About halfway through 2019, I’ve already read most of the books on my Top Ten Books to Read in 2019 list. The exceptions are Karen Thompson Walkers The Dreamers, which I heard mixed reviews about from friends and may not read; The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, which I’m still incredibly excited about but which won’t be published till November; and The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater. (City of Girls just came out and is at the top of my pile at the moment.)

• Bowlaway I liked, but didn’t love as much as McCracken’s last collection of stories, Thunderstruck. I still went to her reading and Q&A at Porter Square Books, though (the write-up to that is still sitting in my drafts folder from February).
• Feel Free by Nick Laird I picked up ahead of the US pub date, at No Alibis in Belfast, Northern Ireland, which felt like a sneaky victory (one that only book nerds would care about).
• Kid Gloves by Lucy Knisley was excellent. She tells the story of her two miscarriages and traumatic delivery, and woven into her personal story are equally enlightening/horrifying facts about the history of childbirth and the current state of maternal health in the US.
• On the Come Up by Angie Thomas neatly sidestepped the “sophomore slump” (after The Hate U Give) and was excellent. “Unarmed and dangerous, but America, you made us, only time we famous is when we die and you blame us.”
• Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram was good, and it’s a rare YA novel (a rare English language novel, really) that takes place even partly in modern-day Iran and addresses depression and friendship between boys.
• The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo: I listened to the audiobook (the author reads it) and it was incredible. Absolute, top-quality novel in verse. I read her With the Fire On High also (in print) and loved how it showed Emoni balancing everything in her life and making decisions about her future.
• Walking Home by Simon Armitage: Enjoyed this, but glad I didn’t foist it on my book club. Would definitely recommend to fans of Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods. “Distance, I’ve come to realise, is not the determining factor in terms of travelling time – it’s all about terrain.“
• Get in Trouble by Kelly Link: Can’t believe I didn’t read this as soon as it was published. I love her particular brand of speculative weird. “It’s a small world, after all. Bigger on the inside.”
• Tenth of December by George Saunders: Many of these stories were speculative as well, and dealt with themes of extreme inequality, and were kind of depressing.

So what about the second half of the year? There’s still plenty to look forward to!

1. Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg: I’m going to try to get my book club to read this one so we can discuss.
2. The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon: Nominated for the Coretta Scott King award and an ALA Notable Book for Children, I’m thinking of trying this as an audiobook.
3. The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater: Still on the list.
4. The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert: I know it’s not going to be cheerful, but a fellow reader recommended it, and I’m interested. Also an ALA Notable Book.
5. Big Sky by Kate Atkinson: I loved Case Histories, but felt like each successive Jackson Brodie novel dropped off a bit in quality; however, I love her stand-alones and I’m willing to give Brodie another go. Reviews are pretty good. (June)
6. Time After Time by Lisa Gruenwald (June): I am a sucker for time travel and I got a galley of this through LibraryThing.
7. Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane (June): Adored her two previous novels, Fever and The Walking People.
8. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (September): Ann Patchett! (Her first picture book, Lambslide, is excellent also. Just in case anyone was under the drastically mistaken impression that she was a one-trick pony.)
9. The Secret Commonwealth (Book of Dust, Volume 2) by Philip Pullman (October): Beyond excited for this; I’m taking a vacation day the day it’s published.
10. Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy: The author of Dumplin’ and Puddin’ goes into middle grade, and I follow. (October)
11. Roll With It by Jamie Sumner: This isn’t even in my library’s catalog yet, but I read about it via Abby the Librarian and it looks like the kind of middle grade graphic novel I love. (October)
12. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern (November): Can’t wait, can’t wait. I know it will be different from The Night Circus but I read a tiny snippet from the publisher and I feel confident the magic is there.

What have you read this year? What are you looking forward to?

Skimming the list of Top Ten Tuesday topics at The Broke and the Bookish, I noticed several for which I had a single instant answer, but not a list of ten. So I decided I’d make a list of ten of the Top Ten Tuesday topics for which I had one (okay, one-ish) answer each:

1. Most Intimidating Books: Anything over 600 pages, really. It makes no sense – it just means reading one book instead of two in the same amount of time – but it’s a deterrent nevertheless.
2. Books I Wish I Read As A Kid: Alanna and the whole Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce. And Adulting by Kelly Williams Brown would have been useful right after college.
3. Characters (and Literary Figures) That I Would Did Name My Children After: Lyra from The Golden Compass. (Also strongly considered Clare, from The Time Traveler’s Wife.)
4. Hilarious Book Titles: I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane Crosley

   

