2snash
Snash"s list of 2020 books read:
1) Clearcut by Nina Shengold
2) 70% Acrylic 30% Wool by Viola Di Grado
3) Under a Wing: A Memoir by Reeve Lindbergh
4) Life Class by Pat Barker
5) The Blue Hour by Laura Pritchett
6) Grant by Ron Chernow
7) The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
8) Doc: A Novel by Mary Doria Russell
9) An Unconventional Wife by Mary Hoban
10) Ordinary Life by Elizabeth Berg
11) The Journey Home by Olaf Olafsson
12) Red Lightning by Laura Pritchett
13) Dark Age Ahead by Jane Jacobs
14) An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine
15) Stars Go Blue by Laura Pritchett
16) The Grief of Others by Leah Hager Cohen
17) The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
18) Napoleon's Buttons by Penny Le Couteur and Jay Burreson
19) A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
20) Where Angels Fear to Trend by E.M. Forster
21) Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg
22) An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
23) The Narcissism of Small Differences by Michael Zadoorian
24) Empire Falls by Richard Russo
25) Strangers and Cousins by Leah Hager Cohen
26) Little Wonder: The Fabulous Story of Lottie Dod by Sasha Abramsky
27) The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee
28) Far Bright Star by Robert Olmstead
29) Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
30) A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
31) Making Friends with Alice Dyson by Poppy Nwosu
32) Henry IV: The Righteous King by Ian Mortimer
33) Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata
34) Virgil Wander by Leif Enger
35) Ellie and the Harpmaker by Hazel Prior
36) Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell
37) Bread and Salt by Valerie Miner
38) Feast Your Eyes by Myla Goldberg
39) The Topeka School by Ben Lerner
40) Elderhood by Louise Aronson
41) Epitaph: A Novel by Mary Doria Russell
42) American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
43) Know My Name by Chanel Miller
44) On Earth, We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
45) The Piano Student by Lea Singer
46) The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley
47) The Old Man Who Read Love Stories by Luis Sepulveda
48) Complexity by M. Mitchell Waldrop
49) The Invention of the White Race: Vol. 1 by Theodore W. Allen
50) The Language of Liberty by Edwin C. Hagenstein
51) The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
52) The Rare Metals War by Guillaume Pitron
53) On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
54) Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier
55) The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
56) Olive Again by Elizabeth Strout
57) Clock Dance by Anne Tyler
58) Benediction by Kent Haruf
59) Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
60) The Invention of the White Race: Vol 2 by Theodore W. Allen
1) Clearcut by Nina Shengold
2) 70% Acrylic 30% Wool by Viola Di Grado
3) Under a Wing: A Memoir by Reeve Lindbergh
4) Life Class by Pat Barker
5) The Blue Hour by Laura Pritchett
6) Grant by Ron Chernow
7) The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
8) Doc: A Novel by Mary Doria Russell
9) An Unconventional Wife by Mary Hoban
10) Ordinary Life by Elizabeth Berg
11) The Journey Home by Olaf Olafsson
12) Red Lightning by Laura Pritchett
13) Dark Age Ahead by Jane Jacobs
14) An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine
15) Stars Go Blue by Laura Pritchett
16) The Grief of Others by Leah Hager Cohen
17) The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
18) Napoleon's Buttons by Penny Le Couteur and Jay Burreson
19) A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
20) Where Angels Fear to Trend by E.M. Forster
21) Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg
22) An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
23) The Narcissism of Small Differences by Michael Zadoorian
24) Empire Falls by Richard Russo
25) Strangers and Cousins by Leah Hager Cohen
26) Little Wonder: The Fabulous Story of Lottie Dod by Sasha Abramsky
27) The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee
28) Far Bright Star by Robert Olmstead
29) Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
30) A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
31) Making Friends with Alice Dyson by Poppy Nwosu
32) Henry IV: The Righteous King by Ian Mortimer
33) Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata
34) Virgil Wander by Leif Enger
35) Ellie and the Harpmaker by Hazel Prior
36) Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell
37) Bread and Salt by Valerie Miner
38) Feast Your Eyes by Myla Goldberg
39) The Topeka School by Ben Lerner
40) Elderhood by Louise Aronson
41) Epitaph: A Novel by Mary Doria Russell
42) American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
43) Know My Name by Chanel Miller
44) On Earth, We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
45) The Piano Student by Lea Singer
46) The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley
47) The Old Man Who Read Love Stories by Luis Sepulveda
48) Complexity by M. Mitchell Waldrop
49) The Invention of the White Race: Vol. 1 by Theodore W. Allen
50) The Language of Liberty by Edwin C. Hagenstein
51) The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
52) The Rare Metals War by Guillaume Pitron
53) On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
54) Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier
55) The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
56) Olive Again by Elizabeth Strout
57) Clock Dance by Anne Tyler
58) Benediction by Kent Haruf
59) Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
60) The Invention of the White Race: Vol 2 by Theodore W. Allen
3snash
Clearcut was an erotic tale of three lost souls in the Northwest woods, not deep literature but entertaining and well crafted. 3 stars
5PaulCranswick
Another resolution is to keep up in 2020 with all my friends on LT. Happy New Year!
