Cannonball Read 2 Wrap-up
It’s been over a month since Cannonball Read 2 wrapped, a comprehensive list of all 52 books and links to review can be found here. Rather than do a list of all the books from best to worst, here are the highlights - the 10 favorites from all year, starting with the most recently read:
Digging to America by Anne Tyler - Tyler writes memorable characters and uses literary devices in ways that add to the story rather than draw attention to their use. A compassionate look at different cultures. (read more)
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler - Chandler’s sparse writing hides the skill that goes into writing a mystery this effective. (read more)
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro - a sad dystopian tale, this book’s strength is the narration provided by the main character. (read more)
Wise Children by Angela Carter - bizarre, witty, fantastical story, a slow read but ultimately engrossing. (read more)
Postcards from the Edge by Carrie Fisher - Fisher should get some sort of prize for writing this book, adapting it into a totally different (wonderful) movie that radically changes the plot and jettisons major characters, but retains the same charm and wry tone. (read more)
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman - one of my favorite non-fiction books ever. (read more)
Nobody Passes ed. Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore - a must-read for those with an interest in gender & intersectionality. (read more)
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold - sad and hopeful all at once, this book suffers a bit in comparison to The Book Thief (the two share similar themes and narrators), but is still one of the best I read this year. (read more)
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - probably the favorite of all of these. Don’t be put off by the ‘young adult’ label, this book deals with themes of grief, loss, and love in a way few ‘adult’ books do. (read more)
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov - transcendent. The writing in this book is superb, and Humbert Humbert is absolutely fascinating & horrifying. If you haven’t read this book and think it advocates pedophilia, give it a read - it condemns the main character by giving him voice. (read more)