"One sure window into a person's soul is his reading list."- Mary B. W. Tabor
What Should I Read Next?
I get asked a lot for book recommendations, but I always struggle with how to respond. You'd think it would be easy for me to rattle off a bunch of titles, but it's actually a bit more difficult to match specific readers with a specific title. The better I know you and the kind of books you've enjoyed, the better I'm able to choose a match.
To complicate matters, in my experience, books are often "the best book for me at a particular time" rather than a "best book." If I need an escape or something short and silly to read, then I'm probably not going to like a lengthy, serious tome no matter how many awards it has won. My personal reading tends to be a bit all over the place as you'll see from the list below. At the same time, I definitely have my favorite areas (memoir and mystery/suspense) and typically read more of those types of books than any others.
I read more than 100 books this year; these were the 25 I enjoyed most. They were the ones that made me learn something new, consider a different perspective, told a good story, or used language in a beautiful or memorable way. I'd highly recommend that you look at other reviews before deciding to read any of them, especially if you are concerned about language use or avoiding specific political or religious viewpoints.
Biography & Memoir
- Calypso by David Sedaris
It's always a treat to read a new book by humorist David Sedaris. While I didn't love every piece, I found quite a few laughs and thoughtful commentary in his latest work. In this collection, I especially liked his travel-themed piece "Your English Is So Good."
"You hear this a lot in America, especially when you're complaining about televisions, or loud music, or more common still, television and loud music together in the same room. 'People like it.'
'Yes,' I always want to say, 'but they're the wrong people.'" - Dust Bowl Girls by Lydia Reeder
A historical book about small town girls who were recruited during the Great Depression to play women's basketball in college.
"In fact, after much thought about the issue of so many girls quitting the team and going home, Lucille had decided that the poorer the girl, the harder she worked."
- Funny in Farsi by Riroozen Dumas
A girl from Iran grows up in California. - In Praise of Difficult Women by Karen Karbo
An unusual mix of 29 women, including Nora Ephron, Frida Kahlo, and Hillary Clinton. - My Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg
"I learned to knit three items: mufflers, booties with decorative pom-poms, and shawls with extensive fringing.What I lacked in variety, I made up for in quantity."
"What is a person supposed to say to that? SEVEN kinds of sprouts. I like alfalfa sprouts, sort of, on a sandwich with provolone, tomato, and avocado. I did not, however, and still do not, have any interest in widening my sprout experience--and certainly not seven-fold."
- Side Hustle: From Idea To Income in 28 Days by Chris Guillebeau
What I admired about this book is how specific its advice is. This is not your generic "write a 50-page business plan" type of book! Even if you're already running your own business, you still might find some new ideas. For example, I enjoyed the section on figuring out how to tell the story of your business using prompts such as "I've always been interested in ..." or "I was frustrated by ..." The author hosts the daily Side Hustle podcast of the same name.
Children & Young Adult
- Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo
I enjoyed this crowded-funded children's book that featured 100 extraordinary women from historical figures such as Elizabeth I to contemporary women such as Serena Williams. - Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
First book in a young adult mystery trilogy that takes place at a private boarding school. Next volume will be out in early 2019.
Fiction
- Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
When Rachel Chu agrees to accompany her boyfriend to a wedding in Singapore, she has no idea about his far-from-humble origins. A fun soap opera read. In an interview I heard with the author, some of the outrageous descriptions of the extremely wealthy are actually toned down from reality.
Mystery, Crime, & Suspense
Hollywood Homicide by Kellye Garrett
The winner of multiple mystery-related awards, this first novel features an African-American heroine/amateur detective in Hollywood. Packed with witty banter and internal dialogue.Island of the Mad by Laurie R. King
This year I finished reading all the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes books; this one is the latest. I enjoyed the setting of 1925 Venice and the clever touches such as the inclusion of Cole Porter.Killer Fashion by Jennifer Wright
A cute little book with illustrations in the style of Edward Gorey features an alphabetical list of things that have killed people (mainly women) like high heels and corsets. (Who knew getting dressed was so dangerous?)Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
This unusual mystery has a fascinating "book within a book" structure about a mystery author who dies and the editor who solves the crime. If you like traditional Agatha Christie books, you might give this one a try.Not That I Could Tell by Jessica Strawser
A woman who may have been abused by her husband disappears with her two kids. I loved that this suspense novel by the former editor of Writer's Digest wasn't too intense (I like being able to sleep at night) and had a satisfying conclusion.
