Books You Meant to Read in 2017
Top 5 Wednesday is a group challenge created by Lainey and run by Sam that includes a new book-related topic every week. Check out the goodreads group for topics and to interact with the community.
This week's Top Five Wednesday is all about books that you meant to read in 2017, but never got the chance to, making them the top of your list for this year. I am chronically bad at maintaining any kind of TBR, largely because I'm a mood reader and also because I am a slave to what's available from the library, and so this list was embarrassingly easy to envision. Something interesting I noticed putting this selection together is that I have a bad habit of shying away from adult books that I really want to read, largely because they intimidate me and because I don't have a lot of free time, but I hope to fix that moving forward.
Without further ado, and in no particular order, the Top 5 books I wanted to read last year but didn't.
5. Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero
This week's Top Five Wednesday is all about books that you meant to read in 2017, but never got the chance to, making them the top of your list for this year. I am chronically bad at maintaining any kind of TBR, largely because I'm a mood reader and also because I am a slave to what's available from the library, and so this list was embarrassingly easy to envision. Something interesting I noticed putting this selection together is that I have a bad habit of shying away from adult books that I really want to read, largely because they intimidate me and because I don't have a lot of free time, but I hope to fix that moving forward.
Without further ado, and in no particular order, the Top 5 books I wanted to read last year but didn't.
Meddling Kids is a riff on old Scooby Doo mysteries, infusing the mystery-of-the-week detective stories with grown up humour and a healthy dose of anxiety. More than a decade after the gang splits up, each member of the crew dealing with their own demons and traumas following their last harrowing case, Kerri (the novel's Velma) is forced to contact her old friends to settle the score from a mystery that may have been more than it seemed.
I love everything about this premise. I love mysteries, I love Scooby Doo, I love that it's basically rehashing the plot of the Scooby Doo live action feature which was terrible in all the best ways, and I love the trope of infusing real-life consequences to cartoon violence. All of these things appeal to me so much, and yet, when I got this book for my birthday, it found its way to my shelf and never escaped.
I love everything about this premise. I love mysteries, I love Scooby Doo, I love that it's basically rehashing the plot of the Scooby Doo live action feature which was terrible in all the best ways, and I love the trope of infusing real-life consequences to cartoon violence. All of these things appeal to me so much, and yet, when I got this book for my birthday, it found its way to my shelf and never escaped.
I'm a huge fan of Victor LaValle's writing style, and after The Ballad of Black Tom and The Devil in Silver (the audiobook of which is narrated by the author and highly recommended), I knew I would have to get my hands on his newest release. Especially with such an interesting premise.
The Changeling follows new father Apollo after a horrific act leads to the disappearance of his wife, and he must journey into an enchanted New York City to find her and their baby. If that summary sounds vague, it's because it is, and I honestly don't think I should go in knowing more than that. LaValle has such a great way of describing the city and bringing it to life, so I trust that no matter what, I'll be in good hands reading this one. It's definitely time to actually read this novel, rather than letting it sit on my "Currently Reading" Goodreads shelf for another 6 months.
3. The Muse by Jessie Burton
I'm really embarrassed to admit that I got about halfway through this book last year and just... never finished it. The frustrating part is that it wasn't even because I didn't like the story, or that I wasn't enjoying myself. Life just got in the way, and for some reason, I never found the time to pick it back up again. I honestly have no excuse, considering the fact that I loved Burton's debut novel, The Miniaturist, and I know that she has a stunning ability to transform research on a historical time into a really beautiful and atmospheric landscape.
The Muse follows two timelines: the first, of a writer named Odelle Bastian, who moves to London from Trinidad and begins working in a London gallery in the late 1960's. Odelle's boyfriend procures a painting of mysterious origin from a Spanish painter and revolutionary. The novel also follows the origins of that painting with the artist Olive Schloss, whose family is vacationing in rural Spain. What I've read so far of this novel shows that it is beautifully written and vivid, and I love stories that focus around what it means to have an artistic spirit. I need to finish it this year, for sure.
The Changeling follows new father Apollo after a horrific act leads to the disappearance of his wife, and he must journey into an enchanted New York City to find her and their baby. If that summary sounds vague, it's because it is, and I honestly don't think I should go in knowing more than that. LaValle has such a great way of describing the city and bringing it to life, so I trust that no matter what, I'll be in good hands reading this one. It's definitely time to actually read this novel, rather than letting it sit on my "Currently Reading" Goodreads shelf for another 6 months.
I'm really embarrassed to admit that I got about halfway through this book last year and just... never finished it. The frustrating part is that it wasn't even because I didn't like the story, or that I wasn't enjoying myself. Life just got in the way, and for some reason, I never found the time to pick it back up again. I honestly have no excuse, considering the fact that I loved Burton's debut novel, The Miniaturist, and I know that she has a stunning ability to transform research on a historical time into a really beautiful and atmospheric landscape.
The Muse follows two timelines: the first, of a writer named Odelle Bastian, who moves to London from Trinidad and begins working in a London gallery in the late 1960's. Odelle's boyfriend procures a painting of mysterious origin from a Spanish painter and revolutionary. The novel also follows the origins of that painting with the artist Olive Schloss, whose family is vacationing in rural Spain. What I've read so far of this novel shows that it is beautifully written and vivid, and I love stories that focus around what it means to have an artistic spirit. I need to finish it this year, for sure.
Speaking of this year, for sure: Next Year, For Sure by Zoey Leigh Peterson. This is a later addition to the books I wanted to read last year, but Zoey Leigh Peterson visited a writing class I took at my university in November I think to discuss her (insanely wonderful) writing process. We had to read a chapter from her debut to get a feel for her style and I absolutely loved it.
Next Year, For Sure follows a year in the life of a couple, who are seemingly perfect for each other, branching out into polyamory. It's a character stusdy that explores all the ups and downs and awkward situations that go along with being in an open relationship, being twentysomething and with someone for nine years, and what we mean to each other. Something that really resonates with me personally is that one of the main characters, Chris, is described as a "cuddlesexual," meaning that he's largely asexual but not aromantic. Which is the closest thing to my sexuality I have ever seen in a book, which actually kind of makes me want to cry without even having read it.
I don't know why I can't get myself to read this book. While I've heard mixed things on the writing style, many of the reviewers that I really trust enjoyed this novel immensely. And by all accounts, it should be completely up my alley: the story follows two best friends who are on the run in the Witchlands, a world where there are many different witches with different abilities. Our main character, Safiya, is a truthwitch, who can tell if someone is telling the truth or lying. As this is a very useful skill politically, she is being hunted for her power.
The plot aside, I've seen several of Susan Dennard's videos and read her essay about writing and process and what being published is like, and I really admire the things she has to say. While I've already supported her by buying her book, I'd really like to see how her advice comes into play in her own writing.
xx May B.
I want to read Meddling Kids too, it sounds nostalgic and fun, but with a right dose of creepy feeling :D
ReplyDeleteTasya // The Literary Huntress