With the last day of 2019 upon us, there’s something we need to discuss…
Books.
Well, we always need to discuss books. But today, in honor of the year about to end, I’d like to share with you the five best books I read since January 1st. I loved them and, if you choose to read them, I hope you love them, too. Here they are!
The Sandman Series by Neil Gaiman
Source: Amazon
Though there are 10 trade paperback collections in this series (with each paperback collecting several previously issued comic books), I’m counting this as one book. Why? Because I can’t choose between them. It’s like choosing between one’s children. Or in my case, one’s cats. They’re all my favorite.
The Sandman is a series of comics by Neil Gaiman, his first major work of fiction. They’re masterful. Sandman combines elements of mythology with world history, mashed together with Gaiman’s original creations set against modern-day problems. All of these elements would become mainstays of his work in the future. Both the writing and art in these comics is superb. Sometimes it’s a shame that the writing is so good—I forget to look at the pictures!
Alright, fine. If I must choose a favorite, I choose Volume IV, entitled Seasons of Mist (please don’t tell the other volumes). In this story, the titular Sandman ventures down to Hell, only to find a shocking surprise: Lucifer has quit. He decided he doesn’t much care for overseeing demons and torment and all that. So he locks up Hell and entrusts (or rather, curses) the Lord of Dreams with the key. Now Gods of many pantheons and creatures from many worlds arrive to plead their case for the key, and therefore the dominion of Hell. How sick is that?
I’m not normally a comics guy, but these are worth it for any reader. Well, maybe not for kids. But Sandman is amazing. One of the best works I read all year—or ever.
There There by Tommy Orange
Source: Goodreads
Perhaps the most structurally daring entry in this list, Tommy Orange’s There There tells the story of several Native American people attending a Powwow in modern-day Oakland, California. Some attend for stories, some to reconnect with their culture, and some to rob everyone else there.
Orange’s writing is excellent, his style unique. Furthermore, he manages to develop 12 or so point-of-view characters in a little over 300 pages, which is a feat in and of itself. There There was a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, and for good reason. I highly recommend it.
Orange World and Other Stories by Karen Russell
Source: Goodreads
Had to get my short stories in. I read Karen Russell’s Orange World just before publishing my own short story collection, Monsters at Dusk. It was a weird bit of synchronicity because she felt like an influence, even though I’d never read her work before. Which is not to same I’m anywhere near as talented as she is. She’s LeBron and I’m, I dunno, JaVale McGee. I just feel we have a similar sensibility. We both use the supernatural as a metaphor for life’s inexplicable questions.
I enjoyed all the stories in this collection, but my favorite was “The Gondoliers.” It’s set in a post-apocalyptic Florida that’s been flooded by rising sea levels. The protagonist, one of the titular gondoliers, navigates a mysterious man through the waters, out to a wild destination.
Not exactly beach reading, but I think Orange World will appeal to anyone who appreciates excellent prose combined with the bizarre.
A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie
Source: Goodreads
If you’re a longtime reader of my blog, you know about my love of Joe Abercrombie’s First Law series. After a brief hiatus, A Little Hatred marks his triumphant return. Picture A Song of Ice and Fire as set in turn-of-the-century America/Britain.
Since this is the continuation of an already seven-volume series, A Little Hatred presents both aging returning characters and young newcomers (being mostly children of the old folks). The former play pleasantly on nostalgia, while the latter stand on their own as vital new entries. A Little Hatred does start slowly, but it builds to several strong climaxes. Plus, the last page is as shocking as it is tragic.
Epic fantasy with bad language, ample violence, and of course, sex. If you like those things in your books, you’ll like this one quite a bit. I recommend reading the previous seven books for maximum enjoyment, but you’ll probably have fun without them, too.
Big Game: The NFL in Dangerous Times by Mark Leibovich
Source: Goodreads
I’m primarily a fiction reader, so this one might surprise you. But I myself was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Big Game.
First of all, Mark Leibovich is an excellent writer. As he mentions several times in the book, he primarily writes about politics for the New York Times. However, being a lifelong New England Patriots fan (gross), he couldn’t seem to resist writing this book.
In it, we get an insider’s look at people such as Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. It’s a well-written, incisive, and oftentimes farcical glimpse at a pro sports league with both major successes and major problems. Big Game is stuffed with bizarre anecdotes about the personalities behind the shield, including my personal favorite, in which Commissioner Goodell tries to demonstrate a malfunctioning NFL mobile app to the author.
I won’t go so far as to say this would appeal to non-football fans. Leibovich is a skilled enough writer that it might, but something tells me sports fans will get the biggest kick out of it.
Happy 2020!
Well, that’s all for this year. (You can find last year’s list here, if you feel like it.) Happy reading in 2020!
Kyle A. Massa is a speculative fiction author living somewhere in upstate New York with his wife and their two cats. He has written two books and numerous short stories, both published and yet-to-be published. He enjoys unusual narrative structures, multiple POVs, and stories about coffee.
