19. Acceptance

By Jeff VanderMeer (338 pp) This is book 3 in the Southern Reach Trilogy. I zoomed through this so I could give the trilogy to my cousin to read. I feel like this series is a love it or hate it kind of thing. The story is so rich in details and connections but also strange and alienating. I don't think I completely "got it" but I enjoyed immensely. In Book 3 the entity that's been investigating Area X implodes and a bunch of different threads are somewhat tied together.

18. Authority

By Jeff VanderMeer (340 pp) Book 2 in the Southern Reach Trilogy. These books are really wierd and convoluted because what is happening in the story is weird and unexplainable. Annihilation (I have to look up the spelling of that word every time) is about an expedition into Area X. This book is about Control, a new director of the entity overseeing Area X trying to figure out what's going on. Everybody is suspicious and seems to be hiding something. I love the descriptions of the environment.

17. Where the Past Begins: A Writer's Memoir

By Amy Tan (368 pp ebook) I am a huge Amy Tan fan but this book was only medium for me. It reminds me of back in the day when a band had to fulfill a contract and would put out an album of "outtakes" and live versions that didn't add up to much. The sections about her family history were super interesting but some of it is journal entries and free-form ruminating that didn't work for me.

16. Writers & Lovers

By Lily King (324 pp) How great is it to get a book you know nothing about as a gift and end up loving it? I never would have discovered this on my own and now I have added this author to my list. This is set in the 90s and is about a 30 year old woman, who is also a writer, trying to get her life together with varying degress of success. The writing is beautiful. Great characters. The protagonist sometimes makes maddening decisions but is very relatable. Looking forward to sharing this with Mom.

15. The Trespasser

By Tana French (455 pp) I dragged my feet on this one because it's the only Dublin Murder Squad (6 of 6) I had left and now it's done. I love Tana French but also the books always seem a tad longer than they need to be and there's often a whiff of implausibility to the murder part of story. In this one a young woman is found murdered and at first everyone assumes it's a slam dunk domestic violence. It's more complicated than that. But the story is also about the detective Antoinette Conway, getting her dream job as a murder detective and dealing with sexism and a crappy work environment that makes her second guess herself. Recommend all of Tana French's books.

14. Murther and Walking Spirits

By Robertson Davies (357 pp) Robertson Davies is such a great writer. I've had this book sitting around forever and I'm sad that I waited this long. He's funny. Amazing, detailed, and wonderfully flawed characters, one after the other. And I learned a lot about history (N. America). It's about a guy who is murdered (not a spoiler, happens in the first sentence of the book). He follows his murderer to a film festival where our protagist sees movies about his ancestors. If you've never read Davies, a good place to start is The Deptford Trilogy (I should probably read it again.) In this article Kelly Link tells you why you should read the Deptford Trilogy.

13. Annihilation

By Jeff Vandermeer (195 pp) Wow! I got this book at the local little book library and became glued to it quickly. It's a creepy story about an expedition into an area taken over by a trippy creepy alien presence. The setting is so vivid and detailed and like another character. Really good. Now must run out and get other two books.

12. Fugitive Telemetry (Murderbot)

By Martha Wells (168 pp) I ordered this so I could have it the day it came out and then there was a snafu and I had to query the bookstore so I could go pick it up. Then it was just a novella. I've been dragging my feet because I can read it in a couple of hours and then no more Murderbot. In this one, Murderbot helps solve a mystery.

11. The Girl on the Train

By Paula Hawkins (326 pp ebook) I remember when this book was everywhere and I never read it so I grabbed it when the ebook was on sale. A woman scorned has a view into her previous life every day when the train passed her former home. A woman goes missing. Everyone acts terribly. It was fun and page-turny but following a deep-into-it alcoholic make terrible decisions isn't my favorite.

10. Every Heart A Doorway (Wayward Children #1)

By Seanan McGuire (174 pp ebook) After reading those Robin Hobb books I'm reaching for short and fast read stuff. This is a novella with a really cool premise which is what happens to the kids who go one these adventures through the portal when they get back to their regular mundane life? They are kinda messed up and they end up at this boarding school trying to sort it out. This one's pretty dark with some murders.

9. Network Effect (Murderbot!!)

By Martha Wells (350 pp) This is a re-read. I ordered the new Murderbot from the bookstore so I could get it the day it came out but there was a snafu and I after a week I sent a plaintive note customer service because I really wanted my new Murderbot. Then I picked it up and it's only a skinny little novella. So I re-read the previous book so I could drag out the moment before I zoom through the new book in an hour. Murderbot is a dangerous security robot that has hacked its governor module so it doesn't have to follow orders. They are hilarious.

8. My Name Is Lucy Barton

By Elizabeth Strout (181 pp ebook) I love Elizabeth Strout - she's so good. This is the story of a woman recovering from what was supposed to be a simple procedure. She is mostly estranged from her family but her mom comes to sit with her and the story explores her family and past and present. I was sucked in instantly. Recommend.