I Hold a Wolf by the Ears by Laura van den Berg

2/5 stars

How’d I find it? After seeing this book on Electric Literature’s list of favorite short story collections of 2020, I bought a copy at Politics & Prose.

Why not 3 or more stars? It takes me a long time to pinpoint why I don't like a particular work, especially because I feel a critique should transcend the reviewer's peculiar tastes and preferences. For that reason, I read everything I start until the end. To make an informed judgment. I knew during the first story that I Hold a Wolf by the Ears wasn't my taste and found no other flaw, so that's all the "why" I have to offer here: good story nuggets, but lacking conviction and innovation in form.

Watership Down by Richard Adams

4/5 STARS

What's it about? A group of outsider rabbits works to start a new home and avoid the dangers of the wild, including predators, man-wreaked havoc, and territorial rabbits. Interspersed with rabbit lore, rabbit language, and the weight of danger, Watership Down is an epic, action-packed tale of survival.

How’d I find it? At a book sale at Rust Library in Leesburg, I came across this copy, which happens to be the exact same edition I had as a child, red sprayed edges and all. The joy!

Who will enjoy this book? The closest read-alike is Henry Williamson’s Tarka the Otter (an excellent NYRB read, by the way), though similar books for readers of all ages, like Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty, should also appeal.

What stood out? Adams does a stellar job of crafting unforgettable characters: Fiver, the prescient loner; Bigwig, the burly fighter with a soft spot for a helpful gull; and even General Wormwort, the hardened tyrant of Efrafa.

Which line made me feel something? The descriptions of setting in this book are universally lovely, but the following treatment of the turning of the season was particularly sumptuous: “In July the still blue, thick as cream, had seemed close above the green trees, but now the blue was high and rare, the sun slipped sooner to the west and, once there, foretold a touch of frost, sinking slow and big and drowsy, crimson as the rose hips that covered the briar.” Ugh.

Heartburn by Nora Ephron

3/5 stars

What's it about? Cookbook author Rachel Samstat discovers that her husband Mark is cheating on her at the worst time: she's seven months pregnant. What makes a marriage worth keeping? A quippy snack of a book that is simultaneously tough to put down and tough to swallow.

How’d I find it? A dear aunt with a terrifyingly voracious reading appetite passed along this book.

Who will enjoy this book? Lovers of the rom-com (especially Nora Ephron's, obviously) and Jennifer Weiner's work

What stood out? While this romance novel is rife with expected tropes, its unconventional writing sets it apart. Example: The future Rachel narrating the story punctuates the plot with recipes that I found distracting in the best way — I'm now determined to make sorrel soup. The book's major weakness is how aggressively cis and straight it is, which culminates in cringeworthy gender platitudes and off-putting treatments of LGBTQ identity.

Which line made me feel something? Make no mistake — this book is funny. I laughed out loud throughout. "I wanted a man with long legs and a small ass and laugh wrinkles around the eyes. Then I grew up and settled for a low-grade lunatic who kept hamsters."

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

4/5 stars

What's it about? A heart-wrenching meditation on grief, loss, and marriage, Didion lays bare the aftermath of her husband's sudden passing and her daughter's long illness. Sparse and unforgettable.

How’d I find it? My spouse, a devout Didion fan, lent his copy. This is a book he gives regularly to bereaved loved ones.

Who will enjoy this book? There is no one quite like Joan Didion, but for those seeking similar subject matter, try Kat Chow's Seeing Ghosts. If you want to recreate the general feel of the book, try poet Ada Limón's The Carrying.

What stood out? The sheer intimacy of this book is astounding. I mourned John as I read. After finishing the last page and dabbing my eyes, I happened to notice that the letters for "John" are in a different color within the title on the cover. The crying resumed.

Which line made me feel something? The bursts of repetition broke me. "You're safe. I'm here." "You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends." These recall the larger shared life between Didion and Dunne, making his loss all the more poignant.

Upstream by Mary Oliver

4/5 stars

What's it about? In this collection of selected essays, Mary Oliver offers insight into her life as a reader, writer, and human. Though most of the book focuses on nature and gratitude, a section devoted to literary criticism muses on Whitman, Wordsworth, Poe, and Emerson.

How’d I find it? My spouse received this is a Christmas gift and kindly let me read it first.

Who will enjoy this book? Fans of Walt Whitman, Annie Dillard, Ross Gay, and Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s World of Wonders

What stood out? Essays written by poets offer a buffet of language and sentiment, and Upstream is no exception. Oliver’s love for the world is potent and infectious; after sitting with this book, you’ll want to go for a walk. I find a current of sadness that runs beneath Oliver’s measured glimpses of her own life, but this makes the simple joys she describes, such as observing a resident spider feed, all the more special. The writing can be precious at times (think 2013’s Dog Songs), but the overall warmth of the reading experience makes those moments easy to overlook.

