As the year comes to a close, I thought I would reflect upon the books I read. Thank you to Goodreads for keeping track and making this nice image for me that I could include here to make this post more visually pleasing.
The Wolves of Winter by Tyrell Johnson
I read this book in a book club that has since gone the way of the dodo bird. This book could be a good gift for a teen who enjoys apocalyptic fiction and fairly strong female characters. Also, there’s a little bit of your traditional, young lady falling in love with a brusk, mysterious dude, so that’s usually pretty enticing on a sunny winter afternoon.
Operation Hail Storm by Brett Arquette
I listened to the audiobook of this one after the author reached out to me and offered it to me for free (thank you, Brett). I would never have naturally checked out this one, but it was enjoyable. I encourage you to check this out - especially the audiobook - if you’re interested in covert military-type and vast espionage operations. I’ll stop there to keep from sharing too many spoilers. The only significant downside I remember to this one is that the audiobook is very long - over 10 hours to be sure. I had trouble making it through in a reasonable amount of time because I usually only listen to audiobooks when I clean and do chores over the weekends.
Every Heart a Doorway and Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
These two are lovely little books. Every Heart a Doorway starts with the premise that all children who go on fabulous adventures to different realms (think Dorothy and Alice as classic examples) come home and then have to cope with their literal vacation from reality. Parents think they’ve gone mad, yes? Well, the first book is set in a home/boarding school that a head mistress of sorts has created (her name is not in my brain), and she basically has created this school to give these children a place to grow up without constantly being told that they’re insane. She gives them time to transition back to the normal world or wait for their door to open again and perhaps return.
The second book centers on the adventure two of the characters in the first book (two sisters) went on together prior to coming to the boarding school. Both are pretty dark, but oh so lovely and wonderful for anyone who enjoys fantasy books, especially those that run on the central premise of a child being swept away into a fantastical world and then returning home at the end.
This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color
I got my hands on this one through interlibrary loan, so I did not get to read all of it. I skipped through and read the poems and essays that spoke to me and returned it. If I were ever to teach a class that focused on the experience of women of color or wanted to engage in complex conversations around feminism I would make this assigned reading.
Santaland Diaries by Dave Sedaris
This one I brought along on a car trip as an audiobook. The title piece is definitely a riot, especially for anyone who has worked in a department store setting, but the other stories weren’t so great in my personal opinion.
You’re Never Weird on The Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day
I absolutely loved this book. Again, I read it as an audiobook, and I think it is a wonderful pick for any woman who is trying to be a go-getter and feeling like she’s falling apart at the seams sometimes. I assume men feel this way too, but Felicia’s journey really spoke to me particularly a young woman trying to navigate career trajectories and stay alive and sane all at the same time.
I got my hands on this beautiful book because I was doing research for a novel project that I’ve since either neglected or abandoned. The positive spin on that would be that I’ve only neglected it for some time now. Basically, writers research weird things. If you have a history buff or someone who has an odd level of interest in the circus, this book is for you.
The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood
You can’t go wrong with Margaret Atwood. I listened to this one as an audiobook, and it was short and interesting. It gets you thinking about the nature of criminality, the prison industrial complex, and privacy. BIG NEWS though - Atwood is coming out with a sequel to the Handmaid’s Tale titled The Testaments. I’m so excited.
They All Want Magic: Curanderas and Folk Healing by Elizabeth de la Portilla
I already did a complete review on this one, that I’ll link here. My year wouldn’t be complete without reading some nonfiction about magic.
Garth Nix’s Lady Friday and Superior Saturday (Keys to the Kingdom series)
I have been slowly plugging away at this series for several years now. It’s meant for twelve-year-olds I think, but I enjoy it because of the world building, the philosophical bent, and the strange incorporation of Biblical allusions. Each book’s plot is driven by the corruption of god-like figures who succumb to one of the seven deadly sins. I’ve got to admit I am usually down for some Bible fanfiction. I mean, Supernatural does it for me most of the time, but sometimes a fresh take is nice. I listened to the two books mentioned above in audiobook form because my local library doesn’t have any of this series in paper book form (I’m aghast), and I’m sad to say that it doesn’t do as well in audiobook form. The action can be pretty hard to track.
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
I have been meaning to read this ever since Ruth Ozeki came to visit Bellingham a few years back. Again, I listened to this as an audiobook, and Ruth makes the point at the end that the audiobook is one experience, and her hardcopy book is another. The audiobook was done beautifully. This would be a good read for folks interested in Japanese culture, the Pacific Northwest, Buddhism and the concept of time, low key mysteries, and who is ready to grapple with the notions of suicide and death.
Borne by Jeff VanderMeer
I don’t think my year would be complete if I hadn’t read something by Jeff VanderMeer. This book is a lovely standalone. I encourage anyone who can imagine a crossroads between post-apocalyptic fiction, monster fantasy, and science fiction to check this out. This is an especially unique read because the primary protagonist is a woman, which is rare in my experience when it comes to science fiction at least. I’m a slow reader so if I am mistaken in that regard, please link me to so many books to prove me wrong so I can learn about them!
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil DeGrasse Tyson
I listened to this one in a hurry (ha…but really, I rushed through the end because the audiobook was about to expire). I really enjoyed the beginning, and I encourage folks who haven’t taken a science class in a while and don’t do anything related to science for work to give it a go. It’s good to refresh and add to old memories or learn new science-y things.
I’ve got a couple more audiobooks books I’ll probably finish before the year is out, but I guess I’ll save those for a future blog.
What books did you read this year that you’d recommend? Let me know in the comments below.