1. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. This novel got great reviews and is on several Best Of lists for the year (including Barack Obama's). It is not an easy read, but definitely the most powerful book I read this year. Told in flashbacks, it is the story of one young man's experiences at a dangerous reform school for boys in the 1960s. It is based on a real school for boys in Florida that existed for 100 years. Elwood, a young African American, is sent to the school for a crime he did not commit. While there, he meets another young man, who helps him to survive and get along in this brutal environment. This is a powerful look at inequality that is still an enjoyable read. Whitehead is an amazing writer and I will be going back to look at some of his previous books.
2. Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield. While "The Nickel Boys" was the best written book I read this year, this is the book that has stuck with me the most. I keep replaying scenes in my head almost a year later. "River" is part historical mystery and part fairy tale with a big dose of magical realism thrown in. It worked completely for me. It all takes place along a river in England in the 1800s and involves a long missing girl returned to her parents, a stolen pig, and an ancient inn along the banks of a river with many mysteries under the surface. The writing is mystical and beautiful, nothing moves quickly, but at exactly the right pace. “It was better to tell such stories close to the river than in a drawing room. Words accumulate indoors, trapped by walls and ceilings. The weight of what has been said can lie heavily on what might yet be said and suffocate it. By the river the air carries the story on a journey: one sentence drifts away and makes way for the next.”
3. Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The Six is rock band that is rapidly moving to the top of the charts and Daisy Jones is the young singer that joins them in this novel told mostly in excerpts of interviews. A highly fictionalized account of the group Fleetwood Mac, it follows the rise to the top and then breakup of a 1970's rock band. I found the story fascinating and it kept me turning pages from beginning to end. This one finished on several Best Of lists also. I finished it and immediately spent the next hour listening to the music of and researching the history of Fleetwood Mac.
4. Full Throttle by Joe Hill. A collection of horror/fantasy stories by Stephen King's son. I continue to enjoy just about everything Hill releases. There are 2 collaborations with King here, but they were probably my least favorite entries. Some of my favorites - "Late Returns" about a haunted bookmobile, "By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain" a very Bradburyesque story about a lake monster, and "Dark Carousel" about a vengeful merry-g-round.
5. Nothing To See Here by Kevin Wilson. From the author of "The Family Fang" comes this story about a woman hired to bee a nanny to two children who catch on fire when angry. Wilson has written 3 novels now, all of them strange and all of them compelling. The narrator is not a likable person, but you are soon rooting for her and the these bizarre twins. Not as good as "The Family Fang", which I loved, but still very good.
6. Sol Majestic by Ferrett Steinmetz. A wonderfully humorous science fiction novel about the greatest restaurant in the Galaxy. A destitute teen guru wins a meal at The Sol Majestic, the most renown and expensive restaurant in known space. The owner and chef change his life, setting him off down a very different road. This novel is good science fiction and displays a love of food not often found in fiction. This one made me cry and laugh out loud.
7. The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal. The first in a planned trilogy of alternate history novels, it won the 2018 Hugo and Nebula for Best Novel. in 1952, a meteorite strike wipes out most of the East Coast of the US and triggers climate change that will end life on Earth in the near future. This speeds up the space race and the US starts using female astronauts in the 1960s. This story is told by a mathematician that becomes one of the first. I also very much enjoyed "The Fated Sky", the second book in the series. The third one is due out in 2020.
8. Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson. I have read everyone of Joshilyn Jackson's books and they have all been very good. My favorite is still "The Almost Sisters", but this one is excellent too. "Never Ever Have I Ever" is Jackson's first true thriller and she knocks it out of the park. Amy Whey is happy with her normal life in a nice neighborhood. Then one might, a new person intrudes on the local book club and she seems to know things about Amy that no one else does. Filled with twists and turns and SCUBA diving, it was a fun read.
9. The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker. "The Age of Miracles" by Walker was one of the most original post-apocalyptic novels I have read. Her new novel has been on several Best Of lists for this year. A small community in California is decimated by a mysterious illness that causes people to go to sleep and not wake up. Walker's novels are elevated by her beautiful writing, I very much look forward to more books from her.
10. The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion. This is the final book in a trilogy that started with "The Rosie Project". It follows the improbable romantic and family life of Don, a college professor who is very high on the spectrum. While the second book was a bit of a disappointment, Simsion came roaring back with this finale. Don is trying to deal with his 11 year old son who is having trouble fitting in at school. It is very fulfilling to see this character grow so much from a beginning where he could barely deal with other people.
The first two books on my list are the 2 that will stick with me for a long time. Honorable mentions to "Where the Crawdads Sing", "The River", "Orange World", "The Chain", and "Lost and Found". My favorite non-fiction book of the year was "The Five" by Hallie Rubenhold. It is the story of the 5 women killed by Jack the Ripper, but it is also the story of life for the very poor in Victorian London. It is gut wrenching at times, none of the 5 women are quite as portrayed in Ripper books.
. And the worst book I read this year was "48 Hours" by William Fortschen, an apocalyptic story about how people react to a coming electrical storm. It wasn't horrible, just really boring.
