Calypso - David Sedaris

I should start out by saying that I love David Sedaris. I've seen him read live and I'm going again in April because it's not just what he says, but how he says it that makes him so funny. I first became acquainted with him through NPR's This American Life. I've picked up his books here and there but I honestly can't say if I read a story in a collection, heard it on TAM, watched in a dramatized version of Santaland Diaries, or heard it live in an author talk with the man himself.

In any case, Calypso presents the best of David Sedaris. He presents both the good and the bad - the neurotic-ism with the whimsy. He gives you the right balance and blend of both the tragic and the mundane and finds humor in places that are dark. Calypso deals a lot with his sister Tiffany's suicide and the family's aftermath. I had somehow missed the news about her death which it first happened several years ago so when I read about it in the opening story, I thought, "oh-no, the sister with the rickshaw." And somehow I think David Sedaris would be okay with this memory that he gave me of Tiffany and a rick-shaw.

But as funny as David Sedaris is, he doesn't pull any punches on getting real on the dark stuff. As in when he casually reveals in one story about his last time seeing his sister before she took her own life. So somehow, instead of diminishing the humor in the book, it actually makes the humor feel more earned.

Ready David Sedaris is really like curling up on the couch with a glass of wine and an old friend and saying, "So tell me what's been going on with you?"

4/5 Stars. 

Agent 6 - Tom Rob Smith

I hate to say this was my least favorite of the Leo Demidov books but it was although I may be more sad that the series has ended here. I really liked Leo and Raisa and their struggles to do what was right governed by a regime that cared little for the morality of the system within which its citizens operate. This book starts with their meeting and slingshots way into the future as Leo struggles to find out the real facts behind a family tragedy.

It's hard to see in Agent 6 that Leo has become powerless to move on and become a shell of himself. While certainly lacking autonomy and power in the second book, here Leo lacks the social capital to even find out simple facts behind a murder. And so he spirals down and into the back streets and opium haze of pre-war Afghanistan.

The breadth of time and space the novel takes up may have shot too wide. Leo is jolted out of complacency in Afghanistan by a threat to a police trainee and a civilian child. He is uncomfortable with the lessons he has inadvertently passed on to his trainee and by a thin margin, is able to broker a deal with Mujahideen to get them all out of the country. Once in America, Leo is unable to give up the thread of his long ago abandoned investigation. But this is really just the denouement of a character we first met callously telling a colleague to "get over" the murder of his child and then ruthlessly hunting down a man whose guilt was less than apparent.

Whereas Leo first loved nothing and was strictly obedient to doctrine, he comes to lose almost everything to be the man the people he loved wanted him to be. Was his life richer for it? He certainly suffered more but he also became an extremely principled person and at least I'd like to think, that has a value above measure.

3.5/5 Stars.

Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life - Henry Cloud and John Townsend

I struggle with boundaries. There I said it. I'm not sure why except to say that I don't like rocking the boat, and therefore not maintaining boundaries seems like the better option. As I've gotten older I have realized this is not the case. And now that I have kids of my own, the consequences of not setting boundaries is a constant and very annoying reminder.

In Boundaries, Cloud and Townsend, reiterate the importance of boundaries and the far reaching effects of not setting them. While I wholeheartedly agree, I found the book repetitive in parts and long on rhetoric but short on practical application, which is what I was really after in the first place. I didn't need to be sold on the benefits, I needed strategies to implement.

I did really appreciate a couple of beneficial nuggets, including not making my children responsible for my emotional reactions and that we are not meant to overcome problems by our will alone, that's why we have Christ. But I also noted that the biblical references seemed to be shoe-horned in without much thought to nuance and context.

So I had a bit of mixed reaction to reading the book, but overall I thought I benefited from reading it.

3/5 Stars. 

On the Come Up - Angie Thomas

Wow! I really liked this book. Here's the thing. A lot of adults try to write a YA novel and end up sounding patronizing or hysterical when they write teenagers. Angie Thomas somehow manages to capture the angst of being a teenager in a realistic, sympathetic, and authentic way.

