by Wendy
What did you read in 2019? Any recommendations to share? Here is my annual list of books read over the past 12 months. Several of these were published or translated in recent years, while others are rereads from decades past. I appreciate those that were gifts, as well as ones my sis-in-law leaves behind after visits to the East Coast.
1. Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002 by David Sedaris
2. The Best American Short Stories 2018 edited by Roxane Gay
3. The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
4. Lethal White: A Cormoran Strike Novel, Book Four by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling)
5. Spring by Karl Ove Knausgaard
6. Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger (reread is an understatement)
7. My Struggle Volume 6 by Karl Ove Knausgaard
8. Us Against You by Fredrik Backman
9. When I Was Mortal – short stories by Javier Marias
10. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
11. Jazz by Toni Morrison (reread)
12. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
13. Berta Isla by Javier Marias
14. The Fran Lebowitz Reader – essays by Fran Lebowitz
15. The Leavers by Lisa Ko
16. Autumn by Karl Ove Knausgaard
17. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
18. Be Happy by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
19. Between Eternities and other writings by Javier Marias (still reading)
In last year’s round up, I gave myself permission to skip the goal of 24. I still wish I had succeeded, but finally finished the last volume of Knausgaard’s My Struggle. Jack documented it on a scrap of paper: “July 14, 11:55, Wendy completes her struggle!” Not sure if that was AM or PM. It was worth it; he’s such an innovative writer who challenges, inspires, devastates and commiserates. But that’s my opinion. I read that Javier Marias, another brilliant writer who I love, didn’t care to finish the first book in the series.
Besides Knausgaard and Marias, it always feels like time well-spent reading artists like Atwood and Morrison, and of course, the great JD Salinger. His characters may be my most treasured in all of literature.
It’s hard to recommend a book with confidence, especially when you don’t know someone well, though that usually never stops me. If I had to choose one on the list as the most likely crowd-pleaser, it would be A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. Not just because it is a bestseller, but because it was recommended to me by two very different people, and I adored reading it from start to finish. With a charming title character, clever premise, vivid setting and well-paced, memorable scenes, I understand its popularity and admire the talent it takes to write a story so many people enjoy.
Happy New Year and happy reading!