Best of the Bunch: December 2019

Today I'm sharing the best book I read in December.

Of the 7 books I read this month, I had two 5-star reads:

Demon Lord of Karanda by David Eddings

The Arrival by Shaun Tan

The Eddings was a reread of an old favorite, so I'm going with the other one as my Best of the Bunch for this month.

This is a lovely wordless graphic novel that reads like watching a short animated film. Our protagonist packs up his belongings, says goodbye to his family, and boards a ship to a new land. Tan puts the reader in the shoes of an immigrant through the fantastical world that he has designed; just like the protagonist, the language on papers and signs is unfamiliar to us, as are the strange animals, foods, and methods of transportation. Along the way, he finds kindly strangers who help him navigate this new world, all of whom share their own stories of when they immigrated to this new country. As Art Spiegelman says on the back cover, this book is accessible for children, who will see it as an exploration of a fantasy world (similar to another wordless book, Journey), but it carries a deeper message for adults, who will understand the specific experience it is reflecting to the reader. Definitely recommend picking this one up.

What is the best book you read this month? Let me know in comments, or write your own post and link up below!

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Cutting for Stone, If You Come Softly, and Pachinko
Five years ago I was reading: Yes Please and The Canterbury Tales
Ten years ago I was reading: The Red Pony

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Top Ten Fiction Reads of 2019

I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

Last week I listed my favorite nonfiction reads of 2019. This week I'm sharing my favorite fiction I read the year!

1. The Arrival by Shaun Tan
This is a lovely wordless graphic novel that reads like watching a short animated film. Tan puts the reader in the shoes of an immigrant through the fantastical world that he has designed; just like the protagonist, the language on papers and signs is unfamiliar to us, as are the strange animals, foods, and methods of transportation. Definitely recommend picking this one up.

2. Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
This book is great at both a plot level (action-packed, unpredictable, with a satisfying plot arc) and a metaphorical level, about the pointlessness of long-standing enmities, the challenges of being an outsider, and the difficulties of doing something without a role model to lead the way. I greatly enjoyed the second book in the trilogy as well, but the third one was disappointing.

3. Demon Lord of Karanda by David Eddings
I had always thought King of the Murgos was my favorite book of the Malloreon, but on this read-through I liked this third book of the series better. We get hilarious banter, overcoming prejudice, and a developing relationship between my two favorite characters.

4. The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict by Trenton Lee Stewart
Although this prequel tells the story of The Mysterious Benedict Society's founder, it is essentially a standalone story, but either way it gave me the same enjoyment as the original series. Nicholas Benedict, 9-year-old orphan, must outsmart bullies and incompetent adults while following the clues of a treasure hunt.

5. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
This was a reread, but I found this just as delightful the second time, possibly more because of the excellent audiobook production with five different narrators. It's the perfect blend of solemnity and humor, talking honestly about the German occupation of Guernsey while also providing a post-war setting that allows for some lightness.

6. Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese
Although this is a novel, it was clear from reading it that I fundamentally misunderstood that those who sequestered indigenous children in boarding schools were not just misguided but horrifically abusive. Given that background as source material, this book could have been very dark and brutal, but Wagamese's prose is so spare that you are able to absorb the experiences of each stage of Saul Indian Horse's life without gratuitous descriptions of suffering.

7. The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
This is my favorite of the Narnia books. There were many parts I enjoyed that were funny or sweet or just satisfying. And as always, Lewis shows that he is an excellent study of human nature. This book, to me, was the best plotted and least problematic of the series.

8. On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
It's hard to follow up something as stellar as The Hate U Give, but Thomas managed to pull it off. Set in the same neighborhood, this book follows a new character, Bri, as she tries to make it as a rapper. When it seems like she's finally getting a chance to have her voice heard, she has to decide what she's willing to do, and who she's willing to lose, to make that happen.

9. The Trespasser by Tana French
Tana French finally did it — wrote a Dublin Murder Squad mystery that didn't make me want to throw the book across the room when I was done. Her writing is just so good and I did not want to put the book down, and this time the main narrator isn't a horrible person and justice is, more or less, served. Hooray!

