This month was a mad dash to make it to my 2019 goal of reading 100 books. And I did it! These are the volumes that got me through the finish line.
Havana Libre
Robert Arellano
I didn’t realize this book is part two of a mystery series. But it works well on its own too! It’s a fun, noire-style mystery about a doctor embroiled with the Cuban government. He’s sent on a mission to Miami that doesn’t go the way he planned. The only issue I had with an otherwise fun read is the way the women are depicted in the story. It’s a male writer and the few women involved are only there to admire the protagonist.
Spook
Mary Roach
This was a fascinating read about scientists investigating the afterlife. In each section they test for things like past lives, presence of a soul, existence of ghosts, etc. I don’t particularly buy into the idea of an afterlife but it was really interesting to see how scientists attempted to bridge the gap between logic and spiritualism.
Blood Water Paint
Joy McCullough
Written in verse, this fiction piece explores the life of Artemisia Gentileschi, arguably one of the most famous female artists of all time. In the novel she’s painting the paintings that her father sells under his own name and struggling to more accurately portray the female pain, which male artists often show as ecstasy. She’s raped by one of her father’s colleagues which leads to some of her most powerful work like Judith Slaying Holofernes. It was an emotionally tough read, but beautiful.
Women and Power
Mary Beard
This essay dives into the way women have been excluded from positions of power since the dawn of civilization. From historical texts straight up to analyzing tweets about the 2016 election, Beard examines not only how women have been excluded but why. Surprise, it’s centuries of patriarchy and misogyny. This was an excellent read, even for someone who experiences this on a daily basis.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Truman Capote
I’ve never actually read Truman Capote’s classic story, although I’ve always enjoyed the movie. I’ve often heard it said that the book is wildly different than the movie, but honestly I found their characterizations of Holly to be pretty similar. It was a fun read although I still prefer In Cold Blood from Capote’s lineup.
People Before Highways
Karilyn Crockett
This was our book club book for December and I’ll be honest, it was rough. It’s a very dense academic text about the People Before Highways movement here in Boston, when activists and community members of all kinds came together to fight the highway expansion that would have ruined local communities. It’s a very interesting topic but I had trouble getting through it.
God Help the Child
Toni Morrison
One of Toni Morrison’s only novels in a contemporary setting, this piece follows a few different main characters who are all tied to child abuse. It’s a tragic but beautiful novel about the ways in which our childhood experiences and mantras shape who we become.
A Life in Motion
Misty Copeland
A friend from my book club lent me Misty Copeland’s memoir and it was FANTASTIC. I knew Misty has had an amazing and groundbreaking career but I didn’t know anything about her life. It was very interesting, well written, and quick moving. I’m not usually a memoir person but I definitely recommend.
Of Love and Other Demons
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
In this piece a man of the church falls in love with a teenager who is supposedly possessed by demons. Which sounds about right for the Catholic church. But when blended with the classic magical realism of Latin American lit and Marquez’s engaging storytelling, it was a good read. Definitely reflective as a former Catholic myself.
The Strange Library
Haruki Murakami
In this little book (I think it’s actually geared towards children?) Murakami takes his poetic, emotional way of writing into the world of a library. When a boy goes in to return some books he finds himself trapped in a secret lair underneath the library. With the help of other detainees he must find a way to escape and get back to his mother. Warning: there’s a twist at the end that’s a real tear jerker.
The Uncommon Reader
Alan Bennett
This was an adorable read. The Queen of England stumbles across a small roaming library and checks out a book. It ignites a passion for reading in her that changes her whole life and ruling style. It’s a very quick read and brings up some interesting questions (like why are all her palace colleagues so upset about having a well read Queen?).
American Housewife
Helen Ellis
I loved, loved, loved this book. It’s a series of short stories about housewives that all take a sort of creepy, grotesque turn. Not necessarily gory but weird and wonderful. It’s a delightful taking back of the category of “housewife.” For example, one woman might be a model wife, cook perfect dinners, scrub the house to perfection, and then murder the mailman. A woman’s got to have an outlet.
And Then There Were None
Agatha Christie
I’ve read a lot of Agatha’s books before so I thought I knew what I was in for. But this was a straight horror novel. In it a group of people are invited for a weekend away on an island (by people they think they know). As it turns out it was an elaborate ruse and some unknown person has stranded them on the island and is killing them one by one for crimes they supposedly committed. VERY creepy.
The Merry Spinster
Mallory Ortberg
This book turns classic fairytales on their head, sometimes with a contemporary spin and often with a very dark ending. This is fitting since many fairytales were originally pretty dark. It’s an excellent read and brings new light (and new moral high ground) to the stories).
The Only Harmless Great Thing
Brooke Bolander
An interesting little book, this novel took place in a sort of alternate universe where elephants can communicate with humans and have become their chief workforce on radiation sites. It was an interesting look and our relationship with animals and our relationship with capitalism.