Are You Ready to Rumble?

I may not be a sports buff, but I do live in the South, where March Madness is as serious as a heart attack and where even the smallest child knows how to fill out a bracket.

This first week of March, as my fellow Southerners start heating up decades-old basketball rivalries, I am going to fill you in on my bracket, or who I would select as the winner of each pairing in the first round of The Morning News Tournament of Books. In my opinion, this is the best of the playoff games for bookworms. And this year, it’s a family affair as my daughter Aana weighs in with her draft picks, too.

Interestingly, this week we seem to have the same taste in books. So we mixed things up in how we tell you about the books. I can promise you we won't always agree.

Here's how this will work: Today we’re going to look at the first five pairings to tell you how we would judge them. At the end of the week, we’ll review how the judges called each contest, and we’ll tell you more about each book.

Feel free to offer your own color commentary as we move through the month-long contest.

Now it’s time for the tip-off – so blow that whistle!

The Contest: Play-In Picks

The Competitors: Avenue of Mysteries vs. A Spool of Blue Thread

Cheminne Picks: A Spool of Blue Thread, by Anne Tyler

Aana Picks: A Spool of Blue Thread, by Anne Tyler

Why this one, Cheminne? Let me explain this as succinctly as possible - John Irving is a misogynist who loves to write about himself. Every book follows that formula and this one is no different. Anne Tyler, on the other hand, does what I admire so much – she illuminates the ordinary and shows us all that every life is worth examining and celebrating. Her words are spare and unsentimental and the family she writes about in Spool is candid and familiar. No contest.

Why this one, Aana? I never even read A Spool of Blue Thread, but anything is better than John Irving. He comes off like a pompous older man who thinks he knows everything about everything. It’s almost like some wealthy older Anglo guy took a trip to Mexico and now he “just knows” the Mexicans, he “just gets them, ya know?” I really didn’t need all the insider information on beta blockers and Viagra either. It’s like getting stuck talking to your aging, wealthy, bigoted boss at a Christmas party after he’s had a few. It’s pretentious and creepy. Not recommended.

TOB match to be decided March 8. 

The Contest: The Fighters

The Competitors: Fates and Furies vs. Bats of the Republic

Cheminne Picks: Bats of the Republic, by Zachary Thomas Dodson

Aana Picks: Bats of the Republic, by Zachary Thomas Dodson

Why this one, Cheminne? Both of these books have something to hide. One of them makes the secret worth the search; the other does not. What they both share, unfortunately, is familiarity. Fates is a story that should surprise, especially when you hit the Furies section of the book. But by the time you reach that second half, you feel as if you’ve been watching a married couple bicker in front of you for hours at dinner. Which is basically the premise of the book, so the “surprise” is more like relief when it comes. Bats is much more entertaining, but would be even better if we hadn’t had a few years of books that already included maps, hand drawings, diagrams, and scrapbooks to help tell the tale. What saves Bats is that it still is a unique story-within-a-story that keeps your attention through till the end.

Why this one, Aana? Buy this book in hardcover! The illustrations and cover lining are awesome. I really liked how the author reveals a little at a time about each character and their history. In some places, you can get a little lost, but it’s well worth it. The way the stories intertwine is really interesting and will definitely keep you turning the pages. Also, there is an envelope marked “DO NOT OPEN” at the end of the book. Do not open it until the very end, no matter how much you may want to peek! It’s much more rewarding that way.

TOB match to be decided March 9.

The Contest: The Obfuscators

The Competitors: The Sympathizer vs. Oreo

Cheminne Picks: The Sympathizer, by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Aana Picks: The Sympathizer, by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Why this one, Cheminne? First I have a bone to pick with TOB - Oreo was originally published in 1974. Yes, it was re-released in 2015 (the year for the books in the contest), and yes it's a good book. However, there were 80 or so other good books that should have been put into the short list. Okay, rant over. When placed in a match against The Sympathizer, Oreo makes a lot of sense for this list. Both books center on a protagonist who has something to hide or discover. Oreo is a girl who is black and Jewish, on a search for her father in a clever twist on a classical odyssey tale from Ancient Greece. The plays on words and mixes of dialects made it both fun and frustrating. Ultimately, the character in The Sympathizer had more depth and meaning for me. The layers were more interesting to peel back: French and Vietnamese, Communist masquerading as capitalist, loner finding love, spy hiding in plain sight. There were many more puzzles to piece together, particularly by the main character himself. Having spent so many years wearing masks to suit whatever situation he happened to be in, he actually may not remember who he really is. Fabulous book that ultimately was much more impactful.

Why this one, Aana? I loved both of these books, so this contest was really hard for me. Oreo gave us a heroine for the modern age, with amazing writing and clever turns of phrase. I mean, she refers to getting her period as "Flag Day." The Sympathizer gave us an anti-hero whose story was as twisted as his moral compass. The story opened my eyes about aspects of the Vietnam War I never knew about, and I found myself sympathizing with the sympathizer. What decided this contest for me was that I eventually got a teeny bit tired of all the puns and wordplay in Oreo. Read both! They're great! A side note - Oreo was originally published in 1974, which is around the time period in which The Sympathizer is set. Not sure what it's doing in the Tournament of Books for 2016, but oh well...

TOB match to be decided March 10. 

