2022 Reading Challenge

Book 31: We Jazz Magazine - Issue 5 "Amaryllis" (We Jazz Helsinki, 2022)

128 pages

The latest in the We Jazz Magazine series, with the Winter Edition coming out in a couple of weeks' time. A really good read, especially as I wasn't familiar with many of the musicians highlighted this time around, so plenty to explore. There was quite a touching tribute/piece on Jaimie Branch, who unfortunately passed away a few months ago.

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mgp said:
27. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders - I needed a change of pace, and I got it. Hard to describe except it's about Lincoln trying to cope with the untimely death of his son Willie, and the spirits that are living in the in-between space between life and death. Not an easy read - lots of characters who take turns telling their stories (and interrupting each other) - but a very impressive and ultimately rewarding read. And apparently there is an audiobook that includes Nick Offerman, Megan Mullaly, Jeff Tweedy, Susan Sarandon, Don Cheedle, Rainn Wilson, Ben Stiller, Ben Hader, Keegan Michael-Key, and the list goes on (according to wiki there are 166 characters). I'm playing that on my next road trip.
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Lincoln in the Bardo is so delightfully bonkers. Few books have really reached off the page to command my full attention this way this one did. I didn’t know about the audiobook - that sounds wonderful, too.
 
November, the end of the year is nigh...

Book 55: Milkman - Anna Burns

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This has definitely been one of, if not my overall favourite reads of the year.
It's a compact story (in that not huge amounts happen over the span of maybe 3 or 4 weeks), about a young woman in Northern Ireland during the '70s living her life amongst the backdrop of sectarian hatred and violence. A psychological novel told with the driest of wit in a flawless stream of consciousness that I found really difficult to put down and always eager to return to.
Unnamed, the protagonist finds herself stalked by a shady character that is definitely a renouncer, may be a paramilitant and definitely isn't a milkman but seems to be frequently confused as one (the reason why is made clear late in the novel).
Through no fault of her own, the ever-watchful community with their network of rumours and gossip, instantly have her undertaking an illicit affair with this married man and assign her the fear and respect a woman in a relationship with such a character warrants. This is at odds to the pariah status she had previously been granted by the community due to the fact that she reads pre-20th century fiction whilst walking which is a definite no-no.
Burns releases information about the future of her characters ad-hoc in thoughts that sometimes, but not always, get returned to later for added detail.
All of her characters balance their every word and action on a set of spoken and unspoken rules that will determine whether you are with them, against the state, from across the road, over the border or that country over the water. It's a brilliant depiction of what it must have been like to live in a state of constant distrust and paranoia, while still just trying to get on with life.

Book 56: Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars. - Joyce Carol Oates

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This was a trudge at times. It details the aftermath for a family whose patriarch dies from a stroke due to the actions of police brutality.
There's plenty to say as the family either crumble or rebuild and for the most part it's plenty interesting and the writing is good, but at nearly 800pp it did feel like an effort towards the latter half. It's my first Oates and I had no idea until I saw the list of her books in the front of this one, just how prolific she is. I'll try more in the future, I'm sure.

Book 57: V - Thomas Pynchon

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Oof, this was a tough read. Two distinct narrative threads alternate chapters. The first thread set in the mid 20th Century U.S.A., I was able to follow and generally enjoy (although the character count left me struggling at times). The second, set in late 19th/early 20th centuries, all around the world with an even bigger character list, well, let's just say I frequently found myself hoping these chapters would soon be over. The two threads are joined by a character and his quest for 'V' and do converge towards the end.
I knew ahead of reading it that Pynchon is often considered difficult, but I also know some people love his stuff. Not sure from this, my first attempt at reading him, I'm ever going to feel passionate about his books but, being as I have some more, I will consider trying them.

Book 58: Hotel du Lac - Anita Brookner

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This 1984 Booker winner proved to be a nice little read. Following some scandalous behaviour at home, a romantic novelist sequesters herself at a Swiss hotel towards the end of season. There, she meets a small cast of characters that revel in the hotel's old world service style and she learns a little about them and herself along the way. Well written, very human and rather witty at times.
 
Mr Moore said:
November, the end of the year is nigh...

