Best Books I Read in 2018
In the “better late than never” category, I’m finally publishing my best books list for 2018. Hey, full-time employment slows a girl down. At least I’m getting it out in time for those who ask me for a “beach read.” However, proceed with caution: I did actually read several of these on a beach, but they don’t likely fit most folks’ “beach read” definition.
2018’s tally was 62 books read, a dramatic decline from 2017 (see previous employment comment), but still a good reading year.
Fiction
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adicihie
The story of two Nigerian teenagers, Ifemelu and Obinze, and their journeys — geographical and emotional — as they set out to find their places in the world by way of England and the United States. In addition to weaving two increasingly disparate tales together, Adichie set herself the challenge of tracing Ifemelu’s growth as a social commentator, weaving in Ifemelu’s blog posts in her own unique voice. Against a backdrop of African emigration, Adichie asks the timeless question: can we ever really go home again?
The Power by Naomi Alderman
It’s the flip side of The Handmaid’s Tale — what if women suddenly had a power to physically overpower men? What would happen to the world? Fascinating to ponder, but spoiler alert: women aren’t that different. It doesn’t end well.
Circe and The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
It was a two-fer for this author, who released The Song of Achilles in 2012 and Circe in 2018. I victoriously snagged a British airport copy of Circe during a layover in Heathrow (victorious as it isn’t available in paperback in the US until September 2019). A retelling of the classic Greek myths, each book has its strengths, but I preferred Circe for its deeper psychological portrait into the first witch in literature. The Song of Achilles has a stronger plot (perhaps thanks to The Iliad as its source material) and more lyrical writing (again, perhaps attributable to the source material). Both are great reads and accessible for those who aren’t familiar with or don’t recall (ahem, this reader) the Greek myths.
Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter
An unusual short book in form and prose, it’s really a book length prose poem that examines the physical and mental reality of coping with grief. In the manifestation of a talking black crow. It’s weird, but good. However, if “book length prose poem with a heavy dose of magic realism” doesn’t sound at least intriguing, this probably isn’t the right read for you.
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Published in 1949 and with my deep childhood love of the Shoes series by Noel Streatfeild, I’m shocked that I never read this until now. Cassandra is one of the most charming British narrators ever written. This young adult read is a coming-of-age tale of a teenager living in genteel poverty with her eclectic family in a crumbling castle in 1930s England. With no running water. Reading it as an adult, I probably I spent more time pondering the parenting decisions of Cassandra’s father than the author intended, but I thoroughly enjoyed her.
Non-Fiction
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
One for the introverts (and the extroverts who love them?), Cain does a great job of explaining how societal values impact how introverts feel in the world. Amazon classifies this as behavioral psychology, but I’d describe it as a combination of self-realization book for the introverted and a business and cultural history for all. Given my current employment, I found particularly fascinating the blame Cain lays squarely on the campus of Harvard Business School for the cult of the extrovert in corporate America.
Bad Feminist: Essays by Roxanne Gay
Such a great title, accurately reflecting the conflicted self of many women on the topic of feminism. Gay examines feminism and race in this book of essays — as well as competitive Scrabble culture, life as a first-year professor, and popular fiction. For Gen X women who spent years with Elizabeth and Jessica, her Sweet Valley High essay, “I Once was Miss America,” is worth the price of the book alone.
I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death by Maggie O’Farrell
A memoir told through a series of near-death experiences, it surprisingly isn’t morbid or maudlin. O’Farrell builds her biography through these seventeen stop-gap moments, and manages to connect them by examining with tension and curiosity what brushes with death teach her about having a life worth living. Creates excellent fodder for shaking up the typical cocktail party chatter: “So how many near-death experiences have you had?”
Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
Mix one horrific childhood with one transformative education experience, and you have this book. This is one for the lovers of The Glass Castle or champions of higher education on transforming lives. While it’s a cliché to say anything is jaw-dropping, Westover’s saga, and particularly what she survived in childhood, truly is. It’s a marvel that she not only came out alive but with a PhD. Manages to be seriously troubling and inspiring all in one read.
