soprano became BFFs with his WASPy yacht sailing neighbor. Its completely unbelievable and the main protagonist is a complete douchebag but I still thought it was worth the read. There is a sequel to this book that I tried but couldn’t get into – one book about these people was enough for me.

The Narrow Road Between Desires by Patrick Rothfuss

I have said and will say again that I would read ANYTHING by Patrick Rothfuss, I love the way his mind works. This short novella was another seemingly effort in procrastination in his quest to finish the Kingkiller chronicles. I love him but its going on 18 years since the first book was released, I am starting to lose hope… and patience.

Riding in the Car with my Sister by Rachel Simon

Another book that has sat around forever, I remember when Rosie O’Donnell made this into a movie and it turned me off from reading the book for a long time. But I picked it up needing something much different that my last book and I am glad that I did. The story is well written and heart warming, maybe not on the top if my list for this year, but definitely worth picking up.

The End of the World As we Know it by Robert Goolrick

 A funny, painful and unnerving memoir. I had no idea what I was getting into with this book. Its seemingly the story of a highly functioning southern family (think professor and southern Belle). Told from the point of view of their grown son who has slid into alcoholism, but through the telling of the story he reveals some deep dark family secrets that have left him broken and unable to cope. It’s a readable book but be warned its not as lighthearted and funny as the first chapter would suggest.

Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls

Jeannete Walls is one of my most favorite authors but I thought she fell flat with this coming of age novel set in the early 1900’s south. It paled in comparison to her earlier real world memoirs. I am not sure why this book garnered so much acclaim, I can only assume that people saw her name and assumed it was as good as her other books. It wasn’t terrible, I just have higher expectations for her than this.

Kick Me by Paul Feig

 Another mediocre memoir of a geeky teenager coming of age. Its not particularly memorable. I can’t recall anything particular about this book, my entire note on it was “meh”

The Golem and the Jinni by Helen Wecker

This book sat on my TRB pile FOREVER and I finally had to force myself to pick it up but unlike some of the other books in this list it was a pleasant surprise and I couldn’t read it fast enough. It was a fresh and unique narrative and I liked it very much.

Hidden Palace by Helen Wecker

This is the sequel to the Golem and the Jinni and while I enjoyed it for the continuation of these characters that I love very much it fell a little flat for me and lost the magic of the first book. While the first book was epic and spanned time and space to construct a story this entire book took place in one building and it felt tight and not nearly as epic.

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

Back to Lisa See and more tragedy, misogyny and atrocities heaped on women. This was a well written book with an engaging story and characters I cared about but there were parts I had to put down and walk away from.

Dreams of Joy by Lisa See

I could not not read the sequel to Shanghai Girls even if was in parts very disturbing, I cared about the story and the girls too much. And this was also a good read, hard and disturbing and the last of the Lisa See that I could do in 2024.

Walking in Circles Before Laying Down by Merrill Markoe

I needed a good pallet cleanser after my last two books and this story fit the bill, kind of. It’s the story of a young single California girl who starts to hear her dog talk and whose overbearing mess of a sister becomes her life coach but there is still a lot of grit and struggle and at times it hit a little too hard. I liked it and I think its worth reading just be aware that its not all fun.

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

Ugh, this book has been sitting in my hallway for YEARS now and in an effort to not look at it anymore I decided it was time to read it. I got about halfway through before I just gave up. Nothing in this book is new, it is the same old racist diatribe that we’ve been hearing for years. And not that that’s unimportant but I couldn’t go through it all again. I moved on to something else.

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

What’s more fun after deep seeded racism than a book about eating disorders and toxic parenting? I actually really enjoyed this though, I listened to the audiobook, read by the author and while she could have been angrily bitter about everything that she went through she was shockingly level headed and forthright. If this book taught ne anything its that therapy works.

