Just Giblets

My New Year resolution for 2012 is to read more.  While I felt that I didn’t read enough in 2011, after creating my top 15 books of the year, I see that I read quality.  Obviously, I couldn’t quite limit myself to a Top 10, and I had a hard time ranking the books I loved.  (When a Stephen McCauley novel doesn’t end up in my Top 10, you know the competition is fierce!)  I do have to say that I’ve got a pretty terrific job.  Looking at my list of top books of the year, I have met twelve of these talented writers because of that job.  I am constantly exposed to hundreds of really great books; so many that I just can’t read them all!  But I’d sure like to try.

Before I announce my #1 book of the year, here is a quick recap of #’s 2 – 15

15. The Leftovers  by Tom Perotta

14.  We the Animals by Justin Torres

13.  Half Empty by David Rakoff

12.  The Babysitter Murders by Janet Young

11.  Insignificant Others by Stephen McCauley

10.  For the Win by Cory Doctorow

9.  The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson

8.  Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon van Booy

7.  The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey

6.  Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire

5.  Faith by Jennifer Haigh

4.  The World We Found by Thrity Umrigar

3.  The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

2.  The Bards of Bone Plain by Patricia A. McKillip

And…

#1 – State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Patchett takes us from Boston to the deepest hidden realms of the Amazon in this layered, haunting tale of biomedical exploration and the search for ourselves. Outstanding writing is Patchett’s hallmark in this intricately layered novel. Deep, complex strands of narrative all come together beautifully and characters, both main and incidental are fully explored and brought to life. This is a masterful work.  I’ve only read one other book by Patchett, Run, which I also love.  This book just grabbed me instantly and wouldn’t let go.  I read it on a trip to the Canary Islands and was totally absorbed as I sat by the pool and sipped cocktails.  The relationship between the two central characters is complicated, challenging, multi-layered and a joy to read.  It’s one of the things I love about fiction as opposed to other media; that two women are allowed to have the central roles and be explored.  This one took me completely by surprise, and while I’m late to the table, I’m sure glad I’ve discovered such a commanding writer.

#3 – The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

This superb debut novel explores the depths of human emotion and family. Victoria is a troubled young woman. Passed from foster home to foster home until finally deemed a lost cause, she finally gains her freedom at age 18. But she is an emotionally damaged person whose only interest is the language of flowers, a Victorian construct where people learned to communicate using the meanings of flowers. Victoria’s journey through childhood, and as a young adult on her own is heartbreaking and fulfilling. Vanessa Diffenaugh tells this story with a mastery that is thoroughly rewarding.  Picked up this galley at BookExpo 2011 and was intrigued after hearing the author speak at a breakfast meeting, but had no idea it would end up being one of my top books of the year.  Powerful and emotionally resonant.

#2 – The Bards of Bone Plain by Patricia A. McKillip

Like the bards in her novel, Patricia McKillip enchants readers with her lush, lyrical writing. Alternating between two stories, one set generations ago, the other in this world’s modern day, Patricia tells the tale of two competitions to choose the kingdom’s bard. The first ended in tragedy, and it looks like the second is heading the same way. Patricia is at the top of her game with this novel that drips with magic, romance, mystery, and history. At first I was surprised to find this genre title appearing to high on my list of top books read for the year, but when you’ve got a writer like McKillip, whose use of language exquisitely rises above even an admittedly imaginative and rich story to dizzying literary heights, it’s no surprise at all.

#5 – Faith by Jennifer Haigh

Talented author Jennifer Haigh tackles the Catholic priest abuse scandal with grace and skill. She brings to bear her forte of familial relationships to a splintered family living south of Boston. Don’t be put off by a subject that you might have heard enough of, Haigh’s take is refreshing and powerful.   After reading two of Jennifer’s novels, this one and the outstanding 2008 work, The Condition, it’s clear this is an author to be reckoned with.  I look forward to going back and reading some of her earlier work, even as she moves forward to tackle ever more-complicated and powerful subjects.

