New York Times' Notable Books of 2016

In which I personally review as many of the Notables as possible*, in Gif form.

*There are still a handful of neglected notables on my to read pile (it's a big pile) so any books  missing from this list do not represent a non-endorsement--there are far too many "NOPE" gifs out there for me to resist including books I didn't like.

With the exception of a couple, themes of home and family really seem to dominate my list. Did any of the books on the list surprise you? Any grabbed your attention?

Without further ado:

Zero K. by Don DeLillo

This one completely lost my interest but I feel like giving it another chance.

War and Turpentine by Stefan Hertmans

Captivating multi-generational tale of fathers and sons, art and war.

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

Wonderfully, deeply, unsettling.

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

A little light on the promised steam punk but overall a powerful narrative.

Today Will be Different by Maria Semple

Quirky!

Reputations by Juan Gabriel Vásquez

Really good, really short. Kudos!

The Nix by Nathan Hill

This book is so right on it's a little scary.

The Mortifications by Derek Palacio

That ending, though. :(

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

It's that good.

Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foer

Seriously, the audiobook version is EVERYthing

Here Comes the Sun by Nicole Dennis-Benn

The use of patois achieves stunning results.

Don't Let My Baby Do Rodeo by Boris Fishman

Unexpected, enigmatic, and engrossing.

Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue

Love letter to home.

Before The Fall by Noah Hawley

Kind of surprised this made the notable list over some other books but it was a solidly enjoyable read.

The Association of Small Bombs by Karan Mahajan

Haunting.

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Featured in our "Books for an Ugly Cry" post earlier this year.
Hug all your loved ones!

Brand new books we would binge-watch if they were streaming shows

How about this one: Readalikes for TV watchers?

Why not?

Maria Semple's laugh-out-loud Seattle stories, the 2012 epistolary Where'd You Go, Bernadette and her latest (also sort of an epistolary), Today Will Be Different, could easily translate into a series full of quirky, likable but totally unrelatable characters delivering droll zinger after droll zinger. I could see fans of the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt diving into a weekend of uninterrupted viewing, with candy (and snark) for dinner. Until it gets optioned for two seasons on Netflix, check it out at the library! I did read it mostly in one sitting--so technically I binge-read it.

Jonathan Safran Foer's latest novel, naughty parts and all, would translate PERFECTLY to the small screen. For readers I highly recommend the audiobook version over the text--the text is great but the audiobook narrator totally nails Foer's jokes with serious comedic skill. I could not stop listening to this while completing a seemingly never-ending bookshelf building project on my porch even though, out of context, the aforementioned naughty bits would be pretty blush-inducing if overheard by my neighbors. This is a story of a family in crisis and everything that came before and will be after, paralleled by a disaster in the middle east after a massive earthquake hits Israel. Not convinced? Give it 100 pages. Fans of Arrested Development will want lock the doors and turn off their phones until this is over.

Weekend Rx:Take two and call us in the morning...

...because you're going to need more.

The critically acclaimed debut novel, Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi is completely, totally, indisputably perfect--a must-read for absolutely EVERYONE. This is a compulsively readable, gorgeously crafted story of two families separated by centuries, oceans, and slavery. It's an epic American story with roots in 18th century Ghana, a sweeping multi-generational family saga that will get into your soul and stay with you forever.

Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue

Set in 2007, this must-read is the tale of a young family from Cameroon who find their immigration status tenuous after Lehman Brothers collapses and Jende loses his job. His heart pulled in two directions, back to his home in Limbe or to stay in New York with his wife and children, Jende and Neni must decide where they belong.

When I say prescription, I say it as a professional book-prescriber. Trust me, your heart needs these books.

The Ridiculous Side of Lists

Anyone who reads knows the value of a list. The personal book list—a list of what you’ve read and of what you want to read—is a map. It can be practical, keeping you from going back to the same place twice (or inspiring you to go back to the same place twice), and helping you on to your next destination. It can also just be fun to make and talk about.

For the past five years an editor at the Observer newspaper has been conducting a giant and provocative experiment in list-making. In 2011 Robert McCrum (author of the fantastic biography Wodehouse) began to list the 100 best novels written in English.

There was no ranking inside the list; it developed chronologically, from 1678—The Pilgrim’s Progress—to a working cut-off point of 2000—True History of the Kelly Gang. The rules were few—only one novel per author—and sometimes vague: what, after all, is a classic? or even a novel? And rather than release the list all at once, each of the 100 selections was announced weekly with a short essay. For two years readers around the world could cheer or balk at the choices, and, when it was all done, wonder how such-and-such a book could possibly be passed over.

