Another year, another 62 book reviews. But this year I added facial expressions!
That's actually less books than the usual 70-80 that I've averaged over the past few years. I blame ME/CFS, which was suckier this year and led to more napping and more TV. I also read a few books that chewed up a lot of time, either because they were dense non-fiction, or agonizing drawn out classics (I'm look at you Dr Zhivago!).
I had a slight uptick in the number of male authors. This is probably because I made a concerted effort to work my way through some books that were on the shelf at home and that I inherited from my parents, so I wasn't explicitly selecting female authors from the library. This year I had to add a new 'non-binary' category to my gender column! I rated male authors more highly (3.7 stars) than female (3.5 stars) this year, though they are the same over the long term.
Reading from diverse (i.e non-white/straight/cis) authors hit an all-time high of 39%. I rated diverse authors (3.8 stars) much more highly than non-diverse (3.4 stars) which is an amplification of the long term pattern.
Special mentions go to:
- Least Deserving 'Classic': Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
- Most Generous Rating: Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis (probably more like 4.5 stars)
- Most Awkward Mix of Genres: Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
- Book I Had To Put Down Because It Was Too Traumatic: Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa
5 stars (3 books, 5%)
Mornings in Jenin,Susan Abulhawa,"The experience of a Palestinian family through war, dispossession & repression. Harrowing, unjust, intense but brimming with love for land & kin."
We Were Eight Years In Power,Ta-Nehisi Coates,Argues powerfully that America's problems stem from widespread & deep-rooted racism. Valuable new perspective for me. Case for reparations is particularly striking.
The Queen's Gambit,Walter Tevis,"A masterful representation of chess thinking & obsession, with a compelling protagonist and perfectly pitched tension. Game details were beyond me, but it didn't matter - I was hooked."
4.5 stars (6 books, 10%)
The Nickel Boys,Colson Whitehead,"Based on the history of a brutal boys home under Jim Crow. Nuanced critique of Rev King's call to love thy oppressor. Devastating, but with some small consolations."
The Goldfinch,Donna Tartt,"Life blown apart, a boy hurtles through chaos toward adulthood, tethered by a few curious friends. Detailed but riveting, with brilliant characters. Thoroughly enjoyable despite apparent pointlessness, for which ending over-compensates."
Shuggie Bain,Douglas Stuart,"Alcoholism & poverty: the weeping sores of Thatcher-era Glasgow. Desperate, raw & hopeless. Love was a rarity, and didn't stand a chance."
Less Is More,Jason Hickel,"Decoupling economic growth from resource use is a fantasy. Degrowth is essential, but need not reduce human well-being. A clear & decisive reminder, but only briefly addresses how to actually get there."
Hillbilly Elegy,JD Vance,"Inside view of hillbilly culture from someone who escaped the quagmire of violence, dysfunction, ignorance & hopelessness. Told with love & empathy. No easy solutions."
Long Walk to Freedom,Nelson Mandela,"Commitment, drive, vision & humility in the long fight against apartheid. The cost to his personal life, and family, is staggering. Strange how he went into prison as a normal man, but came out as a mythic figurehead."
4 stars (14 books, 23%)
Dominicana,Angie Cruz,"Teen bride carries family's hopes to New York, which are barely held together by strength of will in the face of harsh reality. Immigrant women were made of stern stuff."
Future Girl,Asphyxia,Deaf teenager finds herself as society tumbles down a dystopian energy descent. Highlights dangers of dependence on corporate lab-grown food. Strong sense of what it's like to be Deaf. RetroSuburbia fictionalised.
The Best Australian Science Writing 2019,Bianca Nogrady (ed),"Enthusiasm, awe & solastalgia for the many wonders of the natural world. Particularly good on female sexuality, plastic in seabirds and krill."
Arcanum Unbounded,Brandon Sanderson,"Short(er) fiction from the Cosmere universe, showcasing a range of fascinating worlds and distinctive magic systems. Provides some much needed background to the novels."
How to Bee,Bren MacDibble,An endearingly incorrigible girl fights for love & life in a post bee-pocalyptic dystopia. Heart-warming but a bit brutal for a kids book.
Growing Up Disabled In Australia,Carly Findlay (ed),"A range of voices, some stop-in-your-tracks powerful, with similar stories: discouragement, prejudice, community & identity. But how well does #MECFS fit into the social model of disability? Well-timed - I now have a wheelchair."