Reading as Bri struggles with fairness and family obligation actually made me FEEL the way I did when I was a teenager - when I could not conceive of a world that didn't see right and wrong the way I did - when I was so SURE I knew what I was doing and admitting that I had no idea was not an option.

In On the Come Up, Bri struggles to find her own voice as she is under increasing pressure from her family circumstances and societal expectations. See, she has a gift. She's a poet who works with words the way painters work with acrylics. That her father was an up and coming rap artist prior to being shot and killed hangs over her attempts to make her own name in the business.

Her mother J, and her brother Tre are her solid support system. Thomas artfully shows how teens sometimes grow up before their family is ready. And Bri is attempting to shoulder a burden her mother and brother are sure she's not even aware of. As they recognize her personhood - she blossoms and is fully ready to take on the challenges she's facing. And her challenges are many. Her mother is laid off and out of work. Her family is struggling to pay its bills. Bri and her neighbors are bused to a less diverse school but are targeted by security personnel there. A local talent promoter is trying to exploit her and present an image of her she's not comfortable with.

It's a wonderful story of finding yourself, forming bonds, the unsure footing of maturing, and romantic exploration. Thomas has crafted a story with so many people to root for, it was a pleasure to read. 

4/5 Stars. 

Sharpe's Rifles - Bernard Cornwell

Ah okay, I get it. I kind of messed this up. When I was browsing a used book store in Riverside, California for a return flight read (that was my first mistake, travelling cross country with ONE book), I picked up a copy of Sharpe's Rifles that helpfully had a #1 pasted to the spine and the inside sheet placed it as the first book in the Sharpe series.

Listen, I have a love affair with Uhtred in Cornwell's Saxon Stories series. So I was fairly confident he could get me through a return flight. And I'm trying to set up my exit strategy for when I run out of Uhtred books to read. So I felt like I knew what I was doing starting with Sharpe's Rifles. But I could tell something was a little off when I started reading the book.

First, I didn't really like Sharpe. He was boorish and not very perceptive. Listen, I get he's supposed to be an amazing soldier. Having served in the Air Force, I know the kinds of attitudes that STILL exist regarding prior enlisted officers, but even so, I mean, they guy showed zero leadership abilities and then could not imagine why he didn't inspire loyalty?

Second, some of the secondary characters seemed a little bland. I understand now that Harper is to become a beloved figure in the series, but things do not start out well with the taciturn Irish man who definitely DOES NOT want to be a sergeant.

Finally, there is a badly jammed in love triangle that does basically nothing to inspire the plot other than to make Sharpe appear a little more foolish than he already does. How is the guy who can figure NOTHING else out inspire so little confidence and somehow become a beloved literary figure? I wasn't buying it.

Thank goodness I found out this book is not the foundation for the series but a prequel. So, question, should I read these in publishing date order, or chronological order?

3/5 Stars. 

2019 Year in Review

In 2019 I read 72 books totaling 23,295 pages. This is a increase from last year when I read 60 books. I feel like I was back on track despite STILL struggling with plantar fasciitis and not being able to run for most of the year. The good news is that my foot is FINALLY feeling better and I'm hoping to be able to run more in 2020. My 2017 breakup with Facebook has lasted all of 2019, so I guess you can say I'm really over "him," but Reading While the Ship Goes Down continued to have an internet presence on Instagram. I started an Instagram story series called #booksandreading where I take my travelling self to a local brewery and read at the bar, mostly by myself which is how it's supposed to work. If you haven't given followed the Blog's Insta page yet, go check it out. It's mostly pictures of my books. Bookstagram is the best kind of Instagram.

My average rating was 3.8 this year, the same as last year. I didn't have any books that I madly fell in love with this year although I did find a few writers who made me swoon over some well-crafted sentences. I intend to do a DECADE in review post later and I cannot wait to revisit some of my favorite books that spanned by 30s. I feel like I grew up a lot in the last decade, and I had some major life milestones, so I'm curious if those are reflected in the books I read. But first, let's see how 2019 shook out.

