Books read in 2016
Jan. 1st, 2017 10:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sonoranrn1.Life after Life by Kate Atkinson — I found the premise interesting. Ursula lives her life over and over again, making different choices, with just the barest hints of memories of lives past. I was curious what the ultimate end would be, what the "perfect life" looked like. I also enjoyed seeing how different things were with just a little change here and there. And how mistakes were made, just different ones. It was an interesting look on life. I very much enjoyed it.
2.The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King — I listened to this as an audiobook; it is narrated by several different people with King just giving a little intro to each story. Honestly, if it was solely narrated by him I’d have read it in hard copy because, honestly, that man doesn’t read a story well. He can write, for certain, but I learned long ago not to listen to books narrated by him. I enjoyed all the readers for this collection save one; his bad Boston-esque accent was so horrible I had to skip the story. I just couldn’t take it. Anyway, the stories as a whole are, as usual in a collection, good and bad. Overall, I enjoyed it. Good to pass the time while driving.
3.Dirt Work: An Education in the Woods by Christine Byl: This, a memoir about working as a forest ranger, has a strange format. At times, Byl carries along in traditional memoir/bio form, then pops in with a random thought, like a Facebook post almost. Then she'll carry along, then randomly insert a whole section about a particular tool. I found it a little too scattered for my taste. Overall, I enjoyed what I read, I just didn't always love the layout.
4.Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage by Elizabeth Gilbert: I uncharacteristically found myself underlining and noting thing in the book itself, which is a sign of how much it was affecting me. I found Gilbert’s thoughts on marriage, as well as the historical and varied cultural information she presents, fascinating. The book is pretty much her talking herself into entering into marriage again, which was something I appreciated very much while reading it.
5.The Drunken Botanist: The Plants that Create the World’s Best Drinks by Amy Stewart: I read this as an e-book, which I don’t recommend. It’s a good resource, for both drink recipes and horticulture tips, so I kind of wish I had a hard copy to put on a shelf somewhere. (I don’t think it’s quite good enough to prompt me to buy a copy, but I would recommend future readers do so.)
6.How To Be A Woman by Caitlan Moran: I rather liked this. Moran has great thoughts on feminism, the vast majority I agree with. I think what I appreciated most was her “don’t do this! Unless you want to!” attitude. (Ex. “Women shouldn’t cram their feet into ridiculous heels. Unless THEY want to wear ridiculous heels.”) Oftentimes, I find feminist writings to be dictatorial (the whole “femi-nazi” thing) and I appreciate that she leaves space for women to be their own people. Additionally, Caitlan is very, very funny. I laughed out loud several times while reading this (which garnered strange looks at the airport). Her work is very approachable and readable. Recommended.
7.Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson: I have totally fallen for Jenny Lawson. I thought her first book hilariously funny and, in fact, gave a copy to a friend and coworker who reported needing a good book (and a good laugh). In this book, Lawson faces her mental illness head-on with fantastic results. Her humor is less about being self-deprecating (though it may seem that at firsrt) and more about being accepting of her illness and her less than “ideal” life. She is very open and honest and very, very funny. I laughed, I got a little emotional, and I found myself very comforted. It is unsurprising to me that she has such a loyal following. I follow her blog and do hope she continues to write books.
8.As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes: I rarely listen to audiobooks read by the author, but I thought this would be a good exception since Elwes is an actor. I was not wrong. I honestly cannot imagine anyone else doing the reading and, in fact, am quite certain I enjoyed it more as an audiobook than I would have reading it myself. Elwes speaks from the heart; you can easily hear how much this movie and these people meant to him. His stories are touching and funny and his vocal impressions are fantastic. Obviously I recommend this most strongly to fans of the movie, but it is a delightful listen. There are times it is a bit repetitive, but overall I really enjoyed it.
9.Un Lun Dun by China Mieville: I just love books like this. Creative, quirky, and silly at times, I found it delightful. Un Lun Dun is, in fact, UnLondon, an alternate city which is made almost entirely of “moil”, the unwanted, outdated, and discarded bits and things of London. It is under threat of Smog, which also seems over from polluted London, and must be saved. **very mild spoiler** The big difference between this and similar tales is that it is NOT the “chosen one” who undertakes the saving of the city but her “funny sidekick”. Mieville really flexes his imagination for this and the results are great fun.
10.Black Rain: 15 Dark Tales by J.R. Rain: Ooof. This was, at times, incredibly trying to get through. Rain really doesn’t present anything new in these stories which, while dark, are far from “black”, IMO. So much is trite and overdone that I found myself slogging through a lot of the stories. I intentionally only have one ebook on my phone (my primary e-reader) at a time and that is probably the only reason I finished this; I suspect I’d have given up on the text version early on. This was my first exposure to Rain’s work and I’m not all that excited to explore anything else by him.
11.Geek Love by Katherine Dunn: This was a re-read for me as a book club selection. While I didn’t really remember the plot going back into it, I did recall loving it the first time around. While I enjoyed it this time, I didn’t love it. Dunn explores carnival/freak show life, individuality, family, and cults. Her character development is excellent, the storyline interesting, and I am looking forward to discussing the novel at our meeting. At times, however, her writing can be clunky and plot can drag; the first half of the book was a bit of slow going.
12.The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: I enjoyed this. A sweet story about a girl struggling with a illness and her bonds with those suffering a similar fate. It's a nice teenager love story, but much more than that, it also really seemed to me to have a firm understanding of teen feelings and thoughts. As a nurse, I greatly appreciated the insight into the minds of ill teens. The "plot twist", as it were, did not come as a particular surprise to me, but that did not lessen my enjoyment. There is a lot of reference to a particular book which I kept meaning to research and see if it actually exists. I almost hope it doesn't, really, as I like the idea of the author almost writing two books at once. I'm now curious about seeing the film version.
