OK, so here's my end-of-year list. Why now? Well, the holidays end today, right?
Anyway, looking back on what I reviewed or just read, here's what I liked best:
Fiction
The God of War, Marisa Silver
The Gift of Rain, Tan Twan Eng
The Song of Bernadette, Franz Werfel
The Secret Scripture, Sebastian Barry
The Professor's House, Willa Cather
Island of the World, Michael D. O'Brien
Nonfiction
Ambition and Survival, Christian Wiman
The Roman Triumph, Mary Beard
Worshipping Walt, Michael Robertson
Thrumpton Hall, Miranda Seymour
Nothing to Be Frightened Of, Julian Barnes
Becoming Charlemagne, Jeff Sypeck
Poetry
Over the Summer Water, Elizabeth McFarland
Selected Poems, Frank O'Hara
As for what I didn't like:
The Diary of a Bad Year, J.M. Coetzee
The Reserve, Russell Banks
Home, Marilynne Robinson
The China Lover, Ian Buruma
Thanks, Frank! I'm unaccustomed to being placed among such distinguished company...
ReplyDeleteI could not get through "The Gift of Rain", but I think I'll pick it up again, now that I know it was on your "best" list!
ReplyDeleteI call 'em as I see 'em, Jeff. And yes, Christine, do try The Gift of Rain again. Like Sebastian's book, it also treats history in terms of its human context.
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