Favorite Reads of 2019

It's the time of year when "best of" lists are ubiquitous. This year it's even more pronounced with the "best of" extending back an entire decade. These lists often they make me a bit regretful as I realize how much I've missed. But that's not an issue with the litanies of great books, so I'm chiming in with some of my favorites of the year. A couple of the books are even yet to come out.  (Thanks, BookExpo!)

"American Dirt" by Jeanine Cummins far and away tops my list. This book tells the story of Lydia and her young son Luca who flee Acapulco after the rest of their family -- 16 members in all -- is slaughtered in one fell swoop by a drug cartel. The reason for the violence: her husband was a reporter who crossed the line in his reporting about the cartel. The plot follows Lydia and Luca's heart-stopping journey as they struggle to make it to the border and the safety of the United States. And then there's the surprising relationship between Lydia and the head of the cartel. Every aspect of "American Dirt" is remarkable, from the characters to Cummins' writing to the timeliness of the story. Marketing blurbs for the novel says it will leave readers changed. While that sounds like puffery at its finest, I do have a new perspective on the immigration crisis having read this book. "American Dirt"  will hit bookstores in late January. Put it on your list now. Better yet, pre-order a copy!

"My Dark Vanessa" by Kate Elizabeth Russell was an Editor's Buzz Book from the 2019 BookExpo, and its troubling story has stayed with me in the months since I read it. The relationship depicted between a high school student and her teacher made my skin crawl. While disturbing, it's not an unfamiliar story. What sets "My Dark Vanessa" apart from similar novels is that it's told from the woman's perspective in her later life -- and she's still obsessed with her predator. Not only that, she continues to be convinced she was in charge of the relationship the entire time. "My Dark Vanessa" will be released in March. If you do read it, Russell's website contains a playlist and visual annotations to passages from the novel. Click here to check it out.

Note: As I read "My Dark Vanessa," I thought back to Andy Pace, the cool high school teacher whom we all knew was having a relationship with a male student. Pace was arrested in 2016--nearly 40 years later--when a naked juvenile fled his home after being drugged and raped. Other victims came forward once the news broke. Could we have somehow prevented this from happening if we had spoken up at the time?

"Washington Black by Esi Edugyun tells the story of Wash, an eleven year old field slave who has lived his young life on a Barbados plantation. One day the unsuspecting Wash is chosen by his master's brother to be his manservant. Despite Wash's trepidation, it was the luckiest day of his life. Christopher Wilde, his new owner, is a naturalist, an explorer, an inventor and an abolitionist. Notwithstanding their differences in age and background, Wilde treats Wash as his equal, educating him and exposing him to a life far beyond what he ever could have imagined. But Wilde is definitely an odd duck. And Wash's life is not without its trials and tribulations. It's all part of the process of Wash ultimately finding his own path. It was quite satisfying to join Wash on his journey.

"The Giver of Stars" by Jojo Moyes was a bit of a surprise. I'm not a huge Moyes fan, but the story of these horsewomen librarians pulled me in from the first page. The fact that the book is based on an actual WPA program -- the Pack Horse Library Project of Eastern Kentucky -- makes it all the more special.

Each character has a distinct personality and her own reason for joining the program to bring books to people on the outskirts of their community. You can't help but root for them as they persuade even the most suspicious folks of the value of reading. They are plucky and progressive and determined and hardworking. I admire them and would have loved to participate in this program (except for the horseback riding part -- lol.)

Of course, not everyone was a supporter of the women rising before dawn and donning their breeches to ride treacherous trails to deliver books and magazines. To some, the behavior is highly improper.  It made me revel all the more in their victories.

"Olive Again" by Elizabeth Strout was another surprise -- to me, if not to anyone else. I vividly remember reading the first Olive book and being puzzled by its structure.  At the time, I was transitioning from a full time thriller reader to a literary reader, so Strout's book of connected stories -- some that only mentioned Olive in passing -- was beyond me. And then there was the fact that Olive was so unlikable. (I continue to struggle today with unlikable protagonists.) But I had scored a copy of "Olive Again" at BookExpo and decided to give it a try. And.... I loved it. Olive has mellowed, and I'm sure that was part of the appeal. But Strout's interweaving of stories about Olive and her family, friends and community is really quite brilliant. It's clearly time for me to give "Olive Kitteridge" another try.

"The Epiphany Machine" by David Burr Gerard.  Here's one off the beaten path. I tend to listen to a different type of book than those I physically read. Stephen King tops my list as a companion for my road trips. (I really liked "The Outsider," soon to be a miniseries with Jason Bateman.) And then there are the thrillers and novels that somehow just appear on my radar screen. "The Epiphany Machine" was one of those books, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The catch phrase summarizing the plot is "Everyone else knows the truth about you; now you can know it, too." It sounds kind of ominous, not to mention a bit magical. How, you might wonder, does this sudden self-awareness occur?  By getting a tattoo, of course.

For decades, Adam Lyons' mysterious epiphany machine has written pithy expressions on clients' forearms that sum up their nature. ("Dependent upon the opinion of others" is just one example.) Not surprisingly, the practice has raised all kinds of issues over the years. Enter Venter, a skeptical young man whose parents were believers in the epiphany machine when they were young. But a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then. The book follows Venter's own relationship with Lyons, his supporters and opponents, and the machine. The story is unique and interesting and might even make you think about how you would sum yourself up in just a few words.

Here's to a new year filled with friends, family and more than a few good books.