The Contest: The Smack Down

The Competitors: The Turner House vs. Ban en Banlieue

Cheminne Picks:  The Turner House, by Angela Flournoy

Aana Picks: The Turner House, by Angela Flournoy

Why this one, Cheminne? This was really an unfair fight – The Turner House is 3 times bigger, and Ban is poetry. Turner is a fully-thought-out book with a beginning, middle, and end, and Ban is written as if it’s the original sketch of an idea rather than a published book. In a perfect world, Turner should have been pitted against A Spool of Blue Thread – it would have been a fairer fight. Both of those books center on families coming together to decide what to do with aging parents and the emotions that inevitably are stirred up in those situations. In that match-up, I still would have selected Turner. The contemporary setting of Detroit and themes of upside-down mortgages gave it a realism that was both unsettling and engaging. There were almost too many characters - but what do you expect in a family with 13 children? Turner also, refreshingly, didn't wrap it all up with a neat and tidy bow, instead letting the story play out more realistically.

Why this one, Aana? Because Ban en Banlieue was not my cup of tea. I should’ve known when the nice lady at Barnes and Noble informed me that Ban en Banlieue would be in the poetry section if it had been in stock. It’s not that I don’t like poetry, it’s just that most poetry doesn’t engage me. This book not only didn’t engage me, I found it totally incomprehensible. At least it was only 109 pages. I appreciate the thought and meaning behind it, just not the vessel for delivering said thought and meaning. It seemed more like someone trying to describe a vague dream they had of a piece of performance art than a cohesive story. Or maybe a performance artist drunkenly writing notes about their upcoming work. If you’re not going to allow nonfiction, Tournament of Books, then PLEASE – no more “poetry!”

TOB match to be decided March 11.

The Contest: The "Evildoers"

The Competitors: Our Souls at Night vs. The Whites

Cheminne Picks:  The Whites, by Richard Price

Aana Picks: The Whites, by Richard Price

Why this one, Cheminne? The TOB Rooster has a sick sense of humor. Why else would the sweet Souls be paired up with the gritty Whites? Both books do offer a look at what happens when you do the "wrong thing," but in Souls it's more about going against the norm and forgetting about what everyone else thinks. Against any other book, Souls might have won. But against the full-throttle-rush-ride of The Whites, it just didn't have the juice. The Whites was the one book on this week's list that I could not put down - it was a slithery look at the underbelly of New York's darker streets and the cops that take justice into their own hands. The Sympathizer and The Whites are my "books to watch" so far in this season's tournament. 

Why this one, Aana? I thought Our Souls at Night was a very sweet book about older people doing whatever they wanted and saying "to hell with everyone else." I think the author may have intended the events in the book to be somewhat shocking, or at least out of the ordinary, but to me it was just a sweet, melancholy story. The Whites, on the other hand, was truly shocking and gripped you by the throat throughout the story. It was visceral and intense, which I found more engaging than Our Souls at Night. Fans of The Departed (like me) will love The Whites.

TOB match to be decided March 14. 

The Books That Should Have Made the List

One of the best things about contests, brackets, and opinion pieces is the second-guessing game - talking about what should have happened, who should have been chosen, and what might have been. The founders of The Morning News Tournament of Books not only recognizes that, they encourage it. They fully admit that their entire process is subjective and full of errors and omissions, and they welcome other ideas and arguments as part of the bracket process.
So who am I to deny them that bit of fun? I definitely have some opinions already about which books were left off this year, and which ones should win (more on that later). So Aana and I compiled a short list of nominees that aren't on the "official" TOB list, but should be.
Speaking of second-guessing, I'm wondering if I should have allowed Aana to join in on this blog. She selected the books that I wanted to put on our short list, which made me go back to the well. Luckily for her, I read a lot. Otherwise, this could have gotten ugly at a very early stage.
Feel free to second-guess our second-guessing in the comments section below!

The "What Were You Thinking" List of Nominees

Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart
An Aana Selection
Constance Klopp (based on a real woman) is a hero for the modern woman, who makes sacrifices and sticks her neck out to protect her family. This book really stood out for me because it’s so easy for an uppity woman to identify with the main character. She’s curious, brave, strong, and does what she has to do, but she also comes off like a real person with insecurities and secrets. It’s even more remarkable that Ms. Klopp was a real person who stuck it to the man! I think she would’ve gotten along well with Oreo (of Oreo, a book that was chosen for TOB's brackets). AG

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
An Aana Selection
More historical fiction with strong female characters. I loved this book for its atmosphere. It’s easy to put yourself in the story and feel what the main characters are feeling. Isabelle is headstrong, unstoppable, and heroic. She refuses to be daunted by the horrors of war and throws herself into the fight. In the same vein as Dead Wake (see below), this story shines a light into an aspect of history that most people don’t know all that much about – the women of the French Resistance during World War II. I think we’ll see this book return as a movie in the not-too-distant future, so stay tuned. AG

Saint Mazie by Jami Attenberg
A Cheminne Selection 
A good-time girl from the Lower East Side of New York lives the hectic life of a Jazz Age baby, working at a theater during the day, and dancing with a fever pitch at night. But when the Depression hits, she reinvents herself and her neighborhood, helping those who need a hand during the dark days of joblessness and hunger. Decades pass and this "saint" of the Village is hidden in history, until someone finds her diary and starts to uncover who Mazie really was, and how she impacted so many others in a trying time. This book made TOB's long list, but was left off the short list, which I think is a crime. Not to give too much away, but after reading almost the entire short list, this book is better than quite a few that are included on the bracket. Maybe a Zombie round will bring this fabulous book back! CTS

