During the past nine years I have maintained this blog, and my reading lists on it, with varying degrees of accuracy. Some years every nonfiction and quality fiction book I read was faithfully recorded, others, not so much. Even with the lazy years and being one year shy of a decade, it is humbling to look back and realize that I recorded 620 books as read over the last nine years; I remembered to record an average of 68.9 books a year. In America, the mean average (the number inflated by the most avid readers) is 12 per year, but the median (meaning the number read by the typical reader) is only 4 per year. My goal as we enter the third decade of the 21st Century is to faithfully record every nonfiction and quality fiction book I read (I love romance novels but do not track those) and see what my number is at the end of 2029.I thought it would be fun to do a Top Twenty list of the the number one fiction and nonfiction picks for each of the nine years the blog has been active plus a couple of wild cards. That means these twenty books have beat out six hundred(!) others to make the list. At the end, just as I do on my annual lists, I'll list each year's top audiobooks, which usually amounts to one or two from each year. Some titles include some kind of a synopsis, others don't. Some titles are linked to their review; hover your cursor to check, as they ended up looking different colors and states of underline here.
The Recap:
Top Ten Fiction:
2011: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (World War II Germany: an ordinary German neighborhood...narrated by “Death”...profound)
2012: Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
2012: The Poisonwoood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
2013: The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham
2014: The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd (Hetty and Sarah will live inside my head for a very long time.)
2015: Bohemian Gospel by Dana Chamblee Carpenter (Strongest novel I have read in forever; originality; deep characters; great setting; tight plotting)
2016: The Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly (I received a galley of this novel and began talking about it weeks before it was available to the public; my enthusiasm never waned all through the year. Considering that books I read at the beginning of the year sometimes get short shifted when it comes to the weeding process for the "Top Ten" list, it speaks volumes about how memorable this one truly is.)
2017: The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne (John Boyne is best known for his stark, shocking novel, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. He has managed to take all the emotion that he poured into that YA novel and double it in his newest adult release, The Heart’s Invisible Furies. This novel explores those universal questions: who am I?, where do I come from?, and where am I going? Layer in an intricately wrought exploration of love, and you have a novel being justifiably hailed as “transcendent.” As I think back on reading this tale, it isn’t plot twists or even the characterizations that come into my mind. It is the way the book deposited a lump in my throat and a tightness in my chest every time I cracked open its cover.)
2018: The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (If you follow my reading life, you might recall that I really hated Hannah’s much lauded The Nightingale. Taking that into consideration and the fact that the last book I read that was set here in Alaska, Dave Eggers’s Heroes of the Frontier, was just flat out awful in every regard, I had darkest depths of a crevasse expectations for The Great Alone. Since I wrote a review for this novel, I’ll direct you there for more of my thoughts.)
2019: The Lost Queen by Signe Pike (This is one of those genre bending novels that will appeal to a variety of readers. Between its covers you will find an historical fiction telling of the life of a real queen, Languoreth, in sixth century Scotland. Set in the era of the confluence of ancient pagan beliefs and Christianity, the novel is imbrued in a spirit of mysticism and taut with the kind of conflict that only an all out brawl to preserve ones' way of life can render. This novel will obviously find favor with readers of historical fiction and those who have a fascination with ancient Scotland, but those who love fantasy, myths and legends, strong woman protagonists, and atmospheric writing will also find much to love here.)
Top Ten Nonfiction:
2011: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (World War II Pacific theater/biography: fantastic writing; story so amazing in parts it is difficult to believe it is not fiction)
2011: The Fear by Peter Godwin (Contemporary Zimbabwe: possibly the most powerful book I have ever read)
2012: Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides (nonfiction)
2013: The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
2014: Four Queens: The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe by Nancy Goldstone (A wonderful story of four sisters who’s lives paint a vivid picture of life in thirteenth-century Europe.)
2015: In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides (Not as good as Ghost Soldiers, but still has characters you tuck away in your heart and a fascinating tale.)
2016: The Way to the Spring by Ben Ehrenreich (Without a doubt, this book gets my vote for the work that hasn't received near the attention it deserves. It is difficult, as an American writer, to write a book about the side of a conflict--in this case the Palestinians living in the Occupied Territories--that most Americans do not support. Given recent decisions made by the Israeli court system regarding illegal actions by Israeli settlers in the Occupied Territories, I would love to see more American readers give Ben's book another look.)
