I read 50 books in 2017 and re-read one (
A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan). I ranked them from worst to best, in my opinion. I have also included a more detailed Goodreads review when you click on the title of (almost) each book in this list. Happy reading!
50.
I Love Dick- Chris Kraus Faux-feminism but actually just a pretentious tale about a woman stalking and harassing a man. I guess the feminism part is that the woman is the one doing the stalking and harassing for once? I don't know. I'm baffled how this book got the "feminist literature" distinction. It's been picked up by Amazon though and I will probably hate watch the show.
49.
Milk and Honey- Rupi Kaur File under "should've stayed on Tumblr."
48.
Too Much and Not the Mood- Durga Chew-Bose A really beautiful book cover and some interesting musings from an Indian-Canadian millennial woman, but overall pretty boring prose about nothing.
47.
Sweetbitter- Stephanie Danler This is a book about a pretty white girl who moves to New York, lands a job she is unqualified for, and essentially bats her eyelashes to success. Might be interesting if you are into wine. There are a lot of wine references that went over my head. This is another book that has been picked up by a television network and I will probably hate watch it too.
46.
South and West- Joan Didion Musings of a rich white woman who gets stuck in the South and decides to critique everything that crosses her path. I love a good snarky essay collection (Fran Leibowitz), but this read to me as condescending and lacking wit or humor.
45.
Lincoln In the Bardo- George Saunders Honestly, I should count this book as unread. It was my book club book one month and I speedily read through it on Kindle, missing most of the charm and dialogue that my book club members spoke of when we discussed it. I do know a lot of people really enjoyed it and it is an incredibly unique premise (ghosts telling stories of their living lives as well as narrating their time in purgatory).
44.
The Idiot- Elif Batuman My favorite part about this book was the familiarity I had with the setting- Harvard University, Harvard Square and the surrounding T stops in Cambridge/Boston. This is the story of an immigrant undergraduate at you guessed it, Harvard. She is kind of an idiot in most of the story but there are brief moments of wit. I file this under "don't pick a book because it is millennial pink colored."
43.
Norse Mythology- Neil Gaiman I didn't
not enjoy this book, but this was another book club book and I honestly would never have chosen it on my own. I think this would be very fun to read with a child.
42.
How to Murder Your Life- Cat Marnell This book is the equivalent of watching 4 episodes of the Real Housewives of New York City with a lot of drugs. I read it very quickly and loved all the fashion and beauty name drops. It's about a beauty editor who becomes addicted to prescription drugs at a young age and her addiction is fueled by her rich family and career. The most frustrating part of this book is the fact that the author really never learns her lesson, but after reading Roxane Gay's (much better) memoir, I am learning that memoirs are not required to have a happy, lesson learned, tie it with a bow ending. Frankly, some people continue to live in misery or destruction and that is how life is. Highly recommend for a long flight or tropical vacation.
41.
Race and the Making of the Mormon People- Max Mueller I had a hard time ranking this one because I had the privilege of attending a discussion with Max Mueller, which made me understand and like the book a lot more. However, if you don't have that privilege and are simply reading this book on its own, it's kind of boring and repetitive. The ideas are fascinating and important, but not a page turner.
40.
Swing Time- Zadie Smith I wanted to love this because it is about ballet and female friendship and Zadie Smith is impossibly cool, but it fell short of the New York Times Book Review hype. It's hard for me to enjoy a book in which none of the characters are redeeming or likable, but I am also impressed with the books I've come across that have these. I'm still waiting for Zadie to speak to me.
39.
Bluets- Maggie Nelson I wish I could write an arbitrary list loosely based on a color and have it be as good as
Bluets. This is the second Maggie Nelson I've read and paled in comparison to
The Argonatus. Still, it was an easy read with passages that made me feel feelings.
38.
Little Women- Louisa May Alcott I know I can't judge classic literature with the same lens as contemporary, but wow, was this book boring and so silly. Some of the dialogue made me laugh out loud because of how ridiculous it sounded. The friendship among the March sisters is heartwarming, but overall I was puzzled by how many people consider this one of their favorite classics.
