Wednesday, December 30, 2015

My favorite books of the year

It's the most wonderful time of the reading year, when the lists of favorite books appear. They remind me of authors I haven't met yet, and books that I want to read. I still have about 30 hours before the TBR Dare kicks in - so plenty of time to reserve or order a few more.

As always, I can't resist compiling my own list. In fact, I started it last week, and I've been mulling it over since then. Here are my favorite books of 2015, generally in the order in which I read them:

Live Alone and Like It, by Marjorie Hillis. Snappy and snarky, this "Classic Guide for the Single Woman" of 1936 is full of practical advice, some of it still applicable 79 years later. I also enjoyed her second book, Bubbly on Your Budget, from 1937.

The Nile, by Toby Wilkinson. I loved this mix of history, archaeology, and travelogue, as the author traced the Nile from its sources to the Delta.

Century of Struggle, by Eleanor Flexner. Another classic, this time a history of the women's rights movement in the United States, first published in 1959.

A Humble Enterprise, by Ada Cambridge. I collect stories set in tea shops, and this 1898 novel about a family struggling to support themselves after their father's tragic death is charming. Sadly, the recipe for the scones that draw the Melbourne crowds is not included.

There Was and There Was Not, by Meline Toumani. An exploration of the Armenian diaspora and the continuing influence of the early 20th-century genocide in Turkey. It is also an account of the time the author spent living in Turkey, to research the book. I learned so much about Armenia and Turkey and the genocide itself from this.

The Turning Season, by Sharon Shinn. I thought this story about shape-shifters was very clever and original (not that I've read that many stories about shifters). It is the third in a series, of which I enjoyed the first (The Shape of Desire) much more than the second (Still Life with Shape-Shifter).

Pioneer Girl, by Laura Ingalls Wilder (Pamela Hill, ed). I thought my copy of Wilder's autobiography was never going to arrive. It was absolutely worth the wait. I was reading parts of The Long Winter the other night (as I frequently do), and remembering how excited I was to see a picture of Mrs. Boast.

Mr. Scarborough's Family, by Anthony Trollope. This bicentennial year of Anthony Trollope's birth inspired Audrey's #6Barsets project, to read through the Barchester chronicles. I loved re-reading Doctor Thorne, The Small House at Allington, and The Last Chronicle of Barset. But it was this late novel that really stood out for me. It is a darker story, of a father with an inheritance, and two sons. There were two twists in that story that left me gaping, unable to believe what Mr. Scarborough (and his creator) had pulled off. I am currently 500 pages into the 800-page Orley Farm, and I think it will be on my "Best of 2016" list.

Girl in a Green Gown, by Carola Hicks. This book is a history of a painting, the Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck (one of my favorite painters). Carola Hicks explored different elements in the painting, while tracing not just its creation, but how it moved across Europe, to end in Britain's National Gallery.

The Real Charlotte, by E.O. Somerville and Martin Ross. I am slowly working my way through their collected works, and I can see why this 1894 novel is considered their masterpiece.

The Light of the World, by Elizabeth Alexander. A poetic and heart-breaking memoir about marriage and family, shaped by the sudden death of the author's husband.

The Children of Pride, Robert Manson Myers, ed. I became a little obsessed with this collection of letters from a Georgia family, written during the Civil War. First I read the abridged 671-page edition (covering 1861-1868). Then I tackled the original, which opened in 1854. I didn't read all of its 1440 pages, but I appreciated the earlier letters, with more information about the family. The abridgement has some very touching letters on the death of a young mother and her child, which oddly aren't included in the longer book - so yes, I am keeping both of them for now.

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, by N.K. Jemisin. This book, the first of an "inheritance trilogy," follows Yeine Darr, who has just been named an heiress to her grandfather's throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. But what that really means is that she is now fighting not just for the throne, but for her life, against the other two candidates, her cousins. N.K. Jemisin created a fascinating world, where the gods walk among their people - not always willingly. I need to look for more of her books.

The Deepening Stream, by Dorothy Canfield (Fisher). This author's books became another obsession this year. As much as I enjoyed Rough-Hewn and Her Son's Wife, this story of Matey Gilbert was my favorite.

Keeping Fires Night and Day, Mark J. Madigan, ed. A collection of Dorothy Canfield Fisher's letters. See obsession above.  (Also one of the most meticulously-edited collections I have ever read, a delight to my archivist self.)

The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra, by Vaseem Khan. A twisty thriller set in Mumbai, starring a reluctantly-retired police inspector and a baby elephant, the "unexpected inheritance" of the title. I am looking forward to the second book in this new series.

All on Fire, by Henry Mayer. This massive biography of the pioneering editor and abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison launched my third obsession of the year. I've lined up some additional reading on the abolitionist movement, and on Garrison himself (including a biography written by his children).

I feel like I can't leave out Patricia Wentworth and Miss Silver, considering how many books of hers that I read this year. I thought Spotlight (AKA The Wicked Uncle) was great fun.


