Notable books, 2006
Last year I reported on which of the NYTimes’ notable books of the year I had read. The 2006 list is out, so I figured I’d do it again:
- Digging to America, by Anne Tyler. (Yes, I did eventually get to the top of the holds queue.) I really enjoyed this. Like most of Tyler’s books, it’s about character not plot. But the characters weren’t as much hapless misfits as in the typical Tyler book. A gentle exploration of what it means to be American.
- Half of a Yellow Sun, by Chimamanda Adichie. Stunning and horrifying. I wrote about it here. I read her first book, Purple Hibiscus, as well, and liked it, but not as much.
- Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel. I wrote about it here.
- The Omnivore’s Dilemna, by Michael Pollan. I wrote about this one here. This was a bit of a disappointment for me. I liked Peter Singer’s take on the topic better.
- Self Made Man, by Norah Vincent. I thought I had blogged about this, but can’t find it in my archives. My memory is that I didn’t think it was very interesting, so maybe I just decided I didn’t have anything interesting to say about it.
So, I’ve read 5 books, out of the 100. Fewer than last year, although I think I did just as much overall reading. I also read The Glass Castle (discussed here) and The Year of Magical Thinking, which were on the 2005 list. Of all of them, The Year of Magical Thinking is probably the only one that I’d say is a must-read.
November 29th, 2006 at 7:34 am
I haven’t read a single one.
Sigh.
November 29th, 2006 at 9:44 am
I’ve read two – Omnivore’s Dilemma and Heat. Actually, I’ve only read 1 1/2 because Heat stressed me out so badly I had to put it down.
November 30th, 2006 at 4:10 am
I’ve just read one – Field notes from a Catastrophe, by Elizabeth Kolbert. Highly recommended. There were only three or four more I’d been tempted by – I must get out more.
November 30th, 2006 at 11:42 am
I thought Self-Made Man was totally fascinating. Not just because of the drag details, but because of how unshaken the guys were when she outed herself. Very, very different from the reaction I’d have expected from a group of women, whom I imagine would’ve felt betrayed.