I read 63 books in 2019, as always a mix of fiction
and non-fiction.
Not all were published in the past year. When they
came out isn't a criterion for selection. Like wine, some books improve with
age. Here's my assessment of the 10 best in no particular order.
BEAR NO MALICE by Clarissa Harwood. Sometimes genre
is a matter of interpretation. Some readers might view this first novel as a
romance. It can just as easily be seen as a mystery or a historical novel. What really matters is story. The reader is
treated with insight into the politics of the Anglican church, the art world of
the period and the stifling conformity of the Edwardian era--an intriguing mix
of historical fiction, romance and mystery. Highly recommended.
NEW IBERIA BLUES by James Lee Burke. We've had a
long wait for another Dave Robicheaux novel. Burke never disappoints. The
violence in the novel may put off a more squeamish reader. But, trust me, the
reward for overlooking that is some of the most lyrical prose and meditations
on virtue you'll find in contemporary fiction. Intimations of the mortality of
Dave and Clete signal this may be the final episode in the series. I sincerely
hope not.
WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens. This is a
novel about survival and Kya, the protagonist, is adept at survival in the face
of enormous odds. Abandoned by her mother, her siblings and, finally, her
father, she is left alone to adapt and survive on North Carolina's Outer Banks
in the period between the 1950s and 1970s. This is a debut novel by a scientist
known for her nature writing. Her prose is poetic and beautiful and the
insights into the workings of nature are informative and moving. The plot had
me hooked from the start.
THE LOST MAN by Jane Harper. This is a page-turner
with lots of surprises and a conclusion to shock even the most hardened crime
reader. Jane Harper has crafted an enthralling tale of suspense, relationships,
vivid characters and a landscape so real you can taste the dust and sense the
lonely emptiness.
GERONIMO'S BONES by Darrell Bryant. The story may
not be true, but it's truthful. Chaco, a young Apache man born in the wrong
century, struggles against harsh odds to adapt to the life fate has given him.
This is a novel with engaging and colorful characters, adventure, humor and
tragedy. It isn't often a first novel resonates so well. I look forward to
reading more of Darrel Bryant's work.
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON by David Grann. This
non-fiction book targets a series of murders in the 1920s in which oil-rich
Osage Indians were victimized and robbed--another chapter in the genocide of
the native peoples. I've long been a fan of Grann and here he excels as a
storyteller and reveals a little known chapter in history.
UNSHELTERED by Barbara Kingsolver. Two families in
two different time periods inhabit a house in a unique New Jersey community.
Their lives are changed in dramatic ways. Kingsolver introduces a real life
pioneer woman naturalist who deserves to be better known. The contemporary
characters were interesting, but I was more drawn to those in the earlier
historic period.
THE FURIOUS HOURS by Casey Cep. The book Harper Lee
couldn't write and possible reasons why--in addition to fascination insights on
a murder for profit scheme, an ambitious lawyer, the South and Southerners and
sundry other topics of interest.
THE FEATHER THIEF by Kirk Wallace Johnson. This
unusual but true story has all the elements of a thriller and takes the reader
into a bizarre world of obsession and greed pitted against science and beauty.
LADY IN THE LAKE by Laura Lippman. This stunning
standalone novel set in 1960s Baltimore, portrays Maddie, a bored housewife who
decides on the spur of the moment to leave her husband and become a crime
reporter. Lippman's inspiration was the story was too real life disappearances
in that time period in the city. The result is a compelling story.
