It Was a Very Good Year for Books! My Recommendations For Your Consideration

Feb 3

It was a year that I daresay demanded a library (vs. a school-era book bag. Remember those? See below for a memory trigger) Like a magician, books transport and educate and tickle a world that seemed to morph ~ or metamorphose ~ as we blinked away incredulousness.

Therefore, it was all the more an extraordinarily great year for reading books: stimulating curiosity and soothing our id.

For me, I surely surpassed my modest reading goals as I sought to learn, escape, explore, and laugh… Here are the books I enjoyed; I share them in the hope that my year in books will help you discover some unforgettable reads…

Do you make lists of books you want to read or do stay within the lanes of your preferred genre?

Are you an eclectic reader? A devoted follower of an author?

In writing my novel and in pursuit of knowledge and experience, I have not only been reading more ~ and yes, listening to audio books is “reading” or experiencing books in another way ~ I am still a dyed-in-the-wool historical fiction fan.

Still a fan of thrillers, especially crime dramas.

At the same time, I’ve been delighted to discover humor and comedy and romance, of all things. (Don’t shame me. We can talk 🥰)

I’ll point out a few favorites or highlights here ~ no “Bests.”

The diversity of books that beckon me can’t be rated like that.

Some of the books are classics such as Middlemarch, the timeless masterpiece authored by Mary Ann Evans under the pseudonym, George Eliot. Middlemarch helps foster a conversation about the cultural zeitgeist we’re experiencing now.

Then there are the just-released, best-selling books as noted by The New York Times Book Review

I took their recommendations on a few books, especially My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante, (yes there is an HBO series, but I haven’t seen enough of it to comment.) The first book is terrific.

Their suggestion, You Dreamed of Empires by Alvaro Enrigue is cheeky and curious and a great read. I also attended the NY Public Library’s interview with the author. It’s a stitch, too!

I’m still not sure about the disturbing The Vegetarian by Han Kang but it did earn a Nobel and a Booker Prize…

I love The Plot and Orbital ~ another multi-prize winner, including the Booker, and Hawthorndnen.

And The Glass Maker by Tracy Chevalier was mesmerizing ~ the story line about a family of Murano glass artisans through the centuries is deep and a transporting story that had a surprise ending I didn’t see coming.

I was transfixed and transformed by The Light Eaters by Zoe Schlanger. It takes you into a world of plants that is beyond magical ~ because it’s real. The author shows us a plant galaxy we couldn’t imagine, and if we did, it would be in our dreams…

I worship everything that Isabel Allende writes… I read a few of her novels just this year and loved The House of the Spirits and Long Petal of the Sea, especially.

I busted my buttons, as they say, that I set my sights on reading the Pedro Pãramo novel, by Juan Rulfo, in Spanish! Hailed as probably the greatest Latin American masterpiece, it even boasts a foreword by Gabriel Garcia Márquez. And yes, this too is a Netflix series that I must now stream.

The novel is so rich and haunting and surreal; it laid the foundation for magical realism.

On the other end of the spectrum, I also adore anything by author Amor Towles (who I excitedly learned from a social media exchange is a Gotham neighbor!) and his Table for Two is a pure delight, featuring six short stories (more to love) with style, cosmopolitan wit and charm.

I also wear my heart on my sleeve for anything Taylor Jenkins Reid writes, and After I Do is a journey of love in a marriage. Is there a happily ever after?

Emily Henry is always wry and hilarious. Her Funny Story was so cheeky and well, fun ~ Mother and I both enjoyed this romp.

Long Island Compromise was stunningly hilarious. The book is a national bestseller with an unexpected narrative, gross in some ways, yet so poignant. This is my first Taffy Brodesser-Akner read but it won’t be my last. I attended her Get Lit / NYPL read also, and she is just as engaging in person. This is a great book that is a kind of family saga, (billed as “intergenerational trauma”) with absorbing, rich characters and surprising exchanges that is an entertaining page turner.

Burn Book a Tech Love Story by Kara Swisher is not meant to be funny but Kara ~ who I “worked” with doing public relations for consumer electronics clients and when I worked at Sony, was someone I always admired as a truth telling, take-few/no prisoners; straight-up powerhouse. Here, she writes a searing, powerful book and bites the hand that fed her. I like her insight and courage.

I’ve read two novels by Xochitl Gonzalez now. I like her style. Olga Dies Dreaming was fantastic. This year I read Anita de Monte Laughs Last and enjoyed it too, albeit it is more historical and edgy in a political way. The book is a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick and accordingly, a bestseller. Anita is a dual time-line narrative that has a female artist discovering the work of a previous generation heroine who mysteriously died (or pushed?) to her death by a competitive lover/artist. It’s a gripping story.

For a complete list of my 68 books read, please visit my Year in Books at Goodreads.

I hope I’ve inspired you and encouraged you to discover books that could excite you; transport you, educate you; make you laugh, and fall in love…

Happy Reading ~ and Listening, my friends. Some of the best books I had the great pleasure to experience this year were outstanding audiobook performances.

* Vintage bookbag: If a cute boy didn’t walk you home carrying your school books, this was your look!

**Recently, I received an advance review copy of the now bestselling Scott Turow book, “Presumed Guilty.” Now that I’ve written the review, I’ll do a drawing so that one of you can get your hands on this terrific new (hardcover) book sent to me by the publisher. (See my review.) If you want to throw your hat in the ring, please post in the Comments below (or email me). Good luck!

In the end, as Cicero said, If you have a book and a garden….

Cheers.