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December 31, 2014 - Part 2
15. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh
I generally hate blog books but this one is the exception. Incisive, engaging, and very, very funny, it’s complimented by some perfect and perfectly hilarious illustrations.
*14. Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher
Jason Fitger writes a lot of reference letters. A lot of woeful, meandering, passive-aggressive, unintentionally offensive reference letters that, if nothing else, offer tragic-comic insight into the world of their author, an embittered professor of creative writing at a small liberal arts school. The book, a hilarious collection of his (un)professional missives, will have you carefully reconsidering the next time you ask someone for a professional recommendation.
*13. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
Many will no doubt draw comparisons to Kate Atkinson’s much-hyped Life After Life given the similar premise – a protagonist is continually reborn after death, reliving his/her life over and over – but whereas Atkinson’s heroine has no knowledge of her past experiences, North’s hero does and this makes for a completely different and (in my opinion) far more interesting narrative. Armed with the memories of what came before, Harry August discovers others like him, time traveling kalachakra, who hold the secret to saving the world – and ending it.
*12. In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides
Historical documents, journals, and personal accounts are used to reconstruct the ill-fated polar voyage of the USS Jeanette and its 33 man crew who are forced to undertake a grueling thousand mile journey across the frozen Arctic when their ship goes down in icy waters. Harrowing.
11. Thirteen Hours by Deon Meyer
When a young American backpacker turns up dead in Capetown and her friend disappears, Detective Benny Griessel is tasked with the politically-charged job finding the missing girl. The narrative jumps back and forth between the official investigation and the young woman on the run in this highly suspenseful, immensely captivating page-turner. Impossible to put down, I read this novel in a single night, staying up until 2:00 a.m to finish it.
*10. Saga by Brian K. Vaughan
It’s an going series, so I’m including it as a 2014 release. Two former soldiers, deserters, and star-crossed lovers from opposing sides of an interplanetary conflict attempt to put the war behind them and raise their daughter with the help of some unlikely allies. But their pasts come back to haunt them in the form of some even unlikelier enemies – and otherworldly complications. The comic book version of an intricately plotted, character-driven cable drama. Fiercely original.
*9. The Troop by Nick Cutter
A field trip to an isolated island takes a horrific turn for a group of young boys when their scout leader welcomes an emaciated stranger into their camp. It’s a horror version of Lord of Flies that is at turns harrowing, humorous, and thoroughly engaging. Wonderfully written. It’s heads and shoulders above most novels in the genre.
8. Super Graphic by Tim Leong
This visual guide to the comic book universe uses pie charts, venn diagrams, bar graphs, maps, and trajectories to highlight fun facts. Whether it’s a rundown of DC’s alternate Earths, the pizza particulars of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the alliances and connections of the denizens of Sin City, a Walking Dead kill counter, a map of Tintin’s travels, or a taxonomy of animal-named characters, there’s something here for most every fan to geek-out over. LOVED it!
7. The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
Moorish Spain (or a fictional version thereof) is the backdrop of this sweeping historical fantasy involving sieges, warfare, diabolical plots, courtly intrigue, crosses, double-crosses, friendship, and romance. At heart of it all are three protagonists whose backgrounds and alliances lead them on intersecting paths both heroic and tragic. Brilliant world-building and wonderfully nuanced characters. My introduction to the works of author Guy Gavriel Kay novel. Highly recommended.
6. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
When his wife goes missing, family and friends rally in support of her distressed husband – until evidence surfaces suggesting he may have had a hand in her disappearance. As suspicion mounts and the onion is peeled on a less than ideal marriage, the reader discovers that appearances can be very deceiving. Replete with twists and turns, a compelling read.
*5. Half a King by Joe Abercrombie
Young Prince Yarvi is son to the King of Gettland. Born with only one good hand and no aspirations to the throne, he has grown up in the shadow of his older brother. But when his father and brother fall in battle, it falls on him to avenge them. His scheming uncle has other plans, however, and Yarvi is betrayed and sold into slavery. And so, it’s from his lowly position as a galley rower riding the Shattered Sea that his quest for revenge begins, one that will see him forge alliances with reprobates and renegades, battle fierce adversaries, and, ultimately, reforge himself into a force to be reckoned with.
