Friday, January 04, 2019

On Reading and Books in 2018

2018 was the year I set out to read one fiction book and one non-fiction book a month. I realize that doesn't sound like much. But it didn't include the hour (plus) a day that I read aloud to my children and my penchant for reading The Atlantic and Christianity Today through from cover-to-cover. Reading is restful and rejuvenating for me personally, and in recent years I've focused SO much on what I read to my children, I forgot that I have better perspective when I'm also reading for myself.

Having said that, the most memorable reading experience of the year was reading Tolkien's The Hobbit, Fellowship of the Ring, Two Towers, and Return of the King aloud to the kids. We followed each book by watching the related Peter Jackson movie. It was my third time through the series, and my second time watching the movies. The sequential reading/viewing made it far more obvious to me where Jackson takes liberties, adding or subtracting content. While Jackson did a great job of casting, it is always Tolkien that is the master. The stories are so timeless and in taking us to another world, he shines a bright light on our own. Fellowshop of the Ring is the best Jackson adaptation, The Hobbit series, the worst. (And truly terrible in my mind, perhaps because he tried to make three movies of it.)

I read books I don't list but I highlight my top 10 (plus a bonus), five fiction, five non-fiction and one that is both.

My 2018 best of fiction:

Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
Just like My Antonia, when I finished the book, I had a little moment of "What was that about again?" not so much because of a lack of clarity, but because Cather's brilliance at creating a visual feeling, of desolation, of beauty, can overwhelm the plot. You can see the landscape, feel the wide open so clearly that it is easy (for me at least) to miss the details and get caught up in the desert plateaus and rolling hills.  Having said that, this was a refreshing read about a missionary priest coming to spread the gospel in the American Southwest, and all the difficulties and human issues with which he contends.

News of the World by Paulette Jiles
I was fascinated by the synopsis of this story, having recently read of one of my ancestors who was captured and raised by Native Americans. The story of an old Civil War veteran, far from home, earning a living by reading the news who comes across a young girl that needs to be returned to her relatives. She has been raised by the natives who killed her family and the story weaves through their journey back to her home country as they both learn about love and trust. This was a beautiful story, beautifully written.

Virgil Wander by Leif Enger
I was thrilled when I read that Enger had a new novel out after ten years. (His third--read them all.) It lived up to my expectations. Virgil Wander is a middle-aged man who has recently survived a near-death experience. The story weaves through the the characters around him, as he recovers and finds renewal, even as he comes to terms with loss and welcomes a stranger. Set on the shores of Lake Superior, the northern town comes to life, and will live forever in my mind.

The Day the Angels Fell by Shawn Smucker
By far the strangest work of fiction in this list, the story is an old man reflecting on the boyhood loss of his mother and the strange world he encountered as a result. At times I hated it, but I couldn't put it down. Reaching into another world and weaving in biblical themes of real good and real evil, this is a book that will leave you thinking for a long time.

The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith
Reading a novel whose central character is a black Botswanian woman written by a white British male is an interesting read. I loved the dialogue best of all, though the inner workings of a woman who has made it as a detective and entrepreneur in her town was also a treat.


Fiction/Non-Fiction

Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan
You will find this book categorized under fiction because of the author's inability(?) to get all the details verified by external sources. However, this is almost solidly in the non-fiction camp as the riveting (and yes, nearly unbelievable) story of Pino Lella, a teenager in World War II Milan who while helping Jews escape over the Alps, also finds himself as the driver for a high-level Nazi. A story of courage amidst great drama, I had a few sleepless nights getting through this one.

Non-Fiction

The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey by Rinker Buck
I'm writing this book list this year because I saw this book on someone else's (Brianna More) list this year. While it is true that most of my books came off of someone's year-end list, this is one I never would have discovered or read had I not seen it there. I was fascinated to read a story about the Oregon Trail (again, my ancestors blazed this trail). I did not expect to get the masterful story of two very different brothers setting off in 21st century America to rediscover the past. Part history, part travelogue and a lot of psychological memoir, this is an excellent read.

Rethinking School: How to Take Charge of Your Child's Education by Susan Wise Bauer
I wrote a book review and the author tweeted it. You should read it.

Leisure: The Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper
I read this book too fast and immediately put it in the category of must-read again, preferably every other year. Small, but deep and meaningful, Pieper points that civilizations have advanced when leisure is treated as necessary work. Leisure is not lazy. Time for contemplation and a cease from labor are absolutely necessary to growth, as a person and as a culture. 

The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place by Andy Crouch
I plan to write a real review of this short, data-heavy, simple but so very important little book. Crouch has done us a favor by putting together realistic and insightful steps to being wise in a technology-driven world. I instantly implemented one step and it has contributed to more peace and reflection. Simple discussions with our kids have revealed a lot and encouraged us to keep moving to implement more and more changes. 

The Soul of America: The Battle for our Better Angels by Jon Meacham
Meacham is a great writer and this synopsis is a reminder of how the battle between good and evil (though he doesn't put it in those terms) has been ongoing in 200 years of US history. The title of this book is so good, I was a little disappointed in the content. But the book does deliver as he focuses on the battle and the triumph of the better angels; he leaves us asking if the better angels will win the current battle? A necessary and good reminder at this juncture. He is best when he is telling a story and I hope to read his biography of George HW Bush. The snippets I have read suggest that by knowing the man, his work is even better.


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