Chris Dietzel's Blog - Posts Tagged "best-books"

Each year, I look back at all the books I’ve read. Here are the five books I read for the first time this year that I most enjoyed (regardless of when they were originally published).

5. Slapstick, or Lonesome No More! (1976) – This is yet another example of what makes Vonnegut so great. "Slapstick" combines sarcasm, humor, an absurd plot, and a critique of society, and each aspect comes together just right. This is no where near his best work and yet it's still leaps and bounds over most other books.

4. The Zahir (2005) - Combine autobiographical details of Coelho's life (his mindset before following his dream, his life and mental state before and after writing The Alchemist) with a Romantic's version of the movie, "The Vanishing" (the original French version, not the terrible U.S. remake) and you have 'The Zahir.' Coelho does a great job of writing to a spiritual mystery and providing the type of life-learning story that readers of the author have grown to enjoy. It says a lot about how much I love 'The Alchemist' that I give this book 5 stars and yet acknowledge it is no where as good as his best-seller, which I would rank as one of my favorite books of all time.

3. Norwegian Wood (1987) - This was very different from the other books of Murakami's that I've read. Those had fantastic and surreal aspects. This, on the other hand, was very 'ordinary' in its story and characters. If that was how this book was described to me I wouldn't have guessed that I would enjoy it as much as Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World or Dance Dance Dance but shockingly I enjoyed it even more than those. This was a great book, and I can see why it made the author popular.

2. Words from the Myths (1969) - I really enjoyed Asimov's charting of how Greek and Roman myths influence many of today's words. The book was filled with names and ideas that have evolved over the centuries, many of which I had no idea about. Reading this is a great combination of learning about ancient myths, appreciating today's language, and a little bit of Asimov's recounting of epic tales.

1. Wages of Rebellion: The Moral Imperative of Revolt (2015) – I read this all the way back in February and knew even then that I wasn’t going to read a better book all year. Hedges starts with the premise that revolutions occur when the point between people's expectations for their government and the actual reality of what they get instead reaches a tipping point. He then goes into detail on all of the areas where the U.S. is rapidly trending in the wrong direction. He concludes by going into detail on all of the ways governments that fear a revolt manage to maintain control. Those chapters in particular read like a nonfiction version of Jack London's dystopian classic, The Iron Heel. There is nothing pleasurable about reading this book and yet I know I won't read anything more worthwhile in a long time. Highest possible recommendation for anyone interested in real-life dystopians, sociology, and "the powers that be."

Honorable mention. Between the World and Me (2015) – This was my favorite book read in 2016 so I decided to read it again in 2017. If my list wasn’t only for books I read for the first time, Coates' letter to his son would have easily been in the top 2 again. It’s impossible to read this and not feel incredibly saddened by the injustices all around us. My highest possible recommendation to everyone.

Each year, I look back at the books I’ve read. Here are the five books I read for the first time this year that I most enjoyed (regardless of when they were originally published).

5. The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights (1976) by John Steinbeck – Steinbeck is one of my all-time favorites authors, but I didn't even know this book existed until I found an old copy in a used book store. It’s incredibly neat that one of my writing idols translated Sir Thomas Malory's Arthurian tales from Middle English into modern English and then added a little bit to the stories where he felt gaps existed. The result is a series of tales that become accessible to current audiences. The best part for me, however, was the final 60 pages, containing Steinbeck's personal letters in which he discussed his approach to the translation. Steinbeck goes into detail on his approach to editing and translating, the problems he faced in both regards, and how he planned to fix those issues. Those pages in particular are a must read for anyone who has ever tried to edit or translate someone's work or likes insight into Steinbeck’s mind.

4. Hag-Seed: The Tempest Retold (2016) by Margaret Atwood - I started this book thinking it would be a 3-star. The premise didn't sound particularly exciting and I hadn't heard anything good or bad about it so I figured it would be lackluster. Immediately after starting it, however, I knew it would be at least a 4-star. As always, Atwood does a great job of using dialogue and dysfunction to keep you interested as the story unfolds. By the time I was half way through the book I knew I had deeply underestimated the story. I'm familiar with a bunch of modern Shakespearean re-envisions but this might be my favorite. The depth by which Atwood is able to retell The Tempest within her new setting while also having the actual Shakespearean play unfold as a plot point within that story is genius.