Nonfiction
- The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson
The story of a humanitarian-turned-journalist who became interested in tracking some stolen birds from a British museum after an off-hand remark from his flyfishing teacher. Unexpectedly fascinating. - How We Got To Now by Steve Johnson
I like how this book linked one invention to another so that you could see how an invention like the light bulb or air conditioning wasn't a single, brilliant idea, but the result of many smaller ideas that had come before. And sometimes that invention has unintended effects. For example, everyone talks about Gutenberg and the printing press, but this is the first time I'd learned about another effect this invention had: "It made a massive number of people aware for the first time that they were farsighted. And that revelation create a surge in demand for spectacles."
- The Library Book by Susan Orlean
I read a review that described this book as a "love letter to libraries" and I think that's an excellent summary. The book is ostensibly about the big fire at the Los Angeles Public Library in 1986, but the author also talks to the modern day librarians and staff. I found it a particularly good book to read now as it shows that there are still people who are trying to make their communities better. -
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
A riveting historical book about the girls who worked painting dials on watches and paid for the experience with their lives.
- View From Flyover Country by Sarah Kendzior
This book of well-written short essays by an independent journalist in St. Louis deftly shows how America got to the place it is now in terms of race, economics, politics, etc. The author has academic credentials in the area of authoritarian governments and has insightful commentary on the current direction of the U.S.
"When wealth is passed off as merit, bad luck is seen as bad character. This is how ideologues justify punishing the sick and the poor. But poverty is neither a crime nor a character flaw. Stigmatize those who let people die, not those who struggle to live."
- Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded by John Scalzi
This book features the science fiction author's blog posts from 1998-2008, mainly on the topics of being poor, writing, and politics. Some of them, particularly the political ones about Bush, feel strikingly modern. The writing is so strong that even if you disagree with his point (and chances are good you'll find something to disagree with!) you'll at the same time admire how precisely and cleanly he has wielded his sharp pen."I wish this fellow the best of luck in his purge of all entertainment by people who have ever publicly expressed a political thought, and hope that he finds his resulting entertainment choices--nutrition information panels and car owner manuals, mostly--keep him gripped and on the edge of his seat, waiting to find out what happens next (SPOILER: Riboflavin did it! In the B Complex!)"
Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Artemis by Andy Weir
I had this book on my nightstand for months, but I finally pulled out right after I heard the author speak at a local event. I enjoyed his first book, The Martian, more, but the fast-paced action and the gutsy and irreverent heroine made this book an enjoyable read.
Self Help
- Am I There Yet? by Mari Andrew
A popular Instagram writer and illustrator shares tidbits from her life and advice about being a young adult post-college.
- Assume the Worst: The Graduation Speech You'll Never Hear by Carl Hiaasen, illustrations by Roz Chast
The small gift book takes the standard rah-rah graduation advice and turns it on its head.
"Strive to excel at something that won't get you indicted. Prison sucks."
Travel
- All Over the Place by Geraldine Ruiter
Written by a popular blogger ("The Everywhereist"), this humorous memoir details the author's various travels. I did skip a few chapters (toilet humor is not my thing), but overall, I really enjoyed this author's take on life.
"Because if Leonardo da Vinci disappoints you, there's a good chance that you have unreasonable expectations of everything, including yourself."
- My Good Life In France by Janine Marsh
Based on a popular blog of the same name about a British woman who impulsively buys a rundown French farmhouse and restores it with her husband.
Did you read anything good in 2018? Feel free to email me and let me know!
P.S. Looking for more book recommendations? See The 12 Best Books I Read in 2017.