Ah, 2020. At least I can say I read some excellent books despite everything. In all, I read 268 books, 50 novellas and 10 short stories. Only slightly less than last year. I predicted I would wind up reading less this past year due to writing my next book but it turns out a tornado directly followed by a pandemic does not do great things for my creativity. The best ways of managing my anxiety turned out to be books and puzzles.
Also, surprisingly helpful: reading Moby Dick and discussing it on Twitter. When Alexis Hall began reading it at the start of the pandemic, I was mildly amused. And when my friend Charlotte started sharing her thoughts, I became intrigued. So intrigued, I decided to read along, in spite of never having had any previous interest in the tome. You'll note it's not here on my favorites list but it was a big part of my reading life this year so I wanted to acknowledge the role it played. Reading a chapter and checking the hashtag was such a helpful daily rhythm, even if the book was a mixed bag for me. #TeamWhale
I'm bemused and astounded that I've continued to review everything I've read over on Goodreads. Two years and counting now. It's become habit and while I'm always generally a review or two behind, I love having the record and that impels me to keep going.
On the Unread Shelf front, I read 86 books. At the start of the year I had 87 books so that makes it seem like I broke even. Alas, I of course continued to acquire more books and I also got back everything that was in my storage container so my true unread shelf is now double that. On the other hand, I made more of a concerted effort with my unread digital collection, although I will never ever reveal that number, and made good headway there.
I moved back to Chicagoland in June and now I have a local library card again, which is glorious. Although that does not exactly help with the unread shelf situation. Oh well!
Still to come: my favorite romance novels, YA, and nonfiction of 2020.
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The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (Inheritance #1) by N.K. Jemisin
I hadn’t read more than a few pages before I completely understood why Jemisin is so widely lauded. She deserves all that praise and then some. The fascinating narrative structure left me with more questions than answers, which led to me flying through the pages. I couldn’t wait to see what Yeine did next. The storytelling style felt like someone really was telling me a story with the way it came in starts and fits. "Oh, I forgot to mention, I'm getting ahead of myself, let me back up.” And then the way the narrative voice developed from there blew my mind.
I was pretty obsessed with the gods too, to be honest. Nahadoth commanded my attention for obvious reasons. But Sieh was another favorite. The idea of a god being contained in a child was so interesting, especially when he acted child-like or very much not. And how Yeine was never quite sure what he wants or needs from her or whether it was appropriate. It’s difficult to wrap one’s mind around the idea of gods being enslaved by humans. Or the fact that their brother/father is the reason why. The way Yeine and the gods were intertwined made for all kinds of intriguing possibilities and I kept trying to figure out whether the plan would work. And as a romance reader, I was obviously heavily invested in the developments between Yeine and Nahadoth.
What else can I say? This was just an absolute winner for me and I’m very much looking forward to seeing where the series goes from here, especially because it follows other main characters. I buddy read this with two friends and it made for such great conversation. This was particularly helpful for when we were wrestling with the relationships between the gods and whether they were incestuous or if it was more than our mortal brains could handle. Perhaps both are true but nothing in this book, even the violence, felt gratuitous.
CW: death of mother 4 months prior (poisoned), grief, enslavement, sexual slavery, attempted murder, murder, immolation, reference to rape and pedophiles, heroine’s mother tried to kill her when she was born, misogyny, slut-shaming, torture, reference to incest amongst the gods, reference to massacres, execution ordered for someone’s whole faction, reference to death by suicide, plague (Walking Death), father died in a hunting accident 10 years ago, ableist language
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
I’ve meant to try Sarah Waters for years and started this last year. I was captivated by the distinctive voice and intrigued by the premise. But then I had a death in the family and wasn’t in the right frame of mind for a gothic tale. I finally picked it back up in the spring and was fully immersed once more. Then once I finished part 1, I flew through the next 400 pages. Truly. I had to know what would come of our heroines.
While a blurb described this as “lesbian Oliver Twist,” it’s more fair to say this is a Dickensian tale than a retelling, with a few other literary nods here and there. Maud and Susan are such complex characters that beg reactions, particularly when they did things with which I did not agree. And yet I understood why they reacted the way they did and could not wait to see what might happen next. Maud and Susan’s relationship is so tenuous in places and runs the full gamut of emotions. There are some truly striking twists and turns and I don’t want to say anything more than that Waters has my full attention and I’ll be working my way through her catalogue after this.
CW: orphans, poverty, institutionalization, physical abuse, abuse of patients, murder, ableism, stigmatization of mental health, death by hanging, references to death by childbirth and miscarriages
The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall
A number of people have recommended this to me but I was leery of the premise. Plots centered around marriage, children, and faith (especially with main characters who are ministers) press on my bruises. But I figured there had to be a reason it kept coming up. I’m not sure I understand what the reason might be now that I’ve read it but I’m so glad I gave it a chance. I absolutely loved it. It made me cry a lot, for reasons I’m not entirely sure, except that I was so drawn to the main characters and the things they were working through. It deals with faith and doubt and complicated friendship. I really appreciated the lack of easy answers. The characters who had strong, untested faith eventually struggle and the characters who don’t believe in God (including one of the ministers) eventually find some understanding, if not faith itself. It also helped me that it’s not written from an evangelical Christian perspective and so the depiction of faith and ministry is one I could approach with interest. Despite the framing of an introduction where James and Nan have learned of Charles’s death, the book is most interested in the seven years where James and Charles began pastoring together and all the ups and downs that entailed. Just utterly lovely.
I do want to note that Charles and Lily have a child who is ultimately diagnosed with autism. This is mostly set in the 1960s, when autism first came to light and you might imagine how it was handled back then. Institutionalization is frequently recommended and the doctors involved are largely lacking in compassion. It could be upsetting for some to read about. Lily advocates for Will, however, and they do begin an experimental treatment, which I found fascinating to read about. More importantly, it does a great deal of good for Will.
