Best Books Read Last Year

The Sparrow (Mary Doria Russell) Sci-fi where a Jesuit expedition is the first to contact extra-terrestrial life.  Beautifully written.  Have not yet read the sequel Children of God.

The Mysterious Benedict Society (Trenton Lee Stewart) Young adult fantasy/adventure.  For everyone who has ever been frustrated with standardized tests and the inanity of television.  Also have not yet read the sequel.

The Historian (Elizabeth Kostova) Yeah, I know, a vampire book.  But this one is really well-written and had fascinating historical detail and characters.  Not for the faint of heart.

The Mabinogion A collection of ancient Welsh tales.  If you have ever read Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain Chronicles, you will recognize some names.  I told one of these tales at the International Fairy Tale Birthday party some of you may remember.

The Sea and the Mirror (W. H. Auden) A poetic interpretation of art through the eyes of the characters in Shakespeare’s The Tempest.  A must for any fans of that great work and for anyone who has ever wondered about the relationship between art and life.  Who is the imitator and who is real?

The Dead Father’s Club (Matt Haig) A retelling of Shakespeare’s Hamlet sort of.  Set in modern-day Britain and told from the point of view of an eleven year old.  I enjoyed the style, but some may find it frustrating and repetitive.

The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I mean Noel) (Ellen Raskin) It was suggested to Ellen Raskin that she write a story about growing up during the Depression and, in characteristic style, she came up with this madcap romp involving a soup empire, twins, “On Wisconsin”, and lots of purple flowered print.  Ellen Raskin is one of my favorite authors and while this doesn’t quite have the sensitivity of some of her other works, it is thoroughly enjoyable.

Uncle Dynamite (P. G. Wodehouse) Out of the many brilliant characters sprung from the mind of Pelham Grenville, few have captured my heart like Lord Ickenham, Pongo Twistleton’s Uncle Fred.  In this caper, Ickenham is at his incomparable best.  Uncle Fred in the Springtime is also highly recommended.

My Lady Ludlow (Elizabeth Gaskell) This is a beautiful little book, the tale of a kindly and imperious lady living alone with strict views on such things as education for the lower classes.  It tells the many tragedies of her life, the concern her steward has for a young and clever common boy, and the literally tireless efforts of the local curate to save the souls of his parish.

Dandelion Wine (Ray Bradbury) A series of vignettes from a glorious summer growing up in small town Illinois.  Beautifully crafted.

Wildwood Dancing (Juliet Marillier) A retelling of one of my personal favorite fairy tales, the Twelve Dancing Princesses but also weaving the Frog Prince and the tales and traditions of Transylvania into the story.  The thing I really like this book for, though, was its depiction of the domineering cousin.

Busman’s Honeymoon (Dorothy L. Sayers) The finale of the Harriet Vane-Peter Wimsey romance.  Must only be read if at least Strong Poison and Gaudy Night have been read previously.  It is so enjoyable to see how the union of two equally irritable intelligences works out.

No Man’s Lands (Scott Huler) Non-fiction, shockingly enough.  A journalist decides to follow the path of Odysseus’s journey.  Well-written and accurate mythologically speaking.  If you know the story, it’s fun to watch him relearn and relive it.  If you don’t, relearn it yourself.  It’’s one of the greatest epics of all time.  It ain’t for nothing they call Homer the first and greatest of the poets.

The Portrait (Iain Pears) This is an intriguing little book.  Told in first person from the point of view of a painter who has essentially lived in exile from the art world for many years being visited by the critic who was once his mentor.  An excellent ending.

The Zeal of Thy House (Dorothy L. Sayers) I want to see this play performed.  If you have always meant to read The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy Sayers, but don’t feel like you have the time, pick up this work instead and it will give you many of her main points.  The play is about the rebuilding of Canterbury Cathedral (I think) after it was damaged by fire.  Has a lot to say about work, art, sin, and God.

The Good Fairies of New York (Martin Millar) A pair of Scottish thistle fairies get lost and end up in New York City.  Semi-typical fantasy material, but told with such spirit and wit and humor that it is too much fun to miss.  The bag lady named Magenta who thinks that she is an an ancient Greek general is my favorite character.

The Ground Beneath Her Feet (Salman Rushdie) A reweaving of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice as rock ‘n’ roll musicians.  Scenery runs from India to the United States and keeps the deep texture of the myth while adding in patterns all its own.  Do not read this book if you have, say, a Quantum Mechanics exam the following day.  You will not be able to study.

Out of the Dust (Karen Hesse) Newberry Award winner and completely earned.  The story of a girl growing up during the time of the dust bowl.  If you have ever known the wonder that comes from music coming out of you, read this book.  If you have ever known what it’s like to get the perfect word in a poem read this book.  This book is full of perfect words.

The House of the Scorpion (Nancy Farmer) Also a well-earned Newberry.  Sci-fi set in the territories between the U.S. and Mexico where drug lord grow opium unmolested and clones are made.  explores both the problems of dictatorships and socialism in a very personal way.  Excellent characters.

Something Wicked This Way Comes (Ray Bradbury) Tale of a carnival coming to small-town Illinois in late October and changing two boys, a father, and a teacher forever.  No one can write beautifully scary prose like Ray Bradbury.  This book is as visually stunning as a movie.  Little-known fact: Dedicated to Gene Kelly.

The Book of Lost Things (John Connolly) I’m glad I waited until now to post this, since I only finished this book a couple of days ago.  A dark fantasy about a boy who loses his mother and who, in trying to cope with his father’s remarriage, enters a fairy-tale kingdom of witches and woodsmen, knights and nightmare monsters and above all, the Crooked Man and the king.  Very well-written.  Also not a good one to start the day before an exam.