loose: C/R/TBR 2019

These were some of the books I remembered reading in 2018 until now. Technically Motherhood and Little Fires Everywhere should have been included on this list, but I had already mentioned I was reading it here.

All in all, there were three books I planned to read but didn't finish or pick up in the end:

The Sympathizer
Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People about Race
Wanderlust (I might have finished it, but I don't remember so it's #3)

The latter half of 2018 was as crazy and emotionally taxing as I expected - but also didn't expect.

The point is that I made it. Now here is this year's thoughts about reading:

In 2018, I tried a little bit of mystery/thriller with Six Four, A Banquet of Consequences, Perfect Days, and Good as Gone. I was searching for a mystery/thriller with a destabilizing twist, but I can't say I found one. If I had to name one that came close, it would have been Perfect Days.

The Argonauts was the first book I checked out when I started my new job. Like I Love Dick, I saw its presence a lot online and felt it was a crucial read. I'm glad I read it, but others will surely find themselves in this book more than I did.

Rachel Cusk, however, really made an impression on me. I've always had a difficult time answering questions about what kind of books I liked reading. In the past, I thought the type of writing I truly loved only existed online, but Transit and Outline changed that for me. I think I may have finally found the perfect example of diary-esque writing that mimics a person's thoughts but are crafted and intentional. It's in this kind of writing that I often see myself, which is a selfish reason for maybe enjoying this kind of writing. I'll probably read them both again.

Do Not Say We Have Nothing: I wasn't sure if I liked it and that was purely due to my lack of ability to follow the narrative. It flips back and forth between a third person (Book of Records) and first person narrative (Marie), which sadly confused me. I'm not even sure if calling them third person and first person narratives is correct. I still don't understand what the Book of Records is. I remember thinking that I was more interested in Marie's perspective than the Book of Records, but like most stories - everything comes together in the last 100-200 pages. I found myself reading the end, sitting next to my husband who was playing video games, and trying to hold back tears. Contrary to that experience, Witches of New York was a nice, easy, and fun read that makes me want to watch a movie that is pretty and magical.

I first heard about this book a couple months ago. It was initially recommended to me, but then I started to see it appear on many "top books of 2018 lists" towards the end of the year. I am clearly a person who can't take a hint.

Recently a co-worker took it off the shelf and handed it to me. I may not be a person who understands hints, but I am a person who follows instructions.

In November of 2018, two friends and I spontaneously formed a book club. Surprisingly we've been doing more than pushing ourselves to finish books. I am also a person who needs a lot of pushing so I hope this lasts for some time.

The third book we will be reading together is The Lost Daughter. I am pretty excited about it because my friend has been talking a lot about My Brilliant Friend, which is written by the same author.

Another book that is on my To-Be Read list is coming all the way from England. After finishing Transit and Outline, I quickly learned two things:

It's a trilogy
I am in love with the UK covers. I only want the UK covers. I haven't purchased a book for myself in three years, but I want these.

I'm less scared of 2019 than I am of 2018, but I hope that doesn't prevent me from making big steps. All books aside, some positive and major changes happened in 2018 and it would not have happened if I didn't do a lot of the things that scared me. So here's to hoping 2019 is calm, but also productive.