I read a lot. Like, probably too much (who am I kidding? I could never read enough to satisfy me). A couple of years ago, I started keeping a list of all the books I read in a year, and now that I have a blog where I’m posting consistently, I thought it was a perfect time to start an annual round-up of my favorite books of the year.
The disclaimer here is that I don’t read only new releases, so a lot of these books have probably been out for a while. If you want to know about new releases, there are news sites where people get paid to read those. Sorry. I hope you enjoy this list anyway!
So Nice I Read ‘Em Twice (notable re-reads)
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry -okay, let’s talk about this. I’M IN LOVE! I’M IN LOVE, AND I DON’T CARE WHO KNOWS IT! Lonesome Dove is, hands down, one of the best books I’ve ever read. It is epic and beautifully written, and I literally wept when it ended. It was one of the first books I read in 2015, and I re-read it during my first month on the Race because it was just that good. Augustus McCrae, Woodrow Call, and the Hat Creek Outfit will make you laugh, cry, and want to binge-watch spaghetti Westerns.
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Christian (because I’m one of those)
Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans
The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James H. Cone -this book is about the relationship between American Christianity, especially Christianity and the South, and the lynching of black bodies. It is eye-opening and heartbreaking.
For the Love by Jen Hatmaker
A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L’Engle -technically, this is a young adult novel. But, as with all books my L’Engle, the Christian themes are strong and the writing is beautiful.
Novels
Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple- y’all, this had everything. Laughs, mysteries, hipsters, architects, TED talks, Antarctica- everything. I read it in approximately 24 hours.
Swamplandia! By Karen Russell
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt- this won the Pulitzer in 2014. If you haven’t read it, you should.
Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman -this is a Western about a girl who dresses up as a boy to get revenge on her father’s murderers. If you need something short to recover from Lonesome Dove, read this next.
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith -a favorite of J.K. Rowling and now Carrie Surbaugh.
Memoirs
Wild by Cheryl Strayed -I’m backpacking around the world for a year, so this seemed like an obvious choice. The memoir does a wonderful job of weaving Strayed’s backstory and her time on the Pacific Crest Trail together without being overwhelmingly sad (because Strayed’s life was pretty sad for a while there). Also, I loved the movie. Reese Witherspoon can do no wrong.
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling -I read a lot of memoirs by funny people, because I know how to have fun, okay? I AM FUN.
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
Sports (let’s be real, mostly baseball)
The Best Team Money Can Buy by Molly Knight- this book details the L.A. Dodgers’ 2013 season, their first under new management after Frank McCourt ran the team into the ground and promptly declared bankruptcy. Knight was in the locker room for the whole thing, and writes about the drama of games and the business of baseball with equal clarity and skill. I loved it!
Where Nobody Knows Your Name: Life in the Minor Leagues of Baseball by John Feinstein -honestly, I was destined to like this book. Bull Durham is one of my favorite movies and I’m a sucker for good sports writing. Feinstein follows several different players, umpires, and managers through the ups and downs of one season in the minor leagues, and it is fascinating.
Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger -because Texas
Miscellaneous Non-fiction
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates -this is one of the most-hyped books of the year, so if you haven’t read it yet, you should. It’s short but powerful.
The Witches by Stacy Schiff -because who doesn’t think the Salem Witch Trials are dope?
The Year of Lear: Shakespeare in 1606 by James Shapiro
Daring Greatly by Brene Brown -I read this in the first month of the Race, and it literally changed my life. It made me look at how I relate to others and to myself in an entirely different light. You should read this and all of her other books because they are basically solid gold.
What were some of your favorite books of the year? What’s on your reading list heading into 2016?