Bull Mountain by Brian Panowich
A Cheminne Selection
There is a mountain near my parents' house in Virginia named Bull Mountain, which I confess is the first reason I started reading this book. But the Southern noir, the history of moonshining (which my own family shares), and the mystery at the core of the story were the hooks that kept me reading. This tale of family ties between fathers and sons and the generations of hardscrabble Georgia country folk is gripping and shocking, and keeps you turning pages till the very end. It's a fabulously written novel of how our family history affects us in ways we never imagined. CTS

The "Why Doesn't TOB Include Non-Fiction" List of Nominees

Dead Wake by Erik Larson
An Aana Selection
OK so they don’t allow non-fiction books in The Tournament of Books. But they also used to disallow books by people who write for The Morning News, and you saw how All the Light We Cannot See got on the list (and won) last year. Anyway, I think Dead Wake should be allowed because it’s a brilliant retelling of events leading up to one of the most momentous episodes in modern history. How much does the average person remember from history classes about the sinking of the Lusitania? Probably not a lot, but this book brings it to life and puts you right there on the steamer and in the U-boats. It illustrates what people on both sides might have been thinking and feeling, and makes history real. Not a lot of authors can do that! AG

Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson

A Cheminne Selection

If you aren't familiar with The Bloggess, go to her website right now. I'll wait. If you were able to get through a single post on that site without guffawing, then you need to see a doctor because something is seriously wrong with your sense of humor. Jenny Lawson on paper shouldn't be funny - she wrestles with mental health demons like serious depression, agoraphobia, and anxiety. But the way she deals with them is through a completely twisted (and spit-your-drink-through-your-nose) sense of humor and brutal honesty. For some, she's a light in a dark tunnel, allowing them to laugh at their own struggles. For others, she's just the funny bomb. CTS

New Year, New List

For the last three years I've been keeping track of every book I read. It's been a daunting task, particularly last year when I read over 100. This year, I stayed in my sweet spot of slightly over 80, 84 to be exact. You can see each book I read in 2014 by clicking here.
This has been a strange year for books, now that I look over what I read. I would have read many more books this year, but found myself dissatisfied by some of the "big hits" of the year. Since my motto is that life is too short to read bad books, that kept my number a bit lower this year than it might have been.
It was also a year of dystopia, WWII, and women. Sounds like a country song. The dystopia theme was one of the reasons that I was frustrated with the selection of books this year - it was just too prevalent and too many of them weren't well-written.
WWII was another favorite theme this year, but there were many, many expertly written selections there, so you'll see at least four books with that theme on my list.
And then the women - I read one or two editorials this year that lamented the fact that there were so few female writers among the book award nominations this year, and I agree. Because, as you'll see by my list, I was able to find great female authors, and great books written about women.
So enjoy my selections for the top tomes I read this year - and here's to a 2015 filled with amazing new books for us all!

Top 5 in Biographies

Morrissey, by Morrissey, of course. This man provided the soundtrack to much of my angsty teen years with his angry poetic lyrics. This lyrical autobiography proves he hasn't lost his touch, or his edge.
A Spy Among Friends, by Ben MacIntyre. Kim Philby rose up the ranks in Britain's secret spy network, almost to the very top rung, all while spying for Russia. This engrossing story describes how the old-boy club helped promote and conceal him for so long.
Factory Man, by Beth Macy. This fantastic book hits close to home, written about my family's home ground, the industry I've worked in so long, and a bullheaded man determined to save his family's heritage and company.
The Romanov Sisters, by Helen Rappaport. It must be difficult to find new ground to cover when writing about such well-known history, but by focusing on the beautiful daughters of the doomed Czar Nicholas, Rappaport does just that.
Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand. I resisted this one for a while, mainly because I've been burned too many times by a heavily touted book that turned out to be a dud. But I should have know that in Hillenbrand's deft hands I would find a lyrical and uplifting story of grit and determination.

Top 5 in Fiction

All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr. This is a book so well written that I found myself putting it down in fear that I would read it too quickly. WWII is almost a backdrop to the story of a young blind girl in Paris and a boy in Germany and that one moment when their lives intersected.
The Narrow Road to the Deep North, by Richard Flanagan. This is not an easy book to read, and it is definitely not an easy book to forget. It's the story of Australian POWs forced to build a road in Burma, and yes, it may remind of you Unbroken. But it is deeper and more visceral, juxtaposed with a love story on the sunny beaches of Australia. Incredible.
The Bees, by Laline Paull. This may rank as my favorite book of the year. It's an inside look at a working hive, and a bee who doesn't want to conform. It touches on themes of religion, community, and adventure - and is spellbinding.
The Aftermath, by Rhidian Brook. Yes, this is the third book in this segment alone that focuses on WWII, but it really examines Germany immediately after the war ends, as a British colonel and his family move in with a German widower and his daughter.
The Invention of Wings, by Sue Monk Kidd. Hetty Grimke, a slave in Charleston, is nicknamed Handful for a reason, and when she is given to Sarah as an 11th birthday present, she lives up to her name as she and Sarah both struggle for a kind of freedom over 35 years.

