Guess what—I actually met my Goodreads goal for the year! I've always had trouble hitting this in the past, but I realized that was mostly because I (stubbornly and for no reason) refused to count rereads towards my goal. This year I ditched that weird, made-up rule and exceeded my goal by eight!
I read a lot of great books this year, so I had a hard time narrowing this list down to a somewhat reasonable number. (I just love books, guys!) I managed to cut it down to ten, so here they are, in no particular order.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
Leading up to a family trip to Antartica, Bernadette Fox seemingly vanishes into thin air, and her teenaged daughter pieces together a puzzle of emails, invoices, memos, and more in order to find her. That's all I'm going to say! Read the book! (In re the movie adaptation: It isn't bad and stays pretty true to the book overall, but there are a few cuts and changes that really take away from the excitement and mystery of the original story. I also think that the characters are missing a lot of their personality and depth, and they're really what makes the book so fun in the first place. Just read the book!)
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
In this short novel, a man returns to his childhood home and finds himself drawn to the farm at the end of the road where memories of events from forty years before start flooding back. Writing stories that are at once achingly lovely and incredibly creepy is a difficult feat, but Neil Gaiman does it perfectly every time.
American On Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot by Craig Ferguson
Aside from forever being my favorite late-night host, Craig Ferguson is a genuinely great writer. We read his novel Between the Bridge and the River for book club a couple of years ago and it was so clever and interesting, and his first memoir was no different. He talks about his family, his struggles with addiction and sobriety, his career, and more in a very honest, vulnerable, and (of course) hilarious way.
Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy
Ramona is funny, strong, and sure of herself—but when her childhood friend Freddie moves back to town, she begins to question some things. She's always known she likes girls, but maybe she likes guys too? Or maybe it's just Freddie? It's a story about sexuality and love, but also largely about family, loyalty, and obligations. Julie Murphy has a knack for writing characters that are so real, so hopeful and big-hearted that you can't help but root for them.
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
Clay Jannon lands the night shift at Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore after losing his San Francisco tech job to the recession. The customers are strange and only “check out” large books from the top shelves that contain nothing but grids of numbers. With the help of a few tech-y friends, Clay uncovers the secrets of the bookstore (and it’s not what you think). If I had to choose one word to describe this book, it would be "charming." It’s a fun story, and will make you thankful for books of all kinds.
I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O'Farrell
Maggie O’Farrell writes of her seventeen near-death experiences and how they've shaped her life, which will, naturally, have you thinking of your own near misses. “There is nothing unique or special in a near-death experience,” she writes. “They’re not rare; everyone, I would venture, has had them, at one time or another, perhaps without even realising.” The book is beautifully written, and will make you feel especially grateful for the old brag of your heart.
A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
Shirin is a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who’s just trying to get through high school the year after 9/11. She's constantly subject to degrading comments and sometimes abuse because of her race, religion, and the hijab she wears every day—and she’s sick of it. She's constantly on guard, always expecting (and often receiving) the worst of people, but that slowly starts to change when she meets a boy named Ocean. This book tore me up and stuck with me for weeks after I read it.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
You have probably seen this on dozens of best-of-the-year lists and it's for a good reason. Actually, it's for about a thousand good reasons. The First Son (of the first female president of the United States who's also from Texas! #dreams) and the Prince of England hate each other and then fall in love (a.k.a. everybody's favorite romantic trope). It's pure joy. I literally laughed out loud more times than I can count and was crying happy, hopeful tears by the end.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee*
Coming in at around 500 pages, Pachinko was definitely the longest book that I read this year, but it never felt like it. It starts in early 1900's Korea, where a girl named Sunja has fallen for a wealthy stranger and soon becomes pregnant, and follows her and her family throughout the years. The more I read, the more I loved this book, and I was so sad to finish it. (The last few pages literally made me weep. I had spend fifteen minutes explaining enough of the plot to my boyfriend so he could understand why I was crying so much.)
Lot by Bryan Washington**
I usually have a hard time getting through short story collections (even when I really enjoy the writing), but I flew through Lot. The stories are all connected, not by characters, but by the city of Houston and its diverse neighborhoods, and every single one is beautifully written with lines like, "wore his skin like a sunburnt peach" and "she smiled like mandolins ringing" that just make you want to cry. (And in case you don't believe me, President Obama also listed this as one of his favorite books of 2019.)
I read a lot of great books this year, so I had a hard time narrowing this list down to a somewhat reasonable number. (I just love books, guys!) I managed to cut it down to ten, so here they are, in no particular order.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
Leading up to a family trip to Antartica, Bernadette Fox seemingly vanishes into thin air, and her teenaged daughter pieces together a puzzle of emails, invoices, memos, and more in order to find her. That's all I'm going to say! Read the book! (In re the movie adaptation: It isn't bad and stays pretty true to the book overall, but there are a few cuts and changes that really take away from the excitement and mystery of the original story. I also think that the characters are missing a lot of their personality and depth, and they're really what makes the book so fun in the first place. Just read the book!)