CW: death of friend (stroke), grief, miscarriages, pregnancy, depression, main character’s child is diagnosed with autism, ableism, tour of institution, use of “mongoloid” (relevant for time period), secondary character dies of a heart attack, Lily’s parents died in a car accident when she was 15, James’s father was an alcoholic, minor character shares abortion story, brief discussion of segregation, reference to war and various injustices, brief reference to child abuse, reference to a man who took off his clothes and exposed himself to the congregation, ableist language
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
I absolutely loved this book. It made me laugh out loud plenty and it managed to make me cry. Feels on top of feels. But mostly, it was just a delightful story, the kind you read with a smile on your face.
I don’t want to say much about the plot because part of the delight of reading this is taking each twist and turn as it comes and allowing yourself to be surprised by the way the story develops. It has some of the best character growth I’ve ever read. Astoundingly good. If you’re not sure about Linus at the start—and you probably shouldn’t be—hang in there because it’s worth it.
Linus is buttoned up, adheres to the letter of DICOMY law as a caseworker, and doesn't think beyond submitting his report. He never wonders what happens to the orphans or orphanages based on his recommendations. Each day is like the one before: work, home, listen to records while wearing pajamas, sleep. He has no greater expectations for his life or work and doesn’t seem to realize he’s stuck in a rut. But everything is upended when Extremely Upper Management sends him off on a sensitive mission to evaluate Marsyas Orphanage, located on a remote island. One by one, his assumptions and fears are undone by the magical youth who live there (including the Anti-Christ) and Arthur, the headmaster.
I adored the side characters and that's saying something since I have a high bar for child characters in my adult fiction. There are no plot moppets to be found, thankfully. Each one was fully formed, from their ability to their personality and I dearly loved each one. Then there’s Mrs. Chapelwhite, the island sprite, who is fiercely protective but ultimately sees the good in Linus. And Arthur himself was just wonderful. There’s a lovely, quiet love story between Linus and Arthur, who are both in their 40s. It’s a slow burn and I was so moved by Linus’s befuddlement over the way Arthur sees him and the way things developed. Linus goes from only his cat Calliope for company to an island of people who love and appreciate him. And this proves to be transformative with an impact that extends far beyond the home.
Note: 6 year old Lucy (short for Lucifer) stays in a large walk-in closet converted into a bedroom that is part of Arthur’s room. Lucy has terrible nightmares and can lose control of his powers so it’s important for him to have supervision nearby. Arthur is in no way abusive but this arrangement is certainly unconventional and can appear problematic on the surface. In the book, it's clear this really is for Lucy’s good.
CW: panic attack, bigotry, discussion of child abuse and trauma, discussion of children whose parents have died, mob violence, nightmares, diet culture, internalized fatphobia
Stormsong (The Kingston Cycle #2) by C.L. Polk
I am in awe of how C.L. Polk is building this series! Stormsong is so different in tone compared to Witchmark, a reflection of their respective protagonists. Witchmark was more of a mystery with a quiet MM love story. Stormsong begins shortly after Witchmark ended and it’s full of political intrigue and twists and turns. Grace was basically raised to be a politician and now she has her chance but she’s also dealing with a million things at once, not the least of which is possible treason for the good of the country. The FF love story is also a smaller subplot but I really loved the dynamic between Grace and Avia and how they’d been secretly drawn to each other for years. I can’t wait to see what will come of the witches now that everything is out in the open.
CW: Grace’s father has cancer, attempted murder, enslavement and imprisonment of witches, Miles is in a wheelchair while recovering from injuries, ghosts, tobacco use, bigotry, reference to a curse which caused the queen to miscarry and the royal family to become infertile resulting in their line dying out
Magic For Liars by Sarah Gailey
Murder mystery set at a magical high school! Sarah Gailey was recommended to me a few times this past year and I’m so glad I finally read this. I will need to read the rest of their work asap. Fresh voice, snappy plot, complex characterization. I simultaneously wanted to protect private investigator Ivy’s sensitive heart while yelling at her to stop jumping to conclusions and focus on the case. And maybe deal with her drinking problem while she’s at it. The ending is on the unresolved side so it might not work as well for genre mystery fans but since this is a genre mashup, I was fine with it, especially the potentially promising note for Ivy’s personal life. It was also refreshing to read about a magical school with multiple characters of color and LGBTQ+ characters.
CW: murder, alcoholism, past death of mother, cancer, grief, bullying, teen pregnancy and abortion, discussion of abortifacients, roofied drink, poisoned minor characters (non-fatal), attempted mugging resulting in minor knife wound, slut-shaming graffiti
Iron & Velvet (Kate Kane, Paranormal Investigator #1) by Alexis Hall
There is nothing Alexis Hall can’t do! This is a snarky, sardonic urban fantasy centered around a half-faery lesbian private investigator with a bit of a drinking problem. Kate Kane has her issues but I was 100% in her corner as she investigated the murder of a werewolf and entertained a vampire lover…even though she knows it’s a bad idea on many levels. Hall knows how to subvert a genre and offer social commentary while making me laugh out loud. This kept me entertained the whole way through and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
CW: murder, attempted murder, violence (including descriptions of blood and guts), heroine’s partner was murdered by the woman she was dating (we don’t know the full story there), stalker ex-boyfriend, past religious homophobia (secondary character), death of horse in a supernatural attack, various wounds, heroine was abandoned by her mother as a baby and left on her father and stepmother’s doorstep, heroine’s father is blind (he was the Queen of the Wild Hunt’s consort and she took his eyes when he left), cigarettes, alcohol, ableist language
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