Best Book(s) I Read in 2013

I read a lot of really great books last year. If I didn't write a review for the book, I'm going to add a line or two that encapsulates my thoughts.

PASTORALIA by George Sanders. Review here.

HOW THE DEAD DREAM by Lydia Millet. Review here.

OLIVE KITTERIDGE by Elizabeth Strout. Review here.

THE SENSE OF AN ENDING by Julian Barnes (audio book). Review here.

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green. Review here.

THE SPECTACULAR NOW by Tim Tharp. Review here.

THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO by Junot Diaz (audio book). The book I listened to on our Austria-Prague trip. Review here.

A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD by Jennifer Egan. Review here.

STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING by Brian Morton. I enjoyed this one. I loved the way the stories were told in third person, yet only from one person's point of view. It left such an impression that I'm borrowing (stealing) it for the project I'm currently writing.

GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn. When this book seemed to be fast-tracked into movie production, I knew it was time to read it before it was too late. And I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would. Just the right amount of darkness and wit, and all the pieces fit together in reverse. I was quite impressed.

THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE by Neil Gaiman. This was highly recommended by multiple trusted sources, but it just wasn't for me. When reading it, I couldn't help but be reminded of a similar book in tone and somewhat in plot, THE PROBABLE FUTURE by Alice Hoffman, which I enjoyed much more.

THE NAMESAKE by Jhumpa Lahiri (audio book). Jhumpa is just such a beautiful writer. I saw the movie years ago and was surprised at how much I loved it and how moving it was. The book was really good, but, dare I ask, was the movie better? It's been awhile so I need to watch it again. Either way, congrats to Mira Nair on making a splendid adaptation.

DROWN by Junot Diaz (audio book). I actually enjoyed this a little more than Oscar Wao. Being a collection of short stories, it didn't bother me so much when Diaz would focus on one character or storyline more than another.

There are some Pulitzer winners in here for sure. Some popcorn bestsellers. A couple of YA selections to revisit my youth through. My favorite book of the year is... Drumroll please.................................

OLIVE KITTEREDGE and THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

It's a tie. Yes, I'm cheating, but I couldn't decide. They were both just too amazing. If I read even one book as good as either of these in 2014, I will be a lucky girl.

A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD by Jennifer Egan

A book review. Full disclosure: I listened to an audio book.

I've read a few books this year where every chapter tells a different character's story from his/her point of view. While I like the idea of different perspectives, it always leads to the same frustration: I spend enough time with a character to feel connected to them, and I always want to know more about a different part of the story than they are sharing. OLIVE KITTERIDGE overcame this by having intimate character studies as each chapter/short story that had definitive beginnings, middles, and endings. A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD has plenty of compelling characters, but we only see brief glimpses of them, and as the characters appear in other stories, I was left with the longing to revisit some of them. But the design of new POV's for each chapter doesn't lend itself to that. The beginning, middle, and end weren't always so clear.

The prose itself was lovely. The transitions from one character/chapter to the next always felt clever and organic. The individual voices of the characters were distinct, and that's difficult to pull off with so many characters. Unfortunately, the book ended with a whimper. Endings are hard and AVFTGS is a testament to that. I felt it ended with one of the book's weakest chapters, and that's not how you want to go out. ***

Rating System:

**** = Amazing, Fantastic, Life-Changing
*** = Excellent & Worth a Read
** = Not a Complete Waste of Time but I Probably Wouldn't Recommend It
* = Blech!

And I don't do that half-star nonsense.

THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO by Junot Diaz

A book review. Full disclosure: I listened to this one on audio book while on trains travelling through Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

I know this book won about every award out there, and I see why. Junot Diaz's style and voice is a standout. His asides are witty and poignant. I look forward to reading DROWN and THIS IS HOW TO LOSE HER. But, I sadly admit, I didn't love OSCAR, the character or the book. It was a little too all over the place for me, jumping from one perspective and character to another with no real closure or sense of an ending. All the jumping back and forth created a puzzle that I put together for myself, deciding what parts of the characters' lives I would find the most interesting and waiting for them to come. Sadly, for me, those sequences never came. ***

Rating System:

**** = Amazing, Fantastic, Life-Changing
*** = Excellent & Worth a Read
** = Not a Complete Waste of Time but I Probably Wouldn't Recommend It
* = Blech!

And I don't do that half-star nonsense.

THE SPECTACULAR NOW by Tim Tharp

A book review. I'm currently on a YA kick.

Sutter likes to live life spectacularly. Which basically means he's a fun-loving dude who loves whiskey. And that's about it. It's a small story, but one that takes a long time to tell. There's an attempt at a love story, but I found it less than spectacular. Sutter has a very strong voice, but he's extremely repetitive. Just way too little story, not enough interesting characters for
me. **


Rating System:

**** = Amazing, Fantastic, Life-Changing
*** = Excellent & Worth a Read
** = Not a Complete Waste of Time but I Probably Wouldn't Recommend It
* = Blech!

And I don't do that half-star nonsense.


However, I'm curious to see how the movie turns out because, reading this, it doesn't scream MOVIE!!! to me. But Miles Teller, the film's lead, was terrific in RABBIT HOLE, and I think he could bring a lot to this role.

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green

A book review.

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS is like TWILIGHT. Except, instead of vampires, there is an abundance of humor, wit, and smart-assery. And instead of Jacob, there are advance stages of cancer (insert Jacob joke here, this book certainly would have).

This may have been the most pandering tear-jerker ever, if not for the relentlessly positive attitude worn by every character in the book. And by positive, I mostly mean dripping with jokes and sarcasm without ever being mean. It's a beautiful love story. A beautiful reflection on the courage one summons (or doesn't) when facing death. A beautiful look at the simplest choice we make every day: we can laugh or we can cry. These characters choose to laugh. They choose to make others laugh. And they are hilarious in the face of darkness. ****

Rating System:

**** = Amazing, Fantastic, Life-Changing
*** = Excellent & Worth a Read
** = Not a Complete Waste of Time but I Probably Wouldn't Recommend It
* = Blech!

And I don't do that half-star nonsense.

THE SENSE OF AN ENDING by Julian Barnes

A book review. Full disclosure: I listened to an unabridged audio book read by a gentleman who was very British. Whether that helped or hindered my experience, I do not know.

Halfway through THE SENSE OF AN ENDING, a mystery is revealed. A mystery that involves a diary. Well, it's more of a puzzle than a mystery. It's a small puzzle and the pieces are few and large. I don't fancy myself particularly good at playing detective, but this puzzle seemed fairly obvious to me, being that it was so small and the pieces so large. I assumed the protagonist, an intelligent man, would put this one together pretty quickly and then we could get on with the real mystery...what's in the diary?!?

Instead, the remainder of the book is just about putting the puzzle together, which is always annoying as a reader to be so far ahead of the protagonist. But what was consistently refreshing throughout was the introspective, insightful reflection upon the magic of first love and the frustration and confusion when it falls apart. ***

Rating System:

**** = Amazing, Fantastic, Life-Changing
*** = Excellent & Worth a Read
** = Not a Complete Waste of Time but I Probably Wouldn't Recommend It
* = Blech!

And I don't do that half-star nonsense.

OLIVE KITTERIDGE by Elizabeth Strout

A book review.

Olive Kitteridge is not, as one would refer to in screenplay talk, a likeable character. She speaks her mind without any sense of repercussion or others' feelings. Fortunately, this makes her fiercely interesting, which is better than likeable any day.