Which line made me feel something? “Once I put my face against the body of our cat as she lay with her kittens, and she did not seem to mind. So I pursed my lips against that full moon, and I tasted the rich river of her body.” Did…Mary Oliver admit to suckling a cat?

French Braid by Anne Tyler

3/5 stars

What's it about? The loosely knit Garrett family appears to be a pack of lone wolves, but their ties persist through generations. The novel centers around Mercy, Robin, and their three children, and ripples out to new characters as the family grows. Each chapter is an intimate snapshot of one Garrett descendant that expertly paints a vivid portrait of the family as a whole. A leisurely read that satisfies.

How’d I find it? This was a Christmas gift that I’ve been longing to crack open.

Who will enjoy this book? Fans of family dramas à la Ann Patchett or Damon Galgut's The Promise and those seeking an easy, well-written novel.

What stood out? Anne Tyler writes people so expertly, and her portrayal of families is honest and relatable. As a resident of the DMV, I also appreciate the nods to East Coast culture (particularly the local accents). The chapters read like standalone novellas, which helps the novel move along at a clip. I was never bored.

Which line made me feel something? The sarcasm and know-it-all demeanor of Alice, Mercy and Robin's eldest daughter, provides entertaining passive-aggressive interludes. These were my favorite bursts of humor in the novel.

True Crime Story by Joseph Knox

1/5 stars

How’d I find it? An aunt passed along this copy, not remembering what it was about.

Why not 3 or more stars? Once I realized that this was not, in fact, a true crime story, I could no longer overlook the odd cobbling and unvaried nature of the interview "transcripts" that make up the bulk of the book. The ending left me quite baffled.

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin

2/5 stars

How’d I find it? On publication day, I marched myself over to Solid State Books and got myself a signed copy.

Why not 3 or more stars? It pains me to give this book anything less than four stars, especially because I love (LOVE) The Passage trilogy fiercely. These reluctant two stars have nothing to do with the story driving The Ferryman. The tensions between Prospera and the Annex build deliciously, and our time in the Nursery marks the beginning of an unexpected new twist in the plot. Ambitious and exciting to read. Seriously, no notes. This has the trappings of good sci-fi.

But the writing. It doesn't rise to the challenge set by the story. Expect precious, a surface-level treatment, archetype as character. "I am Proctor Bennett." Expect lots (and lots) of telling. The figurative remains cookie cutter, uncomplicated. Was The Passage the same? I can't remember. Either way, unlike The Passage, this one might fare better when it's adapted for the screen. It could use a little more magic.

Ghostways: Two Journeys in Unquiet Places by Robert Macfarlane

4/5 stars

What's it about? An exploration of two spaces that unsettle and lure the spirit: a strip of land off the coast of England that hosted nuclear tests and a forgotten valley thoroughfare. In "Ness," Macfarlane fashions a harrowing tale of encroachment, while "Holloway" chronicles friends as they hunt for a passage using instructions from a novel.

How’d I find it? I selected this book during a weekend browse at Bridge Street Books.

Who will enjoy this book? Fans of Roger Deakin, Leanne Shapton, and Rob Cowen's Common Ground

What stood out? The writing is poetic and textured, and the lovely use of illustration and white space allow the reader to soak in the language before moving to the next page of prose. While the two tales differ greatly ("Ness" is certainly more didactic), they complement each other and pair for a delightful read.

Which line made me feel something? From "Holloway:" "...the landscape's pasts felt excitingly alive & coexistent, as if history had pleated back on itself"

Soft Science by Franny Choi

4/5 stars

What's it about? The collection explores the tension between human and human-made, between strength and weakness, control and abandon. Choi's language is rich and intoxicating, a dessert that you finish over several sittings.

How’d I find it? This was a solid birthday gift from my love.

Who will enjoy this book? Fans of contemporary American poets (Hanif Abdurraqib, torrin a. greathouse, Sally Wen Mao, etc.)

What stood out? "Perihelion: A History of Touch" is a standout piece, taking the titles of its various subsections from full moons in the Farmer's Almanac. I am personally skeptical of most books where the word "wound" is used on the first page, as it typically means I'm in store for a book-length exploration of identity — not always the reading experience I'm going for. The craftsmanship of Soft Science makes the appearance of "wound" twice on the first page forgivable. I'm telling you, this is high praise.

Which line made me feel something? There were so many. An example from "A Brief History of Cyborgs:" "Even blood, when it comes down to it, is only a series of rules."