Top 5 in Non-Fiction

Tinseltown, by William J. Mann. Murder, mayhem, and drugs in Hollywood - not in modern times, but in the 1920s, when the movie business was in its infancy. Racy themes and scandals behind the scenes threatened to either derail the fledgling business, or to allow censorship to have free rein.
Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy, by Karen Abbott. Four women, two from each side of the conflict, do their part in the Civil War, each in her own way. The soldier of the title is one of the best stories, but all four will fascinate you.
What If? by Randall Munroe. Formerly a roboticist for NASA, Munroe now writes the webcomic xkcd, a stick-figure comic that covers all things science. Here he wittily answers some of the questions you never knew needed answers.
Humans of New York, by Brandon Stanton. If you have not ever seen his website, go there now. I'll wait. (http://www.humansofnewyork.com/) This compilation of some of Stanton's best work is touching, sweet, honest, and real.
The Girls of Atomic City, by Denise Kiernan. Near Oak Ridge, Tenn., during WWII (note the theme), a town grew up almost overnight, full of buildings and workers. It wasn't on any map, despite using more electricity than the city of New York. This is the story of the women who played an unwitting role in the atomic age.

Top 5 in Mysteries

The Ploughmen, by Kim Zupan. Valentine Millimaki is always looking for someone. It's his specialty as a sheriff's deputy in the cold Montana country. So when he's assigned to the night shift to watch over a killer who is waiting for his trial, Millimaki begins to look for the humanity in the murderer John Gload.
Red Road, by Denise Mina. Scotland isn't all kilts and haggis, as Detective Alex Morrow knows all too well. In the latest book of a terrific series, Morrow is dealing with twins, her criminal brother, and an international arms dealer. Just another day at work.
Silkworm, by - oh let's cut the crap, it's by JK Rowling. Detective Cormoran Strike has to find a missing writer, but no one else seems to want him found. And just as in the Potter books, Rowling pulls you in with descriptive writing and indelible characters.
Burial Rites, by Hannah Kent. Based on the true story of Agnes Magnusdottir, an accused murderer in early 1800s Iceland, this is an icy cold tale of guilt, passion, and secrets, perfect for a dark winter's night.
Bellweather Rhapsody, by Kate Racculia. Fifteen years after a murder took place in room 712, the Bellweather hotel is host to hundreds of high school musicians, a witness to that previous murder, and perhaps another dead body.

Top 5 in Popcorn Books

Note: I define "popcorn books" as those that are fast and not-so-filling reads. They must feature good writing, and they must be FUN.
Pennyroyal Academy, by MA Larson. Technically a Young Adult book, this is the first in a series. It may remind you of Harry Potter, but in a good way rather than in a rip-off way. The titular school trains young princesses and knights to fight for their kingdoms - but the story knocks fairytales on their ear with princesses who rescue themselves, witches who hide secrets, and dragons that may not deserve to be slain.
The Girls at the Kingfisher Club, by Genevieve Valentine. This is another retelling of a fairytale, this time inspired by the Brothers Grimm story of the 12 dancing sisters. In a twist, the terrific tale is set in the heady speakeasies of the 1920s.
Longbourne, by Jo Baker. I was disappointed in the PD James mystery inspired by Pride & Prejudice, so that kept me from picking this up for a while. But the story of the servants behind the scenes at the Bennett house was well worth the wait.
We Were Liars, by E Lockhart. When she summers with her family on their island, something happens to Cadence Sinclair. She can't remember the details, but it appears that one of her family members tried to kill her. Who? And how? Watch out for a big twist.
One Plus One, by Jo Jo Moyes. A fun and frothy story of a math prodigy and her dysfunctional family on their way to a mathletics competition with an out-of-touch businessman in tow.

And the Awards Keep on Coming

Yes, it's book awards season, with which I have a love-hate relationship. In some ways, it's like Christmas, with a huge pile of presents that I feel compelled to read all at once. On the other hand, couldn't we spread it out a little more? 

Yesterday, the Man Booker Prize winner was feted in London, so today the National Book Award committee announces its short list finalists. Sure, why let that prize winner have a moment to enjoy? Let's just cut that off right at the knees.
Sigh.
Okay, I'm done ranting about that. Now let's move on to the finalists for those NBA awards. I find myself in the confounding place of actually approving of this year's list of nominees. Usually I think the nominee lists are too packed full of stuffy tomes that no one actually wants to read - but not this year. I've read a couple of these and I am looking forward to reading the rest, which is not something I've ever said about this award program before. So bully for the NBAs!
The nominees for Fiction are All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine, Lila by Marilynne Robinson, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, and Redeployment by Phil Klay. Redeployment is a collection of short stories, which I normally don't read, and Station Eleven is yet another apocalyptic future novel, so we'll see if I make it through those two. See my rant on the glut of "the future is scary" books in yesterday's post.
For Nonfiction, the nominees are Age of Ambition by Evan Osnos, Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast, The Meaning of Human Existence by Edward O. Wilson, No Good Men Among the Living by Anand Gopal, and Tennessee Williams by John Lahr. I was disappointed that When Paris Went Dark didn't make it the cut from the long list - it's a great book.
And the nominees for Young People's Literature are Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, Noggin by John Corley Whaley, The Port Chicago 50 by Steve Sheinkin, Revolution by Deborah Wiles, and Threatened by Eliot Schrefer. This category usually has some gems, so I'm looking forward to reading these.
Yes, I skipped the Poetry category. I won't read them, so if you want to find out who is nominated, you can click here.
Tomorrow, I'll list another of my favorite awards programs, the Crime Thriller Awards for both television and books, which will be held in London on Oct. 24. See what I mean? So many books, so little time.

