So we had our baby on my birthday and my wife is a hero. Instead of the usual Unslush newsletter this week, I want to know what you’ve been reading this year. Some brilliant fiction? A fantastic biography? Maybe even a book about writing? I’ll give you my book of 2019 first and I’d love you to share yours too. Join the discussion and I’ll compile them for an exciting future email.
By far the most important is Invisible Women: Exposing Gender Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez. Every human being ought to read this.
On a related theme, Kaja Sadowski’s Fear is the Mind Killer is all about creating training environments that work for more than just straight white men.
Regarding novels, I’m enjoying Sebastien de Castell’s Shadowblack series, re-reading Modesty Blaise, and Jill Paton Walsh’s reboot of Sayer’s Peter Wimsy detective fiction.
Best book I’ve read this year without a doubt is I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. It’s a dual POV, YA contemporary about family, grief, love - and it’s got the most beautiful lyrical style I’ve ever read, but not in a pretentious or showy way, and the VOICE of the protagonists is incredible. Both super distinct, super authentic, and just gorgeous.
As it's coming up to Christmas, I am up for a look-in on the children's book selection front unslush. They rarely get a look in on forums. I want to recommend "You're Called What?" Already bought it for our grandchildren, all nine of them. One negative reviewer on Amazon said, 'No story here." Hey! Sometimes kids just want unadulterated stupidity and fun. So that's my fav of the year.
Slow Horses by Mick Heron - not a new book but the first in a series that a lot of people in my various timelines mentioned this year (most notably the author Warren Ellis) and I loved it so much I’m greedily devouring the rest in the series
Loved The Nickel Boys, loved Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, loved Normal People, loved the bonkers space adventure of Gideon the Ninth. I just did my own top-ten year end list so I’m tempted to keep going, but I’ll stop myself there.
Just finishing reading: Atomic Habits. It is a helpful read about starting to build healthy habits and eliminate toxic ones. Easy in theory, but tough to implement. Looking for a good fiction read (sports related). As I want to write my next book about sports...
In no particular order: Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming, Ali Smith’s Autumn (not that impressed by the others, sadly), Therese Mailhot’s Heart Berries and an amazing YA novel in Swedish: Trädhjärta by Gabi Frödén.
Hi Ian. Loving this discussion. Congrats to you and yours. My favourite book of the year was Three Women by Lisa Taddeo. So engrossing. Closely followed by Milkman by Anna Burns. It is dark, but is also extremely funny (it's a Northern Irish funny!) Justine.
My book of the year was "Self-Inflicted Wounds: Heartwarming Tales of Epic Humiliation" by actress and comedian Aisha Tyler. I listened to the audiobook, read by the author, whilst out walking. It was so funny that I got distracted, walked out into oncoming traffic, and nearly got run over. I literally almost died laughing.
I started a creative writing masters in September so I've read a lot, and I'm in essay mode at the mo so my brain is mush. However, a couple of the books on the reading list made it up there into my favourites: The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles, Milkman by Anna Burns. Outside of compulsory reading though, and probably book of my year = Franny and Zooey, J.D.Salinger - so much character and emotion!
Eleanor Gordon-Smith’s Stop Being Reasonable is a brilliant, cackle-begetting essay on the injustices that simmer under the surface of “rational” debates. It shatters the philosophical illusion that we can just use “reason” to stay on the safe side of fairness, and is at once rigorous and casual. It’s really damn brilliant.
Three from me, in categories... Best fiction: The Accusation by Bandi // Best non-fiction: How to be right by James O'Brien (or maybe WTF by Robert Peston) // Most inspirational: The Way Home by Mark Boyle.
Okay – I'll go first. The best book I read in 2019 was Lanny by Max Porter. It's just fantastic. I loved his first novel, Grief is the Thing With Feathers, and Lanny was similar in tone but brilliant in its own peculiar way. Just superb writing. Exactly my sort of thing. Read it immediately.
Hat tip to The Boy Who Stole Attila’s Horse by Iván Repila too, which was also incredible. A very short novel about two brothers trapped in a hole. Completely gripping. What about you?
Hmmm...again and in repetition, "365 Days"/R. Glasser, MD -- as it was in 2009, 1999, 1989, etc. -- described, I suppose, using the (to me) oxymoron "creative non-fiction" to describe vignettes of the one-year tour that was our military fait échet of the past century by a fellow who had to mop up the human mess it caused. Prefaced with verse by a wounded medic, Ace Evers, that sums things up best, it's a failing reminder -- needs must -- to choose our wars more carefully.
All about Milkman this year for me. I can't stop thinking about it, and I read it 4 months ago! If you've ever lived with hyper awareness of the norms that govern your subsection of society, and wanted to break out of those norms, it will light a fire in your mind.
It's hard to choose only a couple of books, but the ones that prompted consideration included Leisure: The Basis of Culture, Draw Your Weapons, White Fragility, and Copperhead. I also enjoyed the second book in The Honors series and The Dragon Republic. Someone mentioned de Castell, and I read a lot of his work this year, along with Aaronovitch and Vivian Shaw. I wouldn't say they're brilliant, but they're fun and could be reads for a parent on night duty with a new baby. :)
By far the most important is Invisible Women: Exposing Gender Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez. Every human being ought to read this.
