So I gave myself a New Year's resolution of reading more books this past year - a goal of 25. This still seemed low, but after realizing I only read 4 books in 2017, I wanted to make sure that I had an achievable goal. I think it was a good way to remind myself how much I love to read - and now it's become second-nature to pick up a book and read a little before bed or during downtime. These are the 25 books that I read this past year - and a little sentence or two on what I thought of each (in no particular order).
1. Never Let me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro - Far more interesting than the movie. I honestly don't really remember the movie, I just remember that it was an incredibly interesting plot but very, very boring. The book is not boring at all - it explores the psychology of the characters a bit more. I really liked the style of the writing - the characters were very layered and believable, but there is something also a little disturbing and tense about the tone. I've added Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day to my 2019 reading list.
2. Wonder When You'll Miss Me, Amanda Davis - This has been on my bookshelf for a decade. I loved it, although I wish that I read it as a teenager or young adult. It's about exploring your identity, and not letting a tragedy define you - definitely topics that could have helped me as a teenager.
3. The Nix, Nathan Hill - I've seen this on many lists of "great" books of the last decade, and I wouldn't go that far, but I did enjoy it very much. There's a lot to love; the characters are well-written, the plot is very intricate and detailed, and it deals with a lot of present day issues (obsessive gaming, the "me too" movement, political strife).
4. Unqualified, Anna Faris - Not great. Faris admittedly is not a writer. I was hoping that her loveliness and natural humor would show through, but it falls very flat. Her advice is often disturbing, and I think she still needs to work through some of her own shit before advising others (which again, she admits and is why her book is titled "unqualified").
5. The Immortalists, Chloe Benjamin - Really wonderful book about family, destiny, and living life to your fullest. It turns in so many unexpected ways, and fully embraces its characters - flaws and all. I wasn't a huge fan of how it ended, but I'm not sure it would have made sense any other way.
6. Under the Skin, Michel Faber - I loved this movie, and I was a little bit nervous about reading the book because I thought for some reason that it would ruin the movie for me. But it's soooo different from the movie in the most wonderful of ways. It's darker, and funnier, and somehow weirder. I highly recommend it for anyone who is into feminist sci-fi (which is 95% of sci-fi, in case you're confused).
7. The Girl in Alfred Hitchcock's Shower, Robert Graysmith - I don't really read a lot of True Crime, but with the added tidbits about Hitchcock and the making of Psycho, this was really interesting. It was a little slow-moving for my taste, and I thought there was going to be more of a "connection", so I was left feeling disappointed.
8. What Alice Forgot, Liane Moriarty - I could picture this as a Lifetime movie (I'm sure it's already in the process of being made). I enjoyed it but it's a little bit elitist - privileged woman falls and suddenly can't remember who she is, and guess what? She discovers that she's an elitist, privileged bitch. This is her journey into remembering how she got that way and how she can change her life (or if she even wants to change her life).
9. My Life on the Road, Gloria Steinem - I've read a lot about Gloria Steinem, but not much of her own writing. I enjoyed reading about Steinem's lectures, the people that she met that influenced her, the reflections on her similarities to her father, etc. She's a legend.
10. The Illustrated Man, Ray Bradbury - Obviously wonderful. This was a first read for me (I've read most of Bradbury's work before, but it was 20 years ago). It's so interesting to see how much Bradbury has influenced the wave of current story-tellers. I felt like every short story has been adapted for screen in some way (even in the most subtle ways). It's like when you watch a Dramatic film and it all hearkens back to Shakespeare (or Greek mythology).
11. Leviathan Wakes, James S. A. Corey - I love The Expanse t.v. show so much. It's just a really fun sci-fi show with great characters and a lot of depth to its story. I was going to wait until the series was over to start reading the books but I'm too impatient. I was really interested to see how they adapted it. The book is very similar to season one - but I think I prefer the show better because I think the characters are a bit more fun.
12. The Nest, Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney - Another elitist story about privileged people and this one involves money! I do like all of the characters and the family dynamic, but it's hard to feel bad for rich people (or people arguing about a family "nest").