Winner, Winner

LATE-DAY UPDATE: Well I'm shocked to say that I was right. That never happens. But Richard Flanagan deserved to win the Man Booker Prize for this amazing book! Congrats to him!

The reason that I love the Man Booker Prize over all other book award programs is that I always discover a book among its nominees that profoundly impacts me. A few years ago it was Pigeon English, an incredible story about a young immigrant boy in England that I still think of almost once a month - it was just that good.

This year, the book that knocked me for an emotional loop was definitely The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan. More on that book - which also gets my vote to win the Prize when it's announced tonight - in just a bit. 

First, let's talk about the fact that, for the first time, the Man Booker Prize committee opened up the contest to English-language books from any country, rather than just the U.K. I had high hopes for that, imagining Hilary Mantel-like writers squaring up against Philip Roth-esque American authors. 

But the selection committee shortlisted two U.S. novels that I don't think are up for the challenge: To Rise Again at a Decent Hour by Joshua Ferris, and We Are Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler.

Fowler's previous novel was The Jane Austen Book Club, and her Man Booker contender is just as light and entertaining. I'm not knocking the fact that it's a less substantial book, but it doesn't offer anything new. And Ferris's book examines religion's role in today's tech-savvy world in a way that's supposed to be funny, but fell flat for me. In fact, it was an exasperating read. So these two books, out of all of the fabulous American fiction published this year, are what caught the eye of the Man Booker group? Hmmmm.

I also wasn't thrilled with Neel Mukherjee's The Lives of Others, a story of a '60s family in Calcutta that gets caught up in political uprisings. There were almost too many characters, leaving me little time or inclination to get to know any one of them well enough to engage with them.

Luckily, there are other (better) books on the short list. Ali Smith offers a really new way of telling a tale - or two - in How to Be Both. The novel centers on two characters who tell their own story, one a modern-day teenage girl and the other a female Italian Renaissance artist living as a man. Depending on which copy of the book you pick up, you will begin with one of the two characters first, and then wind your way through two stories that twist around each other. It's fabulous storytelling for a modern world.

Howard Jacobson takes on (yet another) dystopian society with his novel J. In the scary future imagined by Jacobson, no one is allowed to use words that begin with the letter J without making a motion like pulling a zipper across his or her lips. The fear of the unknown is the key to this novel, with some of the frightening shadows never fully explored. It's a good book, but I'm tiring of the "future is scary and vaguely Big Brother-ish" stories that are constantly fed to us through books, movies, and video games. The overabundance of similar story arcs kept me from really embracing this one.

And then we come to The Narrow Road, the lone Australian entry on the list. Flanagan tells the story of Australian POWs forced to build a road in Burma, a harrowing real-life event that involved some of the worst atrocities by the Japanese army. Yes, there are shades of Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken, but The Narrow Road goes deeper and is more visceral, giving us a visual imprint that's hard to shake off. Flanagan juxtaposes the darkness of the jungle with the bright light and sandy beaches of Australia, going back and forth between the POW camp and the love story of the central character Dorrigo Evans. It was a difficult story, but one that I could not put down. Flanagan is a master of pulling the reader in, and then never letting go. But it is a tough read emotionally; let's just say I had to have a palate cleanser of Philippa Gregory immediately after. 

So tonight, I predict that Flanagan will win the award. But if he doesn't (just as Pigeon English didn't), I'm still a winner for having read his novel.

A Brown Study

I have a deep suspicion of two types of books. The first is the book that "everyone" says I should read. Those usually include Nicholas Sparks, Fifty Shades of Whatever, and Dan Brown. The second type of book is the one that critics applaud for "unique" and "existential" writing (or whatever intellectual word is hot at the moment). I'll give you my rant on the latter type in another post, but today let's focus on the first.
I understand (I suppose) the appeal of a populist concept or a formula that works. For example, I am a fan of Dick Francis, and his books are really all about the same thing. But he does it so well.
What I cannot forgive is crappy writing - and yes, I  am aware that I just wrote something "crappy" there myself.
Misspellings, repetition, lack of original descriptions, the inability to stay on topic - I hate that those failings are celebrated in books like Dan Brown's. I've always said that I will at least give him marks for coming up with (slightly) original ideas. They are obviously intriguing enough to get people talking. But let me be clear: He is one of the worst writers who ever sold a million books.
In The Da Vinci Code, I almost threw the book across the room when he wrote that a character had "merlot-colored hair." I barely made it through that book, and almost hurt myself trying to not scream at people who told me how fabulous it was.
What infuriates me is that there are so many fantastic writers out there that do not get their due, and instead we're all treated to a Today Show segment set up only to reveal the name of Brown's new book. Sigh.
So imagine my glee when I discovered that two writers had reviewed Brown's latest book by writing their snarky comments in the margins, and then posting it for the world to see. I know I've said before that I don't like to see books defaced, but if any book deserves it, it would be Brown's.
Showcased on TheMillions.com, the reviewers highlighted Brown's over-use of the same words, his terrible pacing and plotlines, and his inability to stop sprinkling ellipses all over the pages like crumbs. My favorite quote from one of the margin-scribblers: "He writes like an in-flight magazine." I have friends who actually do write for those in-flight magazines and a comparison to Brown is insulting...to them. (Hey, Brown, check out that use of an ellipsis.)
The reviewers now plan to send the book on to others, asking for more fun and to-the-point commentary. I plan to follow along with glee. Read what they have done so far here.
To those of you obsessed with Dan Brown, Nicholas Sparks, or that Fifty Shades chick, I promise you there are books out there that are just as engaging, but much better written. Please please find them. I offer my book reviews to you as a guide.
And to Mr. Brown: Hire yourself a good editor. There are plenty out there who are out of a job right now.