Longest Book: The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. I was all in on Kvothe this year. Years ago on a Metra commuter train in Chicago I sat pleasantly next to a fellow reader and we enjoyed 42 minutes of blissful silence reading in each other's company. He was reading Bonfire of the Vanities and I was reading Game of Thrones. When we got up to leave the train downtown, he said, "You should try the Kingkiller Chronicles." And left. I wrote it down on a note and eventually transferred it to a note on my iPhone where I jot down recommendations. I did nothing with it afterward. Then I got paired for a book swap with a great lady and when I mentioned I hadn't read either book in the series yet she hooked me up big time. And by big time I mean these books are huge. They have their critics, but I also really really enjoyed them. You can read the original review here.

Shortest Book: The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity by Matthew Kelly was just 128 pages and I feel like it was repackaged lessons from his other books. Also, spoiler alert, but the biggest lie is that holiness is not accessible to regular folks. It's a great message, but probably could have been a blog post. I gave it 3/5 Stars but didn't bother writing a review.

Best Book: I read 9 five star books in 2019. 9/73. I suppose that's a good amount. Out of those 9 it's really hard to pick a favorite.

In the nonfiction sector how can I choose between Midnight in Chernobyl which was so satisfying to my nerdy cerebral need to KNOW about things and Catch and Kill which made real life sound and feel more exciting than any of the fiction thrillers I read this year. Midnight in Chernobyl gives all the facts in excellent detail and somehow doesn't get slowed down by technicality, even while discussing nuclear physics! Coupled with the excellent HBO mini-series I watched afterwards, I feel like I got a 360 experience of the events. The Chernobyl accident happened when I was only 5 years old so I've always lived with this vague awareness of the facts which I have now been able to put into laser focus. You can read my review here.

But Catch and Kill also gave a lot of facts but also managed to be FUNNY and fill me with rage. How did Ronan Farrow do this? I am inspired by the bravery of the women who came forward and disgusted by those who tried to protect serial predators. What's a girl to do? You can read that review here.

In fiction, only Queenie and Washington Black received five stars. But in May when I finished it, I knew Washington Black was going to be at the top for fiction. Esi Edugyan is a reader's writer. She makes words into sentences that read like music. She made me feel things while still making it clear why I was feeling those things. She pulled no punches and yet wove a semi fantastical narrative about a young slave boy who sails away in a balloon ship and explores the arctic before roaming the depths of the sea. Yeah, all that happened in that book and I really loved it. I get it's not for everyone, but if there are sentences and stories that appeal uniquely to my deepest pleasures in reading, Washington Black packaged them up in one novel. You can read my original review here.

Best Character: See, now, why am I doing this to myself? Why do I have to choose between Kvothe and Uhtred. If you've been following my blog for any amount of time now (thanks Mom), you know I have a love affair with Uhtred of Bebbanburg. Uhtred and I have been having a relationship since I read The Last Kingdom in March of 2017 (you can read that sloppy review here). I'm so comfortable with him that I read FIVE more books in the series in 2019. I only have two left until I'm caught up to where Cornwell has stopped writing. I've tried to prepare myself by starting his Sharpe's Rifles series but I'm afraid nothing will quite replace Uhtred. His brash, swarthy, hot younger self has grown into a brash, swarthy, wise old warrior. While the narrative of a 50 year old warrior is starting to strain even my generous credulity, I'm still entertained and informed by each entry in the series. I just love this guy. You can read my last Uhtred review here.

But Kvothe? Well, come on. He's an orphan who experiences unspeakable terror in the slaughter of his family. Scraps and steals to make it on his own and enter the prestigious University where it turns out he's skilled at playing the Lute and Arcane Arts (magic). But he makes enemies everywhere he goes. He either inspires fierce loyalty or hatred. Then, it turns out he's an animal in the sack. All by the age of 17. Not sure where Rothfuss is taking The Boy who Can Do it All. But I'm basically all in on this wild ride. You can read my Name of the Wind review here.

