A Range of Holiday Reads: WSIR #6
Treat yourself to a few hours with a good book.
Reader, we made it.
If you’re seeing this, you persevered through Unprecedented Events, you’re still triumphing against darkness, you may or may not being wearing clothing with a waistband but who cares, and for all those reasons and more, you deserve to spend a few hours in these last, hopefully slower two weeks of the year with a great book. Consider it my gift to you, wrapped in glittery Glad Tidings and tied with a sprig of Happy New Year.
So, tell me - what are you in the mood for?
OK. Despite all reason, I’m feeling mentally sharp and am ready for an important and challenging read.
Wow! Okay, then. Amongst the most powerful books I read this year is Know My Name, written by Chanel Miller, who was sexually assaulted by the so-called Stanford swimmer. It’s her recounting of the aftermath - how institutions privilege some and punish others, how external events can shatter our sense of self as well as the worlds of our families and friends, and the power of a survivor’s own words.
In truth, I started this memoir out of some internal moral obligation but was blown away by its sheer artistry. It’s literature. It’s poetry. It’s searing and stunning. It is certainly not an easy read but beyond its gorgeous prose, it will challenge you on the justice system, on gender relations, and on what we ask of so-called victims.
Hmm. I’m more of a fiction reader. What broke through this year?
Sure! You’ll probably want to check out The Vanishing Half. This was on the“best of 2020” lists by critics and normies alike, which says that it’s both “Great Writing” and also excellent reading.
The plot stems from twins in the Jim Crow South, one who lives her life as a Black woman and one who lives as a white woman, and how legacies unfold from there. As you can imagine, the book addresses the issue of “passing” and what it means to be Black or white in the US, but it also spans much broader issues of identity - how we choose who we are and how the past, and family, leave a mark that’s hard to escape.
Don’t forget my other top fiction reads - All The Light We Cannot See and The Great Believers.
Can you suggest something that’s a little less Important and a little more Delightful?
Why don’t you cozy up to A Gentleman in Moscow? Not new this year, but stylish, witty, and charming while also traversing Russian history in the early 20th century. The main character, Count Rostov, is a nobleman sentenced to life under house arrest in a luxury hotel, and the novel follows him over the next 30 years. Part historical fiction, part love story, part thriller, part champagne cocktail.
I confess I know people who find this novel boring because the Count essentially lives his entire life in the same place. But hello, 2020 METAPHOR MUCH? Anyway, I found it so delightful and I hope you do too.
No, I don’t think you quite understand. At this point in the year I can handle a fairy tale and that’s ABOUT IT.
Here’s the literary equivalent of a snuggly blanket: William Goldman’s The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure.
Yes, yes, you’ve seen the movie, so there won’t be any big plot surprises here, but the “Westley and Buttercup” saga is cleverly framed by the author’s historical research of Florin, a dusty royal history, a screenplay, and a troubled family life. It’s darker in its comedy and slightly more sophisticated than the movie but in the best, book-within-a-book way (e.g. Goldman takes “the good parts” of Morgenstern’s fairy tale while also interjecting about legal issues and … anyway, just tuck in and enjoy.)
OK, this is a good start. What’s your end of year reading?
Oh, me? You’re kind to ask. My end-of-year stack includes Caste and The Mirror and the Light. But I might just read mysteries for two weeks - is IS the holidays, after all.
Hi! If none of these suggestions do it for you, check out the archive.
And let me know YOUR best book of 2020 by leaving a comment, or share the types of recommendations you’d like to see! Or just, you know, shyly wave.