Looking Back, Looking Forward

My lovely holiday book tree.

When I started 2013, I made a resolution to read 100 books this year, and let's just say mission accomplished. As you can see from my Pinterest board here, I've read 114. That's more than I thought I would read, to be honest.

What really helped me reach the goal was all of the air travel I started in June - there's a lot to be said for a Kindle and some flight delays. 

But what you may have noticed is that something else took a back seat. I had so much fun reading everything I could get my hands on that I had less and less time to write about it. For those who want to see what I thought about every book I read this year, I have been providing mini-reviews on that Pinterest board. 

So my resolution for 2014 will be to read less (maybe) and blog more (definitely). I like to write as much as I like to read, so I'll try to balance the scales a bit in the new year.

Meanwhile, since it's traditional on this infamous Eve, let's rewind a bit and look back at my favorite books from 2013 (listed in no particular order). This was tough because I read a lot of great books this year - but I got each genre down to the top five picks, except for fiction. There were just too many good books in the fiction category this year. And that isn't a bad thing.
Can't wait to see what 2014 brings me to read.
Happy New Year!

Top 5 in Biographies

Heir Apparent, by Jane Ridley. It can be hard to find something new and fresh to say about a life lived very much in the public eye, but this book about Edward VII hits the mark with a very engaging read.
Queen of the Air, by Dean Jensen. The story of how Leitzel (just one name, please) became the biggest star ever for the Ringling Bros. is look behind the curtains of the famous circus, with a diminutive but daring star at its center.
Mo' Meta Blues, by Questlove. If you're a fan of The Roots (and you'd better be), you know that Questlove is the heart and soul of the group, and in this book he takes a trip down memory lane, providing us with a playlist of memories along the way.
After Visiting Friends, by Michael Hainey. This real-life mystery shines a light on the world of hard-core news reporters, on a young widow trying to cope after the death of a husband, and on a young man who needs to find the truth about his father.
Fever, by Mary Beth Keane. Okay, this is a fictionalized account of the real-life Typhoid Mary, but Keane did her research, using news reports and medical records to breathe life into Mary, the first person identified as a healthy carrier of the dangerous fever. Couldn't put it down.

Top 5 (7) in Fiction 

Tilted World, by Tom Franklin and Beth Ann Fennelly. Last year, Franklin's Crooked Letter Crooked Letter was my #1 fave. This book is a close second, with a compelling drama of a bootlegger, a revenuer, and the 1927 Mississippi flood.
Lexicon, by Max Barry. An absolutely unique story about a group with the ability to use words to control and persuade others to do their bidding. In this fabulous and complex book, words do hurt.
The Execution of Noa P. Singleton, by Elizabeth L. Silver. On death row for murder, a young woman is visited by the mother of her victim. The mother will fight to halt the death sentence if Noa will just tell her story, something she's refused to do before. Did Noa commit that murder it, or didn't she? Ah, that's just the point.
The Cleaner of Chartres, by Salley Vickers. This is a quiet and lovely story of a young woman who appears, seemingly out of nowhere, and weaves herself into the very fabric of a small town. I read it straight through in one night.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, by Rachel Joyce. Harold Fry was just an ordinary Englishman, simply putting one foot in front of the other, but not really living. And then he received a letter from a long-lost friend and his life took a detour. This is probably the book that touched me the most all year.
The Orphan Master's Son, by Adam Johnson. Of all the much-lauded and award-nominated books this year, this was my favorite. Pak Jun Do is the "son" from the title, who grew up in a North Korean orphanage run by his father. The book paints a vivid picture of a secretive, brutal, and self-destructive country, and a man determined to survive it.
Joyland, by Stephen King. This gentle (and fantastic) ghost story is so well written and wistful - and it was another that I read in one sitting. It's a nostalgic tale of a young man who finds a summer job in 1973 at a possibly-haunted amusement park.