3. 2666 (2008) by Roberto Bolano – This is a large book (900 pages) but after only a few pages I already found myself invested in the story. Bolano’s intention was that the book be sold as five separate parts before being sold as one collected volume. Each part has a different but related story that converges into one brilliant storyline. The two parts dealing with fictional author Archimboldi (books 1 and 5) were my favorites but all were good. Bolano creates an epic tale that spans characters across the world. The result is well worth the long read. The only detraction is that the collected volume starts with an introduction that says it was Bolano's dying wish that the books be released separately before being released as one volume but the publisher and Bolano's family disagreed and published the collected version first. What is the goal of making a point to emphasize you went against a dying man's last wish? Other than that, great book.

2. The Buried Giant (2015) by Kazuo Ishiguro - On its surface this book is a fable that recounts an old couple wandering the lands in a post Arthurian world, looking for a son that left them long ago. In that context, the story was worth 4 stars for me until I got to the ending, which I didn't care for. However, I interpret the entire story as an allegory for an old couple looking back on their relationship together and all the struggles and decisions they had to make over decades together. Everything--the candles, the dragon, the fog, the warrior--are all devices to continue the metaphor of a relationship that went through tremendous challenges over the years. In that context, the story is superb and the ending is not only satisfying, it is perfect and incredibly touching.

1. Manuscript Found in Accra (2013) by Paulo Coelho – Another great book by Coelho, and maybe my favorite of his outside 'The Alchemist'. Coelho is at his very best here, using the story to convey wisdom of the world and lessons to help the reader feel like they can understand the nature of life. If you found Coelho because of 'The Alchemist', I would definitely recommend either this book or 'The Zahir' as the book of his that most provides a comparable experience.

Honorable mention. The Great Train Robbery (1979) by Michael Crichton – This isn’t included in the top 5 because it was my second time reading it. I originally read this in middle school and loved it. It was one of the reasons I spent a childhood summer reading everything I could find by Crichton and I think it might be my favorite of all of his books. It has a great blend of historical fiction, nonfiction, and the author's natural ability to provide a sense of excitement and adventure. Highly recommended even if you typically only enjoy Crichton's science fiction.

Each year, I make a list of the books that I read for the first time and most enjoyed. As usual, many of the books that I read last year were very good but only a few will stick with me for a long time.

8. David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants (2013) by Malcolm Gladwell – I enjoyed this a lot. I learned a lot and Gladwell presents one fascinating story after another, although I slightly preferred the other books of his that I’ve read over this one. The last couple chapters in particular felt like they had been cut from The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference and were a better fit there. Regardless, this was an easy and enjoyable read. Recommended.

7. On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (2017) by Timothy Snyder – I liked this but it felt rushed at times and I wish it would have had a little more behind each of the twenty lessons. In terms of approach, it was a good move to start by listing all twenty lessons right away and then explaining them. One thing did irk me, however, and that was the author’s establishment bias. He notes how propaganda is put out by Russian-produced news stations but not the propaganda disseminated by U.S. news stations, he notes ways in which we are closer to tyranny because of the current president but not ways in which we are closer to tyranny because of previous presidents, etc.. I liked his overall message but wish he could have distanced himself from the establishment narrative a little more.

6. So You've Been Publicly Shamed (2015) by Jon Ronson – This books dissects how social media shaming has become a force for both good and bad and often ruins lives. Ronson starts with an account of a journalist who added slight falsehoods to a Bob Dylan story and how the shaming he received was completely uneven with the scale of what he had done. The rest of the book goes into detail on various other times that social media shamings have ruined people’s lives and the group think that causes today’s society to engage in that kind of behavior. A really fascinating read.

5. Siddhartha (1922) by Hermann Hesse – As a huge fan of Paulo Coelho’s, the biggest compliment I can give this book is saying that if Coelho had been born 70 years earlier and been German instead of Brazilian, this is a book he would have written. Everything that I enjoy about Coehlo’s writing was present here as well. I felt like I was learning about life via a simple, very accessible tale. I’ll definitely be adding Hesse’s other major works to my to-read list.

