I have a tendency to like but not love most books, the critics’ equivalent of an easy B. The competitive nature of the publishing industry ensures that most books have something going for them. As a writer myself I try to look for the good in others’ efforts. The odds are solid that I will rate a book four stars.
There are fewer books that I outright love. Sustaining my interest to the last page is not easy. There is nothing new under the sun, so plots can become routine. Writers overuse certain language. I don’t always connect with the emotional arc of the protagonist.
As I turn fifty this week, I am reflecting on a select list of titles that I think of as the best. Here are my fifteen favorite books.
15.
I have heard exactly one song by Patti Smith so it would be a stretch to call myself a fan of her music. You don’t have to know her catalog to be drawn into her writing. There is a scene at midpoint in which a teenage Patti gives birth to a daughter. She never mentions the child again. The book is like that: full of small moments that combine to reveal this enigmatic artist.
14.
This novel opens with the depressed narrator, Jess, writing to her estranged lover, longing for the connection they once had that has been severed. It’s the perfect opening for a sad and challenging work that places one lesbian in the greater LGBTQ historical context. Jess has a hard life. There is poetry in her struggle.
13.
The author grew up poor in North Korea, indoctrinated to believe that their leader was a god. Struggling to eat each day, she learns of a dangerous way out. If she can sneak across the border into China, better opportunities await. Until I read this, I had no idea that human sex trafficking was as prevalent or as harrowing as it is. I was on the edge of my seat turning the pages to see how she got out.
12.
This book is rich in Mexican history and Biblical themes. I was captivated and didn’t want to leave the world it created. (And, if you look closely, it’s the only book on the list published by my former employer.)
11.
This is a vivid depiction of the ’80s AIDS era. I was amazed by how much the author captured that time, as well as the bonds of chosen family. One of my favorite books set in the West Village.
10.
This book is remarkable. Not only does it reinvent the suspense genre, but it wickedly satirizes the beauty myth. Nice armchair travel to Nigeria, too.
9.
I envy readers who easily connect with protagonists. What a pleasure it must be to relate so easily to characters. Every once in a while I join in on the fun. I was enthralled by Felix’s earnest longing to fall in love for the first time. I was surprised, too. The story took some turns I didn’t see coming. A pleasure.
8.
Harlan Coben is the kind of writer who makes you stay up late and call in sick. This is his standard missing persons story, and one of the best iterations. After his mother dies, the protagonist comes to believe that his long dead brother may still be alive. The plot is twisty and there is a great sidekick. Suspense at its finest.
7.
If I were selecting a book for a Trump era time capsule, this would be it. Although his name is never mentioned, Trump’s shadow is in every story of everyday Americans whose lives have been shattered by factory closures or increasing violence in the neighborhood. The author is a master stylist, creating poetry from the failed American dream.
6.
I read most of this book sitting on a bench in Stanley Park in Vancouver. My attention was divided between lovely maritime scenery and this engrossing novel. The author has an amazing ability to make the mundane riveting. I was hooked. I’d be hard-pressed to explain the plot, but I enjoyed every minute.
5.
I knew very little about Iran before I read this graphic novel. It details the history and culture through a modern protagonist who is not happy when the Shah is overthrown. The conflict between tradition and independence is fascinating.
4.
I avoided this book for a long time because of the hideous cover. (The paperback is even worse.) It’s a beautifully written saga of a group of Jews after the destruction of the temple in 70 CE. I felt transported to the desert surroundings and compelled by the characters’ grit.
3.
The first few chapters of this work are among the best I have ever read. I immediately understood this Bronx neighborhood and the limited choices of its residents. It has been aptly compared to great Victorian novels for its depiction of the struggle against nearly impossible odds.
2.
This is one of the few books I can quote entire paragraphs from. The prose is so rich and the characters so idiosyncratic. There is no one quite like Anne Tyler.
1.
Of all the books on this list, this is the only one that left me in awe. How anyone can tell a family story like this with such erudition and pathos is simply beyond me. Alison Bechdel is a genius.
Books Smitten 