North Woods by Daniel Mason

 I also listened to this in the car, read by an ensemble cast it was truly brilliant. The book blends the best of storytelling with a little magic all wrapped up in an epic story of a single small house in the woods on NY. This book has it all and I very much enjoyed it

The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost

If you have ever wanted to fall of the grid and move to a tropical Island, not caring about the location or the economic development – this book will surely cure you of that. The memoir of Troost and his fiancé as they spent two years in the south Pacific is horrifyingly unromantic. This book is hilarious and would make an excellent beach read almost anywhere.

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

 I knew this book was going to be good because its Barbara Kingsolver and she did not disappoint. A classic retelling off David Copperfield set in modern day Appalachia – it is equal parts heartbreaking and heartening. Kingsolver knows how to tell a story and she does not skimp on details or experiences. This is a book everyone should read

One Second After by William Fortchen

 Sometime  like to relax with a good old fashioned end of the world post-apocalyptic novel. Enter One Second After. This is a very reality based story of what happens when a nuclear bomb is ignited in the atmosphere over the US thus resulting in a massive EMP. This book was both realistic and a little bit overly optimistic. I hope if this situation were to ever occur I am stuck in a defensible mountain town with an eccentric mix of characters with diverse military backgrounds. I would suggest this to anyone who enjoys this genre and wants a much more “realistic” angle.

Everything is Wrong With Me by Jason Mulgrew

Needing something lighter after the world ground to a halt I chose this little memoir and I loved it.  Everyone from Philadelphia should read this book. It is iconically south Philly in its tone and its story. I enjoyed it because I related to Mulgrew’s dysfunctional family but I also really enjoyed reading about a childhood on Two Street and being part of a mummers family.

Cuyahoga by Pete Beatty

This book was an unexpected gem this year. It has also been sitting in my hallway for a LONG time but I will make sure that doesn’t happen to anyone else and will recommend it as often as I can. It is a modern day tall tale (think Paul Bunyon) set on the Cuyahoga River, it tells the story of Big Son, a larger than life character just trying to get his life together. Hilarious and insightful, run – don’t walk…

This is How you Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone

Another original and unique story that I really really liked. Totally different in tone and feel than anything I have read in a long time. This is the story of two rival agents corresponding by letter through the fabric of time, the imagery and imagination that went into this was well done. It’s a quick read but definitely worth picking up.

The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios by Yann Martel

I thought I could get over my aversion to short stories through Yann Martel (Like I did in the beginning of the year with Colum McCann) but I could not. Unlike McCann this book was tough, 4 stories all dealing with death (and not in a fun way!). It was a slog. I will stick with his novels because he’s never disappointed me there.

The Last Gentleman Adventurer by Edward Beauclerk Maurice

This was the second amazing brilliant gem of a book I found this year and might be my favorite book out of all the good books that I read this year just because it was so unexpected. The memoir of a young British kid who impulsively signs up to work for the Hudson bay company and is shipped off to the Canadian Artic with no actual preparation or training. He tells about his time there with amazing clarity and excellent prose, it’s a coming of age novel unlike anything I have read in a very long time. I am sad it took him a lifetime to write it though and that he died before It was published, I would have read more from him.

An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison

Kay Redfield Jamison not only is bipolar but studied it and has become a clinician and lecturer treating and educating others with the disease. I thought this book would be more personal but it read a little bit like a justification of her academic path and also like a marketing tool for the other work that she has produced. I found it interesting but I did not love it.

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

This was a solidly good book, it was not a GREAT book like so many have gone on and on about. I liked it, I listened to Meryl Streep read it to me and it delightfully passed the time but I wouldn’t say it was top 5 or even top 10 on my list this year… maybe #11? (I have no idea, I am making this all up). Its worth the read if you happened to come across it.

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

Anthony Doerr is quickly rising to the top of my most favorite authors of all time, I have never read anything by him that I didn’t love and this book was right up there. Taking place in three wildly different time periods threaded together by a common story – I don’t want to say too much about this book, it is something you should walk into blindly and experience for yourself. In a word, excellent.

Tomorrow and tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Just like Tom Lake this was a VERY popular book that had rave reviews and I thought it was pretty good. A solid story that missed something in connecting me with the two protagonists, neither of which I loved very much. Its a solid book and a unique story, worth the read but IMHO not worth the hype.