10. The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor
This is less like a short story collection and more like a novel with each chapter told from a different character's perspective, during which we get to learn about their individual backstory. I appreciated that each story/chapter had its own complete story arc; each woman's story serves up consequences for the choices she makes early on in the story. And the writing is just excellent. It's not a happy collection, but it does end with a note of hope and empowerment.

What were your favorite fiction reads this year?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Cutting for Stone, If You Come Softly, and Pachinko
Five years ago I was reading: Yes Please and The Canterbury Tales
Ten years ago I was reading: The Red Pony

Top Ten Nonfiction Reads of 2019

I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

Next week's topic is our favorite books of the year, but this year I had enough good reads to be able to split them into nonfiction and fiction lists. People wonder how I can list my favorite reads of the year when there's still a week left in 2019, but I don't plan to read any more nonfiction this year so I feel safe listing out my favorites now.

1. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
This is an absolutely delightful collection of letters between a woman in New York and a bookshop in London; it's a quick read and laugh-out-loud funny. I think it will be most appreciated by voracious readers, but anyone may enjoy this look into an earlier era when books were not readily available for two-day shipping.

2. Becoming by Michelle Obama
I knew very little about Michelle Obama's life going into this book, so I appreciated getting a greater understanding of her family of origin, her school experiences, and her career prior to becoming First Lady. In clear, engaging prose, she helps the reader understand both why she was often made to feel "not enough" and how she had the support of many others who lifted her up and kept her going.

3. Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
I reread this for book club and found it just as laugh-out-loud funny the second time around, this time on audio, narrated by the author. I literally had to stop listening to the book while talking a walk outside because I was laughing so hard I thought I might pee my pants (and I was getting weird looks from the people around me!). The audiobook version also contains a bonus chapter plus some unedited audio of Lawson that will give you a fascinating and entertaining window into her brain.

4. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
Through Gottlieb's stories of being a therapist and being in therapy herself, this is both a celebration of the power of therapy and a recognition of its limits — that all of us, therapists included, are just doing our best. But you come away feeling that if we were all willing to be a little more vulnerable and put in a little more effort to look at how our own decisions affect ourselves and others, we'd be much better off as a human race.

5. Modern Kinship by Constantino and David Khalaf
This may be the best Christian marriage book I've read, period, even though I'm not the target audience. I found it helpful as a way to understand what my LGBTQ siblings-in-Christ may be experiencing, but also found their general advice about marriage to be a valuable reminder about what makes a relationship last. The authors are vulnerable about their own experiences and also incredibly practical, and the result is a book that is helpful, challenging, and beautiful.

6. Shameless by Nadia Bolz-Weber
I have loved all of Nadia Bolz-Weber's books to date, and this one is no exception. What I love most about this "sexual reformation" is that, while she illustrates how many destructive ideas about sex originate in the church, she advocates for a sexual ethic that is not separate from the Christian faith but rather deeply informed by it.

7. A Thousand Lives by Julia Scheeres
In this history of the mass murder-suicide at Jonestown, Scheeres does a fantastic job bringing to life both Jones and the various people from Peoples Temple she profiles throughout the book. I got a sense both of how Jones could draw so many people to him in the first place and how he kept them under his control as he started to become more and more paranoid. It's unflinching but not gratuitous in the descriptions of what people underwent at Jonestown, and it will give you a much richer understanding of this piece of history in a relatively quick read.

8. Weird Parenting Wins by Hillary Frank
I've recommended this book to so many new parents this past year. The whole first half of the book had me laugh-crying over some of the ridiculous things people (myself included) do out of desperation to get babies to sleep, toddlers to eat, and preschoolers to get out the door fully clothed. The second half of the book I did a lot of highlighting of the excellent tips for life with siblings and older kids. I definitely recommend it for all parents of young kids — if only for the laughs!

9. Whistling Vivaldi by Claude M. Steele
I was familiar with the idea of "stereotype threat" before reading this book, but I was missing many of the key components that make it so fascinating and so pervasive. I found this book a valuable complement to reading about bias and privilege. We can't ignore the realities of both conscious and unconscious bias, but understanding stereotype threat and the ways to combat it can help provide additional tools for creating a more inclusive and equitable world.

