Year End Book Roundup
It’s been a while since I’ve done a book roundup, so I decided to do one to cover what I read October –December. Hopefully there are a few here that might make it onto your reading list in 2022!
Fiction:
The Game of Kings and Queen’s Play - Dorothy Dunnett. These are the first two books in the Lymond Chronicles series, set in the 16th century around a minor nobleman with a talent for music, swordsmanship, diplomacy, and getting into trouble. I wrote a long piece on Lessons for Writers from Dorothy Dunnett’s The Game of Kings. It’s impossible for me to do these books justice in a one-paragraph review, but suffice to say if you love historical fiction written in gorgeous language, with a dense, twisty plot, and characters that leap off the page, read this series. I also, for the first time, read the The Ultimate Guide to Dorothy Dunnett’s The Game of Kings, by Laura Caine Ramsay, which goes through the various literary, historical, and classical allusions as well as archaic expressions used in the first book, which deepened my understanding and enhanced my enjoyment (and awe at Dunnett’s skills in weaving all this in so seamlessly).
I also read Dunnett’s King Hereafter, her novel about the historical Macbeth. Talk about a doorstop - it comes in at over 720 pages – but is a powerful re-imagining of the actual 11-century King that is far from the twisted, tortured one of The Scottish Play. As she tends to do with her main characters, we only come to see Thorfinn/Macbeth slowly, through the eyes of those around him, as he grows from a young Viking raider to the King of multiple territories, in an era still, with good reason, termed the Dark Ages. I found the politics (secular and religious) rather bewildering, but as with all of her books, it’s worth taking your time to read carefully and think about why the characters are doing what they are doing. Dunnett never spoon-feeds her readers – you have to work to figure things out!
On a completely different note, I read Karen Inglis’ middle-grade novel, The Secret Lake, in an evening. A sweet time-travel story about a brother and sister who follow a dog who mysteriously disappears and reappears, and find a whole new world of adventures. Several neat twists at the end make this a satisfying read.
Swordspoint - Ellen Kushner. I read this because it was suggested to me that if I liked Dorothy Dunnet, I’d like this (the start of a series). Maybe because I read it right after Dunnett, it failed to enchant. Nothing I’ve encountered is as complex and engrossing as Dunnett at her best, so this is certainly not a bad book, but I struggled to feel connected to the characters, and it seemed to take a long time to figure out what the Story Question was. Dunnett’s novels, for all their complexity, have a clear question right from the beginning: “Will Francis Crawford prove himself innocent of treason?” Or “Will Francis manage to save the life of the young Queen Mary?” The question here did become apparent in the end, but by then I wasn’t as enthralled as I should have been to see how it turned out. Important lesson for writers here: Do you have a strong story question, and can your reader identify it withing the first chapter?
The Binder of Lost Stories - Cristina Caboni. This sweet novel flowed back and forth between the 19th century and the modern day, telling the stories of two women connected by the love of books (and a particular author). Part romance, part mystery, and again, a clear story question for both protagonists: Will she break out of the chains that bind her and become the strong, independent woman she needs to be? And find love along the way?
The Last Graduate – Naomi Novik. The second book in the Scholomance series, which I started earlier this year. The voice is still superb, and dangers mount as El, now a senior, has to fight her instinct toward evil mayhem and destruction to get herself and her classmates out of their school alive on graduation day. Snarky humor, romance, and thrilling danger? Count me in! And again, a compelling Central Question: Will El survive graduation?
The Vampire Lestat – Anne Rice. When she passed in December, I remembered how much I’d loved the Vampire Chronicles in college. To my surprise, I still had this book on the shelf, so I pulled it down for a re-read. I didn’t love it as much as I did then, but it’s good to remember what a game-changer this series was in terms of bringing the idea of vampires into the modern era. These were no longer just bloodsucking monsters but creatures who could love and hate and feel awe and debate the character of good and evil. All subsequent vampire writers owe something to Anne Rice’s unique vision.
Nonfiction:
Story or Die: How to Use Brain Science to Engage, Persuade, and Change Minds in Business and in Life - Lisa Cron. I’ve loved Lisa Cron’s other books, Wired for Story and Story Genius, which are geared toward fiction writers. This book is geared more toward business people, using the principles of storytelling – in particular, how the brain reacts to story – to sell or persuade people of your message. Exercises at the end of each section allow you to craft your own “story” according to the principles mentioned. I think this is a terrific book, but wonder how well the average business person without a creative writing background relates to the material. That said, the idea of storytelling in business is not new, and Cron provides a fresh, compelling way of thinking about it, especially in an age where your audience is likely to be jaded or even already prejudiced against you.
I read two books on writing memoir: Handling the Truth: On the Writing of Memoir, by Beth Kephart, and The Memoir Project: A Thoroughly Non-Standardized Text for Writing and Life, by Marion Roach Smith.
Kephart talks about what memoir is, and isn’t; invokes empathy as the most necessary characteristic of the memoirist; and exhorts the writer to write from the five senses, devoting specific chapters that show what it means to immerse someone in your life’s narrative. She discusses ways to find your form, and how to allow yourself to be vulnerable. These chapters are short, richly evocative, and bear close re-reading to absorb each part of the memoirist’s process. She even includes a long section on memoirs to read as a writer, to learn from the masters of the form.
Smith’s book is even shorter, and more to the point. Like Kephart, she talks about making space for the reader in your memoir, and knowing what your story is about (and why it matters). I can’t agree with Smith’s anti-writing-prompt/exercise approach. While, yes, it can be a problem if that is ALL you do, it can also spark new ideas and allow you to practice the craft without the pressure of a “serious” piece. There is nothing that says an exercise or prompt can’t evolve into something publishable! My favorite nugget from this book is the idea of using “I left” as the starting point for honing and shaping your memoir. “I left” takes you to the crux of the moment the transformation begins - which is where the story itself begins. Or as Roach calls it, “from the moment of intuition to the moment of exit.”
Why Bother? Discover the Desire for What’s Next – Jennifer Louden. I love Jennifer Louden’s work, and this book is really a culmination of a lot of her work over the years. It’s for anyone who is struggling to figure out “what’s next?” and why they should even bother in the face of everything going on in the world, and on a personal level. She talks about settling in, taking the time to be curious; taking risks, making choices, and taking action. It’s one of those books where immediately after reading a section I’m busy scribbling notes and thoughts in my journal. One of my favorites from this year, I’ve already started gifting it to friends.
That’s it for 2021! I read 66 books in total, not that I have a reading goal. It's not how many books you read, but what you get out of them that matters. I already have a very healthy stack for 2022, and can’t wait to dig in!