13.The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All the Way Home by Catherynne M. Valente: How can it be over?! Oh, Fairyland, I will miss you so. I’m so sad to see the series come to an end. I have fallen totally in love with dear September, her Marid, Wyverary, and wombat, and all the characters, good and not so good, they met in their adventures. Valente’s imagination has no bounds and her tales are delightful. In this, the final fairyland story, September must race against all the previous rulers of Fairyland to preserve her crown. Friendship, as always, prevails, but not without trials and tribulations along the way. A wonderful ending to a delightful series. I’m eager to see what Valente comes up with next.
14.Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed: Sixteen Writers on The Decision Not To Have Kids by Meghan Daum: This was recommended to me by a friend and, while I did not love it as much as she did, I am glad I read it. The decision not to have children is, of course, a highly personal one, yet one that mere acquaintances, and even virtual strangers, feel it is perfectly acceptable to ask about. I found other people’s reasoning interesting, but I think, overall, the fact that there was a perceived need for this book to be compiled was upsetting to me. Ditto on the title, which I feel is very accurate and something many childfree people are accused of being.
15.Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan: I really like Jim Gaffigan as a comedian, so I was looking forward to reading this. Unfortunately, I was absolutely bored to tears and didn't find it funny really at all. It's almost all about his kids which I wasn't expecting in which I have absolutely no interest in. Maybe people with children especially numerous ones would find this funny; I think I just wasn't the right audience.
16.The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka: This was shorter than I was expecting – about half of the copy I had was analysis, which I didn’t read, but also didn’t realize ahead of time. Again, one of those books people read in school and deeply examined; I didn’t, though I think I would have actually enjoyed doing so with this one. The story, itself isn’t bad either, though the whole thing left me rather depressed in the end.
17.The Girl in the Spider’s Web by David Lagercrantz: Written by someone attempting to write in the style of the original three, this didn’t work for me. Lisbeth wasn’t in the story enough and the plot itself was boring for me. I listened to this on audiobook; I doubt I’d have slogged through the whole thing in print.
18.Seductive Poison: A Jonestown Survivor’s Story of Life and Death in the Peoples Temple by Deborah Layton: Another audiobook listen, this one read by a really good narrator. It really felt like I was listening to someone who was there, not someone reading the writings of someone who was there. This is a powerful read/listen, from one of the survivors and key players in the end of Jonestown. Layton really helps the reader see how one winds up in a cult and how hard it can be to get out.
19.Succulent Wild Woman by Sark: I've had this for several years now (!) and kept picking it up and putting it down. For so long it felt kind of cheesy and over the top. Then I reached a point in my life where I needed support and encouragement and WOW, was it just right for that. Sark really speaks to a lot of different points and really made me think a lot about myself and my approach to life.
20.The Secret History by Donna Tartt: Billed as a “psychological thriller”, but I disagree to a point. Psychological – yes. Thriller – not so much, despite the fact that there is a murder and subsequent investigation. I felt it more of a character study, with a ton of character development and interaction and not a whole lot of action. It’s what I think of as a writer’s book, good for analysis and discussion, not so much for the casual read-for-pleasure. All our characters are at a college, studying with a peculiar and particular professor, and their lives become deeply intertwined.
21.The Moonlight Chronicles by Dan Price: An artist shares his “journal”, complete with sketches and whatnot. Journals make me feel like I’m delving into someone’s thoughts and feelings; this made me feel like I was reading his day-to-day life, which I didn’t find very interesting. Also, he seems to think the rules don’t apply to him and that always annoys me.
22.White Apples by Jonathan Carroll: I can't decide if Carroll had a plan all along, or just made things up as he went. It could really go either way. With such a strange, convoluted storyline, it's hard to write a synopsis without giving things away. The main character, Vincent, died and was brought back to life to learn and navigate and save the world? Maybe? He meets and re-meets people, moves back and forth in time, develops special powers. It could be written in a really cheesy way, but wasn't. In the end, I liked it well enough. It's definitely a book that could be deeply probed for depth and inner meaning, but enjoyable just for casual reading, too.
23.Milk Eggs Vodka: Grocery Lists Lost and Found by Bill Keaggy: I glimpse into the world of lost grocery lists and full of bits of random trivia, this had potential. The trivia I liked (though turning the book this way and that to read it in the margins got old) and the lists themselves, at times, were interesting. Keaggy, though, is a jerk. He mocks people at every turn which got old fast.
24.A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab: So I should say upfront that I had to go back to Amazon and glance at the plot description before I remembered this book, which isn’t a great sign. It came back to me quickly enough, but still telling that it didn’t stick with me by title. I listened to it on audiobook, which may explain part of it (I retain better by reading than being read to). The story has multiple Londons, one without magic, one where magic is great and wonderful, one where it is fought over, and there used to be another London, but no one mentions that one. Multiple worlds is far from a new concept, though Schwab manages this fairly well. The story line is fairly predictable – thief stelas from the wrong guy and wounds up having to save his life while he saves hers and they both try to save the world. I think there are better uses of this idea and won’t be finishing the series.
25.Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls by David Sedaris: Sedaris has yet to write anything I haven’t, on the whole, loved, and this collection is no exception. Which means, of course, that my thoughts on it should be taken with a grain of salt. I just love him, his style, his humor, his outlooks. I love how he can be so sentimental and so disturbing and so funny. There are some painfully flinching moment (no spoilers, but the essay on sea turtles was very, very hard for me to read). This was another audiobook, read by the author, which I think added to it enormously.
26.Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink: This was strongly recommended to me by several co-workers. It is a non-fiction book describing the goings-on inside the walls of Memorial Hospital in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. It’s a tough read, at times, but definitely powerful. I’m still mulling it all over in my head, even so many months later.
27.Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan: I listened to this on audio with hopes that it would be similar to listening to Gaffigan’s stand-up. Unfortunately, many jokes were recycled and he sounded pretty bored most of the time. We also differ vastly on our thoughts on food, making this not quite right for me.
