Books in Review 2013

In 2013 I read fewer books than 2012. The total count this year is nineteen. While the number of books read count is not comparable because of differences in length and difficulty of the material, I find it useful as a general indication of the health of my private practice. I find myself looking back to 2013, remembering fewer "book moments" of joy and discovery, anticipation and terror. However, nineteen books is no slouch. I can do better, but I've had a pretty good year of books.

The focus this year was Young Adult and Fantasy novels. I did not complete any non-fiction books, and I only read one classic from Shakespeare. From the YA realm, I read all four books of the Bartimaeus (Jonathan Stroud) series, as well as two books from the Anna Dressed in Blood (Kendare Blake) series. Both of these surprised me with their authenticity and fidelity to the experience of a child growing up. Even though both have supernatural and unreal elements at their core, the realities created in these books mirror real life with the characters confronting and reacting to problems with loneliness, fear, trouble with the law, and setting boundaries. The Anna series in particular impressed me so much. Blake's recasting of sleepy Thunder Bay Ontario as a nightmarish entryway into hell resonates so deeply that I'm haunted by the beauty of her words long after I finished the books.

In the fantasy genre I read the first Game of Thrones (George R. R. Martin) book, and thoroughly enjoyed a Dresden Files (Jim Butcher) adventure.

The absolute best book I read all year, however, was a unique exercise in fictional world-building. The Islanders by Christopher Priest was the pinnacle of my reading year. I found out when fact-checking this post that he also wrote The Prestige (the basis of the popular movie) and is a recipient of multiple BSFA awards. The Islanders not a novel in the traditional sense. It's a series of guidebook entries written in as if the Islands were a real place, with a physics and reality all its own. There is a plot line, but the setting, location, mood, atmosphere, and character all take precedence over the plot. There is much to learn from Priest when it comes to creating a believable world.

Deepest disappointment was Ink (Amanda Sun). Written from the point of view of a Western girl attending a Japanese high school, the book had a great hook and attracted me because of the cross-cultural aspect. The central concept was like the video game Okami where ink drawings have power and come to life. Unfortunately, the incredible potential of the hook was squandered so badly by the poor writing style, the cliched plotline and soap-operatic romances that I almost didn't finish this book. This was the book I was referring to in my BookCamp TO blog post.

Delight of the year was Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore (Robin Sloan) With a title like that how can a booklover resist? It's a delightful fusion of medieval themes and modern technology, like a better written Dan Brown novel that appeals specifically to bibliophiles.

The book that touched my heart: The Rosie Project (Graeme Simsion): An autistic man tries to find a girlfriend by constructing a scientific and comprehensive questionnaire, but learns that the heart, not the mind leads in love. For me, I've tried several times this year to find love online, via the answering of questions on Internet dating sites, so I've had similar experiences. But alas, I ended the year lovelorn. With family and friends at my side, I end this year thankful for the people in my life.

The Holy Bible

I admit - the Bible will occupy a spot on my reading list in perpetuity, so I should create a section for this. The context of this article is about the practice of reading and thinking, so I will be approaching it from a reading point of view. I might write something integrating reading and religious/faith practices in 2013, but that's for another post.

This year I had a difficult time reading the Bible.  Reading the good book requires so much focus and patience that it's hard to do this reliably this year. This year was the year of the prophecies of the OT. I started the year in the middle of Isaiah, and just finished Matthew in the NT as I closed the year. I did find the prophecies hard to read and understand. Many of these books were small and short (ie the minor prophets), but they were cryptic and filled with unfamiliar characters and horrible events.

The year ended with the conclusion of Matthew. I am now in the New Testament, where my faith journey began about a decade ago.

I do find that inner references to parts of the Old Testament easier to follow. I am now more curious about these references, because having read them, I can feel in my gut when and where to go back.

Looking forward:

I carry forward the balance of my unread book backlog from 2012 and add some new ones

Any China Miéville book
A Tale for the Time Being (Ruth Ozeki)
Diabetes with Owls (David Sedaris)
An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth (Chris Hadfield)
The Restored Finnegans Wake (James Joyce)

As much as I loved reading books this year, I really enjoyed writing this year end book recap. With each word here I remember the time of year I read the book, and relive them as I retell the stories and how I liked them.

May 2014 be a year of letters for all my readers, and for myself as well.