Knopf 100--Day 19

69.  In Sons of Mississippi Paul Hendrickson looks to identify and interview the men in an iconic photo taken just before the integration of the University of Mississippi in 1962. The men in the photo (which appears as the cover of the book) don't know that their lives are about to change, that the photo would land on the cover of Life Magazine. As the years pass they would of course find themselves on the wrong side of history which would be documented in this photograph forever. What happened to these men? What about their children, their grandchildren? I thought about this photograph a lot this summer as marriage equality became the law of the land; what would become of those people, what will their children think in thirty years (or five)? This is one of the best social history books I've ever read, as good as Jonathan Kozol's Savage Inequalities, Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed, or The Other America by Michael Harrington.


70.  Maggie O'Farrell writes smart, clever, interesting books often about families in crisis. Instructions for a Heatwave, set in 1975 London, finds the adult children of Robert Riordan looking for him after he sets out for an errand one morning and doesn't return. As the novels moves forward we learn that each member of the family is hiding something, holding shame, or
possibly not being who they appear to be. I devoured this novel in a day, could not put it down to save my life. I love when a novel captivates you to the point where you not only can't put the book down, but then move on to the author's previous books - which is exactly what I did. O'Farrell has not disappointed me.

71.  Breaking Clean is a really lovely memoir. Blunt was raised on a Montana in the 1950's and
1960's, sans indoor plumbing. She went to school in a one room schoolhouse, and upon graduating high school was expected to marry and become a traditional ranch wife and mother. After over a decade of marriage and three children, Blunt summons the courage to walk away from her marriage, from the ranching life she loves, to go to college and study poetry. She searches and finds her authentic self.


72.  I wanted to include this completely fantastic collection of stories in this group because it's now occurred to me that this post could use some levity, some humor, which these stories have in spades, though they do explore the underbelly of love, and the sadness of it as well--I Am an Executioner: Love Stories by Rajesh Parameswaran (spelled by memory folks). Love stories, yes, but also our love of power. Love and power. The opening story, “The Infamous Bengal Ming,” is narrated by a tiger who is absolutely lovesick over the death of his trainer who he accidentally mauled to death. This happens in Liz's relationship with her cat, Zorro, quite a bit; it's been documented here on the blog several times. These stories are truly original, and this was my favorite collection of 2012. If you can, try to read this in just a few sittings because the stories really connect on different levels. Tick tock Mr. Parameswaran (totally by memory) I am waiting for another book.

Best Book of the Year So Far: Melanie Benjamin

One of the coolest things about Melanie Benjamin (other than once drinking Harry Caray under the table) is that she often promotes other writers on her Facebook page. She reads a wide variety of books and has a knack for finding really good reads. I guess I should say that the Harry Caray thing isn't true, but wouldn't that be nice? We love ya anyway, Melanie. A little something for you as the Cubs season winds down. 

I think my favorite book of 2013, so far, is Instructions for a Heat Wave by Maggie O'Farrell. She is such a gorgeous writer and explores so beautifully the minute little anguished details and disappointed relationships that can build up in even the most apparently loving, normal families. Her latest takes place during a heat wave in Great Britain in 1976; a placid, seemingly unexceptional father of an Irish family takes a walk and doesn't come back, and this act sets in motion the revelation of both long-held secrets and unexpected acts of compassion within his family.

Best Books of 2013 (So Far): Liz's Picks

(Gianna) Liz and I thought it would be fun to ask our friends in Book Land what their favorite book of the year is so far. After all, we are halfway through 2013 and July is an excellent time to reflect on all the choices you've made to arrive at this point. Everyone hated the idea. How can you pick just one book? It’s not fair! It’s not right! Well those are the rules, just one book. End of discussion.

Now having said that, Liz and I think it’s crazy to even attempt to pick a favorite book so we will list our top ten favorite books of the year.

(Liz) Please note that this project was Gianna's idea, and then she volunteered me to go first. Fine. I always allow her to pick first and I end up with her leftovers. Good luck tomorrow, Gianna. 