#4 – The World We Found by Thrity Umrigar

Thrity Umrigar’s The World We Found is a powerful look at four Indian women who shared a galvanizing and complex friendship during college and are now facing mortality some thirty years later when one of their number is discovered to have cancer and given months to live. While the three who remain in India do what they can to reunite and travel to America to see their stricken friend, the depth and complications of their relationships are revealed. Thrity doesn’t just give us four wonderfully drawn women in this novel, she creates a couple of surprising male characters as well. And in what is perhaps most surprising, a story about bringing four friends back together after decades evolves into something so much more – a lost woman’s liberation. Bravo, Thrity! The World We Found is a fantastic book!

I am embarrassed to report that I forgot one of the books I read in 2011, and it should be represented in my Top 15. So, I am sad to report that Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One has dropped off my list, and Justin Javier’s We The Animals, and Tom Perotta’s The Leftovers have shifted down to #’s 14 and 15 respectively.  I have a new title that now comes in at #13.  It also happens to be my friend Chris’ #1 book he read of 2011.

#13 – Half Empty by David Rakoff

David Rakoff tackles pessimism in his usual sardonic and funny way. His acerbic and self-depracating wit make the topic of pessimism a funny yet thought-provoking read.  This collection of essays does involve a sobering twist that makes it one his most personal and moving efforts.

Oh, and while I’m sure that sharp tongue is not an act, Mr. Rakoff is one of the sweetest most charming authors I’ve had the privilege to meet.  And he was blown away by the art and architecture of the Boston Public Library.

#7 – The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey

In the tradition of Jane Eyre, Gemma Hardy is a strong-willed, determined orphan living in Scotland who endures the kinds of trials only orphans in literature can endure before growing into the young lady that we would all love to be.  Livesey explores many of the tropes of this type of tale, but includes surprising detours, including Gemma’s exploration of her heritage in Iceland, a kindly lesbian couple who show her kindness andrefuge at a particularly low moment in her life, and a development of her character that goes far beyond the genre and into a more realistic growth.  Margot Livesey writes beautifully and while her story of the orphan mistreated by her adopted parent who escapes to boarding school only to be disappointed by the harsh cruelties of growing up is familiar, she avoids the melodrama that often accompanies these tales.  Her settings are unique and fascinating, and her characters rich and fully drawn.  In a different year, this one would be near the top of this list.  This book is due out at the beginning of February.

#6 – Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire

Gregory Maguire wraps up his epic Oz series with a grand, complex journey centered around Rain, grand-daughter of the famous? notorious?  Elphaba, self-styled Wicked Witch of the West.  As usual, Gregory weaves Baum’s original tapestry into his work, while commenting with insight on politics, morality and human nature.  The cast of characters is large, with just about all the players from the previous three books making appearances again, but Gregory skillfully brings them in without your having to go back and reread the books from years past to remember what’s going on.  His Dorothy Gale is a strangely ridiculous and heroic character all at once.  It’s a tour de force, and it’s a very satisfying conclusion.

#9 – The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson

Kevin Wilson was a new discovery for me in 2011, but his latest novel, The Family Fang, is a revelation. Annie and Buster are the children of Camille and Caleb Fang, two performance artists who value their art perhaps more than their children. When Annie and Buster finally escape their immediate family after growing up as Child A & Child B in their performance art troupe of a family, they think they’re done with all of that. But when hard times force them back to the family home, they find themselves embroiled in one of the most complicated pieces their family has ever launched. Insightful, touching and bizarre.

#8 – Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon van Booy

Three wanderers find each other in Athens.  Rebecca is young and beautiful, but lost.  She meets and befriends George, a translator who is lost in past worlds of language and Jack Daniels.  Both their lives are irrevocably changed when they meet Henry, a carefree archeologist who charms them both.  Spun with care using language that is rich with texture and emotion, Simon van Booy creates a nearly mystical exploration on love, grief, and heartbreak.  Truly a testament to a full year of fine novels, this book deserves to be much high on this Top 10 list.

