Happy holiday season to all book lovers! I devoured far more books than I managed to review again this year, so before reminding you (and myself) of this year’s stand-outs, I want to call out two books that I haven’t (yet) reviewed but I’m still thinking about, months later. Together, they pretty much mark the two ends of my reading continuum.
Playground
The first is the latest novel by Richard Powers. It’s a doorstop of a book, frequently described as “Overstory for ocean lovers” (which refers to his earlier bestseller, about trees). Since I found Overstory’s 800 pages far too dense, that description wasn’t appealing. It wasn’t until my local bookstore offered it up for their very last book discussion (insert VERY SAD emoji) that I signed up and vowed to weed through it.
Since finishing it, I’ve recommended it to just about every reader I know. But I haven’t posted a review, because… I’m still digesting its many layers and implications. Have you read it? If so, let’s discuss.
Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow
The other book that made a lasting impression is subtitled “A DIY manual for the construction of stories.” In a casual but very precise way, author Steve Almond uses personal teaching experiences to dispense writing advice—along with a healthy dose of philosophy that could be useful to anyone eager to live a happy life.
Here’s a quote from the chapter entitled Run Howling Toward the Doubt, when he explains why AI poses no threat to writers:
Bots do not possess a mind or heart or soul. They do not dream up stories. They generate content—mindlessly, heartlessly, soullessly—by looking for patterns in huge troves of language and predicting the next word.
Practically speaking, this is the precise opposite of how writers work. We’re looking for language that is unexpected—unexpectedly precise, unexpectedly nuanced, unexpectedly musical—language that arises not from an algorithm combing a random universe of text but from our inimitable relationship to the language, formed by the particular vernaculars and sympathies we grew up absorbing.
(See what I mean?)
2024 Reviews
And now, without further ado, here are the books I reviewed in 2024. Though they are quite varied in setting and tone, all manage to teach without preaching—and have a hopeful resolution.
Long After We Are Gone by Terah Shelton Harris
Four siblings wrestle with the fallout from their father’s death.
The Last Days of the Schooner America by Dave Gendell
The only non-fiction to make this list! An Annapolis sailor reviews the long and twisted life of the first winner of the America’s Cup.
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Two interwoven time frames weave together as a mother tries to explain her own teenaged years to her three very different daughters.
The Astrology House by Carinn Jade
My accountability partner’s debut novel, a closed-room murder mystery, takes place on the North Fork of Long Island.
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell
Selected for book group, I was hooked right from the prologue—while also very grateful that I don’t live in Renaissance Italy, even as a duchess.
And for those interested in past Holiday Book Lists (this is #13!), here’s the link.
P.S. Support your Favorite Indie
For the last three years (and it seems like longer), we’ve had a fantastic bookstore right here in Jamestown named Curiosity. It closes very soon (and until then, everything in the store is 50 percent off!), leaving me with a very tall stack of books to read and many, many great memories. Going forward, I’ll do my book buying at Charter Books in Newport or Island Books in Middletown. I like to imagine you all holiday shopping among those cozy stacks, but if that’s not possible you can still support a local independent bookstore through bookshop.org (they send a portion of each purchase to the store of your choice).
Got a favorite book from your 2024 reading, or do you maybe need to discuss Playground just like me? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send me an email. I read every single one, with gratitude. Thanks for being here, and enjoy the festive season!
P.P.S The very sharp-eyed might have spotted a rather familiar title with a different cover “hidden” amongst the other reads for 2024. More about that very soon!
