For the last few years I’ve challenged myself to read a wider variety of authors. Essentially I’m trying to read more books by non-white, non-male, non-English-language and non-straight authors.
And as part of that, I’ve been posting a list each Easter on Facebook of what I read that year, both as a bit of a brag, and as a conversation starter.
But this I have this blog just sitting here waiting for content, so I figured I’d put the list here and be able to have a bit more room to discuss some of the books.
So, without further ado, here’s the list (in Alphabetical order, by Author surname):
| No | Author | Title |
| 1 | Naomi Alderman | The Power |
| 2 | Michael Chabon | The amazing adventures of Kavalier and Clay |
| 3 | Wu Cheng’en | The Monkey King’s amazing adventures |
| 4 | Claire G Coleman | Terra Nullius |
| 5 | Timothy Conigrave | Holding the Man |
| 6 | Jennifer Egan | Manhattan Beach |
| 7 | Gustave Flaubert | Madame Bovary |
| 8 | Mohsin Hamid | Exit West |
| 9 | James Joyce | Ulysses |
| 10 | Eka Kurniawan | Man TIger |
| 11 | Min Jin Lee | Pachinko |
| 12 | Jon McGregor | Reservoir 13 |
| 13 | China Mieville | Kraken |
| 14 | Haruki Murikami | The Wind-up bird Chrnicle |
| 15 | Nnedi Okorafor | Who Fears Death |
| 16 | Ruth Park | The harp in the south |
| 17 | Laline Paull | The Bees |
| 18 | Sarah Perry | The Essex Serpent |
| 19 | George Saunders | Lincoln in the Bardo |
| 20 | Lutz Seiler | Kruso |
| 21 | Ernest Shackelton | South |
| 22 | Vivek Shanbhag | Ghachar Ghochar |
| 23 | Ali Smith | Autumn |
| 24 | Kim Stanley Robinson | Shaman |
| 25 | Jesmyn Ward | Sing, Unburied, Sing |
| 26 | Josephine Wilson | Extinctions |
Probably my favourite read of last year was Terra Nullius by Claire G Coleman – because half way through there is a very slight change in context, and the entire book up to that point changes. It was really well done.
Exit West was a great escape story about all of the other times during an escape when you aren’t travelling. Extinctions was an interesting examination of aging and reflection. Holding the Man left me crying in the pub as I finished the last few chapters.
But really, there weren’t any books there that I wouldn’t recommend checking out.
There’s a pretty good mix in there of new books and older “classics”. Some award winners, some obscure ones. Translated texts and books form a pretty wide range of places.
Though, on that last one, I’m going to try to read a few more books from the global south this year. I’ve had books from a wider range of places in past lists, and I dropped off a bit there this year. There were no books from African or South American authors, for example.
Anyway, have a look through and let me know if there is anything there that you’d like to know more about, or suggest anything that you think I should try to get to in the coming year!
Hit me up on Twitter (@kipslife)!