Worst Book: Part of me always feels a little bad when it comes to pointing out the "worst book" of the year. I mean, if I've learned anything over the last year of being part of the Bookstagram community, it's that reading is a deeply personal experience and even people of like minds can have very different opinions when it comes to books. But there are reviews out there that I read afterwards that I realize could have saved me some time and effort on books that just didn't do it for me, or at least could have tempered my expectations (see my Biggest Disappointment section below). So with that said, I guess here is a precautionary note for Every Man a Menace, which should have been titled, Every Plot Line a Mess. From the reverse timeline to the vaguely developed character arcs, the best thing this book had going for it was that it didn't take long to read. Otherwise, by the time I learned why the "main" character had died, I also learned that I didn't care. You can read the original review here.

Worst Character: While my "Worst Character" contenders usually come from my Worst Book selection, but honestly none of the characters in Every Man a Menace are developed enough to be the worst. So that leaves the characters in my "Biggest Disappointment" book, see below, or a surprise entry which seems more fitting because The Circle was also a bit of a mess stylistically and the main character, Mae, was just awful. I didn't like her enough in the beginning of the book to care that she had a complete 180 character reversal by the end of the book. The elements that get her there are disturbing sure, but she's so vapid at the end that I just did not connect with her path to destruction. She's getting the "worst character" title mostly because being on the journey with her was painful. And reading the book was a chore. You can read the full review here.

Biggest Disappointment: Oh this one is easy. I wanted very badly to like Where the Crawdads Sing. People I like and care about really liked this book. They told me they couldn't put it down. But wow. I could not get into it. All of the characters had moments where they could have earned the "worst character" title. While initially the book started out fine with young Kya going through some major trials, the book took a wide turn into a messy and unbelievable love triangle that read part bad romance novel and part young adult angst-filled hand wringing. Throw in a badly scripted courtroom drama and this novel skidded into a three star finish with an ending that made me throw the book down in a disappointed huff. Only the nature writing saved this from a two-star rating. I know this book has its champions out there, but it really was nothing that I expected and despite being so widely raved, I found my people in its detractors. You can read my full review here.

Honorable Mentions: I read some really good memoirs in 2019 that I need to  mention before closing out this 2019 Year in Review. Becoming, The Glass Castle, and The Year of Magical Thinking received five stars in 2019. I'm glad I read them both. All are by women of resilience and strength. It's a great irony in life that we gain so much wisdom as we get older that we know we could have used in our youth. There is no way to artificially earn this knowledge. That's probably why it's so valuable. But I sometimes wish I could have been open to the voices I'm hearing in my last year of my 30s when I was in my 20s. That I didn't know I was siphoning my knowledge through a narrow lens is small comfort. I'm committed to seeking out more voices and points of view in 2020 and beyond.

Goals for 2020: I've set my goal of 75 books. It's above my 2019 level and is the highest goal I've set. I honestly don't know how this foot is going to hold up and if I'm not able to run... well I may be crying my eyes out somewhere because running is the thing I do for me - the way I make sure I've gotten enough exercise. So this could be a problem. I'm hoping that I'm going to be back in 1/2 marathon shape in no time now that I've tentatively put a few new miles behind me in recent days.

Will George RR Martin get around to publishing Winds of Winter? It's almost a joke at this point that I mention the following year will be the year I read Winds of Winter (that's been happening since my 2015! Year in Review, you can see that here). And I'm once again being lulled into anticipating a release date (check out this update). However, I'm not counting on it (I was similarly disappointed last year and even wrote that EXACT SAME SENTENCE in last year's review - AND the year before that, and the year before that). But if I can read both Name of the Wind AND A Wise Man's Fear in the same year, you bet I can fit in Winds of Winter without ruining my reading goal. My wildest dreams would be a Winds of Winter and Doors of Stone double 2020 feature (Wise Man's Fear was released in 2011 just like George RR Martin's last Song of Fire and Ice book).

Thanks for reading with me this year as I discovered new authors and new series. I really tried to challenge myself this year to leave my own comfort zone and read more authors of color, more LGBTQ authors, more First Nations authors and more authors who come from diverse backgrounds. Bookstagram has certainly helped me discover those voices.