7FAMeulstee
Happy reading in 2020, Sharon!
8thornton37814
Have a stellar reading year!
9snash
Spectacular and novel writing in 70% Acrylic 30% Wool does not make the topic of grief, depression, and pain easy to take. 3 stars
10snash
Under a Wing: A Memoir is a memoir, not so much of the author's life but of the author's impressions, understandings, and experiences living with her two famous parents as well as some other family members. It did give a vivid portrait of those presented. 4 stars
11snash
Life Class provides a view into the estrangement caused by war, not only for those face to face with it but also for those at home. 4 stars
12snash
The Blue Hour was the story of a community of people living on a Colorado mountainside told by each person as they review their lives and try to come to grips with the suicide on one member. 4.5 stars
13snash
Grant was a fascinating and thorough book capturing the brilliance and flaws of the man and the times. 4.5 stars
14snash
The Bookshop was a quick study of a small town's response to the opening of a bookstore deemed inappropriate meaning by the wrong person in the wrong place. 3 stars
15snash
Doc: A Novel was an entertaining, well written historical fictional story of Doc Holiday, debunking legend and presenting intriguing, believable characters. 4.5 stars
16snash
An Unconventional Wife was a biography that champions the overlooked wife. Julia was headstrong and intelligent, raising successful and socially responsible children. Her story of her life and her conflict with her husband was engagingly told. 4 stars
17snash
As the title suggests, Ordinary Life is a collection of stories about ordinary life or actually about the disruptions in ordinary life that make one appreciate the mundane. One minor complaint is that men, particularly husbands, are presented seemingly overly silent and withdrawn. 3.5 stars
18snash
The Journey Home was a masterful telling of a woman's complicated life smoothly shifting from present to past delivering surprises throughout. Excellent 4.5 stars
19snash
Red Lightning was the story of an abused girl who left her illegitimate daughter with her sister and got involved with transporting Mexicans across the boarder. After 10 years, near collapse, she returns home. A good story but many of the conversations about life and feelings did not seem realistic to me. 3.5 stars
20snash
Dark Age Ahead suggests 5 ways in which our (North American) culture is failing, hurling us toward a Dark Age. It was written 15 years ago and it's clear that these parameters have gotten significantly worse rather than better in that time. None of her suggestions as to how the downward spiral could be arrested have been adopted. As such it's a rather depressing book. 3.5 stars
21snash
Humor, exquisite descriptions of Beirut and people, critique of the arts, philosophy, and most particularly the rambling of a mind grappling with the "lightness of being" are all here in An Unnecessary Woman. 5 stars
22alcottacre
You have had some great reads thus far in the year!