In The Dream House,Carmen Maria Machado,"Powerful & empathetic memoir of being sucked into, but finally escaping, the awful quagmire of emotional abuse. Surprised at old presumption that abuse wouldn't occur in queer relationships."
Debt,David Graeber,"Anthropological exploration of the origin, development & philosophy of credit, markets, money & capitalism. Debt has had profound cultural influence. Fascinating but a lot to absorb - will require revisiting."
Factfulness,Hans Rosling,"Data-based tools to bridge the vast gap between our assumptions & the actual state of the world. Some things are bad, but many are getting better. Touching & well-chosen anecdotes from a clear-sighted, hopeful & caring man."
The Winds of War,Herman Wouk,"The star of this book is World War 2 and the strategies and motivations of the great powers. The actual characters are merely a narrative convenience. Underwhelming romance, fascinating but disturbing history."
Such A Fun Age,Kiley Reid,A black nanny negotiates the well-intentioned but racist opinions & actions of her employer and her boyfriend - coz white knows best. Great job showing the subtleties of prejudice. Very American.
Kindred,Octavia Butler,Unsolicited time travel immerses woman in her ancestors' slave past. Highlights the discomforting intimacy & dependence between master & slave. Visceral & clever.
21 Lessons for the 21st Century,Yuval Noah Harari,"A broad survey around our greatest challenges: algorithmic AI, biotech & environmental collapse. Fairly light treatment and nothing particularly new, but brings a refreshing clarity and deeply considered perspective."
All About Yves,Yves Rees,"Being, and becoming, trans. An open & accessible primer on the feelings, complications & trauma for us clueless privileged cis-types. Thought-provoking on feminism."
3.5 stars (21 books, 34%)
The Keys of the Kingdom,AJ Cronin,"Simple story of a missionary priest who defies convention and lives by the example of Jesus, rather than institutional ego."
Blood of Elves,Andrzej Sapkowski,"Novel form makes context clearer, but little development of protagonists. Lots of explanatory discussions from empty characters. Holds promise for the series."
Starsight,Brandon Sanderson,"Good banter, quirky aliens and a galaxy to save. Questionable recklessness in baddies. Doomslug!"
Cathy Goes To Canberra,Cathy McGowan,"Reframing politics as grassroots community engagement based on strong shared values. A model that could transform politics and unleash our potential. Staid telling, but hopeful & inspiring."
Lord of the Silver Bow,David Gemmell,"The Greek myth of Troy brought to life in rich detail. Heroes & villains, honour & deceit, passion & bloodlust. Simple but satisfying."
Where The Crawdads Sing,Delia Owens,"A far-fetched but appealing premise, gorgeous nature writing, but underwhelming murder plot. Could have been incredible if put to another purpose."
Factory 19,Denis Glover,"Walshie rejects the modern digital world by recreating a microcosm of 1948 industrial life. Fascinating, thought-provoking concept that deserves a deeper and more nuanced exploration. Trails off in farce."
Smart Ovens For Lonely People,Elizabeth Tan,"Undoubtedly original short stories, obtuse criticisms of contemporary life, often end suddenly"
Dune,Frank Herbert,"Huge potential: feudal machinations, galactic empire, mystical prophecy, ecological transformation, GIANT WORMS. Solid start but gets vague and hurtles to conclusion, missing all the fun on the way."
English Pastoral,James Rebanks,"Repudiates intensive industrial farming. Poetically, and nostalgically, celebrates the holistic wisdom of tradition. An impassioned introduction to the tensions in modern agriculture, but lacks deeply considered solutions."
The Empathic Civilization,Jeremy Rifkin,"As civilization becomes more complex, our capacity to empathise expands, but so does our energy footprint. Did my head in trying to comprehend past ways of thinking. Far too long."
Crazy Rich Asians,Kevin Kwan,Unsuspecting girlfriend catapulted into the stratosphere of Singaporean elites. Cat fights ensue. Unfathomable & disturbing levels of wealth. Otherwise a fairly standard family melodrama.
Walking With Camels,Leni Shilton,"The story of Bertha Strehlow, who married a driven anthropologist and journeyed through the lands of the Arrente people. In poem form, and very readable!"
470,Linda Woodrow,"Sudden climate breakdown: lives upended, norms and dreams swept away. A homestead becomes a sanctuary, from a new rhythm dawns hope, but over an ocean of grief. Unlikely scenario (I hope!), but human experiences & responses feel realistic."
