My reading tastes? A little quirky, sometimes dark, satirical, literary, or feel good–in a phrase: all over the place. I like complicated, nontraditional, flawed characters. I’m not averse to dysfunction. If you’ve liked any of my posts, you might like some of my favorite books published in 2015. Here they are in no particular order:
Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum. Anna was a good wife, mostly. A modern retelling of Madame Bovary, or is it Anna Karenina?
Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper. This story is all about the journey when 83 year-old Etta decides to embark on a 3,200 kilometer walk to see the ocean, because she never has.
Undermajordomo Minor by Peter deWitt. DeWitt writes like the child of Wes Anderson and Quentin Tarentino. See my previous post.
Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff. What defines us? An exploration of marriage, birthright, and belief. See my previous post.
Infinite Home by Kathleen Alcott A group of misfit tenants come together to aide their landlady who is struggling with dementia. Read more here.
Circling the Sun by Paula McLain. Based on the life of Beryl Markham, a woman ahead of her time and the first pilot to fly a plane across the Atlantic, just one of the many intriguing things about her.
Spinster: Making a Life of One’s Own by Kate Bolick. Bolick questions traditional expectations of young women by exploring the lives of sassy historical figures who became her role models.
The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty by Vendela Vida. Who would you be if you lost every shred of your identity? See my previous post.
Outline by Rachel Cusk. Intriguingly original in describing the protagonist only through conversations she has with those she encounters while spending a summer teaching in Greece.
Furiously Happy: a Funny Book about Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson. Lawson’s honest memoir about living with mental illness is moving and seriously hilarious.
A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler. The queen of celebrating the everyday quirkiness of family is back at the top of her game.
The Children’s Crusade by Ann Packer. Four disparate siblings return to the family homestead to decide its future while wrangling with the scars of the past.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. Oh why can’t his inept neighbors just leave him alone so he can off himself in peace? See previous post.
Dietland by Sarai Walker. While saving up for weight loss surgery, a disrespected journalist joins a feminist guerrilla group. Publisher’s blurb, “Equal parts Bridget Jones’ Diary’ and ‘Fight Club.”
A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson. Teddy is a seemingly immortal WWII hero, flying over 70 bombing missions, but perhaps he wasn’t meant to survive. This is the story of what happens if he does. More here.
This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance by Jonathan Evison. If you remember the old TV show, that’s essentially how Harriet’s life is presented as she nears its end. Of course there are some regrets and nasty surprises. More here.