The task was, as the Irish Times put it, like “running naked into no-man’s-land with a target painted on your chest and a kick-me sign pinned to your back.” But McCrum embraced all controversy. The Observer invited readers to vent their disagreement with the list, compiled an alternative list based on reader suggestions, and published an essay critiquing the lack of female authors in the list. As McCrum himself wrote, “like all lists, ours is intended to sponsor discussion.”

The list of greatest novels reached it’s 100^th novel last year, but in January of this year a new, more Quixotic list began: the 100 best nonfiction books of all time. Some of the rules stayed the same—in English, arranged chronologically—but others only got looser, perhaps to provoke more readers, perhaps to introduce more variety. Instead of restricting itself to one form, like the novel, this list looks at all “essential works of philosophy, drama, history, science and popular culture.” 

So far the Observer has named 30 books on the list, this time working backwards from 2014. Some of them can be a little head-scratching—how is Waiting for Godot nonfiction?—but McCrum isn’t looking for uniformity, nor to mirror your opinions, nor to give an objective view of the literary landscape. “Every thoughtful person must concede that any list is bound to have its ridiculous side,” he writes. 

I think of the word “best” in these lists as a dare and a half-joke. The list serves as an aid for other lists: yours. Already the 30 choices in the nonfiction list have reminded me of things I’ve read and loved (Against Interpretation) and of things I’ve long planned to read (No Logo) and suggested to me fascinating things I’ve never heard of (A Book of Mediterranean Food). So follow along with the Observer with your own book list close-by—on Library Thing or Good Reads or scrawled on a scrap of paper like a recipe. Follow along if you don’t yet have a book list. Follow along only if you want to carpet bomb the Observer with emails about your favorite book. Lists are useful, but they’re also ridiculous and fun.

Hot August Reads

I just finished Dave Eggers' latest, Heroes of the Frontier, and I was inspired, both by the book and by the current temperature, to post about other novels featuring fire. That theme swiftly fell apart when I couldn't think of any fiery novels I hadn't already written about (see Bill Clegg's Did You Ever Have a Family, Joe Hill's latest, that one by Evie Wyld, etc), except for Jesse Ball's How to Set a Fire and Why (which is super good so far but I haven't finished it yet). Anyway, I still want to tell you about Heroes of the Frontier, so theme-schmeme. The family at the center of the story is on the run from a lot of things, one of which is a wildfire sweeping across Alaska. Not gonna lie--Eggers is one of my top ten favorite authors and I'll read everything he comes out with, ignoring all reviews to the contrary. Josie and her two children, Paul and Ana, are spending the summer fleeing Josie's life--her dental practice, her failed marriage to loser Carl, bad memories of her parents--by driving all over Alaska in a used RV with her kids. They encounter the sort of oddballs one generally encounters in the Alaska of novels (perhaps Alaska is really an oddball magnet, but I've only experienced the state through books), as Josie runs into, and then quickly away from, mostly self-inflicted trouble and also a raging wildfire.

Josie is the best kind of protagonist--and one that Eggers excels at creating: self-effacing, flawed, honest, and my new literary best friend. I really and truly want to join Josie with a bottle (or three) of wine and hang out for hours. When one meets a new LBF, it's hard to part with them at the end of the book. There was a moment there when I got hung up on the last 4 pages, afraid to finish the book and let go.

I'll miss you Josie, you and your weird, funny kids.

Speaking of weirdness and besties...Don't you just love quirky horror novelist Grady Hendrix? Well, you should. If his cheeky, and unusually scary, Horrorstor, done in the style of an Ikea catalog, didn't ring your bell, then the cheeky yearbook-style 80s teen horror parody, My Best Friend's Exorcism, maybe won't be your thing either. If "cheeky, yearbook-style 80s teen horror parody" makes your mouth water, than you are probably me, and you will enjoy the heck out of it. Especially enjoyable: the Teen Magazine style personality quiz snippets. Also, P.S. for you fans of adult coloring books--there are coloring pages to download over at the Quirk Books site. You're welcome, world.

And speaking of "too much fun"--you need The Regional Office is Under Attack by Manuel Gonzales in your life. Chock full of awesomely witty, tough, fighting female characters who may or may not have robotic arms, and non-stop action, The Regional Office may not be the best book you've ever read, but I promise you won't regret it*.

*I can't promise that.

"U mad, bro?"

