Reading in November and December
NOVEMBER
1. The End of the Sentence, Maria Dahvana Headley and Kat Howard - Oh my goodness...a writing match made in heaven! I can't believe how beautiful this book was...and I love the fact that it wasn't quite what I expected. These two writers are definitly among my favorite discoveries of the last few years, and I love that they teamed up. The really interesting thing is that together they have a style that's unique from their individual styles. (usually in team writing I can tell who has added what)
2. The Masked CIty, Genevieve Cogman - I so enjoyed reading this book, but at the end of the day I had trouble remembering what it was about a few weeks later when I went to do this report. Either I'm getting forgetful in my old age or it just wasn't awesome enough to stick real well. I've preordered the fourth book in the Hidden Library series...but now I'm not sure if I want to continue on. (Haven't purchased the third yet.) I do love the characters....maybe I've just been tired and stressed?
3. Mating in Captivity, Esther Perel (audio) - I'm a bit obsessed with Perel, who I've heard speak in many podcast interviews over the last few years. In fact, her podcast, "Where Should We Begin?" is currently a must-listen as soon as it's published. This is the book that first truly introduced her to the world, and I find I'm really drawn to the work that she does with couples and relationships...work that is deeply compassionate and real. Truth? I would also listen to Perel read the phone book...her voice, accent, and reading style are that good...and so I'm beyond grateful that she read her own book.
4. Out of Sorts, Sarah Bessey - Another case of the right book coming along at the right time. I wish I could sit down with Bessey over a pot of tea. I think she and I would get along quite well. The premise of this book is that sometimes we need to shake out our beliefs, reexamine everything we thought to be true, and do the work needed to move forward. My own feelings about church are somewhat conflicted right now...and this was exactly what I needed.
5. The Stone Sky, N.K. Jemisin - trilogy wrapping up, I'll now admit it...I don't actually like this trilogy as much as everyone else seems to. Jemisin is one of my favorite discoveries from the last few years,, but I find this particular series to be unnecessarily difficult to read because of the writing style she utilizes. (note...I didn't finish it...and I may not...so weird.)
6. Artemis, Andy Weir - No, it's not as good as the Martian. Not by a longshot. Yes, it was a lot of fun. I think Weir had the incredible good fortune to hit gold with his first book....and maybe he should have stopped there (?).
7. Akata Witch and
December
8. Akata Warrior, Nnedi Okorafor - I adore Okorafor. Her books are magical. Akata Witch has been on my wish list for quite some time, and it's sequel - released this year after a very long wait - has made many best of lists for 2017. I'd heard the books described as an African Harry Potter at one point, but that doesn't do them justice. I love them because the characters are complex, and our lead has real emotions and sometimes doesn't think before she acts...in other words, they are real kids who behave in real ways.
9. Weave a Circle Round, Kari Maaren - A prepurchase, based on the cover blurb by a trusted author. It was fun, but I don't think I loved it as much as I might have another time. (If that makes sense.) Interesting concepts, fascinating time travel elements, excellent characters...yeah, I should have loved it more...probably tired and stressed again.
(Then my birthday happened...round one of splurging on new books (round two with Christmas money)...and then I had a glorious 10 days off over the holidays, in which pretty much all I did was read!)
10. Lincoln in the Bardo, George Saunders - I've never read Saunders, and although I've heard his praises sung for years I wasn't sure what to expect. This was so heartbreakingly beautiful. I loved every single word, and while it should have been sad I found it full of hope and peace.
11. The Girl in the Tower, Katherine Arden - I wasn't aware that Arden's The Bear and the Nightengale (which you may remember I reread recently) was the first of a proposed trilogy until I stumbled on this book in my periodic browse through presale books. I'm such a fan. These are beautiful fairy tales, and in this book Arden takes her girl who doesn't fit in with the norms of her culture even farther. I don't know where she's going, but I can't wait to find out!
12. Turtles all the Way Down, John Green - The truth? The plot is pretty iffy. Fortuantely, that's not what you read this book for. John Green has taken his own struggles with OCD and has created a character who's so very real in her own mental illness that she breaks your heart over and over again. We need books like this to help teach us awareness and compassion. And that line about first love at the end? So very true.
13. The Power, Naomi Alderman - I'd been desperate to read this book for quite some time. It's also making the Best of 2017 rounds, and is a wonderful addition to the conversation about gender that we've been having all year long. I wasn't surprised by anything - the reviews pretty much gave away the plot and the ideas - but wow, it's so very well done. There's a line at the very end that really blew me away. Gender and power..these are things we need to be talking about.
14. Bright Thrones, Kate Elliott - Court of Fives novella. Instead of adding new information to the series, it told one small portion through a different perspective. I adore Elliott, and I love the Court of Fives books...but as charming as this was, it was wholely unnecesary.
15. The Thorn and the Blossom, Theodora Goss - A confession. This is one of the first books I added to my wish list back when I started listening to the (sadly now defunct) Books on the Nightstand podcast years ago...and yet, I passed it over every time I went to buy books, even though it's survived every purge of my wish list. I finally decided it was now or never, and so it became one of my Christmas book purchases. Oh my...it's brief, but it's absolutely lovely. It's a twice told tale - you get the same story from the two diffferent characters, and while the potential is there for boredom through repetition, the story is short enough, and the perspective shift interesting enough that I didn't lose interest. Beautiful writing...and let's face it, I'm a sucker for anything that includes a Green Man or Woman.
16. Shalom Sistas, Osheta Moore - I picked this up on a recommendation from Sarah Bessey, who's blog has become a must read for me. I cried several times while reading this book. I want to be a a Shalom Sista, and this has given me some things to think about.