37.
The Odd Woman and the City- Vivian Gornick I didn't write a Goodreads review for this book and remember very little from it, except that it was a collection of essays about a woman living in New York City.
36.
Manhattan Beach- Jennifer Egan This was my November book club book. I loved
A Visit From the Goon Squad and was highly anticipating
Manhattan Beach. I had the opportunity to listen to Jennifer Egan speak about this book and as I always feel after hearing an author talk about their work, I liked the book more after. This book is the definition of historical fiction. Egan put in an incredible amount of research into this book and it shows with her detailed descriptions of the Brooklyn naval yards and the costumes worn by World War II divers. The characters were complex and well-written. I think if you've never read Jennifer Egan, you will enjoy this book more. I recommend
A Visit From the Goon Squad to experience what I think is Egan's true genius.
35.
Her Body and Other Parties- Carmen Maria Machado The closest thing I read to Goosebumps this year. This collection of short stories is labeled "feminist," but I was disheartened to read only the negative aspects of being a woman, and I don't consider a list of why it's hard to be a woman "feminist." Secondly, these stories are very sexual, to the point where intercourse is as common as taking a breath of air. I am not bothered by sex scenes in literature, and I consider it a talent for a writer to compose one without making the reader cringe, but this got to a point where every other page was sex.
34.
Commonwealth- Ann Patchett I wrote this book off initially because I thought it was chick lit. It is similar to chick lit in that it is very easy to read and you can finish it in a day or two, but I equate chick lit to lacking substance, and
Commonwealth is certainly substantive. The story is a dysfunctional family drama which reminded me of Jonathan Franzen. It jumps back and forth between family members and unfolds in the most lovely and unpretenious way.
33.
Too Much Happiness- Alice Munro This is another spooky collection of short stories, but less sexy and darker. I really enjoyed "Wenlock Edge," "Free Radicals," and "Child's Play." All of these stories left me feeling uneasy.
32.
Political Fictions- Joan Didion I have been trying to read Joan Didion for the past three years waiting for something to speak to me the way she seems to have spoken to every other stylish female millennial and finally she has. This is a collection of essays written between 1998 and 2000 about the presidential campaigns of the time. Didion's views are unbiased, witty, humorous, and address the actual shit show that is American politics. I read this ten days before the inauguration of the 45th president of the United States which I think added to my enjoyment of the book and dread for the future.
31.
The Underground Railroad- Colson Whitehead Amazing storytelling and worthy of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. I wish I had a stronger connection with Whitehead's main character, but I thoroughly enjoyed this historical adventure through one of America's darkest times.
30.
The Handmaid's Tale- Margaret Atwood I'll admit I only read this so I could make comparisons with the Hulu recreation, but I'm glad I did. This book is set in the future in a world that has reverted to biblical rule and women are reduced to childbearing machines. It was fascinating to read this, then watch the television series, then see women dressed as handmaids protesting the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. What a time to be alive!
29.
Girls and Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape Peggy Orenstein It is fascinating to have read this book at the beginning of 2017 and reflect on the newer landscape that we live in because of the courage of hundreds of women coming forward about sexual assault. This book is a collection of stories, interviews, and statistics about girls and sexuality from early teens to adulthood. This book left me terrified to raise a daughter and angry with the environment society has created for young women. However, change is coming and women will not be silenced.
28.
The Ghost of Eternal Polygamy: Haunting the Hearts and Heaven of Mormon Women and Men- Carol Lynn Pearson This was particularly disturbing and difficult to read as a woman who is active in the LDS church. Polygamy was practiced in the early church, is said to have been done away with, but certain principles remain doctrinal and have caused anguish and heartache to hundreds of Latter-day Saints. My best advice for reading this book is to make sure you have a friend, or better, a group of friends, to discuss with upon completion. The topics and stories are heartbreaking and left me with a weight on my soul that only seemed to lift after discussing with like-minded women.
27.
