December! What a year!
I didn’t post one of these in November, because I only read 4 books. I fell into an awful slump, and the books I chose to read were not fast paced enough to get me out of that slump. Luckily, after finishing Anna Karenina, I felt a huge sense of accomplishment, which propelled me to read even more in December. I will be posting my annual “Best of” post in a few days, but I wanted to update this before I began working on that one.
Books are listed in the order they were read. For more mini-reviews, check out my What I Read tag.
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
Premise: It is Iceland in the 1800s, and Agnes commits the crime of murder. She must live with a local District Officer and his family until the courts approve her execution, and the family she’s placed with struggles to accept that she is living with them for the (short) remainder of her life. This is an atmospheric and bone-chilling take on the real events surrounding the last person ever executed in Iceland.
My Rating: 4 Stars
Thoughts: This is one of those books that’s really hard to rate. On the one hand, I wasn’t super captivated and it was easy for me to put this book down in the middle of a chapter. On the other hand, I know that this is an amazing novel for the type of people that like these types of novels. I’m a plot reader, and this book is heavy on the description and mood.
The book really picked up for me in the last 100 pages, and I grew entranced with Agnes’s description of her life leading up to the murder. I was hungry for more details, and the language pulled me in (rather than repelling me). I thoroughly enjoyed the ending of this book, but the beginning dragged for me. I still gave it four stars, though, because the writing was beautifully done and the story had an authentic-ness that could only come with being based on real life.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes books based on real events. Anyone who enjoys intense settings and descriptions. Anyone who likes cold books (as in… set in cold climates).
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
Premise: April May is walking home from work one night when she stumbles across a new art installation in New York. She immediately calls her friend Andy to create a video of her interviewing this art installation. April May goes viral when this same installation is discovered in 64 cities around the world, and she must deal with the consequences of fame and work to discover the meaning of these visitors.
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Thoughts: I’ll be honest… I immediately finished this book, grabbed my laptop, and started typing this review. That means that it will probably be a bit incoherent and very emotional. BUT. That is in complete spirit of the book. I have never ever read a book like this one before. In the beginning, I felt like I was in the middle of an anxiety attack (or a vlogbrothers video…) because the pacing was so fast that it made my head spin. I adjusted, though, and the pacing of the story actually matches April May’s growth and structure.
On one hand, this book is about a 23 year old who gains massive fame, which she lets go to her head. She pushes away friends, she alienates people, and she becomes a political pundit. On the other hand, this book captures the importance of remembering our humanity and serves as a reminder that we are stronger when we are together. I hated April May, but I also loved her. She was such a conundrum.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes John and Hank Green. Anyone who likes sci-fi and aliens. Anyone who needs a reminder to keep a positive outlook.
The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
Premise: Joe is in college, and when taking a biography writing class, he decides to visit a nursing home to find his subject for his writing. He stumbles into Carl Iverson’s story, and this story sweeps him away.
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Thoughts: At first I was like… meh. The main character is a bit annoying and whiny and also weirdly attached to his neighbor, who is way too good for him. One thing I don’t like is when an author feels the need to put too much into the backstory of a character. In this case, Joe sees his grandfather die, has an alcoholic mother, and has an autistic brother. Sure, Joe felt the need to run away from all of that to go to college, but… any one of those things would have sufficed.
All that being said, in the second half of the book, it really picked up. Joe quit his whining and started making decisions about things, and there was some fun action that had me thinking about this book every time I put it down. It had a solid ending, and I appreciated the way everything happened.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes murder mysteries and cold cases. Anyone looking for a quick read.
Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown
Premise: It’s hard to stand firm in your convictions, especially when everyone around you is pushing you to go a different way. Braving the Wilderness is about finding the courage to stand firm and having the softness needed to hear and help those around you.
My Rating: 4 Stars
Thoughts: This book! This was my first Brene Brown book that I’ve read, and it is heads and tails above the other personal development books I’ve read this year. It was nuanced and compassionate and understanding and gently forceful. There were so many quotable moments — discussions about loneliness versus being alone, the nuances in the police brutality arguments, suggestions on how to argue better — I felt so drawn to this book over and over again.
I could only read bits and pieces at a time, because I felt like I needed some time to digest what I had read. There were a few parts that seemed repetitive or like the metaphor was extended just a bit too far, but… minor complaints when it comes to personal growth books.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who needs a confidence boost. Anyone who feels isolated.
