The Rad Librarian

I realized half-way through this lovely National Book Award winner that I don’t read much adult fiction these days that doesn’t have some fantastical element in it.  I kept waiting for some character to really be a dream child made real or something like what Jonathan Carroll or Jonathan Lethem do so well.  New York  City in the 70’s is captured from these interconnecting narratives with love and compassion.  Richly developed characters that linger on in the conversation with the living.  Great storytelling to celebrate the written word. 

A classic time travelling novel with a lot of interesting plots weaving together.  The meticulously researched details of 17th century England make the story even richer.  Our hapless hero Doyle must learn to survive and fight the old powers trying to control history.  Standard SF motif, but this one is special.

Dark and moody with more than a passing homage to HP Lovecraft, teen and adult horror fans will love the start of this new series by Yancey.  The “lost” journal of Will Henry drips with viscera and encounters with all manner of strange monster, yet the story is well paced and should have won the Prinz award.

Quirky coming of age YA short novel featuring 19 sock puppets named Marcel, treasure hunts, family secrets, and refreshingly good dialogue.  It’s hard to capture a teen voice and Brown does a marvelous job with Dree who is grieving the death of her dad and the possibilities he represented.  Teens looking for something different will really enjoy this, and having it take place in Edmonton add to the interest.

This is the 5th mystery translated from French that features Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg, and my favorite so far.   Like any good mystery series, the characters develop more complexity as the novels progress.  Adamsberg is quite a singular policeman, and the French history that infused the series  keeps the plot moving along nicely. 

Steampunked detective story with anthropomorphic animals in a history where France is the major world power.  Talbot was inspired by the 19th century illustrator Gerald, and the visuals match a dynamic story with delight.  Beautiful to own.

Super fighter Katsa must learn to control her Grace of killing to defeat a king with a terrible power.  This is a great mix of action and intrigue with strong character development.  Though this is YA, adults will love it too.  The prequel Fire is just as good.

This is an awesome graphic novel about a paper architect (one who looks great on paper, but never gets things built) and his quest for meaning.  The art enhanced the narrative in insightful ways, and would have snuck into my top 10 if I had read it before today.

I have been thinking about the closure of the magazine Kirkus and the lack of negative reviews out there.  Kirkus was known for a mix of good and bad reviews, and it got me thinking that I might add some entries next year of books I didn’t like.  Looking over this blog, I realized most of the books on my top ten list I already posted on so here’s a pledge to variety.  More than half of the books I read this year were Young Adult because that’s my job, and I was writing a best reads for middle school list, but none are on my top ten.  I’ll post a link to it when it’s published in Feb.

On with the show:

Your face tomorrow- Javier Marias

Marias is a master of digression.  You either like ruminating about big issues and realize there is very little plot as such, or you get tired of all the rambling.  I am in the former camp.  What I love about W G Sebald or Jan Kjaerstad is in abundance with Marias; the ability to make interesting connections about history, memory, and making connections with yourself.  This is a trilogy.

Gate at the Stairs- Lorrie Moore

One of my favorite writers, Kelly Link, talked about loving Moore’s short stories, so I gave her new novel a try.  Funny and insightful, I enjoyed the coming of age story taking place in a fictionalized Madison, WI.  She writes such memorable characters, I feel I met them at a party once and lost contact.  Great for bookclubs.

The City and the City- China Mieville

This police procedural with a slight metaphysical twist was captivating with the concept of two cities existing in the same location.  The atmosphere was rich with creative details and I wanted to visit either of these cities.

The Song is You- Arthur Phillips

A modern novel all about musical longing and inspiration still resonates with me at year’s end.  Even though I had to come to a resolution with the ending after I burst into tears wanting something else for the main characters. 

Manual of Detection- Jedediah Berry

Jedediah Berry’s first novel keeps a rich atmosphere of lucid dreaming throughout in this enjoyable read.  The  agency where our protagonist clerk/detective works reminded my of the office where Mr. Lowry worked in Terry Gilliam’s film Brazil.    Berry works/worked for Small Beer press, and the novel fits their New Weird oeurve even though it’s published by Penguin.

Border Songs- Jim Lynch

 Border Songs  is even better than “The Highest Tide” which I loved.  Taking place in Washington State, Brandon is a reluctant border guard who closer to birds than most people.  Nice meditations on natural art, storytelling, and Canadian/US relations. 

Little Big- John Crowley

The intergenerational family with a connection to an  Otherwhere is a delight.  The pacing, language, and character development are masterful.  I can’t stop thinking what a great reading experience that was.  It’s like I’ve been eating junk food and now have been introduced to a made from scratch feast.  Little Big is from 1980.  Something about the title led me to believe I might have read it a long time ago, but no. 

Into the Beautiful North- Luis Alberto Urrea

Lovely writing makes this tale of a group of young Mexican women and one man’s  journey to the US and back a pure delight.  The small town near Culican is almost empty of men who have gone North and never returned, so Nayeli and her friends goes to recruit her own “Magnificent Seven” to reclaim their peaceful town from Narcos who have decided to stay.  It’s all about the journey and Urrea’s sympathy for the young women characters is particularly wonderful.

Love and Obstacles: Stories- Alexsandar Hemon

short stories from the Bosnian-born Hemon are a pleasure to read with a grace in writing prose that feels like poetry. Clever, but not too clever.  Honest about the limitations of the ex-patriot experience.  Taking place in Zaire, Bosnia, and the US, the flawed characters try and make the most of their changing environment with varied success. 

The Magicians- Lev Grossman

Masterful tale of young overachieving urbanities going to a Magic school, and still needing to figure out how to have a meaningful life after they graduate.  He takes a tired theme and makes it new in a memorable fashion.  Written for grown-ups, but teens will love the journey.

This a clever manifesto putting Dada rightly as one of the prime inspirations of modern theatre, art, poetry, and anti(political) actions.  Codrescu contrasts the radical urges of Tzara and Lenin and makes a compelling argument that dada has lasted longer than communist theory as a source of creative energy.  A book that I bought instead of just checking out.