4. This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper
To honor the memory of his recently deceased father, Judd Altman learns he must sit shiva, spending the week in mourning with his fractured family. Disparate personalities clash as unresolved issues resurface in this wickedly humorous novel.
3. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
Don Tillman, a brilliant but socially inept professor of genetics, comes up with the optimal means to finding his ideal companion: a sixteen page questionnaire designed to weed out unsuitable candidates and zero in on his perfect match. His scientifically sound approach to love yields unexpected results in this touching and thoroughly charming novel.
*2. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
Inspired by an experiment in the 1930’s in which a husband and wife research team raised a baby chimp in their home as a member of their family, this novel offers a fictional account of a similar experiment run some sixty years later – and its heartbreaking effects on those involved. Our narrator is Rosemary, a woman who reflects back on her childhood, growing up with a human brother and chimpanzee sister – until the dark day her sister, Fern, was taken away. The loss of their beloved family members has far-reaching consequences for all of them. Some fifteen years later, Rosemary attempts to learn the truth about her sister’s fate. Humorous and poignant.
1. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
The book opens with our narrator, Jeannette, on her way to a New York City function, when her cab stops beside a homeless women rooting through the trash. Upon closer scrutiny, Jeannette realizes that homeless woman is, in fact, her mother. And so begins one of the most amazing books I’ve read in recent memory. The blurb on the back of the jacket does it an enormous disservice, painting it as a bleak autobiographical account of woman growing up in an abusive family. It’s actually quite touching, uplifting – and incredibly funny, reminiscent of David Sedaris at his very darkest. One of my Top 10 books of all time. Go read it!
MY TOP 10 BOOKS OF 2014
#10 – We Are the Goldens by Dana Reinhardt
#9 – Can’t We Talk about Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast
#8 – Afterlife with Archie (Escape from Riverdale) by Roberto Aguire-Sacasa
#7 – Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher
#6 – The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
#5 – In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides
#4 – Saga by Brian K. Vaughan
#3 – The Troop by Nick Cutter
#2 – Half a King by Joe Abercrombie
#1 – We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
Happy New Year!
December 31, 2014 - Part 2
15. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh
I generally hate blog books but this one is the exception. Incisive, engaging, and very, very funny, it’s complimented by some perfect and perfectly hilarious illustrations.
*14. Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher
Jason Fitger writes a lot of reference letters. A lot of woeful, meandering, passive-aggressive, unintentionally offensive reference letters that, if nothing else, offer tragic-comic insight into the world of their author, an embittered professor of creative writing at a small liberal arts school. The book, a hilarious collection of his (un)professional missives, will have you carefully reconsidering the next time you ask someone for a professional recommendation.
*13. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
Many will no doubt draw comparisons to Kate Atkinson’s much-hyped Life After Life given the similar premise – a protagonist is continually reborn after death, reliving his/her life over and over – but whereas Atkinson’s heroine has no knowledge of her past experiences, North’s hero does and this makes for a completely different and (in my opinion) far more interesting narrative. Armed with the memories of what came before, Harry August discovers others like him, time traveling kalachakra, who hold the secret to saving the world – and ending it.
*12. In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides
Historical documents, journals, and personal accounts are used to reconstruct the ill-fated polar voyage of the USS Jeanette and its 33 man crew who are forced to undertake a grueling thousand mile journey across the frozen Arctic when their ship goes down in icy waters. Harrowing.
11. Thirteen Hours by Deon Meyer
When a young American backpacker turns up dead in Capetown and her friend disappears, Detective Benny Griessel is tasked with the politically-charged job finding the missing girl. The narrative jumps back and forth between the official investigation and the young woman on the run in this highly suspenseful, immensely captivating page-turner. Impossible to put down, I read this novel in a single night, staying up until 2:00 a.m to finish it.
*10. Saga by Brian K. Vaughan
It’s an going series, so I’m including it as a 2014 release. Two former soldiers, deserters, and star-crossed lovers from opposing sides of an interplanetary conflict attempt to put the war behind them and raise their daughter with the help of some unlikely allies. But their pasts come back to haunt them in the form of some even unlikelier enemies – and otherworldly complications. The comic book version of an intricately plotted, character-driven cable drama. Fiercely original.