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Premise: Marion Stone was born in Ethiopia, and this story starts with the story of his parents — a surgeon and his nun nurse, one who dies in childbirth and the other who flees when he sees his twin boys. From there, we see the events in Marion’s life that influence his future in inextricable and interconnected ways.
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Thoughts: Ok, this book is long. Some 600+ page books fly by (particularly if they are YA fantasy books), but this one… didn’t. It could be why I only read 4 books in November. I would read one or two chapters then felt the need to put it down and just digest what I had read. Set in Ethiopia, this book had a lot of violence, sadness, and medical terms (unrelated to Ethiopia, but still slowed me down a bit). Luckily, the book is not graphic (and, when it is, it is using medical terms to describe intense surgeries).
This story was seriously touching though. Marion’s life is long and meandering, but the book wraps up beautifully with him reflecting on the path it took and the way every happiness or tragedy influenced the later events of his life. Marion and Shiva’s relationship just touched my heart, and I loved all of Marion’s childhood stories.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who loves long, sweeping novels. Anyone who enjoys multigenerational sagas. Anyone looking to diversify their reading.
A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult
Premise: Wren is going into the clinic to get birth control. Joy wants an abortion. Janine was there to get something incriminating from the nurses or doctors.. something that would make the news and force the clinic to close down. Everyone was playing their part, until George walked in. With a gun.
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Thoughts: Yes, this is a book about abortion. When I first picked it up, I knew it would be a fast read. I spent a summer going through Picoult’s books, and I know she doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff (I’m still crying over My Sister’s Keeper, tbh.). But I didn’t know how she would tackle this subject. It would be very easy for any author to jump into something as taboo as this with a motive or bias. But this book… presented balance. It found the humanity in a subject that often ignores humanity. It showed both sides of the argument in heart-wrenching way.
I enjoyed the book (and read it so quickly), but I wasn’t a fan of how it was set up. The book worked its way backwards from 5 PM the day of the shooting… all the way to 8 AM. And while that’s cool in theory, in practice, it just led to some things being very predictable and it definitely took the suspense out of some of it (as in… well I know she’s not alive at 3 PM, so she’s probably going to die in this chapter…) It was a good analysis of the abortion argument, but I wish an editor would have changed this along the way.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who wants a nuanced look at abortion. Anyone who likes stories with multiple main characters. Anyone who likes multiple perspectives.
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Premise: Anna Karenina is not-so-happily married. But when she meets Count Vronsky, her life choices get turned upside down. On the other hand, there’s Levin, who is a wealthy landowner in search of a wife. He loves Kitty, but she may already be committed to someone else…
My Rating: 3.5 Stars – Honestly, I don’t know. I’m just so glad I finished it.
Thoughts: I DID IT! I FINISHED IT! How do I even sum up this book that took me two months of audiobooking to finish? On the one hand, it was just really long. There was lots of farming and plowing. There were pages and pages of philosophical diatribes. It got so monotonous too frequently for my tastes (which is why I had to switch to audiobook… I never would have picked it back up in the middle of that).
On the other hand, the translation I read was really approachable and easy to follow (despite the constant name changes for the characters). And there were some bright moments that really had me connecting to the book. The end of Anna’s story was powerful and crazy and (avoiding spoilers) had me gaping after reading it. And seeing the birth of Levin’s child through his eyes was one of the most powerful scenes I’ve read in any classic novel… I may or may not have been sobbing on the treadmill. Overall… not a bad classic to pick up, even if it is a bit tedious at times.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who wants to tackle a classic. Anyone who is trying to reach a page goal. Anyone who likes books that span years.
Am I There Yet? by Mari Andrew
Premise: Instagram cartoonist Mari Andrew illustrates her way through adulthood. Poignant cartoons mixed with insightful essays makes this a quick but thought-provoking read.
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Thoughts: I love Mari Andrew. I follow a lot of cartoonists on Instagram, but she is one of my favorites. Her cartoons are always so on point, and they frequently make me stop and rethink.
This book was good… but I don’t think I’m the target audience. This would be a GREAT book to give someone for college graduation or someone just starting their adult life. She talks about her time traveling, her search for the perfect job and the perfect scarf. She discusses what it means to create a personal style and find your way through the turmoil that is your 20s. As someone on the cusp of 30, I feel like this book resonated with me because I’ve lived through that uncertainty, but I think it would be even more powerful for someone who hasn’t grown up yet.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who is entering adulthood. Anyone who is looking for help finding their way.