4. I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2016) by Iain Reid – This story reminded me of what it would be like if David Lynch spent his time writing books instead of making movies. The book does an excellent job of being creepy and keeping you guessing as to what is really happening. I had a feeling the end would use the device that was ultimately employed but I was wrong about the direction in which it was delivered (avoiding spoilers). There were a couple books I enjoyed more than this one in 2019 but I found myself thinking of this book long after I had finished it, and that’s the mark of a good book.

Odd side note: The worst part of this book is the publisher’s description, which focuses on something that happens 75% of the way through the book. This can only lead to either misleading readers or else making them feel like the first 75% of the story is a waste when it isn’t at all.

3. Awakening the Buddha Within: Eight Steps to Enlightenment (1998) by Surya Das – This was excellent. I’ve read a couple books that are similar, most notably I Am That: Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. What makes this book so much more enjoyable than the others I’ve read is that it’s accessible and casual at every turn. There were huge chunks of I Am That that were dense and just didn’t make sense to a novice like me. This book excels by being extremely easy to follow while also not preaching. Highly recommended if this subject matter interests you at all.

2. Palm Sunday: An Autobiographical Collage (1981) by Kurt Vonnegut – This is Vonnegut at his nonfiction best. As much as I liked A Man Without a Country, I think this was superior. Among the highlights for me were his thoughts back when he was a writing teacher, the self interview he did for the Paris review, his family’s thoughts on his writing, and the impact that the Dresdon fire bombing that he wrote about in Slaughterhouse 5 had on him throughout his life. Much of the book is classic Vonnegut in the fact that it is humorous and pessimistic, but there are also plenty of touching parts where you feel like you are actually getting to know the man behind the sarcasm and wit.

1. Wolf in White Van (2014) by John Darnielle – It’s extremely rare to find a book that is flawless in approach and execution but there isn’t a single thing I would change about Wolf In White Van. There are two ways authors can evoke childhood memories from their readers. The first is by focusing on pop culture, as Ready Player One successfully does. The second is by focusing on the sense of alienation that all kids have at one time or another. Darnielle excels in this regard, and yet it is only one aspect of the story that is excellent.

The story itself is enthralling but it also leads to a mystery of what ultimately happens, which is not fully explained until the end. The climax, detailing what happened, worked perfectly for me. However, the best part of this book might be the second mystery, which you can only think about after you finish the book, and this is ‘Why’ the climax happened the way it did. As for this element, you have to remember small clues Darnielle gives throughout the book. A sentence here and a sentence there provide hints as to why this series of events unfolds. If you’re like me, you’ll be thinking about all of the subtle clues that are offered as the story plays out to a haunting conclusion. Answers are never clearly given, you have to work for them, and I absolutely loved that.

Even when I read this I knew it would be my favorite book of the year. The last book I can remember that evoked such a successfully haunting story is Hannah Pittard’s The Fates Will Find Their Way, which I also loved and was my favorite book read of 2013.

Honorable mention: Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster (1997) by Jon Krakauer – This isn’t included above because it was my third time reading it. I originally read this in high school and loved it. It’s by far my favorite outdoors / nonfiction adventure / true-life disaster book. Krakauer has a straight forward way of recounting the events that unfolded in a way that’s extremely engrossing. He originally went to Everest to write an article for Outside magazine about the commercialism of the world’s highest peak and how it had become over-traveled and polluted as a result. Through recounting the events of that expedition, he successfully discourages others from wanting to do the same thing. In that regard, the book is not only entertaining but also an effective public service announcement.

It's time for my annual list of the best books I read this year. You can find the complete list of both fiction and nonfiction selections here:

Best Books Read In 2020


Hope you like the list, and if you have recommendations for other books you think I might like, give me a shout.

Check out my latest blog post, in which I name my eight favorite fiction books read in 2021 and my seven favorite nonfiction books read in 2021. Available here:

http://chrisdietzel.com/2021/12/best-...

I'm a little late this year but better late than never. Here's my
my annual list of the best books I read for the first time, regardless of when they were published:


Read it here

It's that time of year again! Here's my list of the best books I read this year, regardless of when they were published:

Best Books Read in 2024

Agree or disagree with any of my picks? Have a book you think I should read in 2025? Let me know!