*9. The Troop by Nick Cutter
A field trip to an isolated island takes a horrific turn for a group of young boys when their scout leader welcomes an emaciated stranger into their camp. It’s a horror version of Lord of Flies that is at turns harrowing, humorous, and thoroughly engaging. Wonderfully written. It’s heads and shoulders above most novels in the genre.
8. Super Graphic by Tim Leong
This visual guide to the comic book universe uses pie charts, venn diagrams, bar graphs, maps, and trajectories to highlight fun facts. Whether it’s a rundown of DC’s alternate Earths, the pizza particulars of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the alliances and connections of the denizens of Sin City, a Walking Dead kill counter, a map of Tintin’s travels, or a taxonomy of animal-named characters, there’s something here for most every fan to geek-out over. LOVED it!
7. The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
Moorish Spain (or a fictional version thereof) is the backdrop of this sweeping historical fantasy involving sieges, warfare, diabolical plots, courtly intrigue, crosses, double-crosses, friendship, and romance. At heart of it all are three protagonists whose backgrounds and alliances lead them on intersecting paths both heroic and tragic. Brilliant world-building and wonderfully nuanced characters. My introduction to the works of author Guy Gavriel Kay novel. Highly recommended.
6. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
When his wife goes missing, family and friends rally in support of her distressed husband – until evidence surfaces suggesting he may have had a hand in her disappearance. As suspicion mounts and the onion is peeled on a less than ideal marriage, the reader discovers that appearances can be very deceiving. Replete with twists and turns, a compelling read.
*5. Half a King by Joe Abercrombie
Young Prince Yarvi is son to the King of Gettland. Born with only one good hand and no aspirations to the throne, he has grown up in the shadow of his older brother. But when his father and brother fall in battle, it falls on him to avenge them. His scheming uncle has other plans, however, and Yarvi is betrayed and sold into slavery. And so, it’s from his lowly position as a galley rower riding the Shattered Sea that his quest for revenge begins, one that will see him forge alliances with reprobates and renegades, battle fierce adversaries, and, ultimately, reforge himself into a force to be reckoned with.
4. This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper
To honor the memory of his recently deceased father, Judd Altman learns he must sit shiva, spending the week in mourning with his fractured family. Disparate personalities clash as unresolved issues resurface in this wickedly humorous novel.
3. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
Don Tillman, a brilliant but socially inept professor of genetics, comes up with the optimal means to finding his ideal companion: a sixteen page questionnaire designed to weed out unsuitable candidates and zero in on his perfect match. His scientifically sound approach to love yields unexpected results in this touching and thoroughly charming novel.
*2. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
Inspired by an experiment in the 1930’s in which a husband and wife research team raised a baby chimp in their home as a member of their family, this novel offers a fictional account of a similar experiment run some sixty years later – and its heartbreaking effects on those involved. Our narrator is Rosemary, a woman who reflects back on her childhood, growing up with a human brother and chimpanzee sister – until the dark day her sister, Fern, was taken away. The loss of their beloved family members has far-reaching consequences for all of them. Some fifteen years later, Rosemary attempts to learn the truth about her sister’s fate. Humorous and poignant.
1. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
The book opens with our narrator, Jeannette, on her way to a New York City function, when her cab stops beside a homeless women rooting through the trash. Upon closer scrutiny, Jeannette realizes that homeless woman is, in fact, her mother. And so begins one of the most amazing books I’ve read in recent memory. The blurb on the back of the jacket does it an enormous disservice, painting it as a bleak autobiographical account of woman growing up in an abusive family. It’s actually quite touching, uplifting – and incredibly funny, reminiscent of David Sedaris at his very darkest. One of my Top 10 books of all time. Go read it!
MY TOP 10 BOOKS OF 2014
#10 – We Are the Goldens by Dana Reinhardt
#9 – Can’t We Talk about Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast
#8 – Afterlife with Archie (Escape from Riverdale) by Roberto Aguire-Sacasa
#7 – Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher
#6 – The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
#5 – In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides
#4 – Saga by Brian K. Vaughan
#3 – The Troop by Nick Cutter
#2 – Half a King by Joe Abercrombie
#1 – We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
Happy New Year!
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