More Top Reads in 2019 - Fiction titles I missed, Short Stories, and Nonfiction

As promised, another post about some top reads in 2019. I started writing this post about 3 weeks ago and here we are, over 1/3 of the way into 2020, but maybe it's still interesting?

First, two fiction titles I overlooked because they weren't in the favorites pile — one because I'd posed it and left it on the dining room table, the other left sitting in a neglected pile.

It is seriously difficult to believe I didn't manage to walk these two to the favorites pile but it's mostly because they were read toward the end of the year.

Listen to the Wind (The Orphans of Tolosa, Book 1) by Susanne Dunlap is about two orphans living in the 14th century and how they vow to meet up, when separated, and spend years learning new skills. Neither forgets their vow to meet, but will they ever manage to see each other again? This book was one of those books for which 5 stars didn't feel like enough. I can't say enough good things about it. I'm stunned that it isn't being talked about everywhere. Buy it if you love historical fiction. Buy it if you like adventure. It's amazing.

The Lost Man by Jane Harper is her third mystery and, in my opinion, her best. And, I loved the first two. Harper is one hell of a craftsman. She builds up ideas and then crushes them. You're always guessing, all the way to the end.

Short story collections/anthologies

Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah is a book I bought and read at the first of the year because I heard it was excellent from a trusted source. I don't even remember who recommended it, now, but wow . . . no kidding. I still remember some of the stories over a year later. How often does that happen? Not very. 

Fire and Forget by various authors is an anthology of stories about life at war and after that I bought because fellow blogger and author David Abrams has a story in it and so does Siobhan Fallon, whose collection, You Know When the Men Are Gone was a favorite. And, yes, I do remember some stories from this anthology, as well. Clearly, a great short story is one that sticks to your ribs. 

Nonfiction 

Far Flung by Cassandra Kircher is a book of essays "set in a variety of locations, most of which deal with how nature had an impact on the author's life and her acceptance and understanding of herself and her family" (quoting myself, here).  It's been a year since I read Far Flung (I can't believe it's May, already) but I remember how much I enjoyed reading it.

In Pain by Travis Reider is a memoir about the author's experience with dependence on opioids after a terrible accident, the difference between dependence and addiction, and what we get wrong about pain management in the United States. I wish every medical professional and legislator who writes laws about managing the prescription of opioids would read this book.

The Unspeakable Mind by Shaili Jain, M.D. is about how or why trauma occurs, how people may react, what the treatment options are, and how well they've been shown to work (or not), and what's new in PTSD treatment. I had some issues with the book but it was so informative that it still ended up on my favorites pile.

The Last Light Breaking by Nick Jans is a series of essays by a man who moved to a small village in Alaska and his life with Inupiat Eskimos, his adventures, his interactions, the jobs he's held. I think the most moving of the essays was one in which he described a lengthy journey he was advised not to take, the breathtaking beauty of what he saw when he arrived, and the horror of flying over the area after it was developed (ruined, really). I need to read more by Nick Jans. His writing is spectacular.

The Free Speech Century by Stone and Bollinger - A very informative book of writings about freedom of speech in the United States. Not the easiest thing to read if you have no legal background  but another book that does a great job of describing something very specific: what free speech really means, its limitations, what we're doing right and wrong with free speech and how other countries get it right. People being interviewed when they're annoyed, thinking their free speech is being violated, will really get on your nerves when you've learned exactly how and why they're wrong but it's good to be informed.

The Threat by Andrew G. McCabe - I'm sure a lot of people have turned up their nose at this book thinking it's more political than it is but what it's about is the FBI, how they protect Americans, and various lessons they've learned, told through the eyes of one man who gave up a career as a private lawyer to join the FBI as a career civil servant. He does devote one chapter to being fired by the president but that's all. It's really a fascinating and very reassuring book.


©2020 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.