28.Marrow by Tarry Fisher: Fisher can be a tough author to love, but she won me over with this book. (No so much Mud Vein, which I read later in the year.) The main character is the daughter of a well-known prostitute and she lives in abusive squalor, her only friend being the paraplegic boy who lives down the road. There’s a pretty major plot twist, which makes any further synopsis difficult. Suffice to say, Fisher tackles some interesting, heavy concepts and ended up with what I found to be a very satisfying read.
29.The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce: This was a fun little read. A man named Fry learns that an old friend is dying in hospice on the other coast of his country, so he, rather randomly, decides to walk to go see her. People begin to glom along, a la Forrest Gump when he was running, and he has to wrestle with no longer being the voice of his own pilgrimage. Intermittently, he communicates with his (very surprised) wife who, in time, begins to expand her own horizons. I enjoyed the story and the deeper themes explored therein.
30.Blaze (or Love in the Time of the Supervillans) by Laurie Boyle Crompton: I honestly don’t remember much about this except the main character drew comics. I vaguely recall it being young-adult and very girl-power oriented. Clearly, it didn’t make a huge impression.
31.When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris: Again, I am a poor reviewer due to my ridiculous fan-girl love for David Sedaris. I will say that if you are interested in the work and can listen to him read it, you totally should.
32.Space at the Table: Conversations Between an Evangelical Theologian and His Gay Son by Brad & Drew Harper: This was quite the interesting read. The book moves back and forth between gay son and evangelical father. Both have their own solid opinions on the matter, of course. The father clearly had to wrestle with his belief, his Bible, and his love for his son. His son, on the other hand, describes a childhood full of love, but one in which he felt he was wrong for being gay. It works out, thankfully, and father and son have found a way to live and love one another. I imagine it is still difficult for them both, but the book does give one hope.
33.House of Horrors: The Shocking True Story of Anthony Sowell, The Cleveland Strangler by Robert Sberna: Wait, was I supposed to be shocked? I wasn’t shocked. Horrible people do horrible things. Sowell was a rapist and murdered who preyed on prostitutes and drug addicts, knowing they could easily be coerced into his home (with drugs) and that if people did report them missing, the police would write it off as “being off on a bender”. His story is sad and sick, and this is a well-written account, but I certainly wouldn’t say it was a “shocking” story.
34.Tales of the Unspeakable by Kat Ward: A collection of short essays which are mostly about animals, though some stuff about kids tossed in. There’s always some “moral”, sometimes serious, sometimes meant to be amusing. Overall, I was fairly bored. Not recommended.
35.I'm Down by Mishna Wolff: While at times hilarious, most of this was flinchingly disturbing. Wolff had a bizarre childhood, as a very white girl being raised by a white man who lived and acted and tried to raise his daughter "black". Wolff struggles to fit in, but is clearly uncomfortable being pushed to try and be someone she isn't. I found her father's behavior bizarre and, at times, very cruel. It would be interesting to hear his side of this story. I quite enjoyed this; definitely different from any other memoir I've read before.
36.The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson: Caleb and Camille Fang do just that - create odd situations so they can watch the reactions of others. This is their art. When they have children, they begin to involve them as well, treating them more like components of their work rather than their own blood. This, naturally, messes the kids up pretty badly. An interesting concept, but the book could have used some editing; I had to slog through the last 75 pages.
37.Doctor Sleep by Stephen King: And here we have it, finally, after so many years – the sequel to King’s The Shining. I listened to it on audio (thankfully NOT read by him) and it was, if nothing else, long. It was recommended to me, but I think my affinity for King’s work has faded. There were some interesting concepts – King is good for that – but overall I didn’t love it.
38.Secret Agents: The Menace of Emerging Infections by Madeline Drexler: I have to admit, I’ve forgotten this one. I’ve read several books in the same vein and always enjoy them, out of basic epidemiology and virology-based curiosity. This one didn’t quite stand out in my head, though. They all wind up being pretty much the same, so you have to like the subject matter.
39.Red Queen by Christina Henry: This is the sequel to Alice, which is a very dark twisted form of the original Wonderland book. I adored the first one. This one picks up right where the first left off and carries on in a more mystery-like vein than the first. I still really enjoy Henry’s dark take on familiar characters. If the series continues, I’m definitely on board.
40.The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien: **10 out of 10 stars** This is the second book of O'Brien's that I have read and I think it's just brilliant. He really gives a personal view of Vietnam -- the people, the realities, the impact. The day-to-day stuff and the big, impactful moments. He is a compelling, talented writer. It is so very clear that the War changed him; one cannot help but wonder what he would have been like had he not been drafted. I am not one for war stories. It isn't my preferred topic by any means. This goes pretty high up on my recommended books list, though, due to the strength of the writing.
41.I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley: A collection of personal essays about the author’s life as a young woman in New York City. I normally really enjoy this type of book, but this one didn’t work for me. I think it's because I didn't particularly like the author. I couldn't relate to her, I didn't find her funny, in fact I found her a little bitchy.
42.Mud Vein by Tarryn Fisher: A whodunit, of a sort. Our main character and her friend/doctor are kidnapped and locked in a strange house with strange furnishings in the middle of nowhere. The book progresses, in a way, as one would expect: they try to escape, to figure out why they're there, to survive. In the end, they learn a great deal about themselves and one another and their relationship is forever changed, as to be expected. It sounds formulaic and I suppose the basic plot is. I didn't love it. I finished it to find out who locked them in the house together, but that's really the only reason. I didn't find myself with strong feelings about either of the characters.
43.We All Fall Down: Living with Addiction by Nic Sheff: A medicore writer’s memoir about addiction and recovery. There are better books on the subject, IMO.
44.The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood : I finally got around to reading this classic feminist, dystopian tale. It is a quiet book – not a lot of action; the resistance is still underground and in relative infancy, which is a refreshing approach compared to more recently written dystopia. I liked it, but didn’t love it.
