Sally's book list – best of 2014
Fiction:
The Rosie Project, by Graeme Simsion (AF). What a great way to start the new year. This book was delightful, and I read it
nearly non-stop. Main character, Don
Tillman, is one of those sweet, clueless guys that you fall in love with – even
though you’d probably not like him much without being privy to his interior
life. He’s a college professor in
genetics, an undiagnosed Aspie, and a guy who’s gotten used to loneliness. When he embarks on the “Wife Project”,
starting with a questionnaire, and with the help of his only friends – one a
psychologist – you get to follow him on a journey toward love. Very sweet and appealing story.
Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard, Volume 2 (series creator David
Petersen) I picked this up, intrigued by
the illustrations, and ended up reading the entire thing. I’d totally buy this for grandkids – if I had
any. This is a graphic novel for kids;
starts as a bunch of mice sitting around a tavern telling stories. And each story is illustrated by a different
cartoonist. Intricate details and “I’d
like to live there” settings. Great
characters exhibiting different aspects of courage, compassion, family loyalty. Whoa!
Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain (AF). Read this one for book club, and I’m so glad
I did. It’s the original coming-of-age
account, but really, it’s an amazing look at American racism written 20 years
after the end of the Civil War. Huck, a
young boy, and Jim, an adult male, travel down the Mississippi River on a raft,
and the realities of Jim’s life emerge time and time again. I read this, as did most Americans, when I
was a teenager, and to read it again as an adult, in 2014 is very illuminating. Jim’s fear is legitimate, as the dangers he
faces include death, torture, and imprisonment.
So Huck, and later Tom, are able to involve him in their “adventures”,
and he has no recourse except to go along with them. This is also a very funny book – loved the
Duke and King’s garbled Shakespeare – and a good adventure. Very thought-provoking, and it’s clear why
this is a classic.
Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman (AF). Picked this up on a whim as it was returned
to the Moscow library with a comment.
It’s pure Gaiman. Great language
and dialogue, appealing characters (the main character is especially wonderful,
the sweet innocent young man thrust into a world that he literally doesn’t
recognize.), and the story pulls you along as Richard Mayhew, acting on a
humanitarian impulse, falls into the underworld of London, where danger and
confusion rule the day. A good fantasy
read.
Tatiana, by Martin Cruz Smith (AF). When I’m in the mood for a good story, with
great characters, suspense, and a sense of place (Russia) I can always count on
Martin Cruz Smith. Number 10 in the
Arkady Renko series, this is one of his best.
The main character this time is a journalist, Tatiana, whose courage in
unearthing corporate and governmental corruption is legendary, and who involves
not only Renko, but his adopted son, Zhenya, three homeless kids on the coast
of the Black Sea, and, of course, his colleague, Victor. A good read.
Summertime, All the Cats are Bored, by Philippe Georget (AF). Described as a perfect beach read, this
French mystery is also perfect to read when it’s snowing outside and the
thought of summer heat is appealing. I
do like police procedurals, and especially liked this one, as it included
delicious glimpses of a home life that involved good eating, love-making
between husband and wife, and family life.
(I have no idea what the title means, however!)
Lost Memory of Skin, by Russell Banks (AF). Mixed feelings about this one. I’ve read other Russell Banks books, and
they’re always a bit grueling. This one
centers on a young man who is a registered sex offender. Not a pleasant topic. And in this social environment, sex offenders
are generally pariahs. But as this story
unfolds it becomes clear that this guy is a victim. Neglected by his single
mom, he discovers internet porn at an early age, and it ends up destroying his
life – first by getting him kicked out of the army (he gathers 20 porn dvds for
his fellow soldiers, then gets busted for trafficking them), then by following
someone on a chat site who turns out to be a 14-year-old girl. After a year long prison term, he becomes
homeless, as he is forbidden to live within a few feet from any place where
kids congregate. This book is less an
indictment of the porn industry and more an indictment of our society - in which we are able to just throw away any
citizen who is not deemed worthy – either by virtue of their poverty, or, as we
define it, their character. Huge, complex,
this book is not for everyone, but it tells an important story about us –
American society – through the lens of a character we know throughout only as
“The Kid”.
Cinder, by Marissa Meyer (YAF). Wow.
What good fluff! I read this
nearly non-stop. I love retold fairy tales,
and this Cinderella story, with Cinder as an Asian cyborg who works as a
mechanic, was compelling throughout.
Apparently, for readers who are manga fans, this was not new territory,
but it was for me. Good strong female
character!
The Guts, by Roddy Doyle (AF).
Wow! Beautiful, funny, sad – this
book written nearly all in dialogue and the inner thoughts of the main
character, Jimmy Rabbinette – is a follow-up to the Commitments, 30 years
later. Jimmy is 47, married with 4 kids,
and a recent diagnosis of cancer. It
could be maudlin, but instead is fierce, funny, and hugely loving. Here’s a bit from a Sunday Times review: “The
characters are all so warm and funny and irritable, so brimming with rude life
that this novel about illness and death never manages to become morbid…Reading
The Guts is like catching up with old friends.”
Can you tell I loved this book?