#11 – Insignificant Others by Stephen McCauley

Known for his acerbic wit and well-drawn characters, Stephen McCauley sixth novel is a funny, insightful and ultimately poignant look at the long-term, slightly off-the-rails relationship between two men in Boston. The endearing yet slightly ridiculous characters in Insignificant Others struggle with love, adultery, work relationships, health and growing older, with Richard, human resources manager, compulsive gym-goer, and slightly past his prime in the center of it all.  I knew I would be amused; i was surprised at the emotional heft.

#10 – For the Win by Cory Doctorow

Cory Doctorow’s epic novel is really, really good. It features complex characters in their teens and explores such diverse and important issues as class, labor unions, economics, globalization, the Caste system in India, commerce, gaming culture, underground journalism and more, all without sacrificing a taut, exciting thrill ride of a novel. If there can be one slight complaint at all, it’s after building up to a really tense and powerful conclusion, the book’s conclusion is slightly (and only slightly) unsatisfying. Still – an epic for the ages.

#13 – We the Animals by Justin Torres

A vibrant new voice in literature exploded on the scene in 2011.  Justin Torres creates a highly personal and fierce fictional account of three brothers growing up with a slightly lost white mother, and a macho Puerto Rican father. Justin Torres creates some powerful imagery as the boys range, play, fight, and grow up trying to figure out their place in the world.  The language is eloquent and uncompromising.  This slim volume packs a powerful punch.  I am looking forward to this young author’s next novel.

#12 – The Babysitter Murders by Janet Young

Janet Ruth Young does it again, taking a difficult mental and emotional condition and turning into an entertaining, educational, and powerful young adult novel. In her first novel, The Opposite of Music, Janet tackles depression. In The Babysitter Murders, main character Dani struggles with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The problem is, because she doesn’t understand her disorder, people think she’s a potential murderer, and that doesn’t play well in this sleepy, coastal New England town. Janet effectively shows how information (and misinformation) travels with such immediacy via the web, and kudos to her for slipping in Shelley’s storyline. Shelley is Dani’s best friend who is just coming to terms with her sexuality. The Babysitter Murders has more of a young adult feel to it than The Opposite of Music, but its accessible and disturbing at the same time, and well worth the read.

This time of years sees a whole lot of year-end lists, with regard to film, music, comics, books, and more. I’ve got film taken care of over at Chlotrudis, and I’m working on something for this blog about comics. I always have a hard time with music because I don’t do a very good job recording what music I have purchased from year to year. I’m going to see if I can pull something together but that leaves books. Fortunately, the Boston Public Library, where I work, launched a new catalog this year, and I was able to use one of its features to keep a list of the books I’ve read in 2011. I only read about 25 books this year, but I’m please to report that 15 of those were worth noting in a year-end list. I’m going to try to double that amount this year… not exactly a resolution, but hopefully a return to a practice that I used to enjoy. But for now, here are my #15 and #14 books of 2011.

#15 – Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
I saw Cline do a talk about his book at BookExpo last May, and Random House was clearly behind this first novel. Cline was personable, but I wrote the book off as not really my thing. Then it came out and got a lot of press and great reviews, so I thought I’d give it a chance. This is basically an adventure story for geeks, especially geeks of a certain age. Fortunately, I do fit into the aimed at categories. In a future where the earth is spiraling deeper and deeper into economic depression and environmental collapse, and the majority of the population spend most of their waking hours online in a life-enhancing virtual reality called OASIS, high-school aged Wade finds himself leading the world in the grandest contest/video adventure game ever conceived. Mining the depths of rich video game/dungeons & dragons/80′s pop culture (and so much more), Cline is sure to capture the nostalgia as well as imagination of many thirtysomethings and beyond. Fortunately, it’s a fun adventure tale for all ages and interests.

#14 – The Leftovers by Tom Perotta
Tom Perotta’s intriguing novel examines how an event very similar to ‘The Rapture’ would effect those who were left behind; especially if the ones ‘taken’ weren’t necessarily the ones expected. Perotta takes his usual middle-class suburban characters and puts them through the ringer. Families break apart, cults form, parades are held, and then there are the murders… The Leftovers is a quick, fascinating read, and it’s now in development to be a television series!

Stealing the idea from A.J. Bond, who I hope one day to grow up to be.

The Descendants

Road to Bali

Kaboom