OLIVE KITTERIDGE is not just about Olive, it's a collection of short stories where she is sometimes the lead, but often stands at the sidelines while another person residing in her beloved Crosby, Maine takes the spotlight and has their story exposed for all to see. It's an effective tactic, one that is as revealing as Olive herself in her unabashed honesty. It's a book about the deception in simple moments and simple lives. Elizabeth Strout writes about them with the reverence they deserve. ****

Rating System:

**** = Amazing, Fantastic, Life-Changing
*** = Excellent & Worth a Read
** = Not a Complete Waste of Time but I Probably Wouldn't Recommend It
* = Blech!

And I don't do that half-star nonsense.

HOW THE DEAD DREAM by Lydia Millet

A book review.

HOW THE DEAD DREAM felt like a few distinct story lines that never came together, as though the book was actually four short stories that happened to have the same lead character. As soon as I became invested in one of the stories, it ended, never to be revisited.

The writing was perfectly fine, but I didn't feel satiated at the end of it. I would recommend this to someone who's in the mood for short stories with open endings. **

Rating System:

**** = Amazing, Fantastic, Life-Changing
*** = Excellent & Worth a Read
** = Not a Complete Waste of Time but I Probably Wouldn't Recommend It
* = Blech!

And I don't do that half-star nonsense.

"Pastoralia" by George Saunders

A book review.

The stories in PASTORALIA are a cross between Ayn Rand's ANTHEM and Thomas Pynchon's THE CRYING OF LOT 39 with a hint of Christopher Haddon's THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME. The highlights were the title story and "The Barber's Unhappiness" which were both biting and darkly hilarious. But I couldn't help but think that I would rather be reading THE CURIOUS INCIDENT...**

Rating System:

**** = Amazing, Fantastic, Life-Changing
*** = Excellent & Worth a Read
** = Not a Complete Waste of Time but I Probably Wouldn't Recommend It
* = Blech!

And I don't do that half-star nonsense.

Best Book I Read in 2012

I normally don't find audio books to be the best "reading" experience. However, I highly recommend checking out Patti Smith's Just Kids from your local library audio section, plop it on your iPod, and take some long hikes (or, in my case, make your effing horrific three-hour a day commute almost enjoyable). Her gravelly voice will lull with the poetry pouring from her mouth and inspire the artist inside of you.

"Let the Great World Spin" by Colum McCann

A book review.

"Let the Great World Spin" is a beautifully written book which follows a number of characters connected by Philippe Petit's tightrope walk between the World Trade Center towers in 1974. It's a book about everything that makes us human: love, loss, grief, and hope. And every sentence carries a greater resonance in our post 9/11 world.

My only complaints stem from the book being divided into four smaller books. I found the first book to be the most poignant, therefore, the following three feel somewhat anticlimactic. Also, a large portion of one of the books seemed unnecessary, wandering from our central characters and not having a satisfying payoff. But those criticisms are fairly trivial. McCann is a magnificent writer, capturing small moments in ways that often made me gulp (a good thing).

I'm glad I had seen the excellent documentary "Man on Wire" before reading the book. It was the perfect introduction to Philippe Petit and his walk between the towers, and definitely added to my enjoyment of the book. I also find the cover art on the book to be stunning. ***

Rating System:

**** = Amazing, Fantastic, Life-Changing
*** = Excellent & Worth a Read
** = Not a Complete Waste of Time but I Probably Wouldn't Recommend It
* = Blech!

And I don't do that half-star nonsense.

"Love, Life, and Elephants: An African Love Story" by Dame Daphne Sheldrick

A book review.

My mother bought me this book for my birthday because I've been a little obsessed with elephants after my visit to Patara Elephant Farm.

Dame Daphne Sheldrick shares a beautiful memoir, appropriately titled. It's a well-written and very honest look at the triumphs and more often tribulations of living on the wild plains of Kenya in the 1950's through the present day. She recounts the stories of many of the orphan babies she nurtured decades ago as if she just experienced them last week, the joy and pain still right at the surface.

