My typical lament at this time of year is simply running out of time to read everything that sounds so good. It’s time to choose the stand-outs of the year, the books that are real gems. My standard is not any Best of List, not the GoodReads winners of the year. I pick the books that stay with me, that I find I recommend to everyone, that I know I’ll think of and compare others to.

Nonfiction books made a deep impression on me this year. The two that most deeply affected me were Hidden Valley Road, by Robert Kolker, and The Only Plane in the Sky: an Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff. Hidden Valley Road, the story of a large family with six sons diagnosed with schizophrenia was heart breaking; The Only Plane was tragic on an unimaginable scale, told from each individual perspective, each individual loss.

My Dark Vanessa, by Kate Elizabeth Russell was a fiction novel that described the way a man can manipulate and take advantage of a young female, victimizing her sexually and emotionally. I got to know some of the work of Tana French, an author I will add to my watch list. Both The Witch Elm and The Searcher, two completely different novels, both masterful mysteries, were excellent character studies. The End of October, by Lawrence Wright may be too close to home for some, but is a well-researched , believable account of a deadly virus that rockets around the world, completely out of control. Axiom’s End, by Lindsay Ellis is a debut science fiction novel that explores the nature of a human relationship with an alien being, what that might be like, two different psychologies, cultures, and biologies, trying to save our world. This was clearly an excellent year for fiction, too.

What will 2021 be like? Authors are endlessly creative, it would seem. That is the thrill of reading, and sharing our discoveries. There is always more to learn, more to experience, more to think about and more to share. Come back often, as I share my discoveries. I always welcome your thoughts, so please comment. Happy New Year!

Coda

Upon reflection, there are two other fiction titles worthy of notice. Nothing to See Here, by Kevin Wilson is quite funny, a satire of political maneuvering, familial dysfunction, and upper crust noblesse oblige and entitlement; and Exhalation, by Ted Chiang, a series of speculative science fiction short stories, addressing interesting big questions explored in tight, expertly structured plots. I could not leave these without mention, since they are certainly worth your time.