Swallowed Man

 

"I am writing this account, in another man's book, by candlelight, inside the belly of a fish. I have been eaten. I have been eaten, yet I am living still."

How awesome is that opening line?

This quirky, tidy little book was exactly the palate cleanser I needed between two heavy stories about race and violence.

It's the story of Gepetto, written from inside the big fish. He's writing in a captain's log he found in an abandoned ship, also swallowed and left to languish. He's yearning for Pinnochio, yearning for his life, hoping his story will survive.

Does that sound weird? That's exactly why I wanted to read it.  

Edward Carey's writing starts with that incredible line and never lets up. His writing is charming and perfectly odd, as a book about a man inside a whale would have to be. He calls pockets 'trouser cupboards' for crying out loud! How could it not be perfection?

This book made me smile, even as we watch Geppetto go mad. And, you're left with a smile on your face and hope the old man is reunited with his wooden son once again. 

The Prophets

 

This book is on every list this year and is surrounded by hype. The hype is why I was hesitant, but when a co-worker handed this book over before I left on vacation, I thought I better see if it was worth all the talk.

The Prophets is a story rarely (never?) told. Two gay slaves in the plantation south. While much of this story (and the talk surrounding this book) is about them, there's far more here than just that.

The story of Isaiah and Samuel is touching and forbidden, but not at all a secret on their plantation. You find yourself understanding the refuge they found in each other in a place where love - especially Black love - was not something valued by those around them.

The book, too, is about memory. Blood memory. With flashbacks to Africa and villages pillaged, you realize the power of connection and that what is seen as unusual (the love between these two men) goes back generations where constructs of society were not even considered.

You read about their love, but also the torture of slavery. The sexual abuse of slaves, how they were treated as commodities in every way. The love between these two men becomes clear when they won't serve their purpose to reproduce and sire children with other slaves. 

One part, in particular, still haunts me now, weeks later. A plantation worker, disgusted by the slaves living as animals - while he's the one who has put them in that position to begin with.

This book is beautifully written, haunting in every way. It picks up momentum from page one, all the way to the end. There's a point about 80 percent in where my jaw dropped and my heart stopped, reading the horror that has become such a forgotten part of America's past in many ways.

This book was on every "best book of the year" prediction list. It will likely end the year on those final lists as well. Powerful, sweeping, haunting, real.

Valentine

 

Read this book.

Trust me.

From the opening chapter about a young girl's sexual assault in the Texas desert, I was hooked. Plain, yet powerful language and a heartbreaking story, along with powerful women characters makes me wonder why this book sat on my shelf for two months before I read it.

Our young teen's sexual assault touches off a divided community and ripple effects, even for people not directly involved. The fact she is an immigrant girl in 1970's oil-boom Texas adds a level of conflict that feels present, even if it's set more than 30 years ago.

The author reveals societal conflict here without being heavy handed. Young girls, abandoned. Fathers, struggling. Widows, soldiers, immigrants, victims. The whole thing comes together in such a beautifully tragic way. 

I know for sure this will be one of the best books I read this year. 

Greenlights

 

This, my friends, is a one-flight read.

Well, actually two flights. A connecting flight in Seattle interrupted my flow.

Still, this was the perfect book to start a week-long vacation and was utterly satisifying.

I'm such a Matthew McConaughey fan, but I don't think you need to be to really get something out of this book. He goes out of his way to say it's not a memoir because he's not done. But, it truly is a journey through his life, punctuated by the "greenlights" he mentions as the things that cleared his path over the years.

He's a fascinating dude, which we know already. But, the stories about his childhood and parents and Airstream journeys across the country make for such a fun read. I especially love reading about a bizarre night in a Montana bar with a cast of characters that could make its own movie, and his story about being cast in The Pelican Brief, which launched his career.

I've heard from several people that the audio book is even better, as it's narrated by the man himself. But, if you choose to read it, it's his voice in your head all the way through. 

Hamnet

 

Did you know about William Shakespeare's dead son? The way it may have inspired one of his best-known plays? Or the family he left behind while pursuing his dream in London? 

Most of us did not. And while this book is a fictional interpretation of those events and never actually mentions his name, it's an enlightening (though often slow) look at the possible motivation behind one of the best writers the world has ever known.

We know from history that Hamnet Shakespeare was William's only son. We know he died at the age of 11 and left behind his grieving family and twin sister. Beyond that, much of Hamnet's life and death - and, its connection to his father's work - is the subject of scholarly speculation. 

But, it's a heck of a jumping off point for this book.

O'Farrell's story of Hamnet weaves together his family's history and his death from the plague. You know it's about Shakespeare, but the name is never uttered. Hamnet's father is written about only as an unnamed man. But, the details revealed about the boy's life and death also reveal the complicated relationships the famous playwright had with both his son and his own father, and allows the reader to infer how those relationships likely impacted his writing.

The subject matter is fascinating and as someone who studied Shakespeare in college, it was a fascinating look behind the (speculative) curtain. The middle was slooooow.... But the end provided enough of a reward to make me glad I didn't give up. 

Think Again

 

 

 

Know what you don't know. And don't be afraid to change your mind.

Those are qualities I value in others, but probably didn't prioritize in myself. Once again, Adam Grant upends the way we think - this time, about what we think - and, places value on being strong/brave/smart enough to change your mind.

I'm an Adam Grant fan and this book is one of those that I'm thinking about more and more, weeks after I finished it. It's all about challenging our own beliefs and assumptions to truly grow. 

Most of us take far too long to feel confident enough to say "I was wrong." This book puts added value on being able to do that, in everything from parenting to social justice. 

If you've never read Grant's writing, you'll enjoy seeing the way his brain works and how he uses examples and storytelling to back up his research. For me, I got more out of hearing Grant talk about this concept than I did from the book, but that's not to say it wasn't a valuable and important read.