45.We Should Hang Out Sometime: Embarrassingly, a True Story by Josh Sundquist: A man who never had a girlfriend growing up hunts down his former love interests and asks them why it didn’t work out. It has some moments of feeling a little stalker-esqu, but my main issue was that it was just boring to me. The author has an interesting history (lost his leg to cancer at a very young age, was homeschooled by what sound like very conservative Christian parents, and grew up to become a paralympiad and motivational speaker) – I would have been more interested in the rest of his life than his failed relationships. Though, in the end, the message is a good one: there’s nothing wrong with you.
46. Of Chiles, Caci, and Fighting Cocks: Notes on the American West by Frederick W. Turner: As seems to always be the case with collections of short stories and/or essays, there are some I love, some I think are okay, and one or two that do nothing for me. Turner is a fine writer. His descriptions are beautifully written and he has captured a great deal of my feelings about Southwest. The book is slightly dated at some points (having been written in 1990); it would be interesting to hear his thoughts now.
47.Everything Lovely, Effortless, Safe by Jenny Hollowell: Birdie is the child of evangelical parents and finally decides she's going to move to Hollywood and become famous. A decent enough story of trying to make it big in the big city. Fictional, but plausible.
48.The Fireman by Joe Hill: Got this on audiobook at a friend’s suggestion. No way would I have made it through the whole thing. This beast is long – Hill is definitely his father’s son in that regard. Brief synopsis: the world has been beset by a viral-plaguey-kind of thing (we find out more about it as we progress, of course) which, occasionally, makes people burst into flames. So we have the infected and the not-infected, some of who, of course, want to wipe the infected from the planet. The Dragonscale itself was a cool enough concept, but Hill seemed to not be able to decide just what it actually was, in the end. That is the crux of my issue with the book. Everything had to happen. Whatever idea he had, it went into the book, which made it way-the-hell too long and too confusing. I stuck it out strictly for tenacity’s sake. By the end I didn’t care about anyone or anything, I just wanted it to be over. (And, it must be said, Hill clearly didn’t talk to a single person to clarify any of the medical stuff that happens in the book. Which is profoundly annoying.)
49.Renting Lacy: A Story of America’s Prostituted Childrenby Linda Smith: I listened to this on audio and, yet again, probably wouldn’t have finished it otherwise. Smith’s book is great for those who refuse to accept the reality of sex slavery in the US. I didn’t hear anything shocking, though I was quite saddened for a large portion of the book. An excellent eye-opener for those who need it; not so much for those already aware of the problem.
50.In the Wolf’s Mouth by Adam Foulds: Another one I had to look up to be reminded of. It’s the story of two brothers and two men involved in organized crime at the end of World War II. It’s set in Africa and Sicily and as the story evolves, we see how these four men become entangled in the same tale. I’m not much for war stories, so it’s not quite my genre, but I do like tales being told with alternating narrators, and this did a fair job in that regard.
51.The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer: So I love Amy Schumer to little fan-girl bits. I was expecting this to be funny – like a book of her stand-up – but it is really heavy at times. Schumer pulls no punches, covering topics such as abusive relationships, eating disorders, rape, family drama, being an introvert, etc. It’s hard to read sometimes and I really rode a roller-coaster of emotions throughout the whole thing. Yeah, she’s trashy and brassy and balls-to-the-wall feminist (ovaries to the wall?), but that’s to be expected. She also shows her softer, vulnerable side, which makes this so powerful. I only hold back on giving it the 10/10 designation because I don’t trust my fangirl opinion that much. Oh, and if you can listen to Schumer read it herself – DO.
52.The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison: As stories go, the plot here is pretty straight-forward. Psycho-crazy guy abducts girls to keep all for himself and the main character, Ms. Tough Bitch, must save herself and all the other girls. There’s some nuances and whatnot, but that’s the long and short of it. Nothing complicated, nothing surprising, except for a twist at the end that almost made me hate the whole book. But not enough to not recommend it for those who like the psychological-thriller, girl-overcomes-crazy-man obstacle. (And dude is super-crazy.) Whatever you do, DON’T listen to this in audiobook. The narrator (at least for the Audible version) is horrible. Everytime he tried to read for the main character, I kept thinking, “She would NOT say it like that!”
53.Another Day in the Frontal Lobe: A Brain Surgeon Exposes Life on the Inside by Katrina Firlik: A straight-forward but fascinating look at neurosurgery. Firlik is knowledgeable and easy to comprehend, though I’d keep a computer at hand to look up some of the funky stuff she talks about.
54.Sacre Bleu: A Comedy d’Art by Christopher Moore: Moore is so damn clever I can’t stand it and MAN did he do some heavy art research for this book. My art history is limited, so I know I didn’t get ALL the jokes, but I did get some. In the story, Bleu is a supernatural being and a color who, along with an ancient gnome, creates more color (and thereby keeps Bleu alive) by destroying artists. There’s far more too it and the story is a great romp through art and history with loads of paintings and sex and syphilis to go round. Recommended, even for those who don’t know much about art.
55.Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard: So, another overtold YA dystopian society story done fairly well. Our main character is a poor, lowly Red who steals from the wrong person and finds herself enmeshed in political drama. She is supposed to not have the powers that the Silver-blooded people of the world do but, of course, she does, which causes all kinds of chaos. It’s a very “trust no one” kind of story. The world is similar enough to ours, though all technology is reserved for the Silvers and the Reds have to make due with the cast-offs. (Think the Capital in the Hunger Games trilogy.) Of course there’s the obligatory love triangle as well. I enjoyed it well enough to carry on to the sequel, but there really isn’t too much new here.
56.The Tent, The Bucket, and Me: My Family’s Disastrous Attempts to go Camping in the 70s by Emma Kennedy: Talk about tenacity. After the disasters this family goes through year after year, I’d never go camping again. The book is just what it sounds like – a collection of disastrous camping adventures in the 70s in Europe. The tales are horrific and hilarious though, as always, I’m amazed at the apparent memories people have from a young age. Maybe it’s just that trauma sticks with you, I suppose. Good for a laugh, if a slightly appalled one.