Looking over my reading journal, I read more books than usual this year, but I wrote about fewer. This was mainly due to internet issues and to illness at different times. I made a serious dent in my TBR stacks, though I didn't manage to get the number to 200 this month (it's currently at 232). My goal for 2016 is to get it to 100.  (Realistically, the only way I think I can make that is to not buy books. And I don't actually think that's realistic.)  My other goal for this year was to read more diverse authors, and I succeeded in that. I will keep that goal in 2016, aiming for at least 12 books (or 10%) by authors of color.

Happy New Year, a little early! Now I'm off to read some other people's lists, and add to mine. I hope 2016 brings us all even more great books. And a more peaceful world - as long as I'm hoping. And my replacement reading glasses - I am so tired of squinting.

22 comments:

  1. Such a list! What a wonderful reading year you had. I'd already added some of these to my own TBR through the year as you wrote about them but I found myself adding even more to the list today. A Humble Enterprise is particularly high on the list - who can resist a story about a tea room?

    Very best wishes for a wonderful 2016 and many, many wonderful books to read!

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    1. Thank you for Bubbly on Your Budget, which I read on your recommendation! I thought of you reading A Humble Enterprise, since I know you collect tea room stories as well.

      Your list has just popped up in my reader, so I'm off to add to my reading list :) Happy New Year, still a little early - may it be a book-filled one!

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  2. I am in total agreement re the clash between realistically and reality on the TBR front! I loved Live Alone & Like It, and, of course, Miss Silver, and I've got a couple of these on my wishlist (tea rooms... ah...). Have a Happy New Year, Lisa, as we (finally?!) turn the page on 2015.

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    1. I feel like I'm making (some) progress on the TBR front, but I've also decided I just need to buy taller bookshelves. I still have several Miss Silvers on hand, and a list of the ones I'm missing. I do plan to skip the last two.

      A very happy new year to you, too!

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  3. I love lists where I haven't read most of the books. I dread them, too! Thank you again for Trolloping with me and for all your bookish good cheer! Happy new year, Lisa!

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    1. Happy New Year to you too - you're an hour closer to it than I am :)

      So far I've only added to my library list, from reading everyone else's. So far...

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  4. That is a lovely list, and it will be very bad for my TBR if many of them are in print over her. Luckily I have books by Sommerville & Ross, Dorothy Canfield and Ada Cambridge in the house already.

    I wish you a happy new year.

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    1. And to you, Jane (and Brier, and the Man of the House). My "Where Jane led me" shelf is still comfortably full :)

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  5. This is such an inspiring list... mostly because so many of the books are new to me. I'm still trying to decide on my first standalone Trollope, but am leaning toward Rachel Ray at the moment. Probably won't get to it until February though. New reading glasses made a HUGE difference for me last fall. Hope you get them soon!

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    1. Right now I want to buy all the Trollope readers I know a copy of Orley Farm - but that will pass :) and Rachel Ray is a lovely book.

      The glasses are to replace the ones stolen. I can't believe how much I miss them - and now with the holiday weekend, it will be next week before I get them.

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  6. This is an inspiring list! Happy New Year!

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    1. Happy New Year to you as well, and thank you!

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  7. A book set in a tea-shop! I have to read that. I collect tea-shops. There was a time when every summer holiday saw me setting off for a different part of the country just to sample what their tea-shops had to offer. I also regret the missing scone recipe. A good scone is worth any number of gooey cakes.

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    1. Alex, I would have joined you on those trips! There aren't anywhere near enough here in Houston for my tastes.

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  8. What a great reading year you've had. I love visiting your blog because you read such interesting books that inspire me to broaden my horizons.

    I still haven't gotten a copy of Pioneer Girl, but I intend to.

    Happy New Year and happy reading!

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    1. And to you, Jane! You've also inspired my reading. I was just reading a few more letters from Father Christmas, and marveling at Tolkien's creativity, and the time he put into writing & illustrating them.

      I know you'll enjoy Pioneer Girl when you get it.

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  9. What an interesting list! I don't think I've read any of the books you've mentioned (apart from the Barchester novels) but you've given me lots of ideas for 2016 reads. I'm particularly looking forward to reading something by Dorothy Canfield after seeing how much you've been enjoying her books this year.

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    1. I do hope you enjoy Dorothy Canfield! I find her books so centered and wise, and the characters really draw me in. I'm glad The Home-Maker at least is so widely available.

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  10. Well many thanks for recommending There Was and There Was Not to me earlier this year! I read it shortly after you reviewed it, and liked it a lot -- I learned a ton about the shape of the Armenian diaspora and how Armenians and Turks view that period in history. There's a new book coming out in 2016 about that history, so I'm hoping to read that too.

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    1. I am definitely interested in reading more about the genocide & the diaspora, so I'll keep an eye out for the new book.

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  11. Happy New Year. Thanks for the mention of the Trollope book, I'll bump that one further up my list. This year I really must concentrate on my own books too, especially the Canfield ones.

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    1. I bought so many of Canfield's books this year that I am still well-stocked. I think The Brimming Cup may be up next, as the sequel to Rough-Hewn. I meant to read it as soon as it arrived, but of course I got distracted by other books.

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Thank you for taking the time to read, and to comment. I always enjoy hearing different points of view about the books I am reading, even if we disagree!