Best of 2022

[Elizabeth☮]

I would love to continue the tradition of discussing our best reads of the year. Jenny typically put a call out around this time for those that would like to contribute on the podcast. I am putting the call out for those interested in sharing.

Please take a minute to think about your most interesting, challenging or surprising reads for 2022. Post a brief description of why you would recommend the book. I look forward to adding to my TBR.

I think this is a nice way to honor Jenny's legacy and her love of reading.

[Nadine in California]

Wonderful idea - will be posting shortly! Too bad there isn't a way to link to a little audio file with our reviews. (Or is there?) I loved hearing the voices of GR friends :)

[Jeff]

Great idea, Elizabeth! Yes, it's that time of the year when Jenny would send out her "best-of" email and I would go through my five-star reads and try to pick one to jabber about.

My top runners up would be:

Books Do Furnish a Life: Reading and Writing Science by Richard Dawkins. A collection of Richard's interviews, essays, book reviews; and, forwards, afterwards, and introductions written for other authors.

Trust by Hernan Diaz. The tale of an early 20th century tycoon told from four different perspectives. Unconventional structure but wraps up nicely at the end.

The Cave by Jose Saramago. A near-future dystopia written in a very unconventional manner with great character development and an interesting reveal and ending.

Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice. Another near-future dystopian novel set in an isolated First Nations community in northern Ontario. What will the village do when society collapses and people from the south arrive?

Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery. Everyone knows this one, and I'm one of the last people on earth to read it probably. Just an absolute delight from start to finish. I couldn't have loved it more.

But I'm going to say my favorite book of 2022 was Emily St. John Mandel's Sea of Tranquility. I was riveted by this book from start to finish and is just the kind of novel I enjoy - melancholy tone, time travel, science fiction-y. It was a relatively short novel by her standards but the way she developed the separate plot threads and tied them all together at the end was very satisfying. Probably not for everyone but fans of her previous work will enjoy this.

[Elizabeth☮]

I’ve read Saramago’s Blindness and found it interesting.

I’ve also read Moon of the Crusted Snow and liked it.

The Diaz is on my list. I like his writing.

And, I need to get to the St. John Mandel.

Thanks Jeff. What a great list!

[Cordelia]

I Loved "Sea of Tranquillity". Read it twice in order to tie in all the bits that formed the end - didn't know they were important first time through.

[Donna]

Great idea. I'm going to have to reflect on what I've read this past year to come up with my top five! If people are interested in discussing our reads we could meet via Zoom.

[Elizabeth☮]

I’d be game Donna. Send me a message about dates and times.

[Nadine in California]

Elizabeth☮ wrote: "I’d be game Donna. Send me a message about dates and times."

Sounds good to me too!

[Gail]

I'll go through my list. Great idea.
Miss Jenny's voice. xo

[Elizabeth☮]

Here are my top three:

The School for Good Mothers - a near future where women are removed from their children when they react in any kind of way that feels human. They are not allowed to reunite with their children until they pass a set of arbritary goals.

Take My Hand - based on true events, this focuses on a nurse, Civil, in a family planning clinic that is administering Depro-Provera under the guise that the girls they serve are sexually activty. Constance begins to question the motives of the program and the case makes it to the Supreme Court.

Little Monarchs - a graphic novel set in the future. There is an illness caused by the sun, so people begin living underground. One of the only antidotes is derived from the oil on the wings of a butterfly. Elvie is on a mission with her caretaker Flora to find monarchs. Great illustrations and an engaging story.

[Mina]

Jeff wrote: "Great idea, Elizabeth! Yes, it's that time of the year when Jenny would send out her "best-of" email and I would go through my five-star reads and try to pick one to jabber about.

Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery. Everyone knows this one, and I'm one of the last people on earth to read it probably. Just an absolute delight from start to finish. I couldn't have loved it more.

I have been inspired to pick up my 30 y/o copy and give it another read. Thank you for reminding me of an old favorite.

[Vinny]

This is such a great tribute! Here goes, in no particular order:

1. A Tale for the Time Being - I really like novels with a strong voice and ones that play arround with the narrative, and this has both of those elements. Jenny revised her initially lower rating up to 4 stars on a reread - I do take her critique that sometimes literary fiction overrelies on quantum physics to give some added profundity that may not be earned.

2. The Book of Night Women - Saying a book about a Jamaican slave plantation is brutal isn't really saying anything at all, but you should still prepare yourself before picking this up. But if you can stomach it, definitely pick it up because James does so many unique and memorable things with such a terrible story drawn from humanity at its worst on one side and most resilient on the other.

3. But Beautiful: A Book about Jazz Easy to describe - scenes of famous jazz musicians struggling with more than just their music - but really tough to explain why it's so compelling. Listen to the audio version narrated by Dion Graham in a fantastic performance.

4. Subdivision The universe in this novel is dream-like, but it's also more than that. The surreal events reminded me of actual dreams I've had - not in the sense that I had the same ones (how freaky would that be?) but how it feels to be inside a real dream. Jenny's 4 star review begins in all caps with "I DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED"

5. You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism Amber Ruffin introduces us to her sister Lacey Lamar so she can share some truly awful stories about racism that run the gamut from funny-horrible to horrible-horrible. One of those perfect blends of humor and social criticism. There are some great photos in the physical book, but you also need to listen to the audio version narrated by both of the authors - it's amazing.

[Elizabeth☮]

Great recommendations Vinny. I’m particularly interested in But Beautiful. My husband is a musician and loved Jazz music in particular. When we first started dating, we saw many musicians in this genre. I think I’m going to find it for a birthday gift for him.

[Jeff]

Elizabeth☮ wrote: "I’ve read Saramago’s Blindness and found it interesting.

I’ve also read Moon of the Crusted Snow and liked it.

The Diaz is on my list. I like his writing.

And,..."

Thanks! Blindness sounds good. Adding it to my burgeoning TBR!

[Andrew]

Thank you Elizabeth for suggesting this tribute. I had been in touch with jenny earlier in the year and was due to go on her show for the second time in November and If it's ok I'll go with the three books that I might have chosen to talk about as they tended to change on a monthly basis as I dwelled on what I would choose and looked forward to spending an hour chatting with someone whose literary tastes were so interesting and was a great conversationalist. These are books that while not necessarily the top 3 are definitely among them and I think would have made for a great discussion .
Luckenbooth by Jenni Fagan (strange goings on in an Edinburgh tenament over generations with a supernatural twist)
The river within by Karen Powell ( a retelling on hamlet in 1950s Yorkshire)
Black car burning Helen Mort ( a story of Sheffield and how Hillsborough impacts on three individuals)
Although I may have chosen The Border by Don Winslow as the culmination of a remarkable trilogy.
Anyway happy reading everyone, I also will miss hearing everyone telling each other their best books, enjoy the holidays , read loads, and on new years eve with my glass of whisky I will toast a lost voice sorely missed.

[Vinny]

Elizabeth☮ wrote: "Great recommendations Vinny. I’m particularly interested in But Beautiful. My husband is a musician and loved Jazz music in particular. When we first started dating, we saw many musicians in this g..."

It's a great gift idea for a jazz music aficionado!

[Elizabeth☮]

@Vinny - ordered it!

@Andrew - I like Don Winslow. I’ve read the first in the trilogy, but not the others.