I think anyone who loves nature or dreams of going on a safari would love this book. You do feel as though you've been transported to a different, sometimes magical world when reading it. ***

Rating System:

**** = Amazing, Fantastic, Life-Changing
*** = Excellent & Worth a Read
** = Not a Complete Waste of Time but I Probably Wouldn't Recommend It
* = Blech!

And I don't do that half-star nonsense.

PERSUASION by Jane Austen

A book review.

So many cousins, so little time.

There are probably thirty characters in the book divided among about four last names: siblings, cousins, parents, love interests. It was hard to tell characters apart, and they all blurred together for me.

I read "Persuasion" hoping for some inspiration for a coming-of-age comedy, and I suppose it served its purpose; I have a few vague ideas for a script I may write somewhere down the line. But not a lot happened in this book of significant length. I can see why there aren't twenty film adaptations of this one (though IMDB does list four).

As per usual, there's a nice love story, but it's fairly simple and the characters aren't terribly compelling. I found the lead character's two siblings to be more interesting than she. I wasn't excitedly reaching for the book everyday, so it took me an embarrassingly long time to get through it. I remember enjoying "Sense and Sensibility" much more.**

Rating System:

**** = Amazing, Fantastic, Life-Changing
*** = Excellent & Worth a Read
** = Not a Complete Waste of Time but I Probably Wouldn't Recommend It
* = Blech!

And I don't do that half star nonsense.

"Just Kids" by Patti Smith

A book review.

I'd been wanting to read this book ever since I was drawn to the striking cover photo while wandering past the "awards table" display at Barnes & Noble. I took a course in college called Philosophy of Love, which was not so much about love, as my uber-romatic self had hoped. I remember reading Plato and Nietzsche, so I wonder how much different it was from a regular philosophy class. However, my instructor loved Robert Mapplethorpe. I don't know how Robert Mapplethorpe fit into the Philosophy of Love, but I remember his art was discussed multiple times, and I was always confused at how it related to anything we'd previously been discussing. Thus, I've always associated Robert Mapplethorpe with my strange teacher who took months to read our short papers and didn't believe in deodorant/bathing as B.O. was always wafting off of him.

I needed a new association with Robert Mapplethorpe, and I knew Patti Smith would give it to me. I'm unfamiliar with her music, except for the couple of R.E.M. songs she's been featured in, but that will now change. This book is so beautiful, it's discouraging as a writer. I will never be that good. Ever. I listened to the audio book that she read herself, and I think hearing her own gravely voice reading her story only made it better. She's a great reader, has a wonderful sense of humor. Her story is raw, but never rough around the edges. It's the kind of book everyone would hope they could write after the loss of a close friend, even if it takes twenty years. And from a purely historical standpoint, it's also a fascinating look at the New York art and music scene in the 60s and 70s. ****

Rating System:

**** = Amazing, Fantastic, Life-Changing
*** = Excellent & Worth a Read
** = Not a Complete Waste of Time but I Probably Wouldn't Recommend It
* = Blech!

And I don't do that half-star nonsense.

"Skylight Confessions" by Alice Hoffman

A book review.

This book started out with a healthy energy to it, but that soon ended, and everything became depressing. And then more depressing, and then an ending that went nowhere. I have no problem with depressing if it's done well. The characters didn't have enough life to them, and the story wasn't terribly compelling, so everything felt flat. I've also read Hoffman's "The Probable Future" and found that one much more enjoyable. **

Rating System:

**** = Amazing, Fantastic, Life-Changing
*** = Excellent & Worth a Read
** = Not a Complete Waste of Time but I Probably Wouldn't Recommend It
* = Blech!

And I don't do that half-star nonsense.

"Run" by Ann Patchett

A book review.