2017: The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir by Alexandria Marzano Lesnevich (I knew from the moment I finished this true crime story that it would be my number one nonfiction of the year. It is just that striking; I’ve never read another book like it. The author tells the story of her own abuse woven into the fabric of the story of a death penalty criminal for whom she has been tasked to prepare a legal defense. It is a story of wrestling with demons, finding moral footing, and exploring whether truth can ever be an absolute. If you struggle with dealing with an abusive past, this might be too intense for you; for all others, this is a must read. This would be a fabulous, fabulous book club selection!)
2018: In Extremis: The Life and Death of the War Correspondent Marie Colvin by Lindsey Hilsum (One of the biggest issue that I tend to have with biographers is that they fall in love with their subjects. It would have been easy for Hilsum, who was both a friend and a colleague of Marie Colvin, to do so. Marie Colvin is, without a doubt, the most renowned female war correspondent of all time and was loved by those who spent time with her in the world’s darkest places for her willingness to help, positive attitude, courage, and passion for the mission she felt called to—that of shining a light on the most egregious happenings so that the world could not claim ignorance. For all her wonderful attributes, Marie Colvin fought some sizable personal demons every day. Lindsey Hilsum shows her readers that part of what made this woman so awe-inspiring was that everything didn’t come easily for her, that as dark as her professional world was, her personal world often shone rather less than bright, too. This is an outstanding, if at times grim, biography that I recommend to anyone curious about imbedded war correspondents. recommended for book clubs)
2019: The Thousand-Mile War by Brian Garfield (This is a work of military nonfiction, which isn't usually my favorite genre by a long shot. However, Garfield, who wrote fiction thrillers, was clearly passionate about his subject and brought all his storytelling skills to the table. The book, a history of Alaska's Aleutian Islands and the role they played in World War II, was chosen by me as part of a high school Alaska History curriculum I wrote and taught last school year. All of my students and I approached the book with a bit of hesitation due to its length, boring cover (shallow, I know), and potential to be very dry. We were all pleasantly surprised and soon found ourselves immersed. Garfield showed his suspense writer chops, keeping up a brisk pace and setting a vivid scene, but what he did best is something not all thriller writers do well: he made us really, really fall in love with the men at the heart of his tale and care about what happened to them. Despite its length and 1960s publication date (mid-20th century history books tend to lack the narrative flair of those written in the 21st), this work is highly readable and engaging.)
Top Audiobooks:
2011: Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey
(narrated by Humphrey Bower, who does such an excellent job with Parrot’s and Olivier’s voices that I thought there were two separate narrators)2011: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
(narrated by Allan Corduner, who is absolutely pitch perfect as the narrator, “Death”)
2012: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, narrated by the incomparable Ruby Dee.
2014: The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd (Powerfully told through the excellent narration of Adepero Oduye and Jenna Lamia.)
2015: No audios listed for the year
2016: A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James (This complex tale of life in Bob Marley's Jamaica earned its author a well-deserved Booker Prize. Although the novel only earned three stars from me, its prose, scope, and characters definitely deserved much higher honors. The reason I rated it so low was because the subject matter and language (both profane and dialectal) made it such a difficult read that I cannot say that I truly enjoyed it. The audio--which featured an ensemble cast of narrators: Robertson Dean, Cherise Boothe, Dwight Bacquie, Ryan Anderson, Jonathan McClain, Robert Younis, and Thom Rivera--was very helpful to anyone who struggles to read the dense dialect of an unfamiliar culture. One huge downside to listening to this one is that it shifts lighting fast through a large cast of characters and back and forth along a very lengthy timeline. The voices used for some of the characters were so close that if I missed the announcement of who was speaking, or came back to listening after pausing it for a time, I was quite lost. Overall, though, I think the audio is the way to go with this one if you struggle, as I did, trying to read the dialect in print.)