Top 5 in Mysteries

Cuckoo's Calling, by Robert Gailbraith J.K. Rowling. Forget all the hoopla about Rowling writing under a pseudonym and just read this great mystery. It will remind you that Rowling deserved the writing accolades for the Potter series - it's that good.
Snow White Must Die, by Nele Neuhaus. This modern-day mystery has a tinge of the fairy tale about it, and not just because of the title. It centers on a man wrongly convicted of murder and a twisted village full of malice.
Defending Jacob, by William Landy. Everything unravels when a man's son is arrested for murder. Like any parent protecting his child, the father is determined to find the true killer, but that isn't as simple as he believes. Watch out for a mega-mind-twist.
Round House, by Louise Erdrich. I've recommended this book to about everyone I know. It's a tough tale about a 13-year-old boy whose mother is brutally attacked on their reservation, so he and his friends make it their mission to find the man who did it.
Gods and Beasts, by Denise Mina. This woman cannot write fast enough for me. I inhale each of her books, featuring a feisty female Detective Sergeant in Glasgow, this time investigating a murder, robbery, and political intrigue.

Top 5 in Nonfiction

This Town, by Mark Leibovich. This Town opens with Tim Russert's funeral, a crass and crazy event for Washington insiders. After the first few pages, you'll find yourself as agog as Dorothy was when the curtain pulled back to reveal the true Oz. You think you know how bad Washington is, but you have no idea.
Going Clear, by Lawrence Wright. A well-written, well-researched, and endlessly fascinating look inside the world of Scientology. How bad can a religion be that's founded by a man who is at turns a bully, a misogynist, a dreamer, and a fantasist? Pretty bad.
The Astronaut Wives Club, by Lily Koppel. Behind every great man...is an astrowife. The Mercury Seven astronauts were feted and lauded, as their wives took care of things back on Earth. But they also found themselves in a spotlight they didn't ask for and their marriages played out for the whole world, for better and for worse.
Asylum, by Simon Doonan. Is there anything better than a dishy look behind the scenes? Oh yes there is, particularly when the "scene" is the fashion world, and when our guide is the ever-cheeky Mr. Doonan. Crazy indeed.
Londoners, by Craig Taylor. Yes, I am an Anglophile. I admit it. But this is not your ordinary Brit Lit - it was a five-year project that gathered interviews with Londoners (and lovers of London) of all ages and from all backgrounds. Fascinating.

Top 5 Popcorn Books

Note: I define "popcorn books" as those that are fast and not-so-filling reads. They must feature good writing, and they must be FUN.
The Rosie Project, by Graeme Simsion. The dating/mating world is confusing enough for "normal" people, but it's hilariously hazardous for socially awkward and super-genius-level geneticists.
Fin & Lady, by Cathleen Schine. A funny and sweet story of love, loss, and learning the true definition of a family.
The Hive, by Gill Hornby. In every hive, there is always a Queen Bee. This book brings the buzz, with plenty of stings and honey from a group of competitive moms.
Crazy Rich Asians, by Kevin Kwan. This is a Lifestyles of the Rich and Infamous for the eastern side of the planet, with an inside look at how the super-wealthy of Singapore, Hong Kong, and Shanghai spend all that cash.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple. An amusing tale about a mom who has trouble fitting into her life in Seattle. When she disappears, her young daughter learns more than she bargained for about her fabulously complicated mom.

Review + Interview: Southern Exposure

Review: Lookaway, Lookaway

by Wilton Barnhardt

A wise woman once said that there is more truth in comedy than in tragedy. That's usually most true in a Southern sense of humor, where there is a razor-thin line between laughter and sadness.
Comedic entertainment was the reason I was drawn to Lookaway, Lookaway in the first place. Previews lauded it as a deliciously dishy look at the Southern country club set and their good-time Greek-life offspring. As a Southerner myself, the touch-the-pearls cover art had me reaching for the popcorn (and wine), ready to sink into a satiric send-up of the moneyed crew in Charlotte, N.C., near where I grew up.
Lookaway delivered with a fabulously snarky take on all that can be rich-kitsch in the South: cotillions, country clubs, family secrets, deadly serious Civil War reenactments, debutantes, divas, and grown women calling their fathers "daddy." Perfect.
And at the center of it all is the dysfunctional Jarvis/Johnston family, a motley crew of loud-mouths, spoiled girls, society matrons, and crazy uncles. The heart of the blue-blood tribe is Jerene Jarvis Johnston, a dynamite doyenne with a mighty triple-J monogram on her silver who shepherds her brood through triumph and tragedy with a cool hand wrapped in a silk glove. While each family member has a say in Lookaway, with a chapter detailing his or her slice of life and also moving the plot forward, Jerene is always in the middle of it all like every good "steel magnolia."
But, just as I thought I had Lookaway all figured out, Barnhardt delivered a one-two punch of bittersweet twists and on-the-mark writing, revealing a slice of tragedy under the coating of comedy. The Southern voice is a true one – not the cornpone-and-julep version that makes me grit my teeth. And there is enough pathos to tip a hat to the very best of the Southern Gothic tradition.
I realized I was close to shedding a tear (heaven forfend) over Jerene's daughter Jerilyn and her not-to-be-spoken-of time in college, Jerene's sad sister Dillard, the sweetly befuddled Duke Johnston and his thwarted career in real estate, and pastor Bo, who struggles to fit in at his own church.
Yes, there was plenty of humor in characters like Jerene's mother Jeanette, who refuses to acknowledge reality. Or in Gaston Jarvis, a frustrated famous author who wishes he could step away from his schlocky-but-successful set of Civil War novels. But there was also a sense of misspent-youth and anger in Gaston that kept him from slipping into a buffoonish character.
Gaston also delivers the best homage to Southern homesickness, thanks to Barnhardt's deft writing: "He longed to instead be driving on the tar-patched macadam of N.C. Highway 49, speeding from Charlotte to Durham, still an undergraduate racing back to campus in his rattletrap used car, the red earth of the roadside embankments, the surprise views of the ancient Uwharrie Mountains, that upland ridge connected to no other, smack in the middle of the state for no logical geological reason, dense green woods crowded with deer, roadside vegetable stands with hand-painted signs, red painted scrawl on a whitewashed board, that last chance in September for a taste of the Sandhills peaches..."
Those memories, and that writing, can start up a yearning in me that can't be described to someone who didn't grow up here.
That's the yin and yang of the South, the push and pull of our love for place and family, and our railing against its shortcomings and faults. It's why the Southern literature genre is so rich and why we Southerners can't imagine life in any other way.

