Favorite Things I Read in 2020

 I know, it's an embarrassment of riches! I even made *another* photo collage.

Why Art? Eleanor Davis

You should read absolutely everything by Eleanor Davis, but I think this one might be my favorite of her books. It starts off as a kind of lecture about art (with some thought-provoking and humorous meta-touches), and then shifts into this amazing parable that gathers together some of the ideas that animate a lot of her work, namely, a dialectic of dystopian fears and utopian hopes, and a rumination on human nature. Of all her books, it seems most explicit in the way that it sets up those questions while not providing an answer. It's brilliant.

Savage Conversations, Leanne Howe

When the pandemic hit, bookstores closed, and I can't bear to get into all the awfulness that went with that, but one of the things that resulted was that a group of booksellers got together and created a storefront on bookshop.org called The Bookstore at the End of the World. I learned about it from one of the booksellers, Jeff Waxman, who I got to know via internet when I was working at the Seminary Co-op, and who always has the best book recommendations. This one came from his list, and wowwww.
Loosely inspired by historical facts: the execution of 38 Dakhota Indians, ordered by Abraham Lincoln, and Mary Lincoln Todd's testimony, in the trial that subsequently led to her institutionalization, that a "savage Indian" visited her every night and removed her scalp. It's an incredible work of avant-garde theater, on the intimacy of enemies, and the vagaries of historical memory.

Plot, Claudia Rankine

I'm working my way through everything Rankine has written, and all of it is incredible. I bought this one knowing nothing about it, and it turns out to be an absolutely stunning book about gestation, of both art and people. One of the all-time greatest books about pregnancy, definitely.

Mean, Myriam Gurba

I learned about Myriam Gurba from an essay she wrote during the American Dirt controversy, which then led me to this fantastic essay of hers, and then I was at Women & Children First in Chicago and saw this book on display, so I grabbed it. And now I keep trying to make everyone I know read it. Part auto-theory about the queer art of meanness, part recounting of sexual assault and the eventual fate of the man who committed it, part ghost story. It's searing and melancholy and hilarious all at once.  

Welcome to America, Linda Bostrom Knausgaard

I wrote about this for the BTBA blog (and got an email from the translator, who wanted me to know that I was wrong. Yes, this happened!).

Nothing to See Here, Kevin Wilson

This took me completely by surprise. It's absolutely hilarious, but also emotionally astute. The plot is wonderfully wacky and the voice is spot on (and brilliantly narrated, in the audiobook). After you read (or listen to) it, go listen to this terrific interview with the author on my favorite podcast.

Księgi Jakubowe [Books of Jacob], Olga Tokarczuk

The English translation, by the inimitable Jennifer Croft, will be out this fall! And you're in for a treat. This is a fascinating, sprawling, deeply queer epic of 18th century Poland. Any day now, you can read my thoughts about the use of free indirect discourse in the novel (if you don't have access, email me and I'll send you a copy).

Red at the Bone, Jacqueline Woodson

Another author I'm trying to read all of, and once again, I think this one was my favorite. A story of family across generations, teen pregnancy, college life. Wrenchingly beautiful.

The City and the House, Natalia Ginzburg

I picked this up randomly at the Sem Co-op and felt like I'd made the world's greatest discovery, but now it seems like everyone is talking about Ginzburg. And they should be! She's amazing. I'm buying every book by her that I can find. And this is still my favorite. Who writes epistolary fiction in the 20th century?! Natalia Ginzburg, that's who. And it's terrific. 

Inland, Tea Obreht

I read this as part of a pandemic email bookclub, and those emails got published by the ASAP Journal. The emails are divided by sections of the book, so you could actually read it along with us, if you wanted...

Gorilla, My Love, Toni Cade Bambara

In the heavy days of summer 2020, a friend asked for recommendations of works that center Black joy, and that's how I learned about this book (how did I not know about it before?!). And it's perfect. Effervescent.

The Last Samurai, Helen DeWitt

There's a reason this is a cult classic. It is absolutely worth the hype. The struggles of genius! And parenting. It's wonderful.

 

But what about the center box of boxes??? I hear you ask, if you improbably found your way to this post all by its lonesome. Read about it here.