so in 2016, i managed to read 50 books. my original reading goal was 100, but i’m glad that i managed to make it to the halfway point! and in my reading selection was a mix of graphic novels, literary fiction, classics, and poetry chapbooks. this is actually the year i started to read chapbooks + graphic novels, and i’m honestly really surprised that i went a decade of my conscious life confined to, like, only fiction lmao when there are literally a million and 1 vehicles of self-expression w/ its own certain nuances that can more comprehensively explore a vast breadth??? of human experience??
i was going to hold off on making this list until january 2 but like i’m under no illusion of actually finishing any more books @ this point in the year lmao, so! i present to you my casual offhand list of! my! 5! favorite! books! that i have read! this! year!!!
5.
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, by Alison Bechdel
i’ve heard a lot of hype drummed up for this book Back In The Day except i didn’t pay much heed & wasn’t particularly planning on reading it this year until i saw it on sale for $1, so i obviously snapped it up – and the thing is, i understand the hype. fun home deserves adoration!!!!! it’s just that if i ever have to point to a book that’s like the very quiddity of 4 star quality it’s this! really really deft and meticulous, and i remember feeling my heart clench at certain moments. it gives an incredibly detailed documentation of not only bechdel’s father but also her own exploration into her identity and how much it parallels and / fuck / even contrasts w/ her own relative privilege in being able to out herself compared to her own father’s toxic repression, etc. and the emotional core of this work was delicately handled / i definitely liked it! wouldn’t say i particularly love it tho / really really strong work but also not the most memorable
4.
Miss Lonelyhearts, by Nathanael West
ARRRRRRRRGH!!!!!!!!! i cringed so much when reading this fucking BOOK!!! literally w/ every chapter i went through, i kept waiting! for something really really! horrible! to happen! this book’s hilarious in a OH GOD WHY sort of way, i guess? this is a book i’d give to people huge into irony. really well-written and tightly controlled. if i could punch someone in the face, it would be nathanael west lmao.
3.
The Beautiful Room Is Empty, by Edmund White
extremely exquisite. i’m a huge fan of This Guy. he takes us through his miserable, deadpan adolescence as a Gay White Art Boy & it was such a trip to experience between his scenes of utter clusterfuck and the luxurious language he uses to describe said scenes of utter clusterfuck and there were some parts when i just wished he would shut the fuck up then there were times when i absolutely fell in love w/ this beautiful man and overall i really, really enjoyed this book for its wit & beauty & ability to make me cringe / i wouldn’t highly recommend actually reading this book tbh instead i would moreso highly recommend looking up quotes from this book because honestly White is a writer w/ one of the most decadent, lush voices in contemp. literature and nobody should have to suffer through pages of repetitive developments in his life just to get to the few gems scattered throughout the novel
2. The Hour of the Star, by Clarice Lispector
CLARICE. MY SECOND TOE-DIP INTO THE FASCINATING ABSURDIST HELL OF HER WORK.
honestly took me a while to get through hour of the star because the style was so gorgeous that i sort of felt like sitting in silence to fully consume her writing and the weird “oh whoops” vibe of the narration fucked w/ me so hard and several times the unreliability almost made me rage-quit and i had to work so hard to get through this but i am so glad that i pushed through / lispector is a fucking mage, and i honestly can’t believe i met one of my all-time favorite authors in 2016. macabea’s story is honestly something that will stick w/ me from how pathetic & esoteric it is, and i’m looking forward to chewing through her other works. if there is one book u definitely should read in yr lifetime, it should Be This. i only gave it a 3 stars on goodreads, because it didn’t seem to be lispector’s most fascinating work but 10/10 would still highly recommend.
1.
One Hundred Demons, by Lynda Barry
my first foray into barry’s work, and definitely won’t be the last. planning on buying out everything she creates, because barry is a fucking god. not even going to try and capture it in fucking weak english words because that’s just how hallowed be barry’s name. i’m not even sure if i’m worshipful of this individual work or just extremely lovestruck w/ barry. either ways, highly recc this. soft, compassionate, loving, wise, idk how many more platitudes that i actually rly rly mean that i can throw at this book but fuck my favorite book of the year, please if you have the chance fucking consume This.
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