Author Interview: Wilton Barnhardt

Lookaway's author Wilton Barnhardt was kind enough to answer a few questions for me about his Southern roots, "steel magnolia" women, and his favorite Southern authors. He must have heard me muttering "please say Faulkner, please say Faulkner" as I sent him the questions...

I grew up outside Charlotte and the Myers Park clique that you so perfectly captured in Lookaway, Lookaway. You also grew up on the fringes of that “moneyed” group in North Carolina – how did that shape you, and this book?

Wilton Barnhardt: My dad was a chemist at R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, my mom a schoolteacher, so we were not High Society or even low society. But in my day, rich kids and aristocratic scions actually went to public high school so I got to meet people from the upper echelons. It was really their mothers who fascinated me – the bearing, the dress, the perfect appearance, so different from my earnest harried homemaker Mom. Since I've been in the arts and in the MFA world down here at NC State, I have mingled with my share of the elite as well, since we spend a lot of time fundraising and schmoozing – but also just plain socializing, since the well-off are often the cultured, well-read people, too. I'm sort of a grubby kid outside the mansion looking in, but, like lots of American writers before me, I am fascinated by the privileged and their rules and rituals.

Which of the Jarvis/Johnston family members do you most relate to yourself? Is there a part of you in any of them? Or in all of them?

WB: All of them, a little bit. I've got Annie's weight problem and big mouth!

One thing I appreciated about Lookaway, is that even with the satire, the Civil War reenactments, the country clubs, and the debutante balls, you didn’t fall into a mean-spirited indictment of the South. Each character represents something good and something flawed about Southerners. Too often we’re lumped in as one general stereotype – what is the one generalization that you find most unfair about the South?

WB: I'm happy you said that. Because we're so traditional (another way of saying we can't escape from our history), people imagine we're not modern or at the cutting edge of technology or art like anywhere else in the country. They're surprised to meet game-designers and software pioneers with Southern accents. We're also assumed – the whites, anyway – to have a monopoly on racism. I think racism is mostly alive in our politics, but not so much in our day-to-day mingling and socializing. Ghettos seem to me a Northern template; a lot of the work of integration goes on every day in the South in a way it doesn't always up north.

I love your send-up of a steely Southern matriarch in Jerene Johnston, showing that most Southern women may soften their consonants while at the same time hardening their resolve. You have said your own mother is most definitely not the inspiration for Jerene, but don’t you find that all Southern women have a bit of that ‘steel magnolia’ inside them?

WB: Not all, I suppose, but the interesting Southern women are always are tough as nails. That may be a stereotype, for both black and white, the matriarchal unbreakable titan... but that one's truer than most!

Like Gaston Jarvis in the book, you “ran away” from the South, intent on never coming back. And, just like so many other Southerners, you were sucked back in. I thought you perfectly captured that feeling with Gaston’s longing for the memories and sensory experience of riding along the highway between Charlotte and Durham. What did you long for when you were away from the South?

WB: Our people look a certain country way. The red clay banks on the side of a tar-patched concrete highway through rolling hills of jungle-like vegetation and an overlay of kudzu, devouring abandoned shacks and telephone poles. Barbecue. Good black preaching on an AM station, fading in then fading out. Roadside peach stands.

You have said that you will only write one Southern novel. Why only one?

WB: I try not to repeat myself on anything – in part, to focus myself, to say everything I have to say when I'm on a subject. I have a European novel next, then a Western.

Who are your favorite Southern writers and why?

WB: Faulkner and Welty are the twin towers. For living writers, it's hard to beat Ron Rash and Jill McCorkle in short stories; Edward P. Jones, Valerie Martin, Gail Godwin; I try not miss what George Singleton and Percival Everett get up to, south of the Carolina border. No one does what Lee Smith does better than Lee Smith. I send my students to Pinion by Claudia Emerson and Kyrie by Ellen Bryant Voigt – books of poetry as deep and satisfying a narrative as any novel.

Did you really research Lookaway by hanging around sorority houses at Chapel Hill during Rush Week? Did you have any run-ins with the sorority sisters themselves who wondered why you were there? Sounds like another novel waiting to happen…

WB: I'm sure they took no notice of me! It was actually their public blogs and rush accounts that helped me most. I went to the statewide Debutante Ball in Raleigh, too; visited a Civil War renactment. That's the most fun part of writing – the so-called research.