2.The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King — I listened to this as an audiobook; it is narrated by several different people with King just giving a little intro to each story. Honestly, if it was solely narrated by him I’d have read it in hard copy because, honestly, that man doesn’t read a story well. He can write, for certain, but I learned long ago not to listen to books narrated by him. I enjoyed all the readers for this collection save one; his bad Boston-esque accent was so horrible I had to skip the story. I just couldn’t take it. Anyway, the stories as a whole are, as usual in a collection, good and bad. Overall, I enjoyed it. Good to pass the time while driving.
3.Dirt Work: An Education in the Woods by Christine Byl: This, a memoir about working as a forest ranger, has a strange format. At times, Byl carries along in traditional memoir/bio form, then pops in with a random thought, like a Facebook post almost. Then she'll carry along, then randomly insert a whole section about a particular tool. I found it a little too scattered for my taste. Overall, I enjoyed what I read, I just didn't always love the layout.
4.Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage by Elizabeth Gilbert: I uncharacteristically found myself underlining and noting thing in the book itself, which is a sign of how much it was affecting me. I found Gilbert’s thoughts on marriage, as well as the historical and varied cultural information she presents, fascinating. The book is pretty much her talking herself into entering into marriage again, which was something I appreciated very much while reading it.
5.The Drunken Botanist: The Plants that Create the World’s Best Drinks by Amy Stewart: I read this as an e-book, which I don’t recommend. It’s a good resource, for both drink recipes and horticulture tips, so I kind of wish I had a hard copy to put on a shelf somewhere. (I don’t think it’s quite good enough to prompt me to buy a copy, but I would recommend future readers do so.)
6.How To Be A Woman by Caitlan Moran: I rather liked this. Moran has great thoughts on feminism, the vast majority I agree with. I think what I appreciated most was her “don’t do this! Unless you want to!” attitude. (Ex. “Women shouldn’t cram their feet into ridiculous heels. Unless THEY want to wear ridiculous heels.”) Oftentimes, I find feminist writings to be dictatorial (the whole “femi-nazi” thing) and I appreciate that she leaves space for women to be their own people. Additionally, Caitlan is very, very funny. I laughed out loud several times while reading this (which garnered strange looks at the airport). Her work is very approachable and readable. Recommended.
7.Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson: I have totally fallen for Jenny Lawson. I thought her first book hilariously funny and, in fact, gave a copy to a friend and coworker who reported needing a good book (and a good laugh). In this book, Lawson faces her mental illness head-on with fantastic results. Her humor is less about being self-deprecating (though it may seem that at firsrt) and more about being accepting of her illness and her less than “ideal” life. She is very open and honest and very, very funny. I laughed, I got a little emotional, and I found myself very comforted. It is unsurprising to me that she has such a loyal following. I follow her blog and do hope she continues to write books.
8.As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes: I rarely listen to audiobooks read by the author, but I thought this would be a good exception since Elwes is an actor. I was not wrong. I honestly cannot imagine anyone else doing the reading and, in fact, am quite certain I enjoyed it more as an audiobook than I would have reading it myself. Elwes speaks from the heart; you can easily hear how much this movie and these people meant to him. His stories are touching and funny and his vocal impressions are fantastic. Obviously I recommend this most strongly to fans of the movie, but it is a delightful listen. There are times it is a bit repetitive, but overall I really enjoyed it.
9.Un Lun Dun by China Mieville: I just love books like this. Creative, quirky, and silly at times, I found it delightful. Un Lun Dun is, in fact, UnLondon, an alternate city which is made almost entirely of “moil”, the unwanted, outdated, and discarded bits and things of London. It is under threat of Smog, which also seems over from polluted London, and must be saved. **very mild spoiler** The big difference between this and similar tales is that it is NOT the “chosen one” who undertakes the saving of the city but her “funny sidekick”. Mieville really flexes his imagination for this and the results are great fun.
10.Black Rain: 15 Dark Tales by J.R. Rain: Ooof. This was, at times, incredibly trying to get through. Rain really doesn’t present anything new in these stories which, while dark, are far from “black”, IMO. So much is trite and overdone that I found myself slogging through a lot of the stories. I intentionally only have one ebook on my phone (my primary e-reader) at a time and that is probably the only reason I finished this; I suspect I’d have given up on the text version early on. This was my first exposure to Rain’s work and I’m not all that excited to explore anything else by him.
11.Geek Love by Katherine Dunn: This was a re-read for me as a book club selection. While I didn’t really remember the plot going back into it, I did recall loving it the first time around. While I enjoyed it this time, I didn’t love it. Dunn explores carnival/freak show life, individuality, family, and cults. Her character development is excellent, the storyline interesting, and I am looking forward to discussing the novel at our meeting. At times, however, her writing can be clunky and plot can drag; the first half of the book was a bit of slow going.
12.The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: I enjoyed this. A sweet story about a girl struggling with a illness and her bonds with those suffering a similar fate. It's a nice teenager love story, but much more than that, it also really seemed to me to have a firm understanding of teen feelings and thoughts. As a nurse, I greatly appreciated the insight into the minds of ill teens. The "plot twist", as it were, did not come as a particular surprise to me, but that did not lessen my enjoyment. There is a lot of reference to a particular book which I kept meaning to research and see if it actually exists. I almost hope it doesn't, really, as I like the idea of the author almost writing two books at once. I'm now curious about seeing the film version.
13.The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All the Way Home by Catherynne M. Valente: How can it be over?! Oh, Fairyland, I will miss you so. I’m so sad to see the series come to an end. I have fallen totally in love with dear September, her Marid, Wyverary, and wombat, and all the characters, good and not so good, they met in their adventures. Valente’s imagination has no bounds and her tales are delightful. In this, the final fairyland story, September must race against all the previous rulers of Fairyland to preserve her crown. Friendship, as always, prevails, but not without trials and tribulations along the way. A wonderful ending to a delightful series. I’m eager to see what Valente comes up with next.