Ready Player One- Ernest Cline Harry Potter for the digital age. This book is so much fun. I didn't get a lot of the 80's references, but it still didn't take away from feeling like I was competing in the Triwizard Tournament on a video game.
26.
Life On Mars- Tracy K. Smith I am still angry about the four books that I shipped from Seattle to Boston that were stolen in transit by the United States Postal Service. Life On Mars was one of these books. I do remember several beautiful stanzas about the planets and solar system in relation to love and the human body, but unfortunately, have no specific poems to cite or verses to quote. I do know I very much enjoyed this collection by Tracy K. Smith and think you will too.
25.
What Happened- Hillary Rodham Clinton I voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and my heart was broken when she lost to the buffoon who is currently in the Oval Office.
What Happened is exactly that- what happened in 2016 from the Democratic presidential candidate, first woman to be nominated by a major party for president, and who should be leading our country today. I am most annoyed by criticism of this book that Hillary is too "angry" and is seeking to "blame everyone else for her loss." Hi, I would be angry too if I lost the election to Donald Sex Offender Trump. I think this was therapeutic for Clinton and necessary to process the immense loss that was 2016. It is also extremely hopeful and ends on a note that encourages us to stay active in government and push for change, which is exactly what I plan to do in 2018.
24.
My Misspent Youth- Meghan Daum A collection of essays about being broke in New York City but knowing you're in the most fabulous city on earth. These essays are pretentious but darkly funny and smart enough that it was ok. I think it's important when authors coming from a position of condescension about a topic acknowledge their narcissism and Daum does just that.
23.
Against Everything: Essays- Mark Greif This collection is the opposite of
My Misspent Youth because it is pretentious and but doesn't acknowledge it. I still enjoyed it a little bit more because the topics were things that interest me or I've thought and wondered about (being a foodie, rap music, exercise, Radiohead). I kind of finished reading each essay thinking, "Ok but why do you get to make these critiques? Who
are you Mark Greif??"
22.
Moonglow- Michael Chabon Michael Chabon is a master storyteller. This is a memoir-ish novel about his grandfather's life, told from deathbed confessions. Chabon jumps from the past and present, rather choppily, but still in a way that's enjoyable and exemplary of the love Chabon has for his grandparents.
21.
Letters to a Young Poet- Rainer Maria Rilke Beautiful words on writing and feeling. I stand by my Goodreads review that it is "like if your favorite sweater was a book."
20.
Hunger- Roxane Gay This book taught me a lot of things, but I think the most important is that I really know nothing about a lot of people's lives. I don't know why they look the way they do, why they act or speak the way they do, and I have no idea what terrible atrocities they may have faced or continue to face. Roxane Gay speaks candidly about sexual assault, disordered eating, and body image in her memoir about her body. I think I read this at the perfect time of the year- when hundreds of women came forward about sexual assault and it finally became a national conversation. Again, women are resilient and will not be silenced!!!
19.
Autumn- Karl Ove Knausgaard I fell in love with Karl Ove last year when I read the first five of his sprawling "My Struggle" memoir and in anticipation of the final installment, stumbled upon one of four of his "Seasons" quartet. I think this is an excellent introduction to Karl Ove, and paints a more likable picture of KOK than the most recent "My Struggle" publication. This is a collection of descriptions of everyday objects, loosely related to Autumn. It also includes letters to his unborn daughter which I found particularly enjoyable and heartwarming.
18.
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running- Haruki Murakami I read this at the start of my own training for the New York Marathon (Murakami wrote this while he was training for it) and I loved it. I shared so many of Murakami's opinions, particularly his love of not having to interact with anyone while running. Running has become a kind of meditation for me, and long distance running is a special mental sport that requires physical strength and athletic ability, but places equal weight on personal discipline and mental stamina. You also get to experience Murakami's gorgeous prose of which I have grown so fond. Highly recommend to any runners.
17.
