Dear reader,
So, this week, I read almost nothing. Well, maybe a few pages here and there, but nothing matters. Instead, I would build bookshelves, and actually sit down with the carpenters and measure the depth, width, and height. There will be more on this exercise in a few weeks, and it will probably include me regretting sacrificing bookshelf space for sitting and agonizing over the shelves being too aligned or not aligned enough. Stay tuned.
But the lack of reading has given me the mental space to think about what I’ve read this year, and since we’ve reached the halfway point – the end of June, so six months to go, six months to go – it seemed like a good moment to take stock. To evaluate and review.
And honestly? It was a bit of a disappointment. All those books that reviewers and other readers were raving about? I found them… meh. Like, why was I being used for all the marketing?
Or me? Was it because I was frantically busy, immersed in the normality of life and the chaos of building a house?
Or is it because I keep diving into every new release by a favorite author like some kind of literary genre?
Anthony Horowitz’s fatal episode? Bland and boring. Whistler by Ann Patchett? I felt exaggerated. The Doorman by Chris Pavone? Just average.
Perhaps I was easily swayed by popular opinion, choosing each featured book of the month. The book Names by Florence Knapp had an attractive premise – the name you are given affects your life. Equally interesting is the premise of Holly Gramazio’s The Husbands, in which every time a husband goes into the attic, a new one appears. But both books seemed somehow repetitive and contrived. Yesterday by Caro Claire Burke was attractive and intelligent, but she still felt over-the-top.
But in all of this, there were books that stood out too, and these are for you:
The light reads
If you’re looking for light, funny, intelligent reads that are also interesting, both books fit the bill. In How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder by Nina McConigley, the deliciously irreverent 12-year-old narrator tells us of her plot to kill a sexual predator relative. I loved the novel for its provocative, pro-feminist, anti-colonial voice.
Fans of literary thrillers like Yellowface by RF Kuang and The Plot by Jan Hanff Korelitz will enjoy Murder Your Darlings by Jenna Blum. A dark and funny mystery set in the world of literature, it has all the elements of books — libraries, book readings, writers’ support groups — with plenty of romance and murder, too.
Feminist reads
We had a great book club discussion about The Wife by Anna Funder, which is about George Orwell and his wife. I read it early last year, but the discussion made me want to go back and reread it, which is, frankly, the highest compliment I can give a book.
Then there’s Strangers by Belle Burden, a woman with two young children whose husband suddenly leaves her. I’ll admit it’s a bit whiny and one-sided, but it got me thinking about how educated, conscientious women still end up ceding control of our lives and money to someone else, and how terrifying the consequences can be.
I also recommend No Exit Interview by Christy Coulter, which tells the story of her years working in a mostly boys’ club at Amazon.
On knowledge
Primo Levi’s Periodic Table is an old gem that I only recently discovered thanks to a recommendation from a book club friend of mine. A memoir written by an Italian Jewish chemist, examining various elements such as zinc, potassium, and carbon to understand purity, human nature, knowledge, and freedom. Published in 1975, this simple, anecdotal and lively book was recognized in 2006 when it was chosen as the best science book ever by the Royal Institution.
Thought provoking
Endling by Maria Riva is a story set in Ukraine about a girl obsessed with snail survival and an office that arranges Ukrainian brides for wealthy Western businessmen. Set against the backdrop of war, this book manages to be poignant, sympathetic and entertaining at the same time. It’s not an easy read, but it’s worth the effort.
Best audio books
I have read all of Patrick Radden Keefe’s previous books and bought this book on the day it came out. I was not disappointed; Keefe releases his own audiobooks, and he’s incredibly good at it. He is also a great storyteller. In The Fall of London, there is a dizzying cast of characters, from a British teenage boy pretending to be the son of a wealthy tycoon to a Ugandan immigrant businessman, luxury British designers, the Indian mafia, and through it all, the city of London. The Fall of London was my favorite nonfiction book of the year.
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans – another great audiobook. We follow 73-year-old Sybille Van Damme through the letters she writes to family, friends, and even customer service executives. I was absolutely thrilled and thrilled when she won the Booker Prize this year.
So, yes. The first half of the year was hit or miss, but these books saved my reading slump from complete disaster. Hopefully the next six months will bring fewer “meh” books and more five-star reads.
Now I need more recommendations. Tell me, dear reader: What are your best books this year so far?
(Sonia Dutta Chowdhury is a Mumbai-based journalist and founder of Sonya’s Book Box, a personalized book service. For all questions on life and literature, email sonyasbookbox@gmail.com.)