Possible Side Effects by Augusten Burroughs

Just like David Sedaris Augusten Burroughs is a delightful essayist who rarely disappoints and this book was fun and witty and only contained one story that I had already read. If you are in the mood for something fun and frivolous check it out.

James by Percival Everett

Wow, what a great freaking book. Everette has taken Jim from Huck Finn and turned him into a deep, multi dimensional hero of his own story. This book was amazing and if you get a chance listen to it on audio, performed by Dominic Hoffman he hits the character spot on. I was so sad when this book ended.

California by Edan Lepucki

It had been months since I had picked up any dystopian fiction and I plucked this from the giant pile next to my bed. I had started it a year or two ago but gotten distracted by something else. This is a good book and a a solid story about what might realistically happen when we inevitably start running out of resources. It had a dark arc in the middle that was scary and sad and it just made me even more frightened for us as a species.

The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt

I thought California would be my last book of 2024 but I picked this up yesterday and finished it this morning. What a fun and heart warming story. My only issue with this novel is his portrayal of what it takes to become a librarian (2 years old college as opposed to 6 in the real world) but my own professional bias aside I loved this book, the protagonist Bob is both a hero and a tragic figure. I will definitely check out more by deWitt in the future.

2023: a Year in Books

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Its been a long time since I have done this. Four years and a lot of books have gone unreviewed. There’s nothing like recovering from another unwanted surgery to give you the time and boredom to search your shelves and compile a list of books that you’ve read in the past year or so.

Honestly I cant remember exactly why I stopped doing these yearly book reviews. The first year of the pandemic it was hard to sit and read, I spent a lot of time obsessively watching the news and running. Running seemed like I was accomplishing something… sitting still was hard. And then I got divorced and once again sitting still was hard… Sometime in 2022 I calmed down enough to sit down and picked up books again. I haven’t been great at keeping track of what I have been reading so this list is by no means complete but I’ve done the best I can. Enjoy and happy reading:

The Rules of Civility, Amor Towles

I liked this book, not nearly as much as I liked A Gentleman in Moscow but Towels writes great prose and has a distinct voice, it reminded me a little of the Great Gatsby but with a more modern flare.

The Madonnas of Leningrad, Debra Dean

There are a handful of books on this list that I picked up when I thought I was going to Russia and this was the first that I chose to read. It’s a short novel that highlights life in Leningrad during WWII, I’m glad I read it even in that trip got diverted to Portugal.

Russka, Edward Rutherford

I didn’t read all 960 pages of this book but I read enough to feel like I had a good handle on Russian culture. I like reading Rutherford when traveling to new places, he does great research and makes history narrative in a very readable way.

When the English Fall, David Williams

Who knew Amish post apocalyptical fiction was a thing? It is and its good, this book takes place in Lancaster PA and makes you think about what would happen to self sustaining farms just outside a major metropolitan city if commerce and trade broke down and people started going hungry. I read this by accident, having picked it up at a library sale and not understanding what it was about before I got sucked in. Its a quick and enjoyable read that will make you think.

Harlem Shuffle, Colson Whitehead

Meh – this is a good book, not great but a solid story. I think Whitehead is a competent storyteller but not the genius everyone seems to think that he is. I actually listened to the audio version of this book and I think the narrator made it even better, his voice was smooth as silk.

Less, Andrew Sean Greer

a very quirky enjoyable read but how or why it won the pulitzer is beyond me. The protagonist is whiny and annoying and I have no desire to read the follow up Less is Lost. 273 pages of Arthur Less is all anyone needs.

Th Glass Hotel, Emily St John Mendel

Not as good as Station Eleven but still hauntingly written and a delight to read. This book does have some fairly substantial plot holes and unfinished story lines but, for me, it did not distract from the overall enjoyment of the story.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Gail Honeyman

I picked this up only knowing that is was beloved by my online book club and assuming it was a light hearted comedy. It is not, it has a lot of humor in it but the over arching story is dark and tragic. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator really brought Eleanor to life. I love this book although it broke my heart.