I'm not going to actually rank these picks, as the MLB All Star Game is on momentarily and I have some Yankees to boo. Quick and dirty, here we go:

Americanah: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a brilliant writer and I'll read anything she writes. If you liked Cutting for Stone, you'll like Americanah, the story of two Nigerian friends who leave Africa, and then return as adults to find each other again. Adichie's observations on race and class are astute but not heavy-handed.

Between Man and Beast: Normally I avoid the monkeys, but I can't resist good exploration history. In this case Monte Reel brings to life the world of Paul Du Chaillu, a Victorian era explorer who was the first to bring back proof of gorillas to the western world. From the African jungles to Broadway to the Royal Geographical Society, Between Man and Beast brings to live this story that ultimately inspired the King Kong tales.

Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish: A Novel: The literary world lost a gem when David Rakoff, hilarious essayist and frequent contributor to NPR's This American Life, succumbed to cancer. Knowing he was dying, though, and with the help of close friends, Rakoff left us with one last book. Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish is a novel in verse, warm and comedic and tragic and an extraordinary accomplishment. Think of it as Rakoff's love song to America.

One Thousand and One Nights: I'm a sucker for a beautiful book, and I was already a fan of Hanan Al-Shaykh. In her retelling of One Thousand and One Nights, Lebanese writer Al-Shaykh brings to woman's perspective to the magic carpets and thieves and genies of the Arabian Nights. Mary Gaitskill writes the intro and the book itself should win design awards for the stunning package.

Instructions for a Heatwave: Instructions for a Heatwave was a huge discovery for me. I'd heard of but never read Maggie O'Farrell, and now I regret that I missed her earlier novels. I'm working to remedy that mistake. O'Farrell is every bit as skilled a writer as Jonathan Franzen, and like Franzen her subject is family interactions. In Heatwave she proves you can't go home again when three adult children rendezvous at their mother's house to search for their missing father. They have their own lives, regrets, secrets, and joys, but they are also adults who were once the bickering siblings growing up together. You know how you turn into your bratty 12 year old self when you're around your brother and sister? You'll get this book.

The Woman Upstairs: Damn. Claire Messud. She's got to be one of the ten or so best writers in the country. The Woman Upstairs tells the story of Nora, a quietly seething teacher who gave up her dreams of being an artist. When a family moves to Cambridge and into her life, though, she discovers new dimensions in her life and rediscovers her dreams. The son is the compassionate new kid in her third grade class. The mother is an artist on the brink of wild success, with whom Nora shares a studio. The father is a brilliant visiting professor at Harvard who awakens Nora's intellectual and physical passion. Claire Messud reveals through Nora a woman on the brink. I love this book.

The Antagonist: As far as I'm concerned, Lynn Coady's The Antagonist should be required reading. It's surprising, funny, angry, wise, and simply incredible. Here's a novel written as a series of drunken emails from a man wronged by an old college friend. Gordon Rankin Jr is a former hockey prodigy plagued by a hilariously awful father, and when his friend uses Rank's life as the basis for his bestselling novel, Rank takes to email to set the story straight. Have you read it? You need to read it. I'm looking at you.

Vampires in the Lemon Grove: We have already heaped praise upon Karen Russell and her short story collection Vampires in the Lemon Grove. I love KR, I love these sometimes creepy, sometimes funny, all terrific stories. 

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena: A major literary debut, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is the book that the Random House sales force buzzed about for many months before it went on sale. It's set in Chechnya, Anthony Marra creates a multifaceted story of a village terrorized by war and a hospital desperately trying to keep going in the worst circumstances. Don't think of it as a war book, though (or just a war book). This is a character driven novel about betrayed friendships, an orphan hunted by an army, and two doctors just trying to survive.

Benediction: Allow me to conclude my list with Benediction. Few books have meant as much to me as this novel from Kent Haruf, the author of Plainsong. Benediction is set in a small town on the Colorado plain. The owner of the local hardware store is slowly dying of cancer, but summoning his adult son is fraught with problems. They are estranged and they have no address for him. Even as they wait, and hope, the town people gather and swirl around this man. Having grown up in a small town, and having a dad who runs the local hardware store, and having lost my mother to cancer, I related personally to Benediction. Having said that, though, I think this is a novel for everyone. It's full of humanity and the communities we hope will sustain us throughout our lives.