2016: In Books That I Read

It goes without saying that I haven't posted much on this blog in 2016. Because really, what's the point? But I did recently remember that I looked back on 2015 by listing all the books I read that year, which was kind of a fun exercise. I also look back and see that I called 2015 the year of "Donald Trump." (Oh, 2015 me: You're so adorable.)

But I did read a lot of damn books in 2016, so let's do it again. Get psyched for some unhelpful book recommendations...now!

Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good: A Memoir of Food and Love from an American Midwest Family
Kathleen Flinn
Probably don't read this. I read this because I loved Flinn's "The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry" about attending Le Cordon Blue. That book was much better. This one was fairly boring to me.

In the Unlikely Event
Judy Blume
Read this if you were a fan of Blume's YA lit and enjoy a light read. Her promised transition into "adult" fiction doesn't quite happen, but this book is charming nonetheless.

Fates and Furies
Lauren Groff
Read this if you enjoy being shocked and appalled in maybe kind of a good way? I can't get it out of my head that Barack Obama cited this as his favorite book of 2015. It was certainly entertaining but my goodness. Pearls have been clutched.

Let's Pretend this Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir
Jenny Lawson
Read this if you are an awkward woman and/or a fan of The Bloggess. I laughed out loud many times.

Station Eleven
Emily St. John Mandel
Read this if you like apocalyptic fiction. It seems lots of people put themselves in either the Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" camp OR the "Station Eleven" camp. I haven't read the former so I can't weigh in -- but apparently you either love one or the other of these books. I actually didn't love or hate this book, so perhaps I need to read "The Road" so I can understand my own opinion better.

The Rosie Project
Graeme Simsion
Read this if you like a good character study and are open to a narrator with a very unique personality to which you likely will not be able to relate. I personally found this book extremely delightful, but it's probably not for everyone.

Rising Strong
Brene Brown
Read this if you're into and can follow this kind of self-help stuff. It is not my thing. I read it for my book club and struggled. I still don't know what being "face down in the arena" really means. Sorry, Brene.

Florence Gordon
Brian Morton
Read this if you like fiction about strong women -- maybe. The title character was actually not my favorite, to be honest. I thought I would love her but I really did not.

Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls
David Sedaris
Read this because it's David Sedaris. You have to like David Sedaris' writing to like this. I cannot stress that point enough. It's probably not a good "my first David Sedaris" selection. I'd go with "Me Talk Pretty One Day" for that. If you like that book, you're in the club. If not, skip him.

The Pecan Man
Cassie Dandridge Selleck
Read this to learn what it was like in the American South in the 1970s. When I first finished this book I was lukewarm on it, but the more I have thought back on it I have been glad I read it.

The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House
Kate Andersen Brower
Read this if you are interested in presidential history-slash-gossip, homemaking, and the politics of domestic service careers. Maybe don't read, though, if you would just spend the entire book picturing our soon-to-be White House tenant on the premises and getting really, really angry and depressed about that.

The Secret History
Donna Tartt
Read this if you saw promise in "The Goldfinch" but found it a little too tedious. This Tartt book is better, in my opinion. She's a hell of a writer.

Summerlong
Dean Bakopoulos
Read this if you have ever attended or lived in the vicinity of Grinnell College and/or you like books that read more like screenplays than novels. This wasn't my favorite -- again with the hate-able characters thing -- but hey, trying to keep it local at least once a year.

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things
Jenny Lawson
Read this only if you've already read "Let's Pretend This Never Happened" and loved it. Her first book is better than this second effort, but it still entertained me because I am a big fan. I am sure I will read her third effort in 2017 because I am a huge weirdo/sucker for Lawson's writing.

The Woman Upstairs
Claire Messud
Read this if you aren't bothered by unlikable characters. Actually, don't read this. Maybe read "The Emperor's Children" if you aren't bothered by unlikable characters. That's a better Messud book, albeit also riddled with unlikable characters. Why is this such a theme for me?

Me Before You
JoJo Moyes
Read this if you want to take a deep dive into societal attitudes toward the disabled. That's really all I can say about it. Didn't love it; didn't hate it. It had some issues and some redeeming qualities at the same time. Haven't seen the movie, though I have heard mostly good things.

Kitchens of the Great Midwest
J. Ryan Stradal
Read this if you, like me, simply can't resist any book with the words "kitchen" and "Midwest" in it. I don't know if I'd call this book good, but it's different. Disappoints on the "this book is about food" front, but the story is definitely interesting.

Kinsey and Me: Stories
Sue Grafton
Read this if you're obsessed with Grafton and/or Millhone. I am a junkie. When does Y come out, y'all?

Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman
Lindy West
Read this if you're a person who needs to be slapped in the face hard to understand what it's like to be a woman, or if you are a woman and want to relate to someone who truly understands online harassment, the objectification and commodification of women's bodies, and sexism. Really, it's so great and not shrill at all. I thought this was a terrible title for a fantastic book.

Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice
Curtis Sittenfeld
Read this if you loved the original work mostly for its satirical elements. That's mainly what Sittenfeld captures here. Obviously, Austen is better...but this is a fun read if you are a person who understands and appreciates the original book.

Our Souls at Night
Kent Haruf
Read this because Kent Haruf was amazing and a brilliant novelist.

Never Let Me Go
Kazuo Isiguro
If you can get through this, let me know. I found it depressing and weak and quit reading it after 100ish pages. I'd say don't read this. I may be in the minority, however.

My Life on the Road
Gloria Steinem
Read this if you are interested in Steinem's life and work, especially if you are younger and need more appreciation of the history of the women's movement.

My Own Words
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Read this is you're a law nerd. It is probably NOT what you think it is; I wanted to learn more about RBG the person, but I really just learned more details about her biography and about landmark legal decisions -- not that those aren't interesting, but the content of this book is certainly more academic than it is entertaining.

Listen, Liberal: How the Party of the People Learned to Love Inequality
Thomas Frank
Read this, internalize its message, spend some time hating yourself if you're anything like me, and then burn this book and never read it again unless you hate yourself a LOT. This book makes some really good points but offers no wisdom, advice, alternatives, or solutions in my opinion. So it's really just maddening and dispiriting as much as it is bold and fair.

Purity
Jonathan Franzen
Read this if you are a Franzen appreciator like I am. It's long and sometimes tedious but always maintains a Franzen level of intrigue and coolness that I enjoy.

How to be a Woman
Caitlin Moran
Read this if you don't take yourself, life in general, or the academic idea of "feminism" too seriously. This book is actually super controversial, but I don't think it needs to be. It is NOT a feminist manifesto; if you expect that going in, you will likely be disappointed. It is a charming memoir written by a regular woman who is rough around the edges and has some strong opinions about being a woman. It's entertaining, funny, and was a great opportunity for me to feel like I am not that weird in some of my opinions. I actually loved it a lot.

Happy New Year! What are you reading in 2017?