BEST BOOKS OF 2018

WINNER: The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
This book is the most creatively plotted book I have read in my lifetime. The main character wakes up in an unknown body, gets a new identity each day, and has seven days to solve the mystery of who killed Evelyn Hardcastle. The consequences for failure are severe: reverting to the beginning of the week and reliving it all again, forever. Beautifully written with each subsequent character developed to complement the plot twists, this book will keep you turning pages and reveling in the unique story. It. Is. Brilliant.



General Fiction:  A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne
This is a completely different turn for the author of The Heart's Invisible Furies, this time exploring the age old siren's song of success and greed. The life of Maurice Swift, a man who relentless seeks stories, is a tal eof greed, obsession, desperation, and unmitigated ambition. The question is, what came first...the evil or the ambition? This is a provocative novel that will provide a book club with endless conversation and an individual with haunting thoughts.

Honorable Mention: There, There by Tommy Orange, A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult, Virgil Wander by Leif Enger, The Lost for Words Bookshop by Stephanie Butland, Us Against You by Frederik Backman, The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin, A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, Night Child by                                          Anna Quinn, American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Mystery: The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz
A woman visits a funeral home to plan her own memorial, and is then found strangled just six hours later; a deliciously clever cast of suspects abound as we see the latest crime-solving duo created by Anthony Horowitz. writer Anthony Horowitz (yes, one and the same) who Hawthorne wants to write up his life story into true-crime fashion. These two are hilarious, brilliant, and ultimately completely ingenious as we watch the mystery unfold. As with any British caper, red herrings are rife in the scenery and Horowitz uses his own bungling to mirror the reader's confusion as to whodunnit.

Honorable Mention: The Woman in the Window by AJ Finn, The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware, The Plea by Steven Cavanaugh, The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey, The Chalk Man by CJ Tudor, Into the Black Nowhere (Unsub #2) by Meg Gardiner, Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney

Historical Fiction: The Silence of the Women by Pat Barker
The traditional version is of Achille's anger when his slave girl Briseis is taken from him by Agamemnon, thus leading to Achille's temper tantrum and his refusal to fight for the Greeks on the plains of Troy, all about taking back the beautiful Helen. However, author Pat Barker has her own opinion of how the story actually played out, and in this one, the truth of rape, war, deception, and loyalty is revealed in the most beautiful prose and from the woman's point of view. The consequences of war on the women and children of an occupied country are powerful and unforgettable.

Honorable Mention: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton, In the Shadow of 10,000 Hills by Jennifer Haupt, The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris, How to Stop Time by Matthew Haig

YA Fantasy: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Set in the world of Orisha, the magic has been vanquished years ago through murder and destruction, killing the maji off and leaving their children, the diviners behind. The diviners have no magic, but have stark white hair against their brown skin to set them off. Enslaved and abused, the diviner society is set for rebellion. This is an incredible gift of storytelling to the world. If you like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and every other magical tale of friendship, loyalty, family bonds, destruction, power, fear, you name it, pick up this book. You will not regret it.

Honorable Mention: Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl, Legendary (Caravel #2) by Stephanie Garber, Court of Thorn and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas, The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

Science Fiction: Red Clocks by Leni Zumas
This dystopic novel takes place in a world of 'today' - no spaceships, no Big Brother computers, just normal Pacific Northwest setting. However, the federal government has recently outlawed all abortions, as well as invitro treatments, making them crimes for which young unwed teens and grown married women can be imprisoned. And just for an encore, the latest law is the "two parent family, only mom and dad" rule, stopping all single people, much less (gasp!) gay people, from adopting the unwanted babies. The premise is creative and oh so topical.

Honorable Mention: Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe #2) by Neal Shusterman, Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman

Memoir: Educated by Tara Westover
Raised in a strict Mormon family in the mountains of Idaho, Tara and most of her siblings were kept out of school, not to be educated at home, but to work in their father's scrap yard and their mother's homeopathic and unlicensed midwifery business. It is a profound look at what happens when one doesn't educate a child on things we think are basic. How does this skew their view of the world? How does the world look on this child, when as an adult their questions and comments show not only ignorance, but whiffs of racism and hatred? Whose fault is it? Parent, society, the  individual herself? Can a lack of education, or conversely a formal education, fundamentally change society?

Honorable Mention: Witness: Lessons from Elie Wiesel's Classroom by Ariel Burger, Rising Out of Hatred by Eli Saslow, Heartland by Sarah Smarsh, The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton, Southern Discomfort by Tena Clark

Non-Fiction, History: The Library Book by Susan Orlean

Revolving around the story of the 1986 fire at the Los Angeles Central library, this is a love letter to all things "library" - the history, the buildings, the administrators, and the frontline people who devote their lives to books, as well as some investigative journalism over 'whodunnit.'

Honorable Mention: The Soul of America by John Meachum, The World As it Is by Ben Rhodes, The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis, The Day the World Came to Town by Jim Defede, American Nations by Colin Woodard




Non-Fiction, Social Justice: One Person, No Vote by Carol Anderson
This short book by Carol Anderson, recommended by both President Obama and former AG Eric Holder, is a fascinating look at what has happened to the voting rights of all Americans over the past decade. It also looks at the history of of the past one hundred years, including the poll taxes, the civil rights movement, the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This research will give one a deeper knowledge of the systematic manner in which voting rights have been stolen from millions of Americans, especially those who live in poverty and/or are people of color: the purging of voter rolls, voter suppression campaigns through social media, the removal of polling places and places to register, the myth of voter fraud, and the illegal use of voter ID laws.