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
In this short novel, a man returns to his childhood home and finds himself drawn to the farm at the end of the road where memories of events from forty years before start flooding back. Writing stories that are at once achingly lovely and incredibly creepy is a difficult feat, but Neil Gaiman does it perfectly every time.
American On Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot by Craig Ferguson
Aside from forever being my favorite late-night host, Craig Ferguson is a genuinely great writer. We read his novel Between the Bridge and the River for book club a couple of years ago and it was so clever and interesting, and his first memoir was no different. He talks about his family, his struggles with addiction and sobriety, his career, and more in a very honest, vulnerable, and (of course) hilarious way.
Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy
Ramona is funny, strong, and sure of herself—but when her childhood friend Freddie moves back to town, she begins to question some things. She's always known she likes girls, but maybe she likes guys too? Or maybe it's just Freddie? It's a story about sexuality and love, but also largely about family, loyalty, and obligations. Julie Murphy has a knack for writing characters that are so real, so hopeful and big-hearted that you can't help but root for them.
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
Clay Jannon lands the night shift at Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore after losing his San Francisco tech job to the recession. The customers are strange and only “check out” large books from the top shelves that contain nothing but grids of numbers. With the help of a few tech-y friends, Clay uncovers the secrets of the bookstore (and it’s not what you think). If I had to choose one word to describe this book, it would be "charming." It’s a fun story, and will make you thankful for books of all kinds.
I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O'Farrell
Maggie O’Farrell writes of her seventeen near-death experiences and how they've shaped her life, which will, naturally, have you thinking of your own near misses. “There is nothing unique or special in a near-death experience,” she writes. “They’re not rare; everyone, I would venture, has had them, at one time or another, perhaps without even realising.” The book is beautifully written, and will make you feel especially grateful for the old brag of your heart.
A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
Shirin is a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who’s just trying to get through high school the year after 9/11. She's constantly subject to degrading comments and sometimes abuse because of her race, religion, and the hijab she wears every day—and she’s sick of it. She's constantly on guard, always expecting (and often receiving) the worst of people, but that slowly starts to change when she meets a boy named Ocean. This book tore me up and stuck with me for weeks after I read it.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
You have probably seen this on dozens of best-of-the-year lists and it's for a good reason. Actually, it's for about a thousand good reasons. The First Son (of the first female president of the United States who's also from Texas! #dreams) and the Prince of England hate each other and then fall in love (a.k.a. everybody's favorite romantic trope). It's pure joy. I literally laughed out loud more times than I can count and was crying happy, hopeful tears by the end.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee*
Coming in at around 500 pages, Pachinko was definitely the longest book that I read this year, but it never felt like it. It starts in early 1900's Korea, where a girl named Sunja has fallen for a wealthy stranger and soon becomes pregnant, and follows her and her family throughout the years. The more I read, the more I loved this book, and I was so sad to finish it. (The last few pages literally made me weep. I had spend fifteen minutes explaining enough of the plot to my boyfriend so he could understand why I was crying so much.)
Lot by Bryan Washington**
I usually have a hard time getting through short story collections (even when I really enjoy the writing), but I flew through Lot. The stories are all connected, not by characters, but by the city of Houston and its diverse neighborhoods, and every single one is beautifully written with lines like, "wore his skin like a sunburnt peach" and "she smiled like mandolins ringing" that just make you want to cry. (And in case you don't believe me, President Obama also listed this as one of his favorite books of 2019.)
Honorable mentions: The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson, Call Me Evie by J.P. Pomare, Buffering: Unshared Tales of a Life Fully Loaded by Hannah Hart, Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story by Jacob Tobia
For the first time in a few years, I'm increasing my reading goal to 45 books in 2020. It will be tough, but I want to push myself to read more and (hopefully) clear out a good chunk of my backlist. I'm also going to make more of a conscious effort to read more diverse books this year. While my 2019 reading was full of LGBTQ and women authors, about three-fourths of the books I read were written by white authors. I want to do better in 2020.
-Maggie
* Not pictured because I checked it out from the library.
** Not pictured because I lent it to KaCee.
For the first time in a few years, I'm increasing my reading goal to 45 books in 2020. It will be tough, but I want to push myself to read more and (hopefully) clear out a good chunk of my backlist. I'm also going to make more of a conscious effort to read more diverse books this year. While my 2019 reading was full of LGBTQ and women authors, about three-fourths of the books I read were written by white authors. I want to do better in 2020.
-Maggie
* Not pictured because I checked it out from the library.
** Not pictured because I lent it to KaCee.
1 comment :
This made me so happy!!
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