10. White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
This book deserves all the attention it's gotten! It's an incredibly clear and concise guide to the assumptions most white people hold about racism and why they therefore get outraged at the suggestion that they might not be perfectly woke and post-racial themselves. I highly recommend it, particularly for those in the target audience of "white progressives."

What were your favorite nonfiction reads this year?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Cutting for Stone and The Future of the Mind
Five years ago I was reading: God's Bits of Wood and Warriors Don't Cry
Ten years ago I was reading: The Red Pony

Top Ten Books on My Winter TBR

I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

It's time to check in on our reading plans for this season. I got through almost everything on my Fall TBR except for The Next Evangelicalism and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, both of which I'm reading now.

1. The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X
This is on my original TBR list and I heard it recommended again recently, so I want to read it soon.

2. The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
I have the audiobook for this — it will probably be my first listen after I finish the Malloreon series.

3. Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater
I am excited for the follow-up to the Raven Cycle! It will still be about a month until my hold at the library comes through.

4. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Since the sequel just came out, I think it's time I finally read this one, which was everywhere in 2018.

5. How We Fight for Our Lives by Saeed Jones
I got to see Jones speak on a panel at the Portland Book Festival, and it made me want to pick up his memoir, which I'd also heard recommended on the For Real podcast.

6. Paradise Lost by John Milton
Somehow this came up in conversation with a friend and he couldn't believe I'd never read this. I put it on my Shelf of Shame and plan to read it on audio in the next few months.

7. The Seeress of Kell by David Eddings
I'm not sure if I'll finish the Malloreon series before the end of 2019, but I will definitely wrap it up in the next few months!

8. Sorceress of Darshiva by David Eddings
This is the fourth book in the Malloreon, so this one is up next.

9. Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
This is another one that I already have on audio; I will probably listen to it after The Boys in the Boat, unless I need a break from nonfiction.

10. There There by Tommy Orange
One of my book clubs is discussing this in January, so I'll definitely read it before our meeting!

What do you plan to read this winter?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Gaudy Night and The Future of the Mind
Five years ago I was reading: Like Water for Chocolate, One Hundred Names, and Lamb
Ten years ago I was reading: The Red Pony

What I've Been Reading Lately (Quick Lit)

Today I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit to bring you some short and sweet reviews of what I've read in the past month. For longer reviews, you can always find me on Goodreads.

Girt: The Unauthorised History of Australia by David Hunt: Hunt's style is a lot like Bill Bryson, for better or worse. This is more entertaining and more memorable than many histories you'll read, but a lot of the jokes felt cheap or like punching down. I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend this due to the problematic parts, but if you like Bill Bryson and you don't know much about Australian history, you might enjoy this.

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead: In this alternate history, Whitehead collapses time and space to show alternate "solutions" to slavery that mirror the challenges African Americans have faced in different times and places since then. I didn't find it as compelling as I'd hoped while reading it, but as a work to think about and discuss, it's excellent.

Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Damian Duffy and John Jennings: My feelings about this adaptation mirrored my feelings about the original book pretty closely, and I think the guys who adapted it did an excellent job. I thought this version captured the whole story succinctly so that no important details or plot points were lost. Good for those who love the original book and those who don't ever plan to pick it up.

Demon Lord of Karanda by David Eddings: I had always thought King of the Murgos was my favorite book of the Malloreon, but on this read-through I liked this one better. We get hilarious banter, overcoming prejudice, and a developing relationship between my two favorite characters.

Airships by Barry Hannah: This short story collection is definitely one of the worst, most offensive books I've ever read. It's like a Southern white man's violent, drunken wet dream. No thank you.

The Arrival by Shaun Tan: This is a lovely wordless graphic novel that reads like watching a short animated film. Tan puts the reader in the shoes of an immigrant through the fantastical world that he has designed; just like the protagonist, the language on papers and signs is unfamiliar to us, as are the strange animals, foods, and methods of transportation. Definitely recommend picking this one up.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Gaudy Night and The Future of the Mind
Five years ago I was reading: Like Water for Chocolate and One Hundred Names
Ten years ago I was reading: The Red Pony

Shortest Books on My To-Read List

I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

It's a freebie! All year I've been multiple books ahead on my Goodreads goal, and now with only a few weeks left I suddenly find myself right on track, in danger of falling behind. I'm sure I'm not the only one trying to make my Goodreads goal. Pairing this with another goal to read books off my original TBR list, I'm listing out the 10 shortest books on my list — maybe I'll try to get to them before the end of the year!