2017: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (This was another book that was strongly in the running for my number one fiction slot this year. I’m glad the audio is so fabulous, allowing me to give this story of two sisters, one sold into slavery, the other married to a slaver, its due. This novel, which reads like a series of interconnected stories, traces the descendants of both sisters for three hundred years. The audio can get a little challenging to follow who is narrating, but the quality of the narration makes up for those issues. Whether you do it in print or audio, this is a must read! If you would like to read my full review, you can do so here.)
2018: Beartown and its conclusion, Us Against You, by Fredrik Backman (Narrator Marin Ireland not only masters voices for each of the characters, she successfully conveys all the subtle emotional nuances needed to accurately impart the message behind the happenings in Beartown. There was some criticism that Marin Ireland didn’t attempt Swedish accents or that the publisher didn’t select a Swedish narrator for the audiobook, but I disagree. Her performance is so pitch perfect in every other regard. I also feel that a Swedish narrator would have taken the global aspect away from the story, which is written in such a way that it is not obviously set in Sweden. Because an American narrated the story, I could absolutely picture this tale playing out in any hockey crazy small American town. Fantastic story. Fantastic narration. What more could you ask for?)
2019: The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich (This is narrated by Anna Fields, a narrator that was completely new to me. Everything from her individual voices to a tone that leant the novel just the right amount of gravity made this the perfect road trip listen as we drove through the area in the US where the book is set.)
2019: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (This is narrated so ably by Adjoa Andoh that at times I would have sworn there was more than one narrator. Not only did she master and consistently deploy all the many accents of this vast cast, she gave each of those voices character attributes that made them breathe: the jaded, exhausted med student single mother, the impatient elderly relative, the opportunistic house-husband.)
2016: A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James (This complex tale of life in Bob Marley's Jamaica earned its author a well-deserved Booker Prize. Although the novel only earned three stars from me, its prose, scope, and characters definitely deserved much higher honors. The reason I rated it so low was because the subject matter and language (both profane and dialectal) made it such a difficult read that I cannot say that I truly enjoyed it. The audio--which featured an ensemble cast of narrators: Robertson Dean, Cherise Boothe, Dwight Bacquie, Ryan Anderson, Jonathan McClain, Robert Younis, and Thom Rivera--was very helpful to anyone who struggles to read the dense dialect of an unfamiliar culture. One huge downside to listening to this one is that it shifts lighting fast through a large cast of characters and back and forth along a very lengthy timeline. The voices used for some of the characters were so close that if I missed the announcement of who was speaking, or came back to listening after pausing it for a time, I was quite lost. Overall, though, I think the audio is the way to go with this one if you struggle, as I did, trying to read the dialect in print.)
2017: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (This was another book that was strongly in the running for my number one fiction slot this year. I’m glad the audio is so fabulous, allowing me to give this story of two sisters, one sold into slavery, the other married to a slaver, its due. This novel, which reads like a series of interconnected stories, traces the descendants of both sisters for three hundred years. The audio can get a little challenging to follow who is narrating, but the quality of the narration makes up for those issues. Whether you do it in print or audio, this is a must read! If you would like to read my full review, you can do so here.)
2018: Beartown and its conclusion, Us Against You, by Fredrik Backman (Narrator Marin Ireland not only masters voices for each of the characters, she successfully conveys all the subtle emotional nuances needed to accurately impart the message behind the happenings in Beartown. There was some criticism that Marin Ireland didn’t attempt Swedish accents or that the publisher didn’t select a Swedish narrator for the audiobook, but I disagree. Her performance is so pitch perfect in every other regard. I also feel that a Swedish narrator would have taken the global aspect away from the story, which is written in such a way that it is not obviously set in Sweden. Because an American narrated the story, I could absolutely picture this tale playing out in any hockey crazy small American town. Fantastic story. Fantastic narration. What more could you ask for?)
2019: The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich (This is narrated by Anna Fields, a narrator that was completely new to me. Everything from her individual voices to a tone that leant the novel just the right amount of gravity made this the perfect road trip listen as we drove through the area in the US where the book is set.)
2019: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (This is narrated so ably by Adjoa Andoh that at times I would have sworn there was more than one narrator. Not only did she master and consistently deploy all the many accents of this vast cast, she gave each of those voices character attributes that made them breathe: the jaded, exhausted med student single mother, the impatient elderly relative, the opportunistic house-husband.)
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