The Plover, by Brian Doyle (AF). God, the language. Poetry so good I read part of it for a poetry
reading at the UU raft trip.
Flight Behavior, by Barbara Kingsolver (AF). Loved this one! A novel about climate change and love. And particularly enjoyed the advice about red
state/blue state communication, using vivid characters.
The Hundred-Foot Journey, by Richard C Morais (AF). Lovely book!
I picked it up because of Anthony Bourdain’s comment: “Easily the best
novel ever set in the world of cooking.”
Food porn, great characters, travel.
And now it’s a movie, starring Helen Mirran.
Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
(AF). A book to savor. Beautifully written novel about Nigerian
immigrants, so wise and brave you just want to stay with them forever. Full of insights about race, relationships,
first love, and the special challenges that immigrants face.
The gone-away World, by Nick Harkaway (AF).
What a trip! This book was about
the end of the world (well, most of it, anyway), ninjas, true love, coming of
age…… The author is the son of John le Carre, so he grew up with story; he
knows how to write. Most of the joy of
this book is the language; most of the frustrations of this book are the many,
lengthy digressions. It took me until
halfway through this book to get into it, and I stayed with it because of the
really appealing characters. From the
Guardian: “Hits exactly a note of dazed and comic awesomeness.” Carve out some time for this one!
Tigerman,
by Nick Harkaway (AF). Another one by my
current favorite author. This is his
latest, and as he ages (and became a dad as well), his topics deepen and
darken. This one encapsulated so much of
what we routinely talk about at the peace vigils – what do do when things go
completely to shit. In this case, it's
the aftermath of an environmental catastrophe, and the beginning of a violent
response – all thwarted by one man's brave, creative, crazy action. It's a love response, and that's really all
that can give us hope.
The Secret Place,
by Tana French (AF). This is nearly a
perfect book. A continuation of French's
Dublin murder squad series, this police procedural starts with a murder in a
posh girls' school, and then involves a great police pairing – the angry, smart
(well, all of French's characters are smart), caustic female, and the sensitive
young man who becomes her partner – his Watson to her Sherlock, bringing in his
considerable people skills. The story
shifts back and forth from pre-murder to post, the language is
extraordinary. Altogether a very
satisfying read.
If not for
This, by Pete Fromm
(AF). Amazingly beautiful book. Love story, family saga. Fromm wrote almost the entire book from the
perspective of the female character, and only once did something not ring
true. But the marriage at the center of
this story is one of the best I've read.
Heartbreaking at the end - in a good way.
How to Build a Girl, by Caitlin Moran (AF).
To quote Lena Dunham, “I have so much love for Caitlin Moran”. Moran's first novel (apparently the first of
three!), we first meet main character, Johanna, lying in bed masturbating next
to her sleeping 10-year-old brother.
Johanna is 14, fat and funny-looking, lives in poverty in England with
her parents and siblings and is
desperate to get out. So she reinvents
herself as Dolly Wilde, gets a job in London reviewing music for a magazine,
and embarks on what she sees as adult behavior – lots of drugs, cigs, and
sex. Funny and wise, this novel of
self-discovery is just what you'd expect from the author of How to be a Woman. Can't wait for the further adventures!
Elizabeth is Missing, by Emma Healey (AF).
Narrator is an elderly woman with Alzheimers and the story moves forward
and back to a time when Maud and her sister Sukey lived near each other in
post-war England. There's a mystery at
the center that is complicated by Maud's spotty memory. An amazing tale, told by a young author.
Nonfiction:
Walking it off, by Doug Peacock (ANF). This book is essentially a collection of
essays (memoir, actually) spanning the time from the 1970’s Vietnam war to the
present. Peacock devotes a lot of his
attention to stories about his friend, Edward Abbey, and their shared love of
wilderness and anger at the destruction of same. He also describes his PTSD following some
really harrowing experiences in Vietnam, and the fact that it took him most of
his life to, as he said, walk away from the war. “…twenty-five years of war-related rage is too
much. It takes a toll. The war lasted too long.”. Well worth a read for so many reasons. Peacock is a worthy heir to Abbey.
Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw, by Will Ferguson (ANF). Read this one because I so enjoyed his novel 419.
Ferguson is well-known in Canada as a travel writer and humorist, and
this book is very funny in places and a very appealing look at Canada, as he
travels from Vancouver Island to the eastern coast of Newfoundland. Ferguson’s home base is Calgary, but he has
lived and traveled throughout the country and makes the places come alive. I especially want to go to the east coast;
the towns and villages sound like Ireland, with similar accents and attitudes. Great writing!
They were Soldiers: How the Wounded Return from America’s
Wars – the Untold Story, by Ann Jones (ANF).
This is a short book – but packed with substance – stories and facts
about America’s “warriors”. Written by a
70-plus-year-old woman, whose father was a war veteran and victim of 60 years
of PTSD – Jones follows the arc from death – and those who take care of the
mangled bodies – to injury – a grueling look at some of the most horrifying
injuries caused by bombs – to the psychic injuries that afflict our returning
soldiers. The stories are what make this
book work. Read it. Find out what we’re doing when we send our
boys and girls overseas to “protect us”.
