My Top Books of the Year, Part Deux
Embracing the joy of 2022 in YWR # 103
‘Twas the week before Christmas / And all through Kerry’s Substack …
…
No, lol, can you imagine? What an excruciating little journey of semi-ironic wordplay that would be. Just because this week is covering the more delightful books of my year does not mean that we abandon all sense and completely succumb to sentimental madness. If you can keep your head when all about you, and so on.
What this week does mean is the following, Yet One More Short To-Do List When You Really Just Want The Tasks to Be Over So You Can Take a Well-Earned Long Winter’s NAP for Heaven’s Sake:
First, don’t miss last week’s part one of my top books of the year, wherein I explain why most of these are actually not books of THIS year and also our Patented Lamb Rating and Organizational system. Critical information.
Second, read below to see part deux of my top books of the year, which are fittingly the more delightful, escapist, not-devastating and hopeful books that I read this year. So many good ones here!
Third, let me know in the comments whether you also loved any of these same books this year, and what your holiday reading list looks like. And if the idea of holidays for whatever reason don’t serve your beautiful and sacred soul right now, great! Then just let your old reading pal Kerry know what books are next for you in a week that’s only remarkable because I’m grateful you’re reading this. Whether you’ve been around for 100 newsletters or are new to the party - it’s a gift to share the joy of books with each other.
Matrix was the very first book I read on the very first day of 2022, and I still count it among the best. The novel centers on Marie de France, a real 11th century poet about whom virtually nothing is known, so the novel imagines a life where Marie is sent to an impoverished abbey, transforming not just her surroundings but the people and structures. Lauren Groff is a volcanically smart author (as seen this year also at the incomparable Sun Valley Writers’ Conference) who uses Matrix to explore notions of power, of marginalization and underestimation, of freedom and self-determination, all in a surprisingly readable historical fiction package.
Intelligent! Mesmerizing! For fans of Wolf Hall! (I wrote more about Matrix here.)
I don’t know if Deacon King Kong is a comedy wrapped in pathos or vice versa, but either way I really enjoyed it. It’s a kinetic kaleidoscope of riotous characters all centering around a 71-year old widow, deacon, part-time handyman and full-time drinker who walks up to the local drug dealer and shoots him. The reasons, and the fallout, and the reverberations in the community, all unfold in a densely converging, darkly comic “What happens next?” Feels almost like a Tales of the City in its rotating cast of characters, but with more mystery.
Rich! Confident! Funny! Moving! (More praise from me here.)
I just wrote about Trust a few weeks ago, and turns out it’s polarizing! So, all respect if it wasn’t for you; personally, I really loved it. Starting with a novel in a novel about an early 1900s financier and his wife, the subsequent sections provide new context on what you just read. I appreciated how it played with structure and style, on its pointed critique of so many social contracts without being heavy-handed.
Stylistically compelling! Literary but not smug! Revealing! We just talked about it here and really I don’t have much more I can say!
A book that seems lightweight but has sneakily stuck with me all year - Olga Dies Dreaming, which is part “finding yourself,” part romance, and part social commentary, all centered around 40 year old Olga, a powerhouse wedding planner, and her brother the local congressman. Despite their outward signs of success, they’re forced to rethink their lives as their past comes back to life through new loves, absent parents, and their identity as Puerto Ricans. The political history sections are a little clunky, I’ll admit, but interesting, and for me the snappy dialogue and quirky characters made up for it.
Relatable! But also a new (to me) take on assimilation! Plus nice to read about the mix of regret and pride that we feel in our middle years! (More about it here!)
Lessons in Chemistry is a popular book that even the highbrow end of year lists like, and for good reason - this was a real charmer. Over the course of the 1960s, Elizabeth Zott is a brilliant scientist, an unapologetic coworker, an unlikely partner, and an unemployed single mother who refuses to pander or compromise. As the circumstances of her life change, she creates change in the world around her.
Bighearted! Laugh out loud funny! Fresh! Surprisingly emotional! So cute!
Sure, every other year end list may include Lessons in Chemistry but I’ll bet that this is the *only* list with spry youngster My Family and Other Animals, published in 1956. Hey - if it’s new to us this year, it qualifies! English naturalist Gerald Durrell looks back on the time he, his mother, and his three siblings spent in Corfu, Greece. Part beautiful reflections on the wildlife he encountered and part hilariously recounted family hijinks, this is a warm and lovely classic.
Flawless! Gentle! Made my sweetie tear up with laughter multiple times! Like All Creatures Great and Small!
And finally, perhaps the truly most delightful book I read all year - A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting. I don’t know why it hasn’t gotten much attention, but I can’t say enough about this Regency tale of a young woman who has two months to find a wealthy husband and save her family from ruin. Sure, you know how it ends but the ride is absolutely glorious - exceptionally witty, extremely well-written, and perfectly charming. If it sounds at all appealing, trust me and read it.
Carriages! Comportment! Flinty-eyed dinner guests! Brave heroines! Like Bridgerton but well written, and less smutty! More, please!
You HAVE to be tired of my book recos by now, no? But if you really want more, check out my Honorable Mention Lightning Round, here.
Some Last Words of the Year
That’s an unnecessarily final statement but I like the drama of it so I’m keeping it.
Using Bookshop.org (to which all of these books link) is an easy way to support indie bookstores. In a world where doing “the right thing” is often a struggle (no, YOU should be weight training for bone health), this is an easy one.
I’ll be taking a few weeks off to regroup and think about what comes next in Your Weekend Reading, and I hope you will too! (Take a few weeks off, I mean - thinking about this newsletter is welcome but obviously not mandatory, this isn’t North Korea.) But until then, remember - more than 100 weeks of books await you in the archive!
As always, any likes, comments and shares are deeply appreciated.
You SHOULD be weight training!