1. The End of the Sentence, Maria Dahvana Headley and Kat Howard - Oh my goodness...a writing match made in heaven! I can't believe how beautiful this book was...and I love the fact that it wasn't quite what I expected. These two writers are definitly among my favorite discoveries of the last few years, and I love that they teamed up. The really interesting thing is that together they have a style that's unique from their individual styles. (usually in team writing I can tell who has added what)
2. The Masked CIty, Genevieve Cogman - I so enjoyed reading this book, but at the end of the day I had trouble remembering what it was about a few weeks later when I went to do this report. Either I'm getting forgetful in my old age or it just wasn't awesome enough to stick real well. I've preordered the fourth book in the Hidden Library series...but now I'm not sure if I want to continue on. (Haven't purchased the third yet.) I do love the characters....maybe I've just been tired and stressed?
3. Mating in Captivity, Esther Perel (audio) - I'm a bit obsessed with Perel, who I've heard speak in many podcast interviews over the last few years. In fact, her podcast, "Where Should We Begin?" is currently a must-listen as soon as it's published. This is the book that first truly introduced her to the world, and I find I'm really drawn to the work that she does with couples and relationships...work that is deeply compassionate and real. Truth? I would also listen to Perel read the phone book...her voice, accent, and reading style are that good...and so I'm beyond grateful that she read her own book.
4. Out of Sorts, Sarah Bessey - Another case of the right book coming along at the right time. I wish I could sit down with Bessey over a pot of tea. I think she and I would get along quite well. The premise of this book is that sometimes we need to shake out our beliefs, reexamine everything we thought to be true, and do the work needed to move forward. My own feelings about church are somewhat conflicted right now...and this was exactly what I needed.
5. The Stone Sky, N.K. Jemisin - trilogy wrapping up, I'll now admit it...I don't actually like this trilogy as much as everyone else seems to. Jemisin is one of my favorite discoveries from the last few years,, but I find this particular series to be unnecessarily difficult to read because of the writing style she utilizes. (note...I didn't finish it...and I may not...so weird.)
6. Artemis, Andy Weir - No, it's not as good as the Martian. Not by a longshot. Yes, it was a lot of fun. I think Weir had the incredible good fortune to hit gold with his first book....and maybe he should have stopped there (?).
7. Akata Witch and
December
8. Akata Warrior, Nnedi Okorafor - I adore Okorafor. Her books are magical. Akata Witch has been on my wish list for quite some time, and it's sequel - released this year after a very long wait - has made many best of lists for 2017. I'd heard the books described as an African Harry Potter at one point, but that doesn't do them justice. I love them because the characters are complex, and our lead has real emotions and sometimes doesn't think before she acts...in other words, they are real kids who behave in real ways.
9. Weave a Circle Round, Kari Maaren - A prepurchase, based on the cover blurb by a trusted author. It was fun, but I don't think I loved it as much as I might have another time. (If that makes sense.) Interesting concepts, fascinating time travel elements, excellent characters...yeah, I should have loved it more...probably tired and stressed again.
(Then my birthday happened...round one of splurging on new books (round two with Christmas money)...and then I had a glorious 10 days off over the holidays, in which pretty much all I did was read!)
10. Lincoln in the Bardo, George Saunders - I've never read Saunders, and although I've heard his praises sung for years I wasn't sure what to expect. This was so heartbreakingly beautiful. I loved every single word, and while it should have been sad I found it full of hope and peace.
11. The Girl in the Tower, Katherine Arden - I wasn't aware that Arden's The Bear and the Nightengale (which you may remember I reread recently) was the first of a proposed trilogy until I stumbled on this book in my periodic browse through presale books. I'm such a fan. These are beautiful fairy tales, and in this book Arden takes her girl who doesn't fit in with the norms of her culture even farther. I don't know where she's going, but I can't wait to find out!
12. Turtles all the Way Down, John Green - The truth? The plot is pretty iffy. Fortuantely, that's not what you read this book for. John Green has taken his own struggles with OCD and has created a character who's so very real in her own mental illness that she breaks your heart over and over again. We need books like this to help teach us awareness and compassion. And that line about first love at the end? So very true.
13. The Power, Naomi Alderman - I'd been desperate to read this book for quite some time. It's also making the Best of 2017 rounds, and is a wonderful addition to the conversation about gender that we've been having all year long. I wasn't surprised by anything - the reviews pretty much gave away the plot and the ideas - but wow, it's so very well done. There's a line at the very end that really blew me away. Gender and power..these are things we need to be talking about.
14. Bright Thrones, Kate Elliott - Court of Fives novella. Instead of adding new information to the series, it told one small portion through a different perspective. I adore Elliott, and I love the Court of Fives books...but as charming as this was, it was wholely unnecesary.
15. The Thorn and the Blossom, Theodora Goss - A confession. This is one of the first books I added to my wish list back when I started listening to the (sadly now defunct) Books on the Nightstand podcast years ago...and yet, I passed it over every time I went to buy books, even though it's survived every purge of my wish list. I finally decided it was now or never, and so it became one of my Christmas book purchases. Oh my...it's brief, but it's absolutely lovely. It's a twice told tale - you get the same story from the two diffferent characters, and while the potential is there for boredom through repetition, the story is short enough, and the perspective shift interesting enough that I didn't lose interest. Beautiful writing...and let's face it, I'm a sucker for anything that includes a Green Man or Woman.
16. Shalom Sistas, Osheta Moore - I picked this up on a recommendation from Sarah Bessey, who's blog has become a must read for me. I cried several times while reading this book. I want to be a a Shalom Sista, and this has given me some things to think about.
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