  I recently finished listening to the audio book of "Run" by Ann Patchett. I enjoyed it quite a bit. As usual, her characters were beautiful and human. I love how many of the characters in her books have really unusual jobs. The characters in my screenplays always have the most stereotypical, boring jobs because I'm too lazy to research a job outside my comfort zone. Most of the time, their jobs aren't terribly important to the story, so I don't worry about it too much. But I think in the future, I'm going to try to write a character who's more defined by his/her job. I think that would be interesting, and a good excercise for me. It definitely had interesting effects on the characters in this book.
     Unlike some of Patchett's other books, this one felt like it built to a realisting conclusion that became a natural ending. And the title is perfect. One of the best titles for a book I've read. ***

Rating System:

**** = Amazing, Fantastic, Life-Changing
*** = Excellent & Worth a Read
** = Not a Complete Waste of Time but I Probably Wouldn't Recommend It
* = Blech!

And I don't do that half-star nonsense.

Books I Read in 2011

This year I'm going to blog about each book as I finish it, because none of these books is going to get the attention or criticism it deserves. Mostly because my memory is very, very poor.

Rating System:

**** = Amazing, Fantastic, Life-Changing
***   = Excellent & Worth a Read
**     = Not a Complete Waste of Time but I Probably Wouldn't Recommend It
*       = Blech!

And I don't do that half-star nonsense.

Let's just go in the order I read them. I should say "read." A fair number of these were audio books (have I mentioned that I have a long commute?), which is a different experience from reading a book, but not so different that they can't be judged under the same criteria. I try to listen to only unabridged audio books, but sometimes a book was too enticing and only the abridged version was available.

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

I loved this book. What can I say? I remember talking to a friend a long time ago and him telling me that Jonathan Franzen received some negative criticism on his previous novel and was all, you just wait and see, my next one is the next great American novel, and he miraculously lived up to his own hype. So, ten years later, I finally got around to checking it out myself, and I would have to agree. It's deeply dark, yet hilarious. Rich, colorful characters. The whole book felt genuine. I love the casting of Diane Weiss and Chris Cooper for HBO's pilot. But I'm not sure about Noah Baumbach. I know he'll capture the darkness, I'm just not sure about the funny, and that's what makes The Corrections special. Best book I read in 2011. ****

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I've picked this one up a couple of times but never made it through until this year. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's dark, but I think there's a rom com hidden in their somewhere. I'm going to try and dig it out. ***

The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon

Liked the first half of the book, then my interest dwindled. I didn't like the ending, either. It's the same ending that's been done better in other classic novels. **

Room by Emma Donoghue

This started out promising as well, but I really don't get the hype with this one. Yes, it's a good idea. But I don't think the execution was the best. The character inconsistencies are too noticeable to overlook. The suspension of disbelief is too much. Also, I don't know why this story was set in the U.S. I mean, I know we've had terrible kidnapping incidents like the one in the book in the U.S., but the author was clearly not American, made blazingly clear by her word choices. I can't remember specifically, but it was akin to referring to the bathroom as the loo on more than one occasion. I just wish she would've set it in whatever country she's from because it would've been one less thing that rubbed me the wrong way. **

Waiting by Ha Jin

This one is tricky. The writing was solid, but I wasn't whisked away or sucked into the story. But, again, excellent writing. ***

The Love of a Good Woman by Alice Munro

Not as good as last year's favorite Runaway, but Alice Munro is a great writer and these short stories don't disappoint. ***

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

This was not as good as I'd expected. I loved The Grapes of Wrath and this one didn't hold up. Lots of very unnatural sounding conversations. Don't think Steinbeck would've made a good screenwriter. **

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (audio book)

Hmmm. I expected to cry and did not, which was probably good as I was driving. Maybe my focus was in the wrong place, but I just kept being pulled from the emotional center of this book from the author's name dropping. Hotel name dropping. I think I have a problem: my empathy runs thin for wealthy people. Or maybe my empathy runs thin for wealthy people who talk about having no money on their honeymoon and then saying eff it and going to the Beverly Hills Hotel. Um. And. No. That is not what not having money is. And then later living in the Beverly Wilshire for months at a time (this time it was acknowledged that there was money). Maybe if I didn't live in L.A. and know where and how much these hotels are. But, why all the hotel name dropping? And why did these small details emphasizing privelidge comletely push me away from the story? Death is death. Sickness is sickness. But my empathy isn't empathy. **

Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje (audio book)

So I was reading this book about these three characters, and I was wrapped up in it, and then it got all cliffhangery and we went to a different set of characters who were a snore and... wait for it... never went back to the original characters. When it comes to books & movies, I try to know as little as possible before experiencing. I change channels to avoid trailers, I don't read reviews. I don't read the backs of books before checking them out. Halfway through this book I read the back cover because I was confused on who this book was supposed to be about. And, wouldn't you know, the back cover described the first, interesting storyline, never to be resolved. So I wasn't crazy after all. *

The Rug Merchant by Meg Mullins (audio book)

Meg Mullins is excellent with dialogue. I wonder how many screenplays she written. If she hasn't written any, she should. ***

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris (audio book)

Perhaps not his best collection, but thoroughly enjoyable as always. And I love that he reads his own book. **

On Beauty by Zadie Smith (audio book)

Zadie Smith might just be my new favorite writer. Can't wait to read White Teeth. What a great voice. This one was another dysfunctional family saga, much like The Corrections, but funnier and not as dark. Which did not translate into a lighter read/listen. ****

A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon (audio book - abridged)

I loved The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-Time, so I decided to settle for the abridged version of this. It has the trademark Mark Haddon humor. Didn't find the lead character as sympathetic as I would've liked to. But I suppose that added to the humor. Also, I don't know what was cut out, but this didn't feel abridged. So, good job, whoever edited this. But I'm not going to rate it due to the abridgement.

The Devil in the White City by Eric Larson (audio book - abridged)

This one, on the other hand, felt abridged. Mostly because it was really good and I wanted more. A serial killer against the amazing backdrop of the World's Fair. And a true story! Come on? This would be a movie if it wasn't so expensive to make. It made me miss Chicago and realize how little I know about a city I lived in for four years. No rating due to abridgement.

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri (audio book)

An amazing collection of short stories. It's been months since I finished it, and the last line of the last story still haunts me. ****

The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett (audio book)

Not as good as Bel Canto, but a solid read. My only gripe is that I don't think Ann Patchett is very good at endings. She has rich characters, interesting plots, and then comes time for the ending and...yeah. Bel Canto's ending felt completely rushed and tacked on to me. TMA fared slightly better but it still felt too sudden. Amazing how a slightly-off ending can change your entire opinion about a book. ***

I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron (audio book)

Nora Ephron is my screenwriting hero and she could read the doodles on her napkin and I would think it was funny.***

The Best Books I Read This Year

None of these books were published this year.  I'm way behind on my reading.

Runaway by Alice Munro.  This collection of short stories blew my mind.  Ms. Munro has a way with words.  After reading this book, I want to read everything she has written.  That's the highest compliment I can give.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon.  My subtitle for this book is "How to Live the American Dream."  The book is a beautiful portrait of America and hope and dreams and disillusion.  Great storytelling.  I doubt it will ever get translated to film but this is one cinematic read.

Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson.  I went to the library to check out Gilead and it wasn't there, so I settled for this.  Solid read.  A story about mental illness that wasn't terribly depressing was refreshing.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  I never read this in high school as I think most of America did.  I really enjoyed it.  The themes of greed and lack of consequence still resonate today.  I can understand why Carey Mulligan cried when she landed the part of Daisy. (Spoiler)  Every young actress would want to play this spoiled princess turned world's worst driver.  Don't know if I see Leo as Gatsby, but Tobey Maguire will make a great Nick.  I'm excited to see who will play Tom.  May I suggest James Marsden?  He always plays nicey nice and I think he could pull off smug aristocratic asshole and surprise a lot of people.

Books I want to read next year:  Gilead, The Corrections, The Road, Jane Eyre, 100 Years of Solitude