Early & Alone #36: 2019 By the Books
Somehow, there’s only 9 days left in 2019, which means that my mind has turned to tallying up my year by what I read. This year, I read more books than I have any other year, according to Goodreads: 64 books (though I’m still reading, so it might be 65 by the true end of the year). It makes sense: I’m working part-time, so I’m able to make more time for reading during the day, though I do miss the dedicated reading time on the commute each day. But reading is still my preferred mode of escape/relaxation, so it’s more a treat than a chore for me. In fact, reading is something that makes me feel guilty sometimes because it means I’m not writing, or working, or exercising, or doing something else that’s more “productive.”
Anyway, I digress.
Here were my favorites of the year, in no particular order:
State of Wonder, Ann Patchett: I’m a big Ann Patchett fan, but this book really surprised me, for some reason. I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with it as much as I did. I found the characters incredibly complex and intriguing, and the situation they find themselves in to be even more so. It’s a story about exploration and love and friendship and the perils of trying to insert yourself into a culture where you don’t belong.
Autumn, Ali Smith: Autumn is the first in Smith’s “seasonal” series, and like How to Be Both, a book I read some years ago and loved, it’s a strange and quiet book about a multi-generational friendship and the changing landscape of England. I’ve got Winter on my shelf, ready to read in the new year.
The Summer Without Men, Siri Hustvedt: I bought this one on an impulse on a trip to my local bookstore and stuck it in my backpack when I left for Portugal in September. It seemed fitting, after six months of a self-imposed dating break. It’s a quick read, a little funny, a little sad, and it made me grateful for all the women in my life.
The Idiot, Elif Batuman: I’ve never read the book by Dostoyevsky from which this one got its inspiration, but it doesn’t matter. It was actually an interview with Batuman that I heard on one of my favorite podcasts, Longform, that convinced me I could write a book. I was walking home from work one night, navigating traffic near South Station, and I listened to her talk about pulling inspiration from her own life, and something clicked, and I thought, huh. Maybe...I could do that? Anyway, I really like the way she thinks, and this book is so reminiscent of that weird, heady feeling of being in college and having no earthly idea of who you are or how you should be.
Being Mortal: On Medicine and What Matters in the End, Atul Gawande: I acquired this book from my friend Nancy in the book swap I had last year. This is a must-read for every human, I think. It’s a smart, empathic, and clear-headed look at what aging and death look like in the U.S., as well as all the ways it could be better. It’s really eye-opening.
Tender at the Bone: Growing Up At the Table, Ruth Reichl: I didn’t know much about Reichl before picking this up at the thrift store I haunt for used books. I just knew she’s a renowned food critic. I just finished this memoir a few weeks ago and was delighted by it. It’s heartwarming and funny and interesting. It makes you want to go in your kitchen and make a hearty meal and then invite all your friends over to share it.
How to Fall in Love with Anyone: A Memoir in Essays, Mandy Len Catron: Based on a Modern Love column I read years ago, this book does a really nice job of blending the sociology of dating and relationships with personal history, which is something I’m aiming to do with my own project.
Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison: When Morrison died this fall, I pulled this off my shelf. I realized I hadn’t read any of her novels since...college? This is a great example of why she’s considered a giant of literature. Her facility with language and character and world-building...it’s a master course in fiction writing.
Becoming, Michelle Obama: I bought this for my sister for Christmas last year, but of course, I borrowed it to read when she was done. Unsurprisingly, I loved it. I have never met Michelle Obama (can you imagine?), but the way this book is written makes me feel as though I know her. She is just as open, intelligent, and funny as she comes across in the media. I found her stories of growing up in Chicago just as compelling as her time in the White House, which is a testament to her skill as a writer.
The Giant’s House, Elizabeth McCracken: This book is a quirky delight. In a nutshell, it’s the story of a small-town librarian who falls in love with a young boy who has gigantism. Yes, it sounds creepy, and maybe it is, a little, but it’s also funny and heartfelt and lovely. This one of the those books I borrowed from the library that I’m now thinking of buying just so I can have a copy on my shelves.
Heads of the Colored People, Nafissa Thompson-Spires: This is the only story collection on my favorites list this year. The stories are all different and surprising, a multi-faceted look at modern Black life in the U.S.
The Incendiaries, R.O. Kwon: This was another slim novel that surprised me in its scope. It’s a story of religion and searching for faith and falling in love and what happens when all of those are taken to the extreme.
You Are One of Them, Elliott Holt: Perhaps I loved this book so much because one of my favorite TV shows, The Americans, was wrapping up and this book was reminiscent of it, with its ties to the Soviet Union in the 80s. I found the story really riveting and suspenseful.
I read many other great books this year (Educated, Trick Mirror, Normal People, Hard to Love, Make Your Home Among Strangers, 84 Charing Cross Road, The Water Dancer, The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna, Red Clocks, The Great Believers, and Olive, Again) but the ones above were the ones that stayed with me most.
What have been your favorite books you read this year? I’d love to hear about them!
What I’m Reading: I just started Nathan Hill’s The Nix, which is very long, but good so far.
What I’m Watching: I’m super into Stumptown, which on the surface (an army vet with PTSD becomes a private investigator in Portland, OR) is really not my jam. But it stars Colbie Smolders and Jake Johnson, two of my favorites, and it’s working for me. You can stream it on Hulu.
What I’m Listening To: Having a cranky day today, but after hearing the Pretenders’ “I’ll Stand By You” while I was out doing some Christmas shopping, I decided to put on my 90s playlist on Spotify and now I’m feeling a little better.
What I’m Wearing: A lot of turtlenecks and scarves because I’m self-conscious about the gross skin tag on my neck. It just appeared one day in November, out of nowhere. Getting older sure is a journey.
What I’m Eating: Last night, instead of dinner, I just ate 3 chocolate-covered Jo-Jos from Trader Joe’s and called it a night.