Book 55: Milkman - Anna Burns

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This has definitely been one of, if not my overall favourite reads of the year.
It's a compact story (in that not huge amounts happen over the span of maybe 3 or 4 weeks), about a young woman in Northern Ireland during the '70s living her life amongst the backdrop of sectarian hatred and violence. A psychological novel told with the driest of wit in a flawless stream of consciousness that I found really difficult to put down and always eager to return to.
Unnamed, the protagonist finds herself stalked by a shady character that is definitely a renouncer, may be a paramilitant and definitely isn't a milkman but seems to be frequently confused as one (the reason why is made clear late in the novel).
Through no fault of her own, the ever-watchful community with their network of rumours and gossip, instantly have her undertaking an illicit affair with this married man and assign her the fear and respect a woman in a relationship with such a character warrants. This is at odds to the pariah status she had previously been granted by the community due to the fact that she reads pre-20th century fiction whilst walking which is a definite no-no.
Burns releases information about the future of her characters ad-hoc in thoughts that sometimes, but not always, get returned to later for added detail.
All of her characters balance their every word and action on a set of spoken and unspoken rules that will determine whether you are with them, against the state, from across the road, over the border or that country over the water. It's a brilliant depiction of what it must have been like to live in a state of constant distrust and paranoia, while still just trying to get on with life.

Book 56: Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars. - Joyce Carol Oates

View attachment 159709
This was a trudge at times. It details the aftermath for a family whose patriarch dies from a stroke due to the actions of police brutality.
There's plenty to say as the family either crumble or rebuild and for the most part it's plenty interesting and the writing is good, but at nearly 800pp it did feel like an effort towards the latter half. It's my first Oates and I had no idea until I saw the list of her books in the front of this one, just how prolific she is. I'll try more in the future, I'm sure.

Book 57: V - Thomas Pynchon

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Oof, this was a tough read. Two distinct narrative threads alternate chapters. The first thread set in the mid 20th Century U.S.A., I was able to follow and generally enjoy (although the character count left me struggling at times). The second, set in late 19th/early 20th centuries, all around the world with an even bigger character list, well, let's just say I frequently found myself hoping these chapters would soon be over. The two threads are joined by a character and his quest for 'V' and do converge towards the end.
I knew ahead of reading it that Pynchon is often considered difficult, but I also know some people love his stuff. Not sure from this, my first attempt at reading him, I'm ever going to feel passionate about his books but, being as I have some more, I will consider trying them.

Book 58: Hotel du Lac - Anita Brookner

View attachment 159711
This 1984 Booker winner proved to be a nice little read. Following some scandalous behaviour at home, a romantic novelist sequesters herself at a Swiss hotel towards the end of season. There, she meets a small cast of characters that revel in the hotel's old world service style and she learns a little about them and herself along the way. Well written, very human and rather witty at times.
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Which other Pynchon books do you have? I read V. about ten years ago and really enjoyed it (it was my second by him), but as it's his first it's definitely a bit uneven. I've just got two more of his to get through. I read Mason & Dixon this fall and it was probably my favourite reading experience ever.
 
BjorgenFjorgen said:
Which other Pynchon books do you have? I read V. about ten years ago and really enjoyed it (it was my second by him), but as it's his first it's definitely a bit uneven. I've just got two more of his to get through. I read Mason & Dixon this fall and it was probably my favourite reading experience ever.
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Quite a few, (I tend to buy too many books especially when they're reduced on daily/monthly Amazon deals. Nice to hear that about M&D. When I got my first 'proper' job out of university there was a book shop at the bottom of Canary Wharf tower where I worked and I used to go in every other lunchtime and look at books I couldn't really afford. That was one of them back in about '97/'98 and I always picked up the hardback and fancied it. I'll make sure when I read another that it's that one. These are the ones I have:
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Mr Moore said:
Quite a few, (I tend to buy too many books especially when they're reduced on daily/monthly Amazon deals. Nice to hear that about M&D. When I got my first 'proper' job out of university there was a book shop at the bottom of Canary Wharf tower where I worked and I used to go in every other lunchtime and look at books I couldn't really afford. That was one of them back in about '97/'98 and I always picked up the hardback and fancied it. I'll make sure when I read another that it's that one. These are the ones I h
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Awesome. I've read all of those apart from Vineland so far. M&D is written in the style of an 18th century picaresque novel. It takes a little bit to get used to the language but it is an absolutely stunning work.
 
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Book 32: A Night in Tunisia: Imaginings of Africa in Jazz - Norman C. Weinstein (The Scarecrow Press Inc, 1992)

244 pages.

This was a book that I bought on a recent trip to Copenhagen, at a second-hand book shop where everything was priced at around £3.50 (in the equivalent Danish Kroner). It was a really interesting read that is split into chapters that focus on the work of a single jazz musician and how they were influenced by, and their connections to Africa. These include Archie Shepp, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Sonny Murray, and Yusef Lateef to name a few.