Women in Clothes- Sheila Heti I made an early prediction that this would make my top ten books this year and even though it hasn't, I still loved this collection of essays, photos, surveys, and interviews so much. This would make an amazing gift for anyone who loves clothes or fashion. There are hundreds of women featured in this book who talk about the different stories of their clothes, personal style, and their inspirations for dressing. One of the best things from this book is a quote that I included in my Goodreads review, but feel is too good to not repeat here: "
I hate when people say they don't care about clothes, because it's a lie. It's like when writers say they don't care about plot. Lie. We are always asking for something when we get dressed. Asking to be loved, to be fucked, to be admired, to be left alone, to make people laugh, to scare people, to look wealthy, to say I'm poor, I love myself. It's the quiet poem in the waiting room, on the subway, in the movie of our lives. It's a big fucking deal."
16.
Let My People Go Surfing- Yvon Chouinard I have huge respect for Yvon Chouinard and the Patagonia brand after reading this memoir. Founder of the outerwear brand urges readers to stop buying shit we don't need and, even the stuff he's making. Chouinard places his family, the well-being of his employees and the preserving the earth at the top of his priorities. I am still guilty of buying things I don't need, all the time, but I have stopped myself several times this year after reading this memoir from buying another dumb tshirt or sweater. I try to contemplate the lifespan of an article of clothing before I buy it, have made an effort to recycle and use less paper products and avoid waste in general, and get outside more. I think that's what Yvon would have wanted.
15.
The Collected Stories- Lydia Davis This collection of short stories is smart, poignant, and a great example of doing a lot with a little. Some of Davis' stories were half a page long, but still conveyed meaning and evoked deep emotions and thought. This is a wonderful little book about feelings.
14.
A House Full of Females: Plural Marriage and Women's Rights in Early Mormonism, 1835-1870 Laurel Thatcher Ulrich is a brilliant historian, writer, and teacher. I had the immense privilege of attending her Sunday School class in the Cambridge First Ward. Laurel is passionate about women's rights and her knowledge of feminism in the early church seems endless. The research and gathering of diaries, photos, quilts, and other artifacts to produce
A House Full of Females only increases my admiration for Laurel. I finished this book feeling proud of the wonderful heritage of the Relief Society and especially proud of the Mormon women of the early church who were mothers, homemakers, feminists, and defenders of women's rights amidst a patriarchal environment.
13.
We Should All Be Feminists- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie My favorite book I read last year was by Chimamanda, and this year I read two more of her works. Though both were very short, both were absolute gems of books and should be required reading for everyone. This book is based on a TEDx talk Adichie gave about what it "feminism" means today.
13.
Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie "How do I raise my baby girl to be a feminist?" was the question Chimamanda was asked before writing this book. These are her answers. They are succinct and important. Another short little book that packs so much on every page.
11.
String Theory- David Foster Wallace My year wouldn't be complete without a little DFW. This is a collection of every essay Wallace has written about tennis. I have yet to find a better essayist than David Foster Wallace. Every topic he covers he is able to produce informative, hilarious, and thought-provoking prose that I am reminded of every time said topics enter my life. He was a true genius and I look forward to reading more of his work in 2018.
10.
Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life- William Finnegan A memoir of surfing. I tried surfing for the first time in the summer of 2016. I tried again this year. I'm terrible, but I'm fascinated. I want so badly to be good at it, but my body and swimming ability make it difficult. William Finnegan's memoir about his life as a surfer from a small boy to grown adult is beautifully written. You can feel Finnegan's passion for the sport on every page. I finished with a new appreciation and admiration for surfers and a reverence for the ocean.
9.
The Argonatus- Maggie Nelson Maggie Nelson tells the story of forming a life and family with gender fluid Harry Dodge, their struggles to have children, and what it means to be a mother. Nelson joins her personal experience with the thoughts of theorists on sexuality, gender, and the institution of marriage. Motherhood is motherhood, regardless of how your baby comes to be your baby and/or who you love. It is a beautiful, heartbreaking, and maddening process.
8.
The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds- Michael Lewis This is a book about the guys who brought us
Thinking Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky. It is a book about friendship, love, loss, education, success, and failure and how two brilliant men joined forces to change the way we think.
7.