And weep.
Liar’s Poker, by Michael Lewis (ANF). Loved this book. Am haunted by this book. In it, Lewis describes the extent of the
greed that flourishes in an unregulated economy. Written in the mid-80’s Lewis gives an
account of his work at Salomon Brothers when he was hired to be a trader in his
mid 20’s. He describes his lack of
training or experience, but showed how he was able to make good money for
himself (and for his company) by dint of intelligence and a willingness to
gamble with other people’s money. I
think the most startling moments occurred in the book when he described how
these gamblers started to play around with other people’s mortgages. And we all know how that turned out! Anyway, a great history of the years leading
up to the crash of 2008. Anyone still
think Reagan was a great president????
Kitchen Counter Cooking
School, by Kathleen
Flinn (ANF). So there’s this chef who
notices that women no longer know how to cook.
So she organizes a series of classes for essentially beginner cooks,
starting with home visits in which she explores their food pantries and asks
each one of them to fix her a meal. This
is a fun read. As someone who grew up
cooking, then got talked into thinking that it was a chore and too difficult, I
can relate to the anxieties of these women who learn how to take produce and
meat and turn them into meals. Very
empowering and illuminating as they discover how really easy cooking is and how
much better everything tastes when you do it yourself using raw ingredients.
Elsewhere: A Memoir, by Richard Russo (ANF). One of my favorite novelists tackles the
memoir, an exploration of his life with his mom. Russo, born in 1949 in a small town in
upstate NY, was raised by a single mom, who early on became dependent on her
only child. She followed him to college
in Arizona, and for the rest of her life she and her son were locked in a cycle
of her dependency and his (as he only came to realize after her death)
co-dependent behaviors. This book was
often infuriating, as mom became entwined with Russo, his wife and daughters,
so extremely needy that it’s hard to imagine how their marriage survived. Anyway, wonderfully written and so
compassionate.
Short Nights of the
Shadow Catcher: The
Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis, by Timothy Egan
(ANF). Egan’s a wonderful writer, and
this book (which I read for a book club) tells a great story. Curtis was driven to record the vanishing
life of America’s natives, and he worked like a demon for 30 years, essentially
giving up everything else in his quest.
He left behind a treasure trove of photographs and recordings western of
native Americans that are invaluable.
Should be required reading for all Americans – maybe especially as we
ponder immigration.
The Divide, by Matt Taibbi (ANF). Taibbi’s work for the last few years has been
to ask why banksters who commit crimes are too big to jail. Then he noticed that crime statistics have
been falling, poverty rates have been rising, and prison rates have been going
through the roof. Doesn’t make
sense. This book is about the divide
between rich and poor in our legal system – poor people being jailed for minor
offenses (riding a bike on the sidewalk, obstructing pedestrian traffic on a
deserted street, etc), while rich people can commit massive fraud with no
penalty at all. In fact, oftentimes
bonuses. This book should be required
reading for all of us – especially our legislators. As important a work as Nickel and Dimed was
10 years ago!
I Promise not to Suffer, by Gail Storey (ANF).
“Wild” with more heart. Husband
and wife on a trek through the Pacific Crest Trail.
Never
look a polar bear in the eye, by Zac Unger (ANF). This book was
disturbing. I've always thought I was flexible enough to be willing to
have my point of view changed, but it turns out that Unger is even more
so! He started out as a committed environmentalist, and his concerns took
him and his family to Churchill, Manitoba to spend time with polar bears.
While there, he spoke with a number of scientists, fellow enviro-tourists, and
the citizens of the town, and found that, while there certainly is, in the
scientific community, a strong consensus that global warming is real, there are
differences in approach and conclusions about some of the details of the
changes. Like, are polar bears really going to be extinct soon? Is
the study of bears hurting or harming them? And do eco-tourists make
things better or worse with their travels? Altogether a satisfying
read. Unger is an amiable host, and I especially loved his account of his
4-year-old son's energy and enthusiasm for "the polars".
#newsfail,
by Jamie Kilstein and Allison Kilkenny (ANF).
Smart, funny, audacious, and relentlessly left-wing. These two young people, who started Citizen
Radio from a tiny apartment, and moved on to interviewing all the most
intriguing and courageous journalists have written a brilliant expose of the
state of American media.
A Deadly Wandering, by Matt Richtel (ANF).
The story within this book is of 19 year old Reggie Shaw, who while
texting and driving, killed 2 people in a head-on collision. The book explores the legal battle that
ensued, and perhaps more importantly, looks at the neurology of
multi-tasking. Wonderfully written, this
book should be read by all of us.
Just Mercy,
by Bryan Stevenson (ANF). Desmond Tutu
calls Stevenson, “...American's young Nelson Mandela”, as he tackles horrendous
injustice in Alabama. This book would be
unbearably sad if not for the tone and hope of its author. Stevenson works for condemned prisoners, and
relates case after case of people – mostly black men- on death row or jailed as
juveniles who get stuck in the penal system.
The author was recently interviewed on the Daily Show, so this book and
these issues are very likely to get attention and result in changes for the
people suffering under a medieval system in the American south. Alabama – worse than Texas.....
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