Finding yourself in books for adults young *and* old

Loving Day
by Mat Johnson (author of Pym)

After his marriage fails and his father dies, Warren Duffy returns from Wales to Philadelphia and his inherited ramshackle mansion. At a comic book convention he discovers a teenage daughter he never knew he had--and that she has been raised unaware that her father is black. Loving Day is a wry and touching commentary on race, gender, and family that, while written for adults, will surely appeal to a young adult audience as well.

The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
by Junot Diaz

This magnificent bildungsroman is the tale of Oscar, an overweight young man living in NYC who dreams of someday becoming the Dominican J.R.R. Tolkien, and dreams of his first kiss, is cursed. One summer he decides to end his curse once and for all. Read this book (truly one of my all-time favorites) and Oscar will stay in your heart forever.

Alif the Unseen
by G. Willow Wilson

Young Arab-Indian hacker, Alif, loses his girl to "The Hand of God", the head of state security, and his computer is hacked, sending him on a wild journey. Alif discovers the powerful secret book of the Jinn, and his own power, in this fun and fresh YA-friendly novel that blends cyberpunk and fantasy with a little bit of romance.

We Love You, Charlie Freeman
by  Kaitlyn Greenidge

Set in the 90s at the fictional Toneybee Institute, an African-American family is invited into an experiment in raising a chimpanzee as a child. Teenage Charlotte uncovers ugly secrets about the institute's founders and confronts adult problems in this gripping debut novel.

RE Jane
by Patricia Park

Jane Re, Korean-American orphan raised by her aunt and uncle in Flushing, Queens, is sick and tired of working in her uncle's market. Ignoring her family's objections, she takes a job as a live in au pair for a Manhattan family after graduating college. A romantic affair with the father of her charge sends her on a journey of self-discovery that takes her to Korea where she hopes to learn the truth about her mother.

May the Verse Be With You: Still re-imagining the bard after 400 years

Shakespeare created timeless tales and had a great sense of humor so we think that he would appreciate these irreverent and inventive retellings of his work--and you will too.

William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope by Ian Doescher

This Quirk Books series for young adults does a clever job of retelling George Lucas' Star Wars films in the style of Shakespeare. Check out the Bard's version of the opening crawl:

YOLO Juliet

Part of the OMG Shakespeare series, YOLO Juliet is Romeo and Juliet adapted for modern teens. Its characters text with emojis, check in places, and update their relationship statuses. You'll LOL over how well the Bard translates into modern life.

The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore

A comic send-up of Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe, The Serpent of Venice features Pocket (the hero of Fool) in a mashup of Othello, Merchant of Venice, and The Cask of Amontillado. Fans of Edgar and William rejoice...or wince.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

A reimagined Hamlet set in the North Woods of Wisconsin in the 70s. Edgar, mute and speaking only in sign, is forced from his family home to survive in the wilderness.


Celebrate all things Shakespeare throughout April at RPL! Check the calendar for event and program information.

Family Novels!

Family novels might just be the best novels. Check out a few of our recent favorites:

And After Many Days by Jowhor Ile

And After Many Days begins in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, 1995, with the traumatic disappearance of one family's eldest son and the youngest son's search for the truth as his family is torn apart by the loss. The novel moves back and forth through time, exploring Nigerian oil rights, political turmoil and corruption, childhood and change.

We the Animals by Justin Torres

This incredibly funny, too short novel, came highly recommended for the audiobook version, and I couldn't agree more. As outrageously funny as it is deeply moving, We the Animals is a powerful and chaotic coming of age story about three brothers--sons of a Puerto Rican father and white mother--growing up in Brooklyn.

This book won the Cabell First Novelist Award in 2012, which is awarded by VCU to outstanding debut novelists.

The Turner House by Angela Flournoy

"There ain't no haints in Detroit": the best opening line I've read in a long time.

This novel takes us around in time, following the Turner family from Arkansas in the 1940s to Detroit in the midst of the 2008 economic crisis.The novel focuses on eldest and youngest child as conflicts escalate among the 13 siblings and their aging mother over how to handle the family home on Yarrow Street.

I have just embarked on The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, and so far it looks to fulfill its promise of being a darkly comic and juicy dysfunctional family drama. And finally, we are really looking forward to reading the multi-generational family saga, As Close to Us As Breathing, by Elizabeth Poliner. The story is set in the 40s on "Bagel Beach", a stretch of the Connecticut shore popular with vacationing Jewish families. It sounds like an excellent pick as we enter beach season.

Happy reading!