Proudly, I’ve read all the New York Times notable books from last year that piqued my interest. With the exception of the book on Cleopatra. Haven’t found that one yet. But now it’s a new year, and a new list is out to replace the old. Below are the books I’m most interested in reading in 2012.
THE BARBARIAN NURSERIES. By Héctor Tobar. The NYT says it’s “a big, insightful novel about social and ethnic conflict in contemporary Los Angeles.” From the review, it’s about an interracial couple in LA, who experience an even more pronounced divide between themselves and their gardeners and maids even though they share a common heritage. An interesting topic for sure.
CHANGÓ’S BEADS AND TWO-TONE SHOES. By William Kennedy. From the NYT: “In Kennedy’s most musical work of fiction, a newspaperman attains a cynical old-pro objectivity as Albany’s political machine pulls out the stops to head off a race riot in 1968.” From my point of view, I love William Kennedy and will read just about anything he writes. But the saucy subjects of political machines and race rioting adds extra appeal.
11/22/63. By Stephen King. From the NYT: “A meditation on memory, loss, free will and necessity, King’s novel sends a teacher back to 1958 by way of a time portal in a Maine diner. His assignment is to stop Lee Harvey Oswald — but first he must make sure of Oswald’s guilt.” I’m intrigued because Stephen King normally doesn’t get props from the literati, and this book apparently is the new hotness. And it appears to be a big departure from fantasy and horror, King’s touchstones.
LOST MEMORY OF SKIN. By Russell Banks. From the NYT: “This novel, about a paroled sex offender, bravely tries to find humanity in people whom society often despises.” Plot description alone has me hooked. I’m curious as to how an author can pull that off.
THE MARRIAGE PLOT. By Jeffrey Eugenides. The NYT says, “Eugenides adeptly renders the patter of college intellectuals and the sweet banter of courtship, and is particularly astute on the uncertainties awaiting after graduation.” They had me at Jeffrey Eugenides, and then pushed me over with “the patter of college intellectuals.”
THE PALE KING: An Unfinished Novel. By David Foster Wallace. From the NYT: “Unfolding on an epic scale, this coherent, if uncompleted, portrayal of our age is a grand parable of late capitalism, set in the innards of the Internal Revenue Service.” For one thing, I believe the hype about David Foster Wallace. For another, I can’t wait for his take on Kafkaesque bureaucracy and capitalism.
TEN THOUSAND SAINTS. By Eleanor Henderson. From the NYT: “Henderson’s fierce, elegiac novel follows a group of friends, lovers, parents and children through the straight-edge music scene and the early days of the AIDS epidemic.” Interesting topics, interesting time period. Sign me up.
CATHERINE THE GREAT: Portrait of a Woman. By Robert K. Massie. From the NYT: “Massie provides a sweeping narrative about the impressive minor German princess who became empress of Russia.” How can anyone not be interested in reading about Catherine the Great? Plus, I know too little about Russian history. Pretty sure this will be super interesting.
CLARENCE DARROW: Attorney for the Damned. By John A. Farrell. From the NYT: “In this biography, Darrow’s unsavory side is on view, from his personal callousness to his purchasing of testimony.” Rich and compelling, no? I’m fascinated by Darrow’s cases, and learning more about his seedy nature should be illuminating.
INSIDE SCIENTOLOGY: The Story of America’s Most Secretive Religion. By Janet Reitman. From the NYT: “Reitman has rendered the most complete picture of Scientology so far.” I’m just dying to get my hands on this. I know little about Scientology, beyond some of the crazy overviews provided by South Park. It’s so hidden from public view, this should be highly illuminating.
A TRAIN IN WINTER: An Extraordinary Story of Women, Friendship, and Resistance in Occupied France. By Caroline Moorehead. From the NYT: “Moorehead meticulously traces the fates of 230 Frenchwomen sent to Auschwitz as political prisoners of the Reich.” Stories about the abuses of the Nazis are always interesting, and I admittedly have gaps in knowledge about the French resistance. This should be fascinating.
