70 Books

#9: Let The Northern Lights Erase Your Name by Vendela Vita

Nothing else matters other than the fact that this is the best title for a book in the history of ever. That, and it’s also really passionate and beautifully written.

Also, I am horrifically behind in this book challenge already but in my defense I’ve been watching a lot of Adventure Time and eating Doritos so there’s only so much one woman can do.

#8: Everything Is Perfect When You’re a Liar by Kelly Oxford

I haven’t been this excited about a book in a long time and I legitimately danced a little bit when I got this in the mail. Didn’t disappoint. Kelly Oxford is hilarious and this book went by way too fast. More, please.

#7: The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem

The pace of this book is insanely slow but I think it’s worth it. Sometimes it  doesn’t matter that the story creeps along slowly if the writing is poetic and feels sort of like a deep breath. That’s what Lethem is to me a lot of the time. Just a really deep, slow breath of good writing.

#6: Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon

So I had strep for NO SHIT the entire month of February so this is basically the only book I read. I always expect a lot from Michael Chabon because he’s written some of my favorite books and this one didn’t disappoint me. Definitely not one of my favorites, but still a wonderful book by a disgustingly talented writer. 

#5: This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Díaz

I’ve been in love with Junot Díaz ever since I read Drown in high school. My level excitement for this book coming out rivaled that of tweens that love Twilight. And as expected, this book is absolutely incredible. It’s funny, it’s sad in that so-true-it-hurts kind of way and it’s just so shockingly vivid. I’m in love with this book so please go read it. Also do yourself a favor and read his second book, The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Another piece of magnificence by Díaz.

#3: NW by Zadie Smith

“Despite how dark NW’s outlook can be, it has an engaging rhythm and color to it, mostly a tribute to how well Smith captures different voices, accents and personalities in her writing. If you’ve read her other work, you’ll find NW more experimental, which I liked for the better.”

#2: Office Girl by Joe Meno

So I’m usually a big fan of Joe Meno’s books but this one just wasn’t doing it for me. The main female character is so deeply insufferable, but of course the dream woman for your average male hipster: artsy, twee, perfectly petite with huge eyeballs. I think that this is probably a great book for a certain type of 20-something, but not this 20-something. I was just sighing and rolling my eyes a lot. On to the next!

#1: Methland by Nick Reding

The ever wonderful Ilya Garner recommended this book to me eons ago and I finally got around to reading it last week. Journalist Nick Reding spent four years reporting in a small Iowa town and followed the lives of some of the people in the town from a severe meth addict to the town’s doctor. He also explores the issues of how meth became a drug of the heartland and addresses the solutions and utter lack of them throughout the book. It’s incredibly engrossing, informative and I’ve been obsessed with it for about a week now. Just walking around rattling off statistics on meth and the DEA. Check it out if you’re looking for a great nonfiction book!

#62: The Icarus Girl by Helen Oyeyemi

Can we just take a second to recognize that Helen Oyeymi wrote this book when she was 18 years old? That’s insane. And amazing. I don’t want to tell you anything about this book, I just want you to go read it. It’s complex and weird and wonderful.

#61: Because They Wanted To by Mary Gaitskill

I love Mary Gaitskill and I think she’s writes wonderful short stories, but I don’t think they’re necessarily for everyone. She’s not a very plot driven writer (at least not in this collection) so it’s acutely focused on the characters. That’s the reason why I love her stories. The characters feel like real people and it makes every story that much more powerful. The main themes that run throughout these stories are love and sex and though there’s nothing inherently unique about those themes, Gaitskill makes them unique. She’s kind of the shit.