13. Killers of the Flower Moon, David Grann - Another True Crime book, but this one is really, really interesting. I knew nothing about the Osage murders, and I don't think the average person does. But it's an embarrassing stain in American history (we have many). This book explores not only the murders, but the Osage family line, the birth of the FBI, and the details still being discovered about the murders that are still being covered up.
14. The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller - First, I'm soooo angry that I didn't do this first. I always thought that someone should do an updated, "easier" version of The Iliad. I spent many months in high school translating it from the original Latin to see the differences that I discovered compared to the boring old men (sorry, but true) that did the original translations. Second, I'm glad that a woman did it because she could see the beauty and subtlety in the love stories and make them more obvious so others can grasp it. Third, I can't wait to read Circe.
15. I've Got You Under my Skin, Mary Higgins Clark - I used to love Mary Higgins Clark when I was a teenager. I thought I would give it a shot to see if it was something that still interest me, but unfortunately it was not good. It was very predictable and honestly, I can't even remember what it's about (I read it in the beginning of 2018). I still think she's great - and influential to so many stories about strong women surviving trauma and/or solving crimes, but my tastes have evolved.
16. The Martian Chronicles, Ray Bradbury - Again, obviously wonderful. I read this when I was a teenager, and I loved it, but I love it even more now. I have a deeper appreciation for sci-fi now.
17. Blowing My Cover: My Life as a CIA Spy, Lindsay Moran - I've always been interested in spy stories, and at one time dreamt of being recruited. This definitely makes me happy that I never was. I enjoyed reading her story, but it saddens me that Moran quit because she started to question the actions of our government after 9/11. I feel like we needed people like her to stay.
18. The Silent Wife, A.S.A Harrison - Very predictable, but I did like how the story split between the two perspectives. It's another Lifetime movie quality book. I actually think I read that Nicole Kidman was attached to the script which is surprising, but maybe they can make the movie a little bit more nuanced.
19. Before the Fall, Noah Hawley - My favorite book that I've read this year (aside from the Bradbury ones - because that's kind of a given). Hawley is a great story-teller. I can see this as a mini-series, so I'm a bit disappointed that he's looking into adapting it into a film instead. I think that's a big mistake because there is sooooo much story to tell between all the different characters. Each character could have their own episode. Anyway, I genuinely enjoyed reading every second of it, and I bought The Good Father to read this coming year.
20. The Idiot Girls' Action Adventure Club, Laurie Notaro - Funny, cute, another one that I wish I read when I was younger. It's a bit too contrived and one-note, with her being such a "mess", but overall I thought it was enjoyable to read.
21. Altered Carbon, Richard K. Morgan - If I didn't watch the series, I don't think I would have any idea what was going on. It's interesting to see how it was adapted, because a lot of it doesn't make sense - and it's hard to follow, but the series is pretty good (a little slow, and some questionable acting, but the plot is solid).
22. Talking as Fast as I Can, Lauren Graham - I adore Lauren Graham - not so much from Gilmore Girls, but from Parenthood. I did love GG, but not as much as most fans. I wish this book was more about her life, and not her life on the set of GG, but she's still a great writer. I think her personality shines through, and that's something that's hard to do.
23. The Moth Presents: All These Wonders, Catherine Burns - Really cool idea. I've never heard about The Moth before, but I'm intrigued. I would love to go to a show. I like that it's just very natural story-telling. It's easy reading, and some of the stories will stick with me for life. I absolutely hated the second to last story though (it actually made me sick to my stomach and ruined the whole experience for me, but I'm trying to get over it).
24. Unexpected Gifts, Katie McAndrews-McNeill - The author is my ex-boss and I absolutely adore her. This is the story of what happened to her life and the choices she made after her sister died. She's always given me great advice, and seems to truly enjoy every single moment of her life (like she's a genuinely happy person - it's incredible. She's also extremely privileged - but she acknowledges this all the time). I loved reading her story, but I'm a bit biased.
25. The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neil Gaiman - This was definitely a great introduction to Gaiman's writing (I've never read any of his work before, but I have American Gods on my list for next year - the book and the series). This is a beautiful, poetic story - it's a modern day mythological tale (and I love mythologies) about how children perceive their surroundings.
No comments:
Post a Comment