Beneath Every History Another History

3). What were your top five books of the year?

I’ll Tell You When I’m Home (Hala Alyan), Barcelona (Mary Costello), Attention: Writing on Life, Art and the World (Anne Enright), and maybe Bookish: How Reading Shapes Our Lives (Lucy Mangan) and my reread of The Lost Properties of Love (Sophie Ratcliffe; retitled Loss: A Love Story, in the US). Also been continuing to enjoy Anne Fadiman, and looking forward to her new release in February.

9). Did you get into any new genres?

Sort of! I read two dozen classics this year, and I hadn’t really tackled 1700/1800s literature since high-school.

14). What books do you want to finish before the year is over?

I’d really like to reread a Penelope Fitzgerald novel before the year ends. I try to revisit at least one of hers every year.

25). What reading goals do you have for next year?

1). How many books did you read this year?

Currently reading my 113th!

16). What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?

By default, I suppose that would be David Szalay’s Flesh, which won this year’s Booker Prize. The entire Booker baker dozen was particularly chaotic this year, and mainly over-hyped, in my opinion. I also finally made it all the way through Candide, and was reminded of all the reasons why I never finished it in high-school (would I have enjoyed it more with contemporary philosophical context? Probably).

17). Did any books surprise you with how good they were?