The premise of the book is a good one but it is massively let down in my opinion by the author as he constantly pats himself on the back by stating that this is the first written work to focus on the topic (which isn't true), whilst also constantly mentioning that although he is a white American he still has an authority on the subject because he has read a lot about Africa. Very strange.

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Selaws said:
Book 32: A Night in Tunisia: Imaginings of Africa in Jazz - Norman C. Weinstein (The Scarecrow Press Inc, 1992)

244 pages.

This was a book that I bought on a recent trip to Copenhagen, at a second-hand book shop where everything was priced at around £3.50 (in the equivalent Danish Kroner). It was a really interesting read that is split into chapters that focus on the work of a single jazz musician and how they were influenced by, and their connections to Africa. These include Archie Shepp, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Sonny Murray, and Yusef Lateef to name a few.

The premise of the book is a good one but it is massively let down in my opinion by the author as he constantly pats himself on the back by stating that this is the first written work to focus on the topic (which isn't true), whilst also constantly mentioning that although he is a white American he still has an authority on the subject because he has read a lot about Africa. Very strange.

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Damn, that's too bad. Definitely seems like something with wicked potential!
 
Bull Shannon said:
Book 32: The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy
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Cormac McCarthy's last book, The Road, was published in 2006. It was also the first McCarthy I read, in 2007, and I spent the last 15 years combing through nearly every book in his bibliography (I'm still three short with Cities of the Plain, Outer Dark, and Suttree). The Passenger (and its sequel/companion Stella Maris, out in December) has been brewing basically since The Road, and rumors have been swirling about his story of atomic bombs, deep-sea salvage, and a brother-sister romance.

It's hard to describe this book without ruining the experience of reading it, as it doesn't really push itself past its synopsis, plot-wise. Bobby Western is a salvage diver in the early 80s, living a sparse life of working and having discursive discussions with the colorful characters who hang around a divers' bar. He's clearly haunted by his sister's death, as well as his father's legacy as one of the engineers of the atomic bomb.

After exploring a mysterious plane wreck in a river, Bobby comes under scrutiny by unspecified government agencies. This is where the book's sense of anticlimax/antiplot is deepest as the book turns into an inverted No Country for Old Men: as the situation gets more dire, the why of Western's pursuit becomes murkier, and Western himself seems basically unconcerned by the tightening noose. Ultimately, the murky vagaries of the plot lead to a feeling of the past in constant pursuit; it feels more like a thematic feature than a narrative bug. McCarthy is clearly even more focused on death, legacy, and grief; and in typical fashion he concludes that we're all dust, it's all actively crumbling around us, and any motion towards self-preservation is dishonesty with yourself and nature. It's a story intensely focused on grief and grieving; the present is barely worth engaging with, don't even bother divining the future, and the past itself is too painful to fully reckon with.

This is a deeply strange book especially seeing that, for all the grief, there is a lot of humor, wordplay, and puns. McCarthy includes a "yes I'm serious, and don't call me Shirley" joke. The dialogues can be infuriating for McCarthy's lack of punctuation and no "he said/she said" dialogue attribution. Nearly every chapter begins with an italicized conversation between Western's sister and the apparitions brought on by her deteriorating mental health. They're nearly interminable, but clearly crucial to the book's texture and theme of the prison of human consciousness, and as the book ambles towards its conclusion they bleed into the rest of the story in a way that carries thematic heft. I'm half-dreading Stella Maris, a much-slimmer novel which apparently consists entirely of a dialogue between the sister and her therapist.

You're crazy for this one, Mack.
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Book 33: The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia, by Candace Fleming
Bit of a random choice and a palate cleanser. After every fourth book I read, my wife recommends I read something she's just finished, and this was one of those.

I didn't know the most about the Romanov family; history is a topic I was downright terrible at in school, and only as I get older and have landed a better sense of scope and perspective have I really gelled with boning up on it. This was a young-adult-aimed book, but I appreciated that; it was a lot easier to read ~200 pages of simply written information than 600+ pages of densely researched facts firehose.

Book 34: Lake of the Long Sun, by Gene Wolfe
Book 7 of the Solar Cycle, Book 2 of the Long Sun series. I've been enjoying this series pretty well; it's less intricate in its prose but still complex in its plotting and worldbuilding. This one matched Book 2 of New Sun for me, in that the first read felt like a download of revelations that I didn't 100% pick up on.