23snash
Stars Go Blue deals with grief, Alzheimers, death, and love. 3.5 stars
24snash
The Grief of Others was an exploration of the ramifications of a tragedy upon a whole family told from each member's point of view. Well done. 4 stars
25snash
In retelling the Iliad from the view point of a captured and enslaved woman, The Silence of the Girls gives voice to the myriad of people impacted by war beyond the "great heroes". 4 stars
26snash
Napoleon's Buttons was collection of stories about various groups of molecules that have impacted history, from spices, to foods, to medicines, to refrigerants, etc. presented without shirking away from the chemistry involved. It was engaging and interesting even to an organic chemist. One would not have to be an chemist to understand and enjoy the book. 4 stars
27snash
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena was a harrowing story of people dealing with the war, terror, and the collapse of civilization. A few bright spots are swamped by a sea of miseries. The character studies are very well done.
4 stars
4 stars
28snash
In Where Angels Fear to Tread the lure and dangers of venturing out of ones home and culture are explored. 3.5 stars
29snash
Helen looses a husband and in the process her sense of self. Home Safe chronicles her recovery. I found myself angry and impatient with her at various points which seems to me a good sign, that the character was believable.
4 stars
4 stars
30snash
An American Marriage looks at the difficulties of holding a marriage together through adversity, in this case the imprisonment of one member. Very well done. 4 stars
31snash
Empire Falls was a compelling story taking place in a small interwoven decaying town. The inevitable encroachment of the past into the present, vindictiveness, and human foibles drive the story. 5 stars
32snash
Strangers and Cousins is a sprawling novel of family and friends gathered for a wedding, full of unique descriptions, philosophical musings, cultural dilemmas, and poignant relationships. 4 stars
33snash
Little Wonder is an entertaining biography of an amazing woman. Admittedly, the author was hampered by numerous gaps in information which he compensated for by detailed descriptions of people and places as well as guesses as to the reasons for certain actions. Those descriptions did, however, help provide a picture of the times. 3.5 stars
34snash
The Gene: An Intimate History was a history of the science of heredity and the gene presented in a mostly understandable and engaging manner. From Aristotle to 2014.
35snash
Far Bright Star was the story of a career army man in Mexico searching for Poncho Villa. He is attacked by a gang and nearly dies. Man's overwhelming will to live is the only attribute given him other than violence. 2.5 stars
36snash
In Behind the Beautiful Forevers the author created a cast of characters to portray the realities of slum life in India. Besides the corruption and dreadful conditions, she looks at the rays of hope slum dwellers pursue and why these masses have not risen up to demand their piece of the pie. 3.5 stars
37snash
A Spool of Blue Thread was a character driven story of a family, their relationships, and a house. It was an enjoyable read although it felt a little disjointed at times, jumping from generation to generation. 4 stars
38snash
Making Friends with Alice Dyson is a YA book written in the present tense which managed to pull the reader more closely into the character's shoes. It seemed a good portrayal of the high school social anxieties and the characters were intriguing. 4 stars
39snash
Henry IV: The Righteous King is a measured, well researched biography of the often overlooked King Henry IV. Despite the large cast of characters and complicated politics, it was very readable and clear.
40snash
Thousand Cranes was the story of a bachelor who was entangled by his dead father's mistresses. It's point somewhat escaped me. 3 Stars
41snash
Virgil Wander is the story of a small struggling town on Lake Superior and a cast of engaging characters, from a kite flying Norwegian to an owner of a failing movie theater. 4 stars
42snash
Ellie and the Harpmaker was A pleasant read about relationships and their frequent difficulties and misunderstandings. The characters were likable but not quite believable. 3.5 stars
43snash
Mary Barton is a story revolving around the struggle between the classes in industrial Manchester in the mid 1800's. The characters are well drawn, the plot engaging although it ends a bit more rosy than realistic. 4 stars
44snash
Bread and Salt is collection of short stories with well written glimpses into lives. In many cases the characters are dealing with loss by connecting with strangers while traveling. The revelations are subtle and true to life. 4 stars
45snash
Feast Your Eyes: A Novel, the story of an extraordinary woman photographer and her daughter is told through the eyes of the daughter, friends, and her journal as a catalog to go with an exhibition of her photos after her death. It provides a good picture of a complicated mother/daughter relationship although at times it felt as though the voice of all the different story tellers were very much the same. 4 stars
46snash
The insights in The Topeka School, particularly about the male experience, the images invoked by the language, and the elucidation of how the past is ever present were excellent. As a novel, however, it seemed to lose a common thread or a point. 3.5 stars
47snash
Epitaph: A Novel was an excellent portrayal of characters and the lawless west in describing Wyatt Earps life and legend from Tombstone till his death. 4 stars
48snash
American Dirt was a suspenseful story of Mexican cartel treachery and the migrants trek to el norte. 4 stars
49snash
Know My Name was A raw, honest, and perceptive telling of the impact of rape and the judicial system on a victim. 4.5 stars
50snash
On Earth, We're Briefly Gorgeous A novel, a poem? A collection of spectacular images and quotes about the brief glory of life in a world of pain and suffering. 4 stars
51EdwardMcLean
Cet utilisateur a été supprimé en tant que polluposteur.
