Josh Krysak
*3.5 stars. Unsettling and melancholic filled with robust writing and big ideas but pulled by an undercurrent of fatalism. I can't say I enjoyed it, but I am also glad that I read it. Myers can certainly write but does seem a bit verbose and intentionally ambiguous, like what he wants most is for his readers to be filled with wonder at their perceived understanding of his intentions rather than their actual response and understanding of whatever it is he is trying to say, if that makes any sense.
So different and so very good. I loved the ambiguity and I loved the entire premise. Tremblay grabbed me by the collar way back with Head Full of Ghosts and I've been a fan ever since. The format here is also ridiculously fun.
Gatsby comes to mind reading this dense drama set amongst the lobstermen and the striving middle and upper class of small town Maine. Enjoyable and revealing, I was struck by the rich writing and the steady sense of foreboding. I was less than impressed with the mixture of first and third person, as well as the choppy and mostly nonexistent chronology, which, for me, felt like a cheap act to elevate the novel to something “more” when it is really quite good without writing gimmicks and literary hooks.
*4.5 stars and it may end up a 5. This has me doing mental gymnastics trying to maneuver through all the angles and intricacies of loss and grief explored in such an intimate and also in such a detached way in this over-the-top and extremely dark, dark, dark tale. Interesting, bizarre, thoughtful, devastating and, ultimately, life-affirming.
2.5 stars. Such a premise. A pretty solid start and then about 175 pages of violent, monotonous action interwoven with heavy-handed allegory. Durham can write, and well, which makes it all the more disappointing.
A quiet and detailed meditation of the human condition, which is truly O'Nan's sweet spot, Ocean State is a marvel. When you intentionally drain the propulsive suspense from the story, as O'Nan does here (but I would posit there is still a smattering of suspenseful moments, albeit, understated moments), you are taking a calculated risk. While some Goodreads reviewers determined that this decision fails - I found the character building and the examination of grief, obsession, motivation, class and relationships riveting in the best of slow-burn ways. I was moved, but that's not something new when it comes to O'Nan's work for me. Ocean State is a deliberately understated gem.
Another year, gone.
I was able to just eke out my 2022 reading goal, hitting it on the button at 84 books and finishing up on Dec. 31, an increase of 11 books from my 2021 totals. I read more than 23,000 pages and averaged a 3.9-star rating. I read a lot of Stephen King and T.C. Boyle - no surprises there, but I also devoured a lot of Kevin Wilson and consumed three novels by T. Kingfisher that I couldn't put down. Anyway, without further ado, here are the 24 best books I read this year, (everything that earned 4.5 stars or above) along with some other notables and nuggets.
4.5-star reads:
Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson
Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan
River of Gods by Candice Millard
Wanderers by Chuck Wendig
The War, Blackwater Book 4 by Michael McDowell
Talk to Me, T. C. Boyle
BadAsstronauts by Grady Hendrix
Sundial by Catriona Ward
Universal Harvester by John Darnielle
5-star reads:
The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher
Piranesi by Suzanne Clarke
The Grip of It by Jac Jemc
84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
Best Wishes, Warmest Regards by Daniel Levy
The Palestinian Table by Reem Kassis
The High House by Jessie Greengrass
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
Ocean State by Stewart O'Nan
The House, Blackwater Book 3 by Michael McDowell
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
5-star Rereads in 2022:
Joyland by Stephen King (6th time - and, as was the case last year, no judgement!)
IT by Stephen King (3rd time)
Carrie by Stephen King (2nd time)
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson (2nd read)
Biggest Disappointments:
Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine
The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon
The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James
Summerwater by Sarah Moss
The Cartographers by Peng Sheperd
Repeat Authors (those who are on my “Yep, I'll read that without any additional information besides the fact that said author wrote something”) who don't appear in the lists above but still brought joy to my reading in 2021 with a new-to-me read:
Fairy Tale by Stephen King
Perfect Little World, Kevin Wilson
Now is Not the Time to Panic, Kevin Wilson
If the River Was Whiskey, T.C. Boyle
The Relive Box and Other Stories, T.C. Boyle
Drop City, T.C. Boyle
Matrix by Lauren Groff
As always thanks to my wife for reading along with me and being ready to talk books every single day. Thank you all for your engagement on this platform and for your insights and perspectives.
I wish you a safe, happy and healthy 2023 filled with great books!
*4.5 stars. This was an excellent ghostly story. Atmospheric. Interesting characters. A great setup. Historical echoes. I really enjoyed it.
Strange, ambitious, nuanced and entirely wonderful, Sea is exceptional in the way Station Eleven is exceptional. It has big ideas told through small moments and beautiful, interpersonal stories. The characters are often not relatable and also, entirely relatable. I loved it. Mandel is in an elite trio of young women writers - along with Karen Russell and Lauren Groff - that write intricate and singularly unique stories that make them auto-buy authors for me. I need to get back to Glass Hotel, which got pushed to the side of my TBR for reasons I can no longer remember!
Quietly powerful, and beautifully moving, The High House is a post-apocalyptic love story to humanity, our relationships, and our place in the natural world. Greengrass shows extraordinary grace in her handling of conflicting emotions and hardships, crafting a quartet of characters that each bring so much to the page in small, deeply moving bursts of revelation making the novel a fast yet affecting read. I loved it.
*2.5 stars. Again, there is a good concept but it never materialized to anything more than passable popcorn. I feel almost exactly the same way I did after reading The Sun Down Motel. Kinda entertained but also very meh.
I was intrigued with the ASL content, the deaf culture content, and the interesting conflicts within that community that I was unaware of. The story didn't lend itself for me to emotionally invest all that much and the ending felt like a throwaway.
Closer to 4.5. This one just rings true with me. It is baseball and writing and magical realism and I love it.
Fun, fast-paced science fiction. Scalzi calls his brisk novel a “pop song” and that proves an apt summation. This creature feature has such a unique concept and is just a burst of entertainment - exciting escapism that even when it is a bit action-heavy still holds a snarky edge and exceptional world-building that made the ride all the more enchanting.
*4.5 stars. This book was tense, intense, dark and supremely twisted. What begins as horror-tinged suburban domestic fiction ends up being a sci-fi adjacent, horror thrill ride through the desert that is bizarre, awful and wonderfully disturbed. I don't often do trigger warnings, but feel they are appropriate here because Ward pushes boundaries and some can be shocking. So, trigger warnings for infidelity, mental illness, physical and psychological abuse, abuse of a child, death of a child, death of a loved one, animal abuse, animal death, substance abuse, extreme violence and self-harm.
Well-written and thought provoking. Evocative storytelling and strong character development made this book beautiful, haunting and fascinating throughout.
*3.5 stars. Fun little book with lovely black, white and red sketches throughout and just enough humor and recognition of those well-worn English murder mystery tropes to keep me turning pages and chuckling.
*2.5 stars. Was fun for a bit, even if it was cliched and silly populated with ridiculous characters, but then it devolved and I lost interest. By the time the big climax arrives, I was quite ready to close the book and forget it.