On a related theme, Kaja Sadowski’s Fear is the Mind Killer is all about creating training environments that work for more than just straight white men.
Regarding novels, I’m enjoying Sebastien de Castell’s Shadowblack series, re-reading Modesty Blaise, and Jill Paton Walsh’s reboot of Sayer’s Peter Wimsy detective fiction.
Best book I’ve read this year without a doubt is I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. It’s a dual POV, YA contemporary about family, grief, love - and it’s got the most beautiful lyrical style I’ve ever read, but not in a pretentious or showy way, and the VOICE of the protagonists is incredible. Both super distinct, super authentic, and just gorgeous.
Sourdough by Robin Sloan made me absurdly happy—no small thing I think—and for that I give it my best read of the year.
As it's coming up to Christmas, I am up for a look-in on the children's book selection front unslush. They rarely get a look in on forums. I want to recommend "You're Called What?" Already bought it for our grandchildren, all nine of them. One negative reviewer on Amazon said, 'No story here." Hey! Sometimes kids just want unadulterated stupidity and fun. So that's my fav of the year.
The best book I read this year was The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker.
Runners up were, in no particular order:
- Toll by Matt Gemmell
- Artemis by Andy Weir
- The Caledonian Gambit by Dan Moren
Slow Horses by Mick Heron - not a new book but the first in a series that a lot of people in my various timelines mentioned this year (most notably the author Warren Ellis) and I loved it so much I’m greedily devouring the rest in the series
Loved The Nickel Boys, loved Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, loved Normal People, loved the bonkers space adventure of Gideon the Ninth. I just did my own top-ten year end list so I’m tempted to keep going, but I’ll stop myself there.
Just finishing reading: Atomic Habits. It is a helpful read about starting to build healthy habits and eliminate toxic ones. Easy in theory, but tough to implement. Looking for a good fiction read (sports related). As I want to write my next book about sports...
In no particular order: Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming, Ali Smith’s Autumn (not that impressed by the others, sadly), Therese Mailhot’s Heart Berries and an amazing YA novel in Swedish: Trädhjärta by Gabi Frödén.
Hi Ian. Loving this discussion. Congrats to you and yours. My favourite book of the year was Three Women by Lisa Taddeo. So engrossing. Closely followed by Milkman by Anna Burns. It is dark, but is also extremely funny (it's a Northern Irish funny!) Justine.
Also what an amazing birthday present!
Congratulations to you and your family, Iain!
My book of the year was "Self-Inflicted Wounds: Heartwarming Tales of Epic Humiliation" by actress and comedian Aisha Tyler. I listened to the audiobook, read by the author, whilst out walking. It was so funny that I got distracted, walked out into oncoming traffic, and nearly got run over. I literally almost died laughing.
Best fiction I’ve read this year was Infinite Jest, and best non-fiction was Happy Ever After by Paul Dolan.
Honorary mention goes to Phantoms on the Bookshelves by Jacques Bonnet. It’s an ode to book collecting :)
I started a creative writing masters in September so I've read a lot, and I'm in essay mode at the mo so my brain is mush. However, a couple of the books on the reading list made it up there into my favourites: The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles, Milkman by Anna Burns. Outside of compulsory reading though, and probably book of my year = Franny and Zooey, J.D.Salinger - so much character and emotion!
Eleanor Gordon-Smith’s Stop Being Reasonable is a brilliant, cackle-begetting essay on the injustices that simmer under the surface of “rational” debates. It shatters the philosophical illusion that we can just use “reason” to stay on the safe side of fairness, and is at once rigorous and casual. It’s really damn brilliant.
Three from me, in categories... Best fiction: The Accusation by Bandi // Best non-fiction: How to be right by James O'Brien (or maybe WTF by Robert Peston) // Most inspirational: The Way Home by Mark Boyle.
Okay – I'll go first. The best book I read in 2019 was Lanny by Max Porter. It's just fantastic. I loved his first novel, Grief is the Thing With Feathers, and Lanny was similar in tone but brilliant in its own peculiar way. Just superb writing. Exactly my sort of thing. Read it immediately.
Hat tip to The Boy Who Stole Attila’s Horse by Iván Repila too, which was also incredible. A very short novel about two brothers trapped in a hole. Completely gripping. What about you?
Hmmm...again and in repetition, "365 Days"/R. Glasser, MD -- as it was in 2009, 1999, 1989, etc. -- described, I suppose, using the (to me) oxymoron "creative non-fiction" to describe vignettes of the one-year tour that was our military fait échet of the past century by a fellow who had to mop up the human mess it caused. Prefaced with verse by a wounded medic, Ace Evers, that sums things up best, it's a failing reminder -- needs must -- to choose our wars more carefully.
All about Milkman this year for me. I can't stop thinking about it, and I read it 4 months ago! If you've ever lived with hyper awareness of the norms that govern your subsection of society, and wanted to break out of those norms, it will light a fire in your mind.
It's hard to choose only a couple of books, but the ones that prompted consideration included Leisure: The Basis of Culture, Draw Your Weapons, White Fragility, and Copperhead. I also enjoyed the second book in The Honors series and The Dragon Republic. Someone mentioned de Castell, and I read a lot of his work this year, along with Aaronovitch and Vivian Shaw. I wouldn't say they're brilliant, but they're fun and could be reads for a parent on night duty with a new baby. :)