52snash
The Piano Student is based on letters between Horowitz and his lover, Kaufman. The story is relayed many years later by Kaufman to a stranger he meets in a piano bar. I found the shifts in time from the story to the present difficult to follow and I was often confused. I also never figured out what role the stranger was meant to play. That aside, it was a poignant portrayal of the pain living a double life. 3.5 stars
53snash
The Authenticity Project had an intriguing cast of characters who found each other due to a notebook where they were encouraged to present theirselves truthfully. It was written in such a way that I found it hard to put the book down even though it wasn't too hard to guess how much of the story would end up. There were some surprises and the characters were believable. 4 stars
54snash
The Old Man Who Read Love Stories is a short but poignant novella juxtaposing the positions of living in harmony with nature and attempting to conquer it. It is also a love story in itself, a love of books, nature, and some humans. 4 stars
55snash
Complexity is basically a history of the formation of the Santa Fe Institute, the scientist who were involved and their research. In describing their research, an understandable, not too detailed, description of the science of complexity: thought provoking stuff. 4 stars
56snash
The Invention of the White Race: Vol 1 focuses on the forces which foster the formation of a slave class, in the Caribbean, the Americas, and most thoroughly in Ireland. This is presented as background to be used as analogy in exploring the invention of the white race in Volume 2. 4 stars
57snash
The Language of Liberty is an extremely informative book, presenting in encyclopedic format much information on the history of the government's formation and how it works. In my opinion, however, when the author expressed his own opinions and concerns, he did so from a traditional conservative view point. 3.5 stars
58snash
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was a feel good story involving the review of a life lived and forgiving that was just a little too simple and obvious for my taste. 3.5 stars
59snash
The Rare Metals War was A frightening look at the rare metal needs for our digital and green advances; the polluting and energy costs of mining and refining them; the nationalistic commandeering of them particularly by China, and their eminent depletion. There are a number of interesting charts and maps in the appendices many of which are sadly too small to read. 3.5 stars
60snash
On Tyranny was a crucial book for our present times, reminding us that the collapse of a democracy including ours can happen and that it takes complicity for that to happen. The 20 lessons suggest ways that we, the ordinary persons, can counter that possibility. Not real detailed but easily digested. 4.5 stars
61PaulCranswick
This Brit wishes to express his thanks for the warmth and friendship that has helped sustain him in this group, Sharon.
62snash
The Nickel Boys was a excellent expose of reform schools made human by a very insightful tale of the people involved, particularly the two main characters, ending with an unexpected twist. 5 stars
63snash
Olive, Again a fabulous character study and look at the sordid and struggling effort involved in human life. 5 stars
64snash
Clock Dance was a nice character study of an older lady finding her self but the characters seemed to lack depth and complexity. 3 stars
65snash
In Benediction As he approached death, Dad evaluates his life lamenting his failings particularly with his son. The situation also impacts numerous other town members. 4 stars
66snash
Washington Black was an adventure novel full of unique and complex characters whose nature is explored psychologically. 5 stars
67PaulCranswick
I hope you get some of those at least as we all look forward to a better 2021.
68snash
The Invention of the White Race: Vol 2 was a very thoroughly researched analysis of the origins of racism in the US as an answer to the need for social control of the bonded and slave population. The particular situation in Virginia was contrasted with the Caribbean, South America, and Ireland. The author could have left out the last couple of pages trying to comment on more recent events. 4.5 stars