1. The Mysterious Stranger by Mark Twain

2. The Arrival by Shaun Tan

3. The Upanishads

4. Elevating Child Care by Janet Lansbury

5. For the Life of the World by Alexander Schmemann

6. The Truth About Stories by Thomas King

7. The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor

8. Shalom and the Community of Creation by Randy Woodley

9. Ain't I a Woman by bell hooks

10. Celebrating Silence by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

What are some short books you plan to read?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Lost in the City and The Future of the Mind
Five years ago I was reading: Like Water for Chocolate, Dreams of Joy, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Ten years ago I was reading: What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures

Best of the Bunch: November 2019

Today I'm sharing the best book I read in November.

Of the 5 books I read this month, I had one 5-star read. That's my Best of the Bunch for this month!

I had heard of Whistling Vivaldi for years, and I had heard of "stereotype threat," but I didn't realize that this book was an in-depth look at that phenomenon by one of its foremost researchers. I appreciated the careful way that Steele pulled apart what stereotype threat is and is not and showed the exact way that that was pinpointed through various research studies. I found both the study designs and the results fascinating. Steele also uses his research and that of his colleagues to explore ways that stereotype threat can be reduced. I think this book is a valuable complement to reading about bias and privilege, which are related but distinct concepts. We can't ignore the realities of both conscious and unconscious bias, but understanding stereotype threat and the ways to combat it can help provide additional tools for creating a more inclusive and equitable world.

What is the best book you read this month? Let me know in comments, or write your own post and link up below!

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing and Crazy Rich Asians
Five years ago I was reading: We Are Water, Dreams of Joy, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Ten years ago I was reading: What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures

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Click here to enter

Ten Books About the Native American Experience

I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

This week is a Thanksgiving freebie. This time of year means grappling with the complicated history of Thanksgiving as a holiday, and it seemed like a good time to highlight some books that center on the experience of Native Americans. I've included six that I've read and four that I have on my to-read list.

Books I've Read

1. The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
As a popular YA novel, this provides an age-appropriate introduction to the challenges and contradictions of living on a reservation while attending a white school, based on Alexie's personal experiences. On the other hand, since I read this there have been multiple allegations made about sexual harassment by Alexie, so you may want to seek out alternatives.

2. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown
Brown is not himself part of any indigenous people in the United States, but due to his careful and thorough research, this is considered one of the definitive histories on the United States government's betrayal and destruction of Native Americans during the 19th century. It's a brutal but important read for all Americans.

3. Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko
I read this in school and wasn't a huge fan of it as a novel, but it did introduce me to concepts like assimilation vs. tradition and helped me understand the way that the United States has exploited its indigenous peoples and then turned its back on them.

4. The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King
This is one of the best histories I've read — it's both incisive and humorous, keeping a conversational tone while absolutely destroying misconceptions about the state of Native American rights in the modern era. If you thought that the government's betrayals were far in the past, you'll think again after King's focus on just the past few decades.

5. Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese
This book transformed my understanding of the residential schools that indigenous children were forced to attend, from misguided attempts at Westernization to abusive hellholes of modern-day slavery. This is a tough book to read, but I'm glad to have read it.

6. The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich
This is one I read in college and wasn't a huge fan of (I didn't like my professor very much) but I'd like to reread it someday, and I definitely want to read some other Erdrich. I'm pretty sure the protagonist of this book is white, but the majority of the story takes place on an Ojibwe reservation. (Erdrich's mother is half Ojibwe.)

Book I Want to Read

1. In Search of April Raintree by Beatrice Culleton

2. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie

3. Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich

4. There There by Tommy Orange

What other books would you recommend?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing and Crazy Rich Asians
Five years ago I was reading: The Fire Horse Girl, The Last Summer of the Death Warriors, and Walking the Bridgeless Canyon
Ten years ago I was reading: Telling Lies