Book 35: A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers
This is part 2 of the Monk and Robot series; I think I read the first one earlier this year. I can't tell if there will be more of these, as several outlets imply it's a duology and others frame it as an ongoing series.

I love these two little weirdos and their relationship; it's a book that reminds me a lot of The Tao of Pooh in that it uses a fairly simple and straightforward set of characters to extrapolate gently on philosophical topics. The basic premise across both books is within a utopian, post-technology (I have slight gripes over the author's implication that humanity's shed harmful technology/industry, only to walk things back and reintroduce phones, email, etc) a tea monk (sort of a therapist who makes tea for people and listens to their problems) meets a robot in the woods, the first robot to make human contact in generations. The robot has set out to ask humanity what their needs are. Thus, over the course of the book, the monk explains human behavior to the robot, who is conveniently and charmingly unversed on their complexity.
 
Well, I don't think I'll finish My Struggle Book 6 before the end of the year. But, I did hit my 12+ books for the personal challenge I set.
This volume of Karl Ove is quite a bit different than the books that preceded it. I'm near the middle (of 1200 pages) and it is SO dense.

@Tyr - Did you ever end up getting to or through Book 6?
 
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Imagine an American Idol semi-finalist that ends up in musical theatre and a daytime soap opera. Then imagine that he turns his memoir into a look at modern masculinity. Then imagine he’s Australian and you have this book.

This could have easily been a tell all story - he hooked up with Paris Hilton, then punched a couple of folk that slagged him off about it, amongst other things.

It’s an easy read, and a great primer if you have a male kid moving into their teenage years. I’m not doing it a disservice by saying it’s a great young adult self help book. A good starting point.
 
ayayrawn said:
16. Invisible Child by Andrea Elliott. Won the Pulitzer last year for nonfiction. Infuriating read. This country is beyond fucked. Pretty moved by this family's story though. Great reporting.

17. Babylon's Ashes by James SA Corey. Book 6 of the Expanse. Generally enjoy this series but this was probably my least favorite entry so far. Feels more like an epilogue to the last book than something with a full arc. Poorly paced, and pretty boring for what should have been a climax of the series.

18. Fire & Blood by George RR Martin. Had a blast with this. I was hesitant because I'd heard it was dry, but found it to be a lot of fun. If you're interested in the ASoIaF universe, you should check ot out.

19. Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla by Dan Charnas. Been listening as an Audiobook since June, but just now finished. Absolutely essential for Hip Hop Heads, and actually, every other music fan too. Phenomenal.

Currently reading Nightmares and Dreamscapes as my annual Stephen King read. It's fine. Might pick up a classic if I finish before the month is out.
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20. Nightmares and Dreamscapes by Stephen King - This one was fine. Not my favorite of his in terms of short stories. Starts with a few duds, but picks up and i ended up enjoying by the end.

21. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante - Thought this was alright. Pretty prose, but weird sentence structures that stunted my progress. Not sure if I enjoyed enough to read the whole tertralogy.

22. One Piece Vols. 98-100 - What can I say, I'll be reading these til I die.

23. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel - appreciated this from a writing and structure standpoint, but not really sure I enjoyed it that much? Kept waiting for it to click a certain way and it didn't. Some really moving and witty passages but lots of slog. May pick up the others, but in no hurry. This took me a while.

24. Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh - The Last of her's I hadn't read and enjoyed it like I have everything else she's done! Love her.

Working on Jenette McCurdy's memoir, I'm Glad My Mom Died, now, which is quite good and easily digestible, something I've needed for a while. May not finish before year's end but I'm happy with my 2022 slate!

Next year I want to get into more classics. Some friends and I are planning on reading Ulysses in January. Exciting and intimidating in equal measure.
 
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Book 41
Mazebook by Jeff Lemire
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I love Jeff Lemire. With the exception of a few titles he wrote for Marvel and DC, I've read everything he's written, and own copies of most of it. The books he writes and draws completely solo are something truly special - The Underwater Welder and Essex County, in particular. Mazebook joins those titles for me as top-tier Jeff Lemire. It's emotional, endearing, clever, well-crafted and just the slightest bit off-kilter and fantastical. Originally released as 5 single issues, Mazebook definitely reads as a damn fine graphic novel (that happens to have 5 chapters) and this collected edition includes a gallery of alternate covers from other illustrators Lemire has worked with and a selection of sketches and notes from Lemire himself. A wonderful read. Highly recommended.
 
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