The year's more than half gone, and looking back I've read a lot of great books in 2019 (and a few duds, to be honest, but I'll focus on the awesome titles). Some of these are new releases, some a bit older, but all made the Top Ten list of books I read and loved recently. All of these would make great book club selections as well!
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I'm pulling off a bit of a cheat with this book. Shh, don't tell anyone, but I actually read it in December 2018! I never did a look back at my favorite reads for last year, though, and this was so, so close to 2019. And I LOVED it!
Calpyso is the author's latest book of essays and serves up the humor and heart you'll find in all of his books. Not gonna lie, there are a few really odd moments as well. Sedaris never flinches from exposing himself honestly. Much respect.
This is my second and final cheat, a book I read in December 2018. But it's too amazing to leave out!
The author delves into myth and magic for her story, reaching back to the Odyssey for inspiration, but this time Circe's not a minor character – she's the central focus. The mythic gods and heroes whose lives intersect with hers are seen through Circe's perspective, while the details of her life are fleshed out in a story that's hard to put down. It's written in a way that feels like the text of an ancient myth, yet more modern and accessible. If that makes sense? I never loved reading myths all that much. But this book took me there and held me captive to the end. All the love for this amazing book!
by Yuval Noah Harari
Harari, a historian, leads readers through a history of humans. It's clear and accessible, offering a look not only at how humans evolved, but how their societies evolved. Why and how did we stop wandering and settle down in groups? Grow crops and raise livestock rather than solely hunt and gather? What changes did staying put in one place bring about?
This book even gets into how currency developed and economic systems, making all the intricacies of that process extremely interesting. It looks to the future as well – where does humanity seem to be heading? It's a fascinating book, and takes what could be a very clinical topic and makes it interesting to the layperson.
We don't know the city or the characters' names in this book, though it appears to be set in Northern Ireland in the '70s during the Troubles. This winner of the 2018 Man Booker Prize uses an original and striking style in a tale of an invisible girl in a world of invisible women, and what happens when she becomes visible to a dangerous man whose unwanted attentions nearly unravel her life.
It's also a tale of rumor, hearsay, inaction and powerlessness, and the destruction those things can cause.
This nonfiction book presents a fascinating look at the Troubles in Northern Ireland, presented with the 1972 disappearance of a mother of ten in Belfast as the starting point that spreads out to encompass a larger picture of the times. If you enjoy the book (I definitely did!), you may want to follow up with the documentary I, Dolours (currently available on Hulu for subscribers). It focuses on Dolours Price, who features heavily in Say Nothing.
Pachinko follows several generations of a Korean family, following them as they move to Japan. They deal with racism, harsh and unfair times, and feelings of not quite belonging to one country or the other. Through it all, they keep secrets and deal with family ties that sometimes keep them going, and sometimes bend and break. The writing is stellar and the story engrossing. This one is definitely worth your time.
"Educated" traces Tara Westover’s struggle to get an education despite a domineering, radical father who mainly wanted his family to work in his junkyard and obediently listen to rants about the government and religion. She and her siblings were supposedly being homeschooled, but her father thwarted that so often that by the time she was 8 her daily routine included no schooling at all.
Westover not only survived it all, she is crushing it. She got a Ph.D. from Cambridge, wrote a bestseller, and has traveled the world. They say nothing worthwhile is ever easy, and her story proves that again and again. I reviewed Educated in May.
This book about rock 'n' roll, romance and longing will take you back to any documentary or book about a band you love, and call to mind that perfect concert you'll never forget. It's told as an oral history, tracking the rise of an iconic '70s band and uncovering the truth behind their split. I reviewed Daisy Jones & The Six in May, and it's too good to leave off this list.
The Library Book practically sings with the music of gorgeously crafted sentences. It’s part history, part mystery, and all love letter to libraries – the books that fill them, the patrons that use them, and the staff that keeps them humming along.
It centers around a 1986 fire at the Los Angeles Public Library that destroyed 400,000 books and damaged 700,000 more. The Fire Department said it was arson; but if so, who was the culprit? You’ll have to read the book to see how that tale unfolds. Check out my full review here.
The story here focuses on unraveling a new mystery by struggling to remember the past, while at the same time being an exploration of growing old while wrestling with unreliable memories and clinging to love and friendship. Through Florence, the main character who holds close three things about her friend, Elsie, we see how life changes in later years as she grapples with a fading memory and adjusting to life at a home for the elderly.
Three Things About Elsie is lovingly written, insightful and compassionate. You can find my full review here.
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