14.Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed: Sixteen Writers on The Decision Not To Have Kids by Meghan Daum: This was recommended to me by a friend and, while I did not love it as much as she did, I am glad I read it. The decision not to have children is, of course, a highly personal one, yet one that mere acquaintances, and even virtual strangers, feel it is perfectly acceptable to ask about. I found other people’s reasoning interesting, but I think, overall, the fact that there was a perceived need for this book to be compiled was upsetting to me. Ditto on the title, which I feel is very accurate and something many childfree people are accused of being.
15.Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan: I really like Jim Gaffigan as a comedian, so I was looking forward to reading this. Unfortunately, I was absolutely bored to tears and didn't find it funny really at all. It's almost all about his kids which I wasn't expecting in which I have absolutely no interest in. Maybe people with children especially numerous ones would find this funny; I think I just wasn't the right audience.
16.The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka: This was shorter than I was expecting – about half of the copy I had was analysis, which I didn’t read, but also didn’t realize ahead of time. Again, one of those books people read in school and deeply examined; I didn’t, though I think I would have actually enjoyed doing so with this one. The story, itself isn’t bad either, though the whole thing left me rather depressed in the end.
17.The Girl in the Spider’s Web by David Lagercrantz: Written by someone attempting to write in the style of the original three, this didn’t work for me. Lisbeth wasn’t in the story enough and the plot itself was boring for me. I listened to this on audiobook; I doubt I’d have slogged through the whole thing in print.
18.Seductive Poison: A Jonestown Survivor’s Story of Life and Death in the Peoples Temple by Deborah Layton: Another audiobook listen, this one read by a really good narrator. It really felt like I was listening to someone who was there, not someone reading the writings of someone who was there. This is a powerful read/listen, from one of the survivors and key players in the end of Jonestown. Layton really helps the reader see how one winds up in a cult and how hard it can be to get out.
19.Succulent Wild Woman by Sark: I've had this for several years now (!) and kept picking it up and putting it down. For so long it felt kind of cheesy and over the top. Then I reached a point in my life where I needed support and encouragement and WOW, was it just right for that. Sark really speaks to a lot of different points and really made me think a lot about myself and my approach to life.
20.The Secret History by Donna Tartt: Billed as a “psychological thriller”, but I disagree to a point. Psychological – yes. Thriller – not so much, despite the fact that there is a murder and subsequent investigation. I felt it more of a character study, with a ton of character development and interaction and not a whole lot of action. It’s what I think of as a writer’s book, good for analysis and discussion, not so much for the casual read-for-pleasure. All our characters are at a college, studying with a peculiar and particular professor, and their lives become deeply intertwined.
21.The Moonlight Chronicles by Dan Price: An artist shares his “journal”, complete with sketches and whatnot. Journals make me feel like I’m delving into someone’s thoughts and feelings; this made me feel like I was reading his day-to-day life, which I didn’t find very interesting. Also, he seems to think the rules don’t apply to him and that always annoys me.
22.White Apples by Jonathan Carroll: I can't decide if Carroll had a plan all along, or just made things up as he went. It could really go either way. With such a strange, convoluted storyline, it's hard to write a synopsis without giving things away. The main character, Vincent, died and was brought back to life to learn and navigate and save the world? Maybe? He meets and re-meets people, moves back and forth in time, develops special powers. It could be written in a really cheesy way, but wasn't. In the end, I liked it well enough. It's definitely a book that could be deeply probed for depth and inner meaning, but enjoyable just for casual reading, too.
23.Milk Eggs Vodka: Grocery Lists Lost and Found by Bill Keaggy: I glimpse into the world of lost grocery lists and full of bits of random trivia, this had potential. The trivia I liked (though turning the book this way and that to read it in the margins got old) and the lists themselves, at times, were interesting. Keaggy, though, is a jerk. He mocks people at every turn which got old fast.
24.A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab: So I should say upfront that I had to go back to Amazon and glance at the plot description before I remembered this book, which isn’t a great sign. It came back to me quickly enough, but still telling that it didn’t stick with me by title. I listened to it on audiobook, which may explain part of it (I retain better by reading than being read to). The story has multiple Londons, one without magic, one where magic is great and wonderful, one where it is fought over, and there used to be another London, but no one mentions that one. Multiple worlds is far from a new concept, though Schwab manages this fairly well. The story line is fairly predictable – thief stelas from the wrong guy and wounds up having to save his life while he saves hers and they both try to save the world. I think there are better uses of this idea and won’t be finishing the series.
25.Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls by David Sedaris: Sedaris has yet to write anything I haven’t, on the whole, loved, and this collection is no exception. Which means, of course, that my thoughts on it should be taken with a grain of salt. I just love him, his style, his humor, his outlooks. I love how he can be so sentimental and so disturbing and so funny. There are some painfully flinching moment (no spoilers, but the essay on sea turtles was very, very hard for me to read). This was another audiobook, read by the author, which I think added to it enormously.
26.Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink: This was strongly recommended to me by several co-workers. It is a non-fiction book describing the goings-on inside the walls of Memorial Hospital in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. It’s a tough read, at times, but definitely powerful. I’m still mulling it all over in my head, even so many months later.
27.Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan: I listened to this on audio with hopes that it would be similar to listening to Gaffigan’s stand-up. Unfortunately, many jokes were recycled and he sounded pretty bored most of the time. We also differ vastly on our thoughts on food, making this not quite right for me.
28.Marrow by Tarry Fisher: Fisher can be a tough author to love, but she won me over with this book. (No so much Mud Vein, which I read later in the year.) The main character is the daughter of a well-known prostitute and she lives in abusive squalor, her only friend being the paraplegic boy who lives down the road. There’s a pretty major plot twist, which makes any further synopsis difficult. Suffice to say, Fisher tackles some interesting, heavy concepts and ended up with what I found to be a very satisfying read.
