Reading is perhaps one of the most important things in a writer’s life. I’ve had a very good year; my reading life has been rich and inspiring. Here are the books that simply enthralled me (in no particular order):
In fiction:
The Rehearsal, by Eleanor Catton
Tinkers, by Paul Harding
The Blind Contessa’s New Machine, by Carey Wallace
The Little Stranger, by Sarah Waters
Curiosity, by Joan Thomas
Father of the Rain, by Lily King
Room, by Emma Donoghue
Blonde, by Joyce Carol Oates.
November 22, 1968, by Adam Braver
Out Stealing Horses, by Per Petterson
Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth Strout
The Color of Lightning, by Paulette Jiles
Evening, by Susan Minot
Wolf Hall, by Hilary Mantel
A Reliable Wife, by Robert Goolrick
In non-fiction:
Lives like Loaded Guns, the story of Emily Dickinson and her family, by Lyndall Gordon
The Death of Donna Whalen, by Michael Winter ? I know, this is usually called “fiction”
A Week at the Airport, by Alain De Botton
The mood, the beauty of the prose, the compelling insights: every single one of these books still linger with me. If my reading life is even half as good in 2011, I will consider myself lucky.
Happy holidays, all!
