26. Fates and Furies

By Lauren Groff (390 pp)

This book was a gift from about three years ago and I've felt guilty about not getting to it for so long. The reviews on this are interesting because people seem to love it or hate it -- which is one of my favorite kind of books. I loved it but I shared some the reservations of the haters. The book is about two complicated characters and their marriage told from both perspectives. But it's almost like two different stories. It gets melodramatic and some of the characters do implausible things but I liked the unexpected developments and various relationships.

25. Prairie Fires: The American Dream of Laura Ingalls Wilder

By Caroline Fraser (516 pp ebook)

This book is about Laura Ingalls Wilder's real life with deeply researched reporting about what was going on in the United States at the time: history, economy, politics, society. The first section about what was going on during the time the books are set -- is riveting. Laura's real life is interesting but also together with historical events - I learned so much. The books are an idealized version of what really happened and the facts are sometimes heart-breaking and sometimes aggravating. I remember as a kid thinking it was so unfair that the government made them leave their little house on the prairie after all the work they did. Now: HA! Settling on Osage Indian lands - shame on you, Pa. The section about her daughter, Rose, is long and hard to read. She was not a wonderful person. Overall, highly recommend to Little House fans and still recommend to people interested in U.S. history.

24. The Toughest Indian in the World

By Sherman Alexie (238 pp)

I've been reading through the endless ebooks I bought and I found this one in the mix. I also had a copy of the paperback on my to-read shelf. I thought I was all caught up on Sherman's short stories. I recognized the first couple and the rest were new so I guess I just never finished it. The stories I liked, I loved. Some of the stories didn't work for me. He's so good at twisting your heart with just a few words.

Here's a funny quote after a character talks about respecting elders:

You're not required to respect elders. After all, most people are idiots, regardless of age. In tribal cultures, we just make sure that elders remain an active part of the culture, even if they're idiots. Especially if they're idiots. You can't abandon your old people, even if they have nothing intelligent to say.

23. White Tears

By Hari Kunzru (437 ebook)

I think I bought this book because I thought Bob would like it. It's about two young musicians who collect old blues records. It started out pretty good but then it went off into a stream of consciousness thing, or something. It didn't work for me.

22. The Underground Railroad

By Colson Whitehead (313 pp)

This is one of the scariest books I've read in a long time. I didn't really know anything about it other than a friend said it was great and wanted to talk about it when I finished it. That was over a year ago, I wonder if she remembers that conversation. For some reason, I thought the title was about some metaphorical underground railroad. I did not realize it was set during the time of slavery. (No, I did not read the book blurb.) Oh my. This was harrowing and really good. Amazing characterization and lots of terrible details. Recommend.

21. Faithful Place (Dublin Murder Squad Book #3)

By Tana French (434 pp ebook)

This is the third Tana French I've read and I found them all compulsive reads but they always get a teeny bit long at the end. In this one the main character is Frank Mackey and the author is not shy about making her characters complex and infuriating. I love the details of the Dublin setting. I will track down the rest of her books eventually.

20. LaRose

By Louise Erdrich (372 pp)

This is one of my favorite books I've read in a long time. I loved the writing, the characters, the setting, the story. I went back and forth re-reading bits as I went along. On the second page a child is killed and I thought the book was going to be too sad to deal with and almost set it aside. But it's about families and generations and history and present day rez life and really good. My best recommendation.

19. Eileen

By Ottessa Moshfegh (440 pp)

I first read this author in the New Yorker and loved her writing. I haven't read a book like this in a long time. Dark and squalid. The protagonist is a young woman with a terrible home life and a murky inner-life who works in a juvenile prison. Everything is grim. A new employee shows up at the prison and Eileen finally seems to have a friend until things take an unexpected turn. A little darker than I prefer but terrific writing.

18. Raining Fire (Book #3)

By Rajan Khanna (269 pp)

Yay, I finished the trilogy. The final volume has tons of action and takes the main characters to dark places. Great series.

17. Rising Tide (Book #2)

By Rajan Khanna (268 pp)

Quick re-read. In Book #2 the scientists are trying to find a cure for the feral virus but new problems arise. Lots of fights and battles. I just started Book #3 this morning.

16. Falling Sky (Book #1)

By Rajan Khanna (252 pp)

Raj is one of my Clarion West classmates and the opening of this book was his first story at the workshop. I read this and book #2 when they first came out but book #3 has been sitting on the shelf for a couple of years. I'm doing a quick re-read before I finish the series. Airships, contagion that turns people into Ferals, criminals exploiting survivors. Lots of action.

15. The Family Fang

By Kevin Wilson (310 pp, ebook)

I told colleague, "I finally started reading that book you recommended." He didn't know what I was talking about. I mostly loved this book. It's about a couple of parents who go to great lengths to create performance art pieces with their kids. By the time they are grown, the kids are kinda messed up. It's one of those books that's both funny and sad and makes you think about family relationships. It's also a movie that I intend to watch this weekend.