29.The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce: This was a fun little read. A man named Fry learns that an old friend is dying in hospice on the other coast of his country, so he, rather randomly, decides to walk to go see her. People begin to glom along, a la Forrest Gump when he was running, and he has to wrestle with no longer being the voice of his own pilgrimage. Intermittently, he communicates with his (very surprised) wife who, in time, begins to expand her own horizons. I enjoyed the story and the deeper themes explored therein.
30.Blaze (or Love in the Time of the Supervillans) by Laurie Boyle Crompton: I honestly don’t remember much about this except the main character drew comics. I vaguely recall it being young-adult and very girl-power oriented. Clearly, it didn’t make a huge impression.
31.When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris: Again, I am a poor reviewer due to my ridiculous fan-girl love for David Sedaris. I will say that if you are interested in the work and can listen to him read it, you totally should.
32.Space at the Table: Conversations Between an Evangelical Theologian and His Gay Son by Brad & Drew Harper: This was quite the interesting read. The book moves back and forth between gay son and evangelical father. Both have their own solid opinions on the matter, of course. The father clearly had to wrestle with his belief, his Bible, and his love for his son. His son, on the other hand, describes a childhood full of love, but one in which he felt he was wrong for being gay. It works out, thankfully, and father and son have found a way to live and love one another. I imagine it is still difficult for them both, but the book does give one hope.
33.House of Horrors: The Shocking True Story of Anthony Sowell, The Cleveland Strangler by Robert Sberna: Wait, was I supposed to be shocked? I wasn’t shocked. Horrible people do horrible things. Sowell was a rapist and murdered who preyed on prostitutes and drug addicts, knowing they could easily be coerced into his home (with drugs) and that if people did report them missing, the police would write it off as “being off on a bender”. His story is sad and sick, and this is a well-written account, but I certainly wouldn’t say it was a “shocking” story.
34.Tales of the Unspeakable by Kat Ward: A collection of short essays which are mostly about animals, though some stuff about kids tossed in. There’s always some “moral”, sometimes serious, sometimes meant to be amusing. Overall, I was fairly bored. Not recommended.
35.I'm Down by Mishna Wolff: While at times hilarious, most of this was flinchingly disturbing. Wolff had a bizarre childhood, as a very white girl being raised by a white man who lived and acted and tried to raise his daughter "black". Wolff struggles to fit in, but is clearly uncomfortable being pushed to try and be someone she isn't. I found her father's behavior bizarre and, at times, very cruel. It would be interesting to hear his side of this story. I quite enjoyed this; definitely different from any other memoir I've read before.
36.The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson: Caleb and Camille Fang do just that - create odd situations so they can watch the reactions of others. This is their art. When they have children, they begin to involve them as well, treating them more like components of their work rather than their own blood. This, naturally, messes the kids up pretty badly. An interesting concept, but the book could have used some editing; I had to slog through the last 75 pages.
37.Doctor Sleep by Stephen King: And here we have it, finally, after so many years – the sequel to King’s The Shining. I listened to it on audio (thankfully NOT read by him) and it was, if nothing else, long. It was recommended to me, but I think my affinity for King’s work has faded. There were some interesting concepts – King is good for that – but overall I didn’t love it.
38.Secret Agents: The Menace of Emerging Infections by Madeline Drexler: I have to admit, I’ve forgotten this one. I’ve read several books in the same vein and always enjoy them, out of basic epidemiology and virology-based curiosity. This one didn’t quite stand out in my head, though. They all wind up being pretty much the same, so you have to like the subject matter.
39.Red Queen by Christina Henry: This is the sequel to Alice, which is a very dark twisted form of the original Wonderland book. I adored the first one. This one picks up right where the first left off and carries on in a more mystery-like vein than the first. I still really enjoy Henry’s dark take on familiar characters. If the series continues, I’m definitely on board.
40.The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien: **10 out of 10 stars** This is the second book of O'Brien's that I have read and I think it's just brilliant. He really gives a personal view of Vietnam -- the people, the realities, the impact. The day-to-day stuff and the big, impactful moments. He is a compelling, talented writer. It is so very clear that the War changed him; one cannot help but wonder what he would have been like had he not been drafted. I am not one for war stories. It isn't my preferred topic by any means. This goes pretty high up on my recommended books list, though, due to the strength of the writing.
41.I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley: A collection of personal essays about the author’s life as a young woman in New York City. I normally really enjoy this type of book, but this one didn’t work for me. I think it's because I didn't particularly like the author. I couldn't relate to her, I didn't find her funny, in fact I found her a little bitchy.
42.Mud Vein by Tarryn Fisher: A whodunit, of a sort. Our main character and her friend/doctor are kidnapped and locked in a strange house with strange furnishings in the middle of nowhere. The book progresses, in a way, as one would expect: they try to escape, to figure out why they're there, to survive. In the end, they learn a great deal about themselves and one another and their relationship is forever changed, as to be expected. It sounds formulaic and I suppose the basic plot is. I didn't love it. I finished it to find out who locked them in the house together, but that's really the only reason. I didn't find myself with strong feelings about either of the characters.
43.We All Fall Down: Living with Addiction by Nic Sheff: A medicore writer’s memoir about addiction and recovery. There are better books on the subject, IMO.
44.The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood : I finally got around to reading this classic feminist, dystopian tale. It is a quiet book – not a lot of action; the resistance is still underground and in relative infancy, which is a refreshing approach compared to more recently written dystopia. I liked it, but didn’t love it.