Arbitrary Stupid Goal- Tamara Shopsin Tamara Shopsin grew up in Greenwich Village during the 1970's. Her parents ran a restaurant whose menu rivaled The Cheesecake Factory's in length and diversity. This book is an easy read about Shopsin's life and includes a bunch of great cartoons and drawings by the author and from articles and magazines of the time. I loved reading this.
6.
We Were Eight Years in Power- Ta-Nehisi Coates This is a collection of essays written during Obama's presidency, as well as a final epilogue entitled "The First White President" about you-know-who. Coates is unapologetic in his prose and often critical of Obama, but always respectful and always admiring. Every essay is thought-provoking and powerful and forces Americans to address the white supremacy and racism that continues to divide our country today.
5.
The Sympathizer- Viet Thanh Nguyen The story of a Vietnamese double agent living in Los Angeles. The writing in this book is amazing and Nguyen uses figurative language in ways I've never read. I described it in my Goodreads review as "a punch to the stomach" and I stand by that claim. I am always drawn to diaspora type novels, because I love to read foreigner's descriptions of American stereotypes and customs as they often echo my own immigrant parents. I read this book early in 2017, but have recommended it to so many people and loved it so much.
4.
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City- Matthew Desmond Winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction, Matthew Desmond follows families living in the poorest neighborhoods of Milwaukee and writes about their struggle to survive amidst poverty and the constant threat of eviction. This book made me re-think poverty in the United States, particularly where it occurs and who it affects. The stories of the people Desmond interviews are heartbreaking and you feel a strong connection to each family. Desmond combines years of research and vivid prose to expose wealth inequality in the United States and the determination and hope people display in the face of inescapable poverty.
3.
Between the World and Me- Ta-Nehisi Coates Between the World and Me is a stunning memoir written for Coates' son. It is a reflection on being black in the United States, what it means for Coates and what it now means for his son. The author reflects on his own childhood in Baltimore, moving to New York City, and working as a writer. Over and over Coates warns his son of the inequality that will always face him because of the color of his skin and how he must be twice as careful and twice as good because his life depends on it. I am so scared to be a parent, but my fears seem minuscule compared to the fear black mothers and fathers have for their sons every day in this country. This book is humbling, beautifully written, and so important.
2.
The Nix- Nathan Hill If you've asked me for a book recommendation I've probably recommended The Nix. I still think about this book- its complexities, characters, how it weaves perfectly together, and how it was eerily prophetic of 2016-2017. I also want everyone to remember this was Nathan Hill's first novel! What a masterpiece! This book takes place in the past and present and jumps between the main character's (college professor and failed writer, Samuel) and his mother who abandoned him (Faye). There is a lot going on, but I promise (without giving away the ending) it's not confusing and all comes together so brilliantly. This was my favorite fiction I read in 2017.
1.
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York- Robert Caro After reading this book, you will never think of New York or visit the city again without thinking of Robert Moses. This book is enormous, but outstanding. It is the best biography I've ever read and probably the best non-fiction book I've read in my life. Robert Moses was brilliant, power-hungry, charming, and ruthless. He defied the public and the press and masterfully orchestrated the building of New York City and Long Island without ever holding elected office. Robert Caro is a talented writer and paints a picture of Moses which leaves you torn between lauding and loathing and wonderfully tells the story of his rise to power and his arrogant fall from the top. (I have added this to my all-time favorite books list.)
There you have it- my year in books from the worst to the very best! I hope you enjoyed this compilation. It has become my favorite New Year tradition. 2017 was a weird year full of great and terrible things. Reading has always been a favorite activity of mine, but in recent months, I've found it helps take my mind off troubling things in the world, but also inspires me to make changes to better myself and lift those around me.
I get asked a lot for book recommendations and I love to give them. I urge everyone reading this to join Goodreads! It's a great way to see what your friends are reading, what they thought about certain books, and record your own reading progress. I also find so many new titles and authors on Goodreads.
Thanks for taking the time to read (or scroll) through my list. I would love to hear your favorites from 2017 in the comments. Happy New Year! Here's to many more books in 2018!
