My Favorite Books Read in 2022, #’s 12 & 13

My next two books were a bit different for me. One came about randomly as I decided to explore reading more indigenous authors, and the other was a short story collection from a Japanese master that I was inspired to read because of an excellent movie.

Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice#13) Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice – This slight novel is filled with atmosphere. Far to the north, in a remote Anishinaabe community, winter approaches. When all power and networks suddenly fail, the people of the town find themselves cut off from the rest of the world, and it is only through a small number of unexpected arrivals do they learn this phenomenon is widespread. Where some folks have prepared for a long winter by following older traditions, like hunting to stock up on meat, others are ill-prepared, and it’s up to the community to support everyone. While things are tough in town, it soon becomes apparent that things are far worse in the larger cities to the South.

Evan and Nicole, a young couple with two children, are the heart of this story, with one foot in the modern world, and one still holding on to tradition. As the situation grows increasingly dire, and nightmarish dreams reveal real threats, the community morphs into something new in hopes of surviving in a dark new world.

Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami#12) Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami – Acclaimed Tokyo writer Haruki Murakami collection of short stories, Men Without Women, published in 2017, explores a variety of scenarios where men find themselves without women and their lives a thrown into upheaval. Two of the stories contained in this collection, ‘Drive My Car’ and ‘Scheherazade’ were combined to create the marvelous screenplay for the 2021 film, DRIVE MY CAR, by filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi to great effect, which is why I decided to read Murakami’s collection. While an adept and accomplished writer, I wish I could read the stories in the original Japanese, because I felt that the quality of the writing was impacted by the translator, two of which are used for this group of stories. The bulk of the stories in this collection were beautifully done, but a couple toward the end were not as strong.

My Favorite Books Read in 2022, #’s 14 & 15

End of year usually people an opportunity to create an arbitrary of their favorite “fill in the blank” from the previous year. Every year, I do keep track of the books I have read, and 2022 was not the best year for me with regard to reading. I only read 26 books, which, while I haven’t gone back and done a survey of how many books I’ve read each year over the past few years, seems a little light. But I still managed to create a list of 15 titles that were worth mentioning. I will be posting my Top 15 books read in 2022 over the next week or so, so I hope you enjoy, and maybe even get a recommendation or two.

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones#15) My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones – My #15 book of the year also happens to be the first book I finished in 2022. Stephen Graham Jones’ bestseller is an interesting addition to the horror fiction genre. It features a Native American, high school outcast from rural Idaho named Jade Daniels, whose encyclopedic knowledge of slasher films (we’re not talking horror, we’re talking specifically slasher) comes in handy when a body count starts to rack up in Proofrock, a small mountain community nestled by the shores of Indian Lake. Naturally, Proofrock has its own horrific history, with a woodbound camp nicknamed Camp Blood for reasons we learn through the course of the book, and it’s own legend, of Stacy Graves, the Lake Witch.

Jones’ inclusion of Jade’s frankly astounding knowledge of slasher films, her indigenous background, and the personal circumstances that force this socially outcast, suicidal high school student to the fringes of community elevate the book above the usual horror fare. It has been a long time since I’ve read a novel from this genre, and while it didn’t frighten me, it does go to extreme length to include some truly grotesque moments, one involving a mountain of rotting elk corpses that I will have trouble shaking.

Cress Watercress#14) Cress Watercress by Gregory Maguire – Young rabbit Cress Watercress, is relocating with her mother and younger brother after losing their father to a mysterious, but most certainly dire fate. Cress is in the early throes of grieving, and is more unhappy about leaving her home. The beleaguered family finds sanctuary, and a steep rent, at the Broken Arms, a near dead tree with a strict, blind owl as landlord, and takes residence in a tiny apartment beneath its roots.

Cress reluctantly gets to know the other residents of Broken Arms, including an elderly mouse couple, a rambunctious family of squirrels, and a couple of songbirds. There are threats all around, from her younger brothers respiratory problems, to a clumsy bear, a hungry fox, a conniving skunk, and a rarely seen but dangerous snake. As Cress navigates the challenges of adolescence, the loss of her father, and the arduous task of making new friends, the dangerous, yet magical life of these woodland animals combine with a sweet coming of age story, compete with gorgeous illustrations by David Litchfield.