The Lincoln Highway, Amore Towles

Again, trying to recapture the beauty of A Gentleman in Moscow I tried my third Towels novel and sadly it didn’t come close, as a matter of fact I didn’t even finish it. I abandoned it about 2/3 of the way through having not connected with the main characters or found their story all that compelling. Towles has gone from amazing, to okay to blah for me which was super disappointing.

The Cat Who Saved Books, Sosuke Natsukawa

This was a fun, lighthearted book. I mean what’s better than a books and cats and a talking cat that loves books? Not much, that’s what.

The High Mountains of Portugal, Yann Martel

Purchased after Russia turned into Portugal, this was a great book. Martel’s style is simply fun and enjoyable and just like Life of Pi this story contained a large undomesticated animal that didn’t really make any sense but added greatly to the overall story.

300 Days of Sun, Deborah Lawrence

Another book et in Portugal, this was a mystery which is not my typical genre but I really liked this book. The story was compelling and it gave an interesting look into what life was in Portugal during WWII.

Alentejo Blue, Monica Ali

A native Portuguese writer telling the story of a sleepy mountain town slowly being overrun by ex-pats. This was a full length novel that read like a short story. Its been awhile since I read it but I have no clear memory of any kind of conclusion. I like this book but it had no real storyline and ends rather abruptly.

The Portuguese Empire

A slim historical text about the history of Portugal up until its independence. It was an interesting read that really focused on their sailing history and made my time in the Maritime museum in Lisbon that much more interesting.

Hocus Pocus, Kurt Vonnegut

Meh, not my favorite Vonnegut book. I probably would have set this down and left it on a train somewhere if it had been written by anyone else. I didn’t care for the protagonist at all. There are so many better books by him, my advise is skip this one.

Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdain

I know I am WAY late to the party on this book, but I only recently discovered a love for Bourdain and on a road trip downloaded this from audible. Read by Anthony himself this book was great – funny, inspiring and a little heartbreaking. I’m sad that I didn’t discover him sooner.

Elsewhere, Richard Russo

A memoir about Russo growing up in a small defunct town in upstate New York. This is a really the story of the relationship he had with his Mother. And as with all things Russo it was beautiful, poignant l and hard to let go of.

The Dark Tower Series, Stephen King

These seven books, all 4,250 pages of them where a reread for me and IMHO the best thing that King has ever written. I decided to revisit these books right after reading an article that HBO was going to make it into a series and I am glad that I did because halfway through book one I broke my foot and had plenty of time to embark on an adventure through mid-world. I like some books better than others The Gundslinger is by far my favorite and I don’t love The Wastelands or Song of Susannah nearly as much as Wizards and Glass or the finale The Dark Tower. All that aside though you cant really pick them apart, the entire series is a cohesive story that needs all of its parts to be what it is. I imagine in another 20 years I’ll probably read it again.

Excuse Me While I Disappear, Laurie Notaro

I needed a light pallet cleanser to get me out of my the dark tower hole and nobody does light pallet cleaning quite like the queen on chic lit. Laurie may be getting older but she still has plenty of fodder for good essay writing. I loved a lot of this book although there were parts that I loved a little less so, but either way I will always look for new books of hers.

The Starless Sea, Erin Morgenstern

I hesitated to read this because I simply did not care for The Night Circus but I am very glad that I gave it a chance. It was dark and mysterious and a little bit like reading a treasure map. I loved it in the same way that I loved The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey in a way that’s indescribable.

Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus

I jumped right on the band wagon with this book, funny and quirky and full of female empowerment, I couldn’t read it fast enough. I didn’t love the twist at the end that wrapped everything up in such a cloyingly perfect way but I am willing to set that aside for the rest of the story.