45.We Should Hang Out Sometime: Embarrassingly, a True Story by Josh Sundquist: A man who never had a girlfriend growing up hunts down his former love interests and asks them why it didn’t work out. It has some moments of feeling a little stalker-esqu, but my main issue was that it was just boring to me. The author has an interesting history (lost his leg to cancer at a very young age, was homeschooled by what sound like very conservative Christian parents, and grew up to become a paralympiad and motivational speaker) – I would have been more interested in the rest of his life than his failed relationships. Though, in the end, the message is a good one: there’s nothing wrong with you.
46. Of Chiles, Caci, and Fighting Cocks: Notes on the American West by Frederick W. Turner: As seems to always be the case with collections of short stories and/or essays, there are some I love, some I think are okay, and one or two that do nothing for me. Turner is a fine writer. His descriptions are beautifully written and he has captured a great deal of my feelings about Southwest. The book is slightly dated at some points (having been written in 1990); it would be interesting to hear his thoughts now.
47.Everything Lovely, Effortless, Safe by Jenny Hollowell: Birdie is the child of evangelical parents and finally decides she's going to move to Hollywood and become famous. A decent enough story of trying to make it big in the big city. Fictional, but plausible.
48.The Fireman by Joe Hill: Got this on audiobook at a friend’s suggestion. No way would I have made it through the whole thing. This beast is long – Hill is definitely his father’s son in that regard. Brief synopsis: the world has been beset by a viral-plaguey-kind of thing (we find out more about it as we progress, of course) which, occasionally, makes people burst into flames. So we have the infected and the not-infected, some of who, of course, want to wipe the infected from the planet. The Dragonscale itself was a cool enough concept, but Hill seemed to not be able to decide just what it actually was, in the end. That is the crux of my issue with the book. Everything had to happen. Whatever idea he had, it went into the book, which made it way-the-hell too long and too confusing. I stuck it out strictly for tenacity’s sake. By the end I didn’t care about anyone or anything, I just wanted it to be over. (And, it must be said, Hill clearly didn’t talk to a single person to clarify any of the medical stuff that happens in the book. Which is profoundly annoying.)
49.Renting Lacy: A Story of America’s Prostituted Childrenby Linda Smith: I listened to this on audio and, yet again, probably wouldn’t have finished it otherwise. Smith’s book is great for those who refuse to accept the reality of sex slavery in the US. I didn’t hear anything shocking, though I was quite saddened for a large portion of the book. An excellent eye-opener for those who need it; not so much for those already aware of the problem.
50.In the Wolf’s Mouth by Adam Foulds: Another one I had to look up to be reminded of. It’s the story of two brothers and two men involved in organized crime at the end of World War II. It’s set in Africa and Sicily and as the story evolves, we see how these four men become entangled in the same tale. I’m not much for war stories, so it’s not quite my genre, but I do like tales being told with alternating narrators, and this did a fair job in that regard.
51.The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer: So I love Amy Schumer to little fan-girl bits. I was expecting this to be funny – like a book of her stand-up – but it is really heavy at times. Schumer pulls no punches, covering topics such as abusive relationships, eating disorders, rape, family drama, being an introvert, etc. It’s hard to read sometimes and I really rode a roller-coaster of emotions throughout the whole thing. Yeah, she’s trashy and brassy and balls-to-the-wall feminist (ovaries to the wall?), but that’s to be expected. She also shows her softer, vulnerable side, which makes this so powerful. I only hold back on giving it the 10/10 designation because I don’t trust my fangirl opinion that much. Oh, and if you can listen to Schumer read it herself – DO.
52.The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison: As stories go, the plot here is pretty straight-forward. Psycho-crazy guy abducts girls to keep all for himself and the main character, Ms. Tough Bitch, must save herself and all the other girls. There’s some nuances and whatnot, but that’s the long and short of it. Nothing complicated, nothing surprising, except for a twist at the end that almost made me hate the whole book. But not enough to not recommend it for those who like the psychological-thriller, girl-overcomes-crazy-man obstacle. (And dude is super-crazy.) Whatever you do, DON’T listen to this in audiobook. The narrator (at least for the Audible version) is horrible. Everytime he tried to read for the main character, I kept thinking, “She would NOT say it like that!”
53.Another Day in the Frontal Lobe: A Brain Surgeon Exposes Life on the Inside by Katrina Firlik: A straight-forward but fascinating look at neurosurgery. Firlik is knowledgeable and easy to comprehend, though I’d keep a computer at hand to look up some of the funky stuff she talks about.
54.Sacre Bleu: A Comedy d’Art by Christopher Moore: Moore is so damn clever I can’t stand it and MAN did he do some heavy art research for this book. My art history is limited, so I know I didn’t get ALL the jokes, but I did get some. In the story, Bleu is a supernatural being and a color who, along with an ancient gnome, creates more color (and thereby keeps Bleu alive) by destroying artists. There’s far more too it and the story is a great romp through art and history with loads of paintings and sex and syphilis to go round. Recommended, even for those who don’t know much about art.
55.Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard: So, another overtold YA dystopian society story done fairly well. Our main character is a poor, lowly Red who steals from the wrong person and finds herself enmeshed in political drama. She is supposed to not have the powers that the Silver-blooded people of the world do but, of course, she does, which causes all kinds of chaos. It’s a very “trust no one” kind of story. The world is similar enough to ours, though all technology is reserved for the Silvers and the Reds have to make due with the cast-offs. (Think the Capital in the Hunger Games trilogy.) Of course there’s the obligatory love triangle as well. I enjoyed it well enough to carry on to the sequel, but there really isn’t too much new here.
56.The Tent, The Bucket, and Me: My Family’s Disastrous Attempts to go Camping in the 70s by Emma Kennedy: Talk about tenacity. After the disasters this family goes through year after year, I’d never go camping again. The book is just what it sounds like – a collection of disastrous camping adventures in the 70s in Europe. The tales are horrific and hilarious though, as always, I’m amazed at the apparent memories people have from a young age. Maybe it’s just that trauma sticks with you, I suppose. Good for a laugh, if a slightly appalled one.