The Master & Margarita,Mikhail Bulgakov,"Satan and his cronies cause havoc on a mad romp through Soviet Moscow. Possibly genius, but just out of my grasp, or at least lacking in context."
Seraphina,Rachel Hartman,A novel way to incorporate dragons (they take human form) and explore inter-species relations and neurodiversity.
The Education of an Idealist,Samantha Power,"As Obama's ambassador to the UN, honestly describes the extent & limits of US power, including how they worked themselves into a corner of inaction over Syria. Very readable, but overly detailed in parts."
Babel-17,Samuel Delaney,"A mysterious language at the centre of interstellar conflict. A brilliant idea, but fast pace left me scrambling."
The House in the Cerulean Sea,TJ Klune,"Prejudice against diversity grows into acceptance. A well-worn trope given new life by fun, colourful & loving magical creatures, contrasting the Python-esque drudgery of 'normality'."
The Princess Bride,William Goldman,As charming & distinctive as the movie but drowned out by excessive & incessant editorialising. Inconceivable!
Homegoing,Yaa Gyasi,"Follows two family lines: one in Africa, the other enslaved to the Americas. Effectively captures the breadth of experience and weight of trauma across deep time. Individual characters are light on (unsurprising) and the ending doesn't quite braid together."
3 stars (13 books, 21%)
The Importance of Being Seven,Alexander McCall Smith,Starting to lose its spark. Crises felt manufactured.
The Last Wish,Andrzej Sapkowski,"The adventures of a monster-slayer: sardonic & dour, but professional & honourable. May have seemed better if I hadn't seen The Witcher."
Rebecca,Daphne du Maurier,"A weak-willed young woman desperately strives to find her identity in subservience to her new husband, against the reputation of his seemingly perfect ex-wife. Brooding and over-wrought, but strong feminist commentary."
Accordion Crimes,E Annie Proulx,"A tour of (mostly immigrant) America following an old green accordion. A parade of character studies in excessive but eloquent detail, some engaging, others inconsequential, but mostly tragic, slightly mad, caricatures."
Mantel Pieces,Hilary Mantel,"Writings on a variety of topics, mostly concerning English royalty and French Revolutionaries. Superbly crafted, but only of tangential interest."
Second Foundation,Isaac Asimov,"A bit too pleased with its own cleverness, and far too much back-and-forward exposition."
Foundation and Empire,Isaac Asimov,"A black swan throws a wrench in the psycho-historic predictions, but luckily there is some redundancy. Good to see some concepts beyond the simplistically mechanistic."
These Happy Golden Years,Laura Ingalls Wilder,"Teaching and becoming a young lady on the pioneer prairie. Courting process seems a mite odd (not much talking!), but at least she refused to obey him in their marriage vows. Tornado tales seem unlikely."
The Storyteller and His Three Daughters,Lian Hearn,"Aging man in Meiji Japan spins tall tales about his neighbours, only to stumble upon a cabal of ex-samurai plotting to regain power & glory. Gently told, a pleasant read."
A Wind in the Door,Madeleine L'Engle,"Some cool ideas around mitochondria & cosmic scale, but crisis resolved through laboured & unconvincing dialogue."
Exit Strategy,Martha Wells,"Less outrageous action than usual, but a hint of emotional perturbability in the increasingly human Murderbot."
Insidious Intent,Val McDermid,Solid detective/serial killer mystery. Came in at end of series so can't fairly judge the shock conclusion.
Multispecies Cities,var eds (inc Deb Cleland!),"Solarpunk of variable quality by diverse authors. Less utopian than expected. Some very cool ideas: recording & revival of animal culture, animal mind-melds, cybernetic mangroves, comms-enabled interspecies teamwork."
2.5 stars (1 book, 2%)
Anne of the Island,LM Montgomery,"The Anne books aren't subtle, but this one's as blunt as a blue whale, and not nearly as charming or magical."
2 stars (4 books, 6%)
Harbour Street,Ann Cleeves,"Fairly rote, with characters and a mystery that aren't very engaging."
Doctor Zhivago,Boris Pasternak,"Life disintegrates after the Russian Revolution. Slow, confusing start with a mess of indistinguishable characters. Shapeless dialogue, boring monologues. Interminable."
Throat,Ellen van Neerven,"Didn't do it for me, but most poetry doesn't."
The Living Sea of Waking Dreams,Richard Flanagan,"Contrasts our careless disregard of planetary death with our misguided & cruel desperation to deny bodily death. Clumsy, jumbled, unappealing & prolonged."
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