Books Read 2017

A little late to this, but mostly late to my own realization that I need this list and the process of going through last years books, has been cathartic.  I did better than I thought I did, at least in mentioning reading, although there are books I wish I had said more about.  

But it also struck me that this was a useful memory exercise, and I recalled more about the books than I would have thought, at least as compared to a few years ago, when I felt unfocused.  Looking at the list and my blog posts, my notes and/or lack of them, helped me to focus on what I wanted to take from each book, and perhaps to see them from a different angle, the same way sometimes I marvel at things in my own neighborhood when Tikka and I walk but we go start off in the opposite direction from our normal route.  We see the same things, but they are also subtly different.

Roughly in order read: 

1. Mark McIntosh, Mysteries of Faith. 
2. Fredrik Backman, A Man Called Ove.   Ultimately forgettable but I wanted to read it before seeing the movie with a friend. The book, as usual, was better than the movie.
3. Cynthia Crysdale, Transformed Lives, Making Sense of Atonement Today
4. Paulette Jiles, News of the World.  This book was mentioned in the post, but not discussed.  A year later I realize that I remember more about this novel than about the Ferrante.  Although I discussed the Ferrante at the time, ultimately it has not stuck with me as much as News of the World.
5. Elena Ferrante, My Brilliant Friend. And again, here. 
6. Eimear McBride, The Lesser Bohemians.
7. Tana French, In the Woods.
8. Jan Werner Muller, What is Populism.
9. Ann Patchett, Commonwealth.
10. Brian Freemn, The Nightbird.
11. Aravind Adiga, Selection Day: A Novel.
12. Oliver Sacks, Grattitude.
13. Jess Walter, The Financial Lives of the Poets.
14. Ronald C. White, American Ulysses.
15. Michael Dirda, Browsings: A Year of Reading, Collecting, and Living with Books.
16. A. S. Byatt, Peacock and Vine.
17. Dodie Smith, I capture the Castle.
18. Paulette Jiles, The Color of Lightening
19. Amor Towles, The Rules of Civility.
20. Alan Roxburgh, Joining God, Remaking Church, Changing the World.  Actually, I mentioned this book but said nothing about it. The book was read for the Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee's Diocesan Convention.  Interesting enough. Ultimately forgettable.
21. Emma Donoghue, The Wonder.
22. Nicole Mones, Lost in Translation.
23. Gary Taubes, The Case Against Sugar.
24. John Reed, Insurgent Mexico.
25. John Reed, Ten Days that Shook the World.
    
26. Eric Ripert, 32 Yolks.
27. Fredrick Backman, And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer
28. Paul Eckman, Why Kids Lie.
29. Walter Isaacson, Einstein, His Life and Universe,
30. Elizabeth Kostova, The Swan Thieves.
31. Rachel Cusk, Outline: A Novel.
32. Nujeen Mustafa, Nujeen, One Girl's Incredible Journey
33. Claire-Louise Bennett, Pond.
34. Adam Johnson, The Orphan Master's Son.
35. George R. R. Martin,  A Game of Thrones.
    