The Guide, Peter Heller

I got this hoping it would be akin the Dog Stars but it was a complete departure. I appreciated this book for what it was – a murder mystery set on a fly fishing expedition. It wasn’t really my cup of tea. I gave the book to my Mom when she visited and had her take it to Maine, this book belongs in the woods, with people who will love it.

The Catographers, Peng Shepard

I believe that Shapard will be a great writer some day but this book felt like a struggle from plot development (it took FOREVER to set up the story) to the conclusion (it was so incredibly convoluted it made no sense) and there was a huge plot hole that kind of rendered the entire story moot. I stuck with it because I could see the potential and the vision that I think Shepard probably had but, ugh, in my opinion skip this and wait for her to develop a little more.

Upon The Head of a Goat, Aranka Siegal

Oof, this was a tough read and a good lesson on why you should at least skim the back blurb before starting a new book. I had no ide this was about the holocaust. The story of 9 year old Piri and her journey to the Ghetto in Hungry, told as a memoir after she alone out of her 6 siblings survived Auschwitz. It was not an easy read and not something that I will likely ever forget.

We are Never Meeting in Real Life, Samantha Irby

There’s not a lot of good places to go after the holocaust except down the rabbit hole of Samantha Irby’s mind. I discovered this book in Midway Airport in Chicago and it made me laugh all the way to California.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid

Another super popular book that I wasn’t interested in reading…. I picked this up to read on the flights back from San Diego and I could not put it down, I read it in a day. it was a quick and easy read that was funny, complex and a little bit heartbreaking.

A Chant to Sooth Wild Elephants, Jaed Coffin

Meh, this was a memoir about a half Thai/half American college student who leaves New England to become a Thai Monk. It read like a poorly edited self published book. Not only was it not well written but it lacked substance or any revelations that a journey like this might have on a twenty year old. I did not love it.

Love Life, Rob Lowe

Randomly found this in Goodwill one way and picked it up for a quarter. It ended up being a very well written book about Lowe’s rise to fame, his most recent projects (circa 2015) but mostly about his family and the relationship that he has with his two sons, the oldest of which left for college in the middle of his writing this. I enjoyed this book a lot, Lowe is a good storyteller and if what he says is true also a very good father.

Four Seasons in Rome, Anthony Doerr

Picked for a fellowship in Rome just 6 months after his twins where born, Doerr and his wife move them to Italy so that Doerr can write “unimpeded”. This is a small but beautiful book that reads like poetry. Doerr falls in love with the city and with its people and its culture, he’s there during the death of John Paul II and really envelops the reader in all that is Italian.

How to Live Safely in a Science Fiction Universe, Charles Yu

Channeling his inner Douglas Adams this book is a masterpiece in Sci Fi ridiculousness. Charles Yu works as a time machine technician and spends all of his time with his imaginary dog and his ships on board computer who, he is secretly in love with. The story follows as he searches for his father who got trapped in a time loop when Charles was a teenager. This book was funny and cleaver and something the Sci Fi world hasn’t seen in some time.

A Strong West Wind, Gail Caldwell

Another memoir, this time about the Pulitzer award winning author and her coming of age in the panhandle of west Texas, defying her military sergeant father and protesting the Vietnam war. It was a good book that introduced me to Caldwell, I found it on the train.

This Side of Brightness, Colum McCann

Any of you that pay attention to my bookshelves or stay awake while I go on and on about my favorite authors know that McCann is top of the list, I would read a grocery list by this man… This book was not Let the Great World Spin good but it was well written, entertaining and above average. As with almost all of his books it starts in two places and two times and brings everything together in the end. I enjoyed it a lot.

Wow, No Thank You, Samantha Irby

I revisited Irby when I saw this at my favorite fall time library sale, she’s funny and clever and this book got me through the stress of Christmas by reminding me that stress can be funny and everything could always be worse.

Bable, R.F. Kuag

I am only about 3/4 of the way through this book as of posting this list but I think this might be one of my favorite books of the year. I am trying to read it slowly to make it last but its hard when I really want to know what happens and being stuck inside recovering gives me little in the way of distraction other than this story. I am going to go out on a limb and say I loved this book.