A list of favorite books from the year could easily spill over into a few dozen, but even then, my mind keeps drifting to those not read. The publishing industry continued to release titles fairly uninterrupted during the pandemic because reading is as perfect a socially distant leisure activity as one could imagine.
While early in our shutdown mode, puzzles proved hot commodities, books have continued to sell well more than a year and a half into this difficult time. That said, the book boom wasn’t one with widespread benefits. An April New York Times story found that celebrity-driven books were far outpacing nonfamous nonfiction and fiction, which could be connected to another troubling trend: Online sales for books were rising, while remaining brick-and-mortar booksellers — already struggling before the pandemic — saw attrition. New authors, often beneficiaries of well-curated bookstores with their finite space, could also take a hit, as online buying trends are often about cost and convenience over calculated risk on lifting rising talent.
With that in mind, here are 10 titles that represent a year of reading that included nearly 100 books. They were chosen not as favorites as much as a wonderful representation of the breadth of book publishing during a time when sales were up while worries about the vitality of publishing also rose: fiction, nonfiction, genre fiction, young adult and a bit of magic — legit magic, not speculative fiction magic.
Each of these lingered in the mind long after I read them.
“First Platoon: A Story of Modern War in the Age of Identity Dominance,” Annie Jacobsen:It’s very difficult to lend any credence to tin-foil conspiracy theories when this book leaves burn marks through its wooden crate like the titular totem of “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” The conspiracy-minded are looking at the wrong places for fuel. I thought I was reading a war book. Jacobson delivered a data book. A chilling one at that.
“Music Is History,” Questlove:我读过这本书,另一个关于音乐the other. The Roots drummer and author of this one wrote, “I am not a trained historian and I am not pretending to be one. … I urge you to read critically. When you see something that seems suspect, go look it up.” In the other acclaimed book, I was informed Aretha Franklin was a dubious pop artist because she had only two No. 1 pop hits, even though she had more Top 40 pop singles than Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston or Billy Joel. Top 40 hits are a decent measure of success. No. 1 singles are about timing. Which is to say, sometimes we overthink the logistics of music. By tethering music instead to historical context, Questlove created a vital new piece of music writing.
“Klara and the Sun,” Kazuo Ishiguro:Ishiguro今天写了明天的恐惧，而是因为他们被一个作者过滤，其晨在轻描淡写，恐怖比隐含更具暗示。此外，语言是微妙的。所以你完成了这本书并思考，“这轻轻令人不安。”然后，几个星期后，因为Ishiguro写作设计用于长期沉思，你意识到 - 或者再次实现“永远不要让我走”的读者 - 他看到我们最糟糕的是，他只是看到它如何随着时间的推移而发挥作用。
“A Swim in a Pond in the Rain,” George Saunders(pictured above):在许多方面，这就像教科书一样。但是，如果所有来自高中和大学的教科书都以这种思想的流动性运营，我从来没有卖过他们发出的学校。桑德斯比几十年来的任何作家更好地捕获了满足的存在状态。他获得了我们存在的悲伤和荒谬，这意味着他的故事也很有趣，即使他们拥有身体数量。在这里，他揭示了他的灵感（或灵感池塘）的水库，包括源材料和散文。很少有作者将被授予这样的余地。很少值得。
“The Mission,” David Brown:当然，这几天都是关于火星。但许多科学家认为，伟大的发现休息不在那个不可互动的红色星球上，而是在木星的月亮上欧罗巴。布朗的书是一种全景科学和政治 - 如何获得非凡的使命并计划并将进行。这不是一本重视即时满足的人。相反，它是那些相信长期奖励的人的盛宴，以及那些在他们走了之后看到的研究价值的人。它基本上是对21世纪的美国。这使得这是一本关于在我的时间里有一丝闪闪发光的书。
“A Little Devil in America,” Hanif Abdurraqib:So much — nearly all — of the canonized information about Black performers in this country has been written by white critics and observers. This book felt like a crucial … not companion to the history I thought I knew, but rather a full reconception with new contextualization. The entire book is a bracing read, but the ode to Merry Clayton, the Black singer who turned the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” from a very good song into a classic, is a grand point of entry for how Abdurraqib thinks and works. He finds commonalities, and having done so, pries away preconceptions. Something perceived as new emerges, even though that perspective was always there. It just rested unrecognized.
“Amoralman,” Derek Delgaudio:Friends of mine with no interest in magic created a chorus about “In & Of Itself,” Delgaudio’s Netflix special. And it lived up to their hype. But as one long drawn to magic and illusion, I found Delgaudio’s not-quite-memoir (billed as “a true story and other lies by …”) just as compelling. There’s no grand reveal at the end. But there is a story about how a square peg somehow rolls through life until he finds his slot. It’s sweet, unguarded and doesn’t reveal any illusions. Or at least any that’ll get the author in Dutch with his guild.
“The Man Who Ran Washington: The Life and Times of James A. Baker,” Peter Baker and Susan Glasser:Houston native Baker documented his lengthy spell in the White House in “The Politics of Diplomacy.” This biography offers more color to that account. Spouses, journalists and co-authors Peter Baker and Susan Glasser create a fascinating story of a man who never aspired to any sort of public service as a young attorney in Houston. Whether it was politics, competition or some other motivation, their subject found himself in various rooms where it happened in a life that became extraordinary. They had great access, but they also question Baker’s choice of party over all, including his decisions in 2016 and 2020.
“Wings of Ebony,” J. Elle:Houston’s Third Ward serves as setting and inspiration for a blazing new young adult adventure about a girl who discovers her own powers and also those coursing through her community. Elle felt no need to set this story anywhere other than the ever-changing Houston, where her Rue goes on an epic and cosmic adventure, discovering new powers along the way. And while her strength grows, she discovers new connections to those she knew close to home. This story will undoubtedly be a hit movie soon. Until then, enjoy it as a celebration of life, youth, family, extended family and little things in our lives and neighborhoods that are full of magic.
“Broken (In the Best Possible Way),” Jenny Lawson:Who’s to say whether it’s instinct or training that makes us obscure our most embarrassing moments. But Lawson has made a career out of putting them front and center: From debatable flaws to regrettable decisions, she traffics in transparency, which is why her readership remains so dedicated. One could embellish the stories from her books, but they’re too nakedly presented to be fabricated. And this book sells “awkwarding” like … I don’t know if it’s gold or bitcoin. Regardless, she mines struggle and presents it as relatable rather than regrettable. The book’s cover speaks to that. We can pretend that flower-gobbling monster isn’t there or we can grab it as Lawson does in this series of essays and meditations and reflections: somewhere between an embrace and containment.
Andrew.Dansby @ honal.com.