Here they are, in no particular order.
Enjoy!
_____________________________________________________
Babel, by R.F. Kuang
An extraordinary tale that uses magic and fantasy to revel in the history and decadence of language. Set in Oxford, England, in the early to mid-19th Century, it tells how Britain used its economic and intellectual powers to control language and culture, and exploit world commerce. When several minority translators realize their role in the Empire, their actions and consequences become the heart of the book.
This is a forceful and furious tale of the first women of creation from the original Hebrew myth. It's an evocative undertaking, rich in Biblical literature and ancient history. Lilith is a strong, imaginative woman, comfortable in her own skin but leery of the male-dominated world around her. Her goal is to bring her original story, including the balance, harmony and divinity of women, back to life.
Small Things Like These,
by Claire Keegan
Tight, poetic writing and an exquisite use of language tell a tale that untangles the old torments of Ireland in a new era. The author conveys how the pieties and hypocrisies of the old Ireland continue to inform and invade in the 21st Century. Furlong, a good man, stumbles into the realities of the past and wonders if he can do anything about them. But it's Keegan's writing and expressive dialogue that propel the story forward.
Stone Blind, by Natalie Haynes
This retold mythological story destroys the maxim that it is the tale, not she who tells it. Taking on great writers from the past, Ovid and Hesiod, Haynes tells Medusa's tale of her ability to turn men to stone with a single glance in a witty and sarcastic tale. She breathes new life into the gods and mortals of ancient Greece with caustic eye and a feminist perspective. She uses the voices of Athene, Euryale, Zeus, and Poseidon to match wits with the great writers of the past.
The Wordy Shipmates, By Sarah Vowell
A witty, rollicking tale of adventure and petty infighting about the supposedly somber, stuffy, and ignorant Puritans who settled in New England in the 1690s. Vowell's tale, complete with the letters and journals of the men -- and the few women -- who made an impact on the Massachusetts Bay Colony, is a joy to read. It's history come alive, as reported by a snarky, knowledgeable reporter who, with a wry grin, sadly shakes her head at the goings on.
Piranesi,
By Susanna Clarke
Piranesi's wanderings in this magical places are fun to follow. But the pleasure of the book is the world itself, and the secrets it holds. What keeps you reading are the fantastical, detailed discoveries he finds behind every door and in every room and chamber in this world inside a building.
Ariadne,
By Jennifer Saint
In this retelling of the Greek myth, Ariadne gets to tell her tale -- a woman-centered, feminist, well-crafted version of the Greek myth that features the Minotaur, King Minos, Pasiphaë, Zeus, Dionysus, and Daedalus and his son Icarus.
The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern
Weirdly strange, but start reading and let the words carry you along. You may not understand everything Morgenstern is doing, but trust the writer. Her prose is finely tuned, and the story is strong. You'll read this one with a smile on your face, and wonder in your heart. It's that good.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue,
by V.E. Schwab
LaRue is a young woman, born in 18th Century France, who goes through life with traits that could be considered a blessing -- and a curse. She has immortality, yes. But she also finds out that people forget her existence once she leaves their sights. It's the setting for a love story told through the years.
The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern
A circus unexpectedly comes to town, stays for a few days, then leaves just as abruptly. It's a whimsical, mystical experience that changes the lives of the performers, the attendees, and those who experience its unique and wonderful magic. Yes, it's by the same author as The Starless Sea. Yes, you should read both. The order does not matter.
A Parchment of Leaves, by Silas House
House is one of Kentucky's current crop of top writers. This book, part of a trilogy about several generations of a mountain family, shows why he is. This tells of a native woman joining the Kentucky clan, and her legacy. (In fact, you should pick up anything that he's written.)
The Underground Railroad,
By Colson Whitehead
In Whitehead's version, the Underground Railroad is an actual railroad, run by and for slaves. His story is about Cora's run from her life in chains, her rising above adversity, and partly what freedom could have meant for Black people were it not for the evil nature of white supremacy. Whitehead is a gem of a writer.
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek,
By Kim Michele Robertson
An intense, thoughtful novel about a Kentucky woman -- one of the Blue People of Kentucky -- who delivers books and magazines to her rural, isolated neighbors in the early part of the 20th Century. One of the best novels I have read. Its sequel, The Book Woman's Daughter, is pretty damn good, too. May be even better. Read both.
Washington Black, By Esi Edugyan
An extraordinary work filled with powerful and explosive writing on the true horrors of slavery from the perspective of an enslaved person. Edugyan shows the depravity of slavery's systematic brutality, its routine dehumanization of people of color, and how it allows enslavers to deny or excuse their savagery.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, By Taylor Jenkins Reid
If you think you know what Hollywood is like, this is the tale for you. An aging starlet -- think Marilyn Monroe or Jean Harlow -- tells the story of her life, naming names and pulling no punches. It's an honest look at why people do the things they do, without qualms and without excuses. Nicely written, and while we may not admire Hugo, we respect her.
The Chronicles of Kazam (YA series),
By Jasper Fforde
The series shows the attributes of Jasper Fforde's oeuvre -- the imaginative, cerebral tales of fantasy and the clever and bantering dialogue. He might get carried away, but it's in great fun -- a sardonic view of authority, farcical side tales, and whimsical if grounded characters that's set in the Ununited Kingdoms, Great Britain in an alternative dimension, run by a collection of kings, moptops, potentates, and other inept rulers. Enter Jennifer Strange, a 15-year-old orphan, irreverent and brilliant, who must solve the dragon problem, the lack of magical wizardry, and human-eating trolls preparing for war.
No comments:
Post a Comment