36. Stephen King, Mr. Mercedes.
37. Jimin Han, A Small Revolution.
38. Rachel Cusk, Transit: A Novel.
39. Ilia Delio, Care for Creation.
40. Stephen King, On Writing.
41. Tyler Cowan, The Complacent Class.
42. Betty Halbreich, I'll Drink to That.
43. Tyler Cowan, An Economist Gets Lunch.
44. Haruki Murakami, Men Without Women: Stories.
45. Susan Hermann Loomis, On Rue Tatin.
46. Domenico Starnone, Ties.
47. Michael Connelly, The Lincoln Lawyer.
48. Lior Lev Sercarz, The Spice Companion.
49. David Foster Wallace, Consider the Lobster and Other Essays
50. Julie Iromuanya, Mr. and Mrs. Doctor. and again, briefly, here.
51. Timothy Sedgwick, The Christian Moral Life.
52. Jennifer Howe Peace, My Neighbor's Faith.
53. Laura Hillenbrand, Unbroken.
54. George Saunders, Lincoln in the Bardo.
55. Upton Sinclair, World's End.
56. Michael Connelly, The Reversal.  I am "reading" most of these Michael Connelly books through Audible, so I am listening to them. They have proven to be good novels to listen to on long car trips.  I recognize that I might not enjoy them as much in a different context.
57. Brenda Kinsel, Brenda Kinsel's Fashion Makeover.
58. Knut Hamsen, Pan.
59. Brenda Kinsel, Brenda's Wardrobe Companion.
60. Amor Towles, A Gentleman in Moscow.
61. Tressie McMillan Cottom, Lower Ed.
62. Eula Biss, On Immunity: An Innoculation.
63. Robert Gieselmann, The Episcopal Call to Love.
64. Eula Biss, Notes from No Man's Land.
65. Yuval Noah Harari, Sapiens. 
66. Gunnar Staalesen, Where Roses Never Die.
67. Marcy Dermansky, The Red Car.
68. George R. R. Martin, A Clash of Kings  and more here.
69. Michael Connelly, The Late Show.
70. Elisabeth Luard, Squirrel Pie.
71. Owen David, Where the Water Goes: Life and Death Along the Colorado River.
72. Paul Beatty, The Sellout.
73. Cathy Barrow, Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Practical Pantry
74. Emily Fridlund, History of Wolves: A Novel.
75. Manjit Kumar, Quantum: Einstein, Bohr and the Great Debate About the Nature of Reality.
76. Fiona Mosley, Elmet.
77. Richard Adams, Watership Down.
78.  Christopher Hayes, Twilight of the Elites.
79. Karin Slaughter, The Good Daughter.
80. Danielle Steele, The Award.
81. Francine Prose, Reading Like a Writer.
82. Sebastian Barry, Days Without End.
83. Zadie Smith, Swing Time.
84. Ali Smith, Autumn.. More here.
85. Felicia Yap, Yesterday.
86. Alyson Walsh, Know Your Style.
87. Arundhati Roy, Ministry of Utmost Happiness. I simply stated that I did not like the book, which is true.  The writing is brilliant but I found it terribly difficult emotionally, worse because I found no enlightenment or redeeming sense of understanding in the book. I don't really regret reading it, but I won't read it again, and really can't recommend it.  Although beautiful, it could have been more effective and memorable if there were somehow more mercy.
88. Louise Penny, Glass Houses: A Novel.
89. J.D. Vance,  Hillbilly Elegy. This book is best at pointing out the incredible opportunistic and culture differences that divide the country, and not so good in politics or answers.  I read it again as part of a church related study, but I was disappointed that we did not delve deeper into the entire "us vs them" mentality that we displayed in class, and which Vance points out very clearly.  There is a lot of room for growth here, especially when combined with some other books about economic and cultural mores in today's American society.
90. Louise Penny, Still Life.
91. Debbie Macomber, If Not for You.
92. Dennis R. Maynard, When Sheep Attack.
93. Elizabeth Currid-Hackett, The Sum of Small Things. This really got under my skin, at least in forcing me to think about how much I am a  part fo my educational and economic cohort.  Disconcerting.  I'd like to read it again, along with Hillbilly Elegy, The Complacent Class, Twilight o the Elites and perhaps other book, as a part of a serious questioning of what we take for granted.
94. Elizabeth Peters, Night Train to Memphis.
95. Elizabeth Peters, Street of the Five Moons.
96. Louise Penny, A Fatal Grace.
97. Joshua Applestone, The Butcher's Guide to Well-Raised Meat.
98. Cormac McCarthy, Suttree.
99. Louise Penny, The Cruelest Month.
100. Louise Penny, A Rule Against Murder.
101. Louise Penny, The Brutal Telling.
102. Mohsin Hamid, Exit West.
103. Lee Child, Night School.
104. Maryn McKenna, Big Chicken.
105. Louise Penny, Bury Your Dead.
106. David Ford: Theology: A Very Short Introduction.
107. Paul Tillich, The Courage to Be.
108. Holly Fitzgerald, Ruthless River: Love and Survival by Raft on the Amazon's Relentless Madre de Dios.  Tragedy averted (barely).  Truthfully I look at this and wonder about how naive, or outright stupid, people can be.  But then, I shouldn't say anything because I've done lots of things in my life that would give people ammunition to say exactly the same things.  It is a powerful story of love and survival, despite all odds.
109. Rowan Williams, Being Christian. I felt this was a light fluff piece from someone who can be quite wise, theologically.  Hence I was somewhat disappointed.
110. Atul Gawande, Being Mortal.

So there you have it, the list.  I'm not sure what it says about me, but books, the books people keep, and the books people read, tend to say a lot about those people.  At the same time lists, like surfaces and first impressions are often misleading.  Make of it what you will.