5. Book Covers I Wish I Could Redesign: Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan. The photo of a young woman in a bathing suit on a beach does not represent this book AT ALL. I didn’t love the paperback cover for Gold by Chris Cleave, either, but the hardcover design was great.
6. Books That Broke Your Heart: The Amber Spyglass was the first book I remember reading where I got to the end and thought the exact word heartbreaking.
7. Most Frustrating Characters: Harry Potter in the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, was so whiny and angsty, and so terrible to Ron and Hermione, that I actually hated reading some parts of the book, no matter how realistic his behavior for a character that age. Be better, Harry!
8. Series I’d Like to Start, but Haven’t Yet: The Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin, and the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor. Maybe also something by Leigh Bardugo. I’m taking suggestions…
9. Sequels We Can’t Wait to Get Our Hands On: I’m eager for the next book in any good series I start…but I remember being particularly desperate for each new book in Maggie Steifvater’s Raven Cycle, and I’ve been waiting for the second volume in The Book of Dust since the moment I read the last page of the first volume, La Belle Sauvage.
10. Book Covers I’d Frame As Pieces of Art: I actually have two (2) pieces of Time Traveler’s Wife-related art on my walls: a Litograph, and an acrylic painting of the cover, done by a good friend. I wouldn’t mind a Litograph of Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride, either. Oh, and we have Mo Willems’ Pigeon, as well. I probably could come up with ten pieces of bookish art I’d want…

Back in June, I wrote about books that I was looking forward to. Coming into the end of the year, it’s time to take stock:

• The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein: read and liked this little peek into Julie’s life before the war and Code Name Verity.
• Holding Up the Universe and All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven: read/listened, liked; would recommend to anyone looking for realistic YA fiction.
• Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy: read and liked, but it’s her first novel, Dumplin’, that has stayed with me more. I may re-read or listen (I’ve heard the audio is good). Related: Moxie by Jennifer Matthieu was another excellent teen novel set in a small Southern (Texas) town.
• Girl in Disguise by Greer Macallister: haven’t read yet
• Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman: read and loved. Eleanor is such a unique character and her story is difficult and quiet and strong.
• The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson: read this for book club and loved it – it was like Jane Austen meets Downton Abbey.
•  Miller’s Valley by Anna Quindlen: haven’t read yet
• Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates: read for book club. Important, especially for those in a position to ignore or forget the effects of institutional racism and police violence (i.e. most white people).
• Life on Mars by Tracy K. Smith: read and liked, but I’m not sure I’ll return to it, even though I bought a copy. I did love the line “perhaps the great error is believing we’re alone” (from “My God, It’s Full of Stars”).
• The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman: read as soon as it was published, loved it, read it again, am waiting for the next one already. Review here, contains spoilers.
• Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore: read and loved. Different from the Graceling books of course, but equally immersive, and structurally interesting (it’s sort of a Choose Your Own Adventure, but with all the options).
• Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin: read and liked this one very much, and included it on a “Books on the Bright Side” list I made for my library.
• The Runaways by Brian K. Vaughan and others: I really liked the first two volumes, didn’t like the third and fourth as much (the Young Avengers crossover lost me), but still excited for whatever Rainbow Rowell comes up with.
• Turtles All the Way Down by John Green: just as good as expected, possibly better; review here.
• Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart: haven’t read yet and might not; a trusted fellow reader found it disappointing.

Girl in Disguise and Miller’s Valley are the only two remaining from that list, but of course there are always more to look forward to; Gayle Forman, Maggie O’Farrell, and Jo Walton all have books coming out in 2018. Others I’d like to read:

• Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (graphic novel/memoir)
• Far from the Tree by Robin Benway (YA)
• Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn (fiction)
• The Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin (sci-fi/fantasy)
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (YA)
• Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier (I read this when I was much younger and I think it went entirely over my head; at least, I don’t remember anything from it)
• Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman (nonfiction)
• Hunger by Roxane Gay (memoir)
• The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (myth/fairytale – I’d love to hear from someone who read this and would recommend it. Reviews look good.)
• Walking Home by Simon Armitage (nonfiction/memoir/poetry)

And hey, that’s ten! If you count a trilogy as one. (Bear and Nightingale already has a sequel, as well.) What books are you looking forward to? Have you read any of the books above? What did you think?

Edited to add (12/12/17): Kate Atkinson has a new novel called Transcription coming out in September 2018!

Edited to add (12/13/17): Ken Jennings’ Planet Funny: How comedy took over our culture is coming out May 2018!

As usual, I am using Linda’s list for inspiration, and it’s not a Tuesday at all. Also, there are eleven twelve, and I could keep going. This is a fun one.