Honorable Mention: Janesville by Amy Goldstein, What Truth Sounds Like by Michael Dyson

Non-Fiction, Science: Rocket Men by Robert Kurson

This new book on the historic first orbit of the moon is a wonderful walk down a lot of exciting memories, but it is also an outstanding reminder of what hope, determination, and plain ole hard work can accomplish. It is as an incredibly inspiring story of what three men did for our country on Christmas Eve in 1968.

Honorable Mention: The Brain's Way of Healing by Norman Doidge, Cure: A Journey into the Science of the Mind by Jo Marchant

November 2.0

A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne

The author of The Heart's Invisible Furies, my pick for best book of 2017, is back with another incredible story, exploring the age old siren's song of success and greed. The life of Maurice Swift, a man who relentlessly seeks stories, is a tale of greed, obsession, desperation, and unmitigated ambition. Told through the eyes of the many characters who inhabit the decades of his life, we see Maurice at the beginning of adulthood, willing to do whatever it takes to obtain a publishable story. Next, we observe his mid-life years in the world of writers and publishers, and how his raw need for subsequent stories will drive him to ever darker behavior. Ultimately, we witness his elder years, where life has taken unexpected turns and another's ambition will seek to destroy Maurice. The question is, what came first...the evil or the ambition? This is a provocative novel that will provide a book club with endless conversation and an individual with haunting thoughts.

The Witch Elm by Tana French
Having read every one of Tana French's previous books (yep, there's six of them, all part of the Dublin Murder Squad series), I was itching to get my hand on this stand-alone novel. It did not disappoint. I understand some reviewers on line being frustrated with the length of it, but for a 500 page book, it did not move slowly at all for me. French is the master at developing characters, which is one of the reasons I love her writing. I can see deep into the soul of the people she creates, helping me to better understand the complicated plot lines she lays out. In this book, Toby is our main character, suffering from a traumatic brain injury following a home invasion. As he recovers at his uncle's house outside of Dublin, this home of special childhood memories begins to take on a dark side as a skull and a murder are discovered. French builds the characters and plot methodically and deliberately, but not pointlessly. Great twists and turns abound, leaving the reader satisfied but not in a perfectly-wrapped-package kind of way. If you like Tana French, you will like this book.

Lethal White (Cormoran Strike, #4) by Robert Galbraith
Yes, I love JK Rowling (aka Robert Galbraith) and of course I love HP. But seriously, this woman is just a great storyteller. Her main character of Cormoran Strike is one of my favorites in today's world of British mysteries; he is wretchedly smart, wryly funny, tortured by his past, frustratingly oblivious to his own feelings, and thoroughly delightful. If you haven't read the other three in the series, catch up! But if you haven't, this can be read as a stand alone, but you would miss the development of the relationship between Strike and his assistant/now partner, Robin. This time around these two have their noses in the government, with some crooked ministers, a creepy old country mansion, and a mysterious crime. Solid mystery + engaging characters + thoughtful prose = a hit for me.

The Gods of Gotham (Timothy Wilde #1) by Lyndsay Faye
One of my favorite "listens" over the last few years was Lyndsay Faye's 2016 book, Jane Steele. I loved her sassy voice, her prowess with vocabulary without being too verbose, and the wickedly complex character she creates. So, I thought I should go back and read an earlier series, based around Timothy Wilde, a New York cop. For the record - good decision! Timothy is an interesting man; half his face burnt from a home fire that killed his parents, desperately in love with the pastor's beautiful daughter, complicated relationship with his brother, and a reluctant cop on the newly formed NYC police force, Timothy then decides to adopt a little girl who has information on a murder case. Mid-century New York is a fascinating setting and Faye creates a city that sings with darkness, crime, and rotten politicians, but with a couple good "copper stars" who don't mind getting their hands dirty. Lyndsay Faye is one talented story teller - don't miss her novels.

Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton
Curiosity about Cuba led me to this book, as well as the rave reviews. Admittedly, I am a bit torn. The story is told from two different perspectives: the tale of long ago during the revolution, involving Elisa and her siblings as the privileged planter class watches their world be destroyed; the other story is one of Elisa's granddaughter, coming to modern day Cuba, to sprinkle her grandmother's ashes. I was absorbed with the story of the revolutionary with whom Elisa falls in love, the story of how and why rebels chose to follow Castro, and how it impacted the people of Cuba. However, I would have enjoyed some different viewpoints. Elisa and her family are quite wealthy and they have the means to escape; while Cleeton gives some details of the poor and middle-class left behind, it is quite sparse. And the modern day story was a bit too romance-y for my taste, reading more like a Harlequin novel. With that said, I did enjoy the richness of the Cuban story and might be willing to try the sequel, which is about the older sister Beatriz (more of a rebel, she may be more interesting to me than Elisa). If you're planning a trip to Cuba, this would definitely add to one's knowledge base.