I know I have read 12 books this year. That used to be my yearly goal, but COVID has pushed me further than usual for the second year in a row. I just have more time to read, plus I prioritize it more without places to go. I usually post about the books I read on Facebook these days. But when I went to collate those updates for this post, I found no mention of Books #1 and 2, but three posts talking about Book #3. So the order here might be a bit off, which matters to no one except for me. But here is something about each of the 12 books.
The Story of a Goat: This was recommended my friend Laxmi in a Facebook post where someone asked for translations of books not written in English. So shoutouts to my new worldwide improv friends for widening my horizons. I really, really enjoyed it. I am not sure what percentage is the writing and what percentage is the translation, but this book moved so easily and artfully weaved together humor, insight and allegory. I loved how the POV would seamlessly switch from a human character to the goat and back. I also really appreciate the afterward by the translator to put some things in perspective. Highly recommend this one.
Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing: I love Planet Money so this was a fun read. Money is fake. We need to stop obsessing about it. We need to stop letting people who have the most of this fake thing rig the system so they can create new and weird ways to make more of this fake thing.
Caste: This was a hard, but needed read. It should shake you to your core. Isabel Wilkerson pulls no punches, and we need that. I just wish more people who truly needed to read this book would open their minds to the message and the serious need for change. If you say people need to stop talking about racism, you need to read this book. If you think we all just need to get along, you need to read this book. If you think other folks just need to work harder to better their lives, you need to read this book.
Logging Off: I think this was the fourth book by Nick Spalding that I have read. Some nights when I was reading Caste, I just needed something a little more upbeat and would dive into this. It’s silly and weird and a great tonic.
The Boys of Winter: I have an incredible fascination with the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team. I knew I would roll right through this book. While it doesn’t reach the quality of the out-of-print “One Goal,” which I think is the definitive book on the team, I really enjoyed this one. The writer uses literal play-by-play of the game – not kidding, each pass is dissected at times in very close detail – as a gateway into the stories of the American team. Sadly, not all the players were fully cooperative from what author Wayne R. Coffey said, but the there is still a lot to learn about these guys.
A Good Neighborhood: I heard about this one on an NPR podcast which was suggesting books on racial dynamics. Therese Anne Fowler takes a look at the many relationships which come from a black single Mom, her son and their new white neighbors in a North Carolina town. The story is sad, but delves into some of the difficult issues facing people today. I didn’t love the omniscent/Greek chorus narration from an unnamed neighbor who knew the ending of the story, but it wasn’t enough to keep me from appreciating the story.
Anxious People: I kept seeing friends post about this book and really am glad I gave it a shot. I found the writing style of Fredrik Backman engaging and loved the way he told this complicated and ultimately heartwarming story. As a sucker who really believes that good lurks inside all of us, I appreciated the journey that Backman took us on.
How to Stop Time: Damn, this was good. I am a sucker for a narrative that moves back and forth through time. When that also includes a main character who ages on year for every 15ish year he lives, that makes it even better. I am adding Matt Haig to my “gotta read all his stuff now” list. Not only did he create fantastic worlds, but I was a little surprised by some of the final action, which is always fun for a book I found myself invested in.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: I think this slightly missed the mark because I don’t give a fuck about a lot of the things he is trying to encourage people to not give a fuck about. This might have hit me differently at a younger age. I don’t disagree with many of the things he lays out. I just already try to work them into my daily life. Besides, we get it, Mark. You traveled to 50 countries and didn’t feel fulfilled. Stop flexing! I recommend it, kind of. It’s not a hard read at all.
Fleishman is in Trouble: I had wanted to read this a while back, but just never got around to it. When I finished the above book, I saw that this was on sale in the Kindle store so went with it. I like supporting authors and indie bookstores, but a millionaire author who has a TV deal with Hulu will get me to choose the cheapest option. I didn’t hate this book, but I loathed every person in it. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. The lesson seemed to be that a life of excess will never work out, but it seemed like Taffy Brodesser-Akner wanted us to feel sorry for some or all of these people who couldn’t just be carefree twenty-somethings anymore and had to, ugh, spend time with their kids. It did seem to completely revolve around how marriage and kids ruined everything for everyone. That didn’t expose anything bad about the world to me. It just showed these are shitty people and, if they are the examples the author sees in her life, she’s just as empty as they are.
A Stupid and Futile Gesture: I watched the movie based on this book earlier in pandemic times. The film focuses mainly on Doug Kenney and his impact on comedy through National Lampoon magazine and then the Animal House and Caddyshack movies. The book is much more expansive, digging deep into the machinations that made National Lampoon such an influential publication. At times, I felt the book was stilted by its structure of just following the magazine’s changes from year-to-year. But as the narrative builds, you see how that needed to happen to catalogue the events that led to Kenney’s sad death at such a young age. The book is good. There is a TON of information, and I wish it had more visual representations of the magazine’s pages, but I ultimately enjoyed it.
Darling at the Campsite: This is Andy Abromowitz’s third book, and I loved it as much as the first two. He’s a Baltimorean so I have a natural inclination, but he also writes such rich characters and effortlessly pulls you through his stories. This one was a little harder to get into than the first two, but those really had hooks that I related to – rock star dreams and connecting with your child. Rowan Darling is a 30-something record store owner with complicated relationships from the past. When he has to confront them, everything starts to really speed along. What I love about Abromowitz is that the last 50-75 pages really pack a punch. Details you may have forgotten all of a sudden pop back up. Not in a murder mystery kind of way, but in a “the details of life matter” way. I highly recommend this and his other two books.