1. 1.  A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers: This book mystified me when I read it – was it fiction? Memoir? What? – but I always liked the brash confidence of the title. And the bit about French fries.
   2.  We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler: I think I came to this as an Ann Patchett recommendation, but the title would have made me want to pick it up anyway.
   3.  Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman: It may have been the title that made me pick this book up, I can’t remember now. Either way, I’m glad I did.
   4.  I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane Crosley: This one is on Linda’s list, but I liked the book better than she did. It probably helped that I read it in New York in my early twenties (the essays are about the author in New York in her twenties), and the title always makes me smile.
   5.  Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman: Well, obviously she’s not.
   6.  Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit: The title is so good, and so appropriate, that it’s the only thing on the cover of this book: white text on a deep blue background. (I hate to think what Solnit would have done to a cover designer who put a pair of heels on the front of her book.)
   7.  Someone Could Get Hurt by Drew Magary: A perfect title for a laugh-out-loud parenting memoir.
   8.  I Crawl Through It by A.S. King: My least favorite of her books – I really didn’t get it at all – but I love the title. Her others are good too (e.g. Please Ignore Vera Dietz).
   9.  Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer: I heard the song by The Cure before I read the book; both are atmospheric. I love discovering literature via music and vice-versa; when done well, it adds to both. (I discovered The Smiths’ song “Asleep” via The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.)
   10.  A Burglar’s Guide to the City by Geoff Manaugh: The title was more promising than the book itself turned out to be, but then, how could that not be the case?
   11.  Shh! We Have A Plan by Chris Haughton: Initially, I didn’t think this picture book quite lived up to its funny title, but after enough re-reads I came to love it.
   12.  A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again by David Foster Wallace: I’ve never read this collection of “essays and arguments,” but I’ve thought about this phrase a lot over the last two years. It’s rarely apt, but when it is, it’s so perfect.

Least favorite title:

Baking With Less Sugar by Joanne Chang: This doesn’t sound appealing at all.

What are your favorite titles? Least favorite? Book you read because of (or in spite of) its title?

Edited to add (12/5/2017): Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells Tower is a great title, as is Tim Kreider’s essay collection We Learn Nothing.

I have yet to post one of these on a Tuesday, except by chance. Once again Linda inspired me with her list. Here are mine, listed from January (#1) to June (#10-11). Not only are there eleven instead of ten, I actually snuck (or sneaked, if you prefer) a couple extra onto the list using the “same author” justification.

1. Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race by Debby Irving: This was one of the Arlington Reads Together candidates for last year, and I’m glad I finally read it – less because of the quality of writing (it was fine but not exceptional) or the format (workbook-type questions at the end of each chapter) than because of the messages about privilege, oppression, and how to work effectively for social justice. “Discrimination and privilege are flip sides of the same coin.“
2. The Wyrd Sisters and Dodger by Terry Pratchett: After years of other people indicating to me that I might really like Terry Pratchett, I read some…and I really like Terry Pratchett! The Wyrd Sisters was like Macbeth meets Oscar Wilde, and Dodger was pure fun (if you enjoy the details of the sewer system in Victorian London); I listened to the audiobook, and it was a splendid production.
3. Talking As Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham: Having just watched the four Gilmore Girls reunion episodes, I was excited to read this, and it did not disappoint. I listened to the audiobook, which Graham reads herself of course, and it was just delightful; I was sad when it ended and wanted something just like it. (I ended up with Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick, which was also good.)
4. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee: A big, multi-generational novel that starts in 1910 and stretches into the late 1980s. I learned so much about Korean history, and particularly the difficult status of Koreans living in Japan (“For people like us, home doesn’t exist”).
5. The Left-Handed Fate and Bluecrowne by Kate Milford: I love Greenglass House so much and was thrilled to read a story even faintly connected. The Left-Handed Fate was a perfect historical adventure story with a touch of fantasy, and Bluecrowne provided a solid link between Fate and Greenglass. So satisfying.
6. Pro: Reclaiming Abortion Rights by Katha Pollitt: If you’re anti-abortion, you’re unlikely to pick up this book, but if you do, it might change your mind or at least soften your position somewhat. If you’re already pro-choice, it will give you new angles to consider and strong ways to articulate your reasoning for your beliefs.
7. The Lotterys Plus One by Emma Donoghue: I’ve read nearly all of Donoghue’s novels for adult readers, so I happily followed her into middle grade territory. The story of nine-year-old Sumac and her nontraditional (but normal to her) family celebrates diversity not by making a big deal out of it, but by making it seem like not a big deal. It’s realistic and funny and poignant.
8. Gracious by Kelly Williams Brown: I should probably re-read this every six months or so. “There is one kind of thought that’s always useful and always gracious. That kind of thought is, “What can I do for someone else?” …This kind of thought makes the world, and you, a better place.”
9. The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu: Someone in my book club suggested this, and I’m so glad she did. It’s long, and I had only intended to read the title story and a few others, but I read the whole thing. It’s an absolutely unique collection: stories are set in the past and future, alternative histories, on Earth and in outer space, and more. Liu has a tremendous imagination and a great gift for storytelling and character.
10. Saints for All Occasions by J. Courtney Sullivan: This was as good as Maine, my favorite of Sullivan’s novels: a story of two sisters who come to Boston from Ireland in the 1950s, their diverging paths and stories, and how they come together again after a tragic event. Family secrets galore, and multiple perspectives, including those in the next generation.
11. The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein: I devoured this novel about pre-Code Name Verity Julie in two days. It stands alone, but having already read Code Name Verity, it was especially wonderful to see Julie brought back to life, as it were, and at home in her native Scotland. She narrates in first person, which is a different perspective than the journal entries from Verity.

Have I interested you in any of the books above? What are your favorite books that you’ve read so far this year? What books are you looking forward to?