The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
Premise: In 1686, Nella is 18 years old and freshly married. When she moves to Amsterdam to meet her husband, she finds his home is already full — a maid, a manservant, a sister-in-law, and two pups greet her at the door. Her husband, however, is not home. What unfurls over the next 4 months will change Nella’s life forever.
My Rating: 4 Stars
Thoughts: This book has been on my To Read list for agesss, and I finally committed to reading it this year. And I am so glad I did! This historical aspects of this book felt so genuine — her use of the Dutch language really added to the authenticity of the story. I also really felt connected to Nella. She has to do so much growing up and letting go of expectations in the beginning of the story, and I think she turned out to be so strong and brave.
That being said, I do wish I knew more about the miniaturist herself. I feel like the story could have been more enhanced if we had some resolution to her interactions with the women of Amsterdam. We get no real closure on her story or on Nella’s life after the story ends. It’s not frustrating; it’s not like we are left with a big cliffhanger. But some Epilogue would be nice.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes historical fiction. Anyone who is looking for an intriguing story. Anyone who enjoys some magical mystery with their fiction.
Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine
Premise: It’s 2031, and the Great Library in Alexandria was never destroyed. In fact, the Library has taken over the world… they are the storer of all information, and they have complete control over all knowledge. Jess is the son of a book smuggler who gets an apprenticeship with the Library, which leads to new friends and nearly the loss of his life.
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Thoughts: This book was okay. I never would have picked it up, if not for the Around the Year challenge that I did this year, but I’m glad I did. The beginning of the novel, and the world that Caine set up, really intrigued me. There was a lot going on and the author chose to reveal it all slowly and let the reader draw their own conclusions, which I love.
That being said, the second half of the novel lost me a bit. There were a lot of random, unexplained things that Jess and his friends encounter, and… I just was a bit thrown off by it all. The story seemed a bit rushed and a bit forced. It was entertaining, for sure, but I don’t know if I’ll be continuing the series.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes YA dystopias. Anyone who loves books and writing. Anyone interested in alternative history.
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
Premise: The Khoo wedding is the talk of the town in Singapore — everyone who is everyone will be there. But when Nicolas Young, heir to the mighty Young fortune, decides to bring his girlfriend Rachel to the party, the Singapore elite goes crazy.
Rating: 4 Stars
Thoughts: I am SHOCKED at how much I enjoyed this. When books are this hyped, I try to go in with low expectations — and considering that this is the book I’ve had to wait the longest to read from the library (35 people! I’ve been on the list since June!), I wasn’t sure if I should trust the hype. BUT! I really, really enjoyed this book, and I absolutely devoured it.
This is a light-hearted book. It’s like a Real Housewives of Singapore, but with all of the Asian culture and old-school expectations thrown in there. It was not a insightful or thoughtful book. But it was the perfect book for me to read right before the holidays craziness. I totally got swept up in the love lives of all of these characters, and I was surprised at how well-written the female characters were (it can be hit-or-miss with male authors). I loved Rachel and Nick so very, very much, and I may even pick up the sequels to this one when I need to get out of a rut.
Who Should Read It: Anyone looking for a light-hearted story. Anyone who loves Keeping Up with the Kardashians or Real Housewives. Anyone who likes some petty drama.
My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
Premise: When a routine procedure goes wrong, Lucy is hospitalized for 9 weeks. Her estranged mother visits her, but her husband and children do not. This novel reflects back on this time in Lucy’s life and goes further back into her childhood.
Rating: 3 Stars
Thoughts: I just… didn’t get this book? It is written in first person, and Lucy is reminiscing on her stay in the hospital years and years after it happened. But it feels very fragmented (probably because the chapters are only a couple pages long, max), and there’s no real climax or conclusion. Nothing really happens… we just get one person thinking about their past.
That being said, it was a gloriously short book, and the way that Lucy reveals information about her past is slow and methodical and entertaining in a way I didn’t expect.
Who Should Read It: Anyone looking for a short read. Anyone looking for a poignant read.
What do you think? Did I miss the mark on any of these? Are there some that you are excited to read? Leave a comment below!
