favorite books of 2017

I read 45 books in 2017 and per tradition I wanted to share a list of my favorites! (Ten pictured, the eleventh not pictured—but still listed below—as it was a library loan earlier in the year. <3)

1. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry // Mildred Taylor
This is a Newbery winner I missed reading as a child, but reading it as an adult was wonderful and timely. I have said again and again that I think this is the mark of a great children's book—when books are not watered down for a children's audience but carry the full weight and meaning of their words. This book made me cry and cry. I wrote more at length about it here and don't want to cheapen those sentiments through abbreviation, so I'll defer to my earlier words on why I thought it wonderful.

2. The Hiding Place // Corrie ten Boom
This book has been on my list for ages and has stuck out indelibly in my mind among others on my to-read list as it was a favorite of a former roommate, Liz Merrill. I picked up a second-hand copy (I love love love the cover art) a while back, but finally actually picked it up to read when I was headed on a trip to the Netherlands in the fall. A staunch enthusiast and proponent of Anne Fadiman's "You-Are-There Reading" (p.s. if you haven't, you should read "Ex Libris" by Anne Fadiman, one of my all-time favorites; this essay is not available online, but this blog post explains the notion and includes a portion of Fadiman's essay), I thought where better to read this book than on my trip to Amsterdam and environs.

Corrie ten Boom's story of goodness and courage is remarkable and this book also made me cry and cry. Writing that feels trite, but for a work of art or literature to move me to tears is a signal that it has sunk in and resonated deep inside of me, for reasons of all sorts. Too, that a book makes me cry speaks volumes; a book requires active engagement, rather than the more passive means of other media [though active consumption is certainly recommended for such music and movies] and for me, my tears are a signal that I've become engrossed in a story and its characters, real or imagined.

I spent a day visiting and exploring Haarlem and the sights and sounds were familiar because of ten Boom's words, the descriptions of her daily routines and the ordinariness of her life. I attended a choir concert in St.-Bavo and the bells tolled the passing hours as I strolled the farmers market in the town square and wandered the winding streets. I was able to just make it in to see the ten Boom Museum, located in what was once the ten Boom's horological workshop and home. This story of quiet, yet bold and defiant actions in defense of humanity and war-torn Holland during World War II struck so many chords in my 2017-[sociopolitically] anguished heart, besides which I've felt and seen that this story is overwhelmingly and universally beloved.

3. One Hundred Birds Taught Me to Fly: the Art of Seeking God  // Ashmae Hoiland
This book reminded me of another favorite memoir, Terry Tempest Williams' When Women Were Birds. Imagery and metaphor making use of birds in their plentiful forms and attitudes always strike me and I thought Ashmae's collection of essays and musings on seeking God and faith was aptly named—her stories of grace and goodness read to me like flashes of light reflected off the wings of birds in murmuration. I think this imagery is a perfect depiction of faith—it is not the static, unchanging thing we suppose it to be. Rather, it is living, breathing, constantly in motion, constantly begging our attention. If I may suggest a pairing, read this with "Mother's Milk" (see no. 5 in this list)—bonus, Ashmae's lovely illustrations are featured in both.

4. The Collected Stories // Lydia Davis
This book came to me by way of a recommendation from Ynna (go read her 2017 booklist!), and this was a delightful read. Short stories in general share many of the qualities I love about poetry and essays, but I am remiss in not having read as many short stories as those other genres. I loved Davis's explorations of ideas—some stories were just a line or two; others, more developed characters and plot lines. I also loved Davis's linguistic background and how this informed her writing. Plus, this book was itself a tactile pleasure to read—it is a small volume, with deckled edges, and a good weight despite the length of the book. Some of my favorites (with added emphasis to those asterisked):

• A Few Things Wrong with Me*
• French Lesson I: Le Meurtre
• What I Feel
• Affinity
• Letter to a Funeral Parlor
• Information from the North Concerning the Ice:
• They Take Turns Using a Word They Like*
• Marie Curie, So Honorable Woman*
• Oral History (with Hiccups)*
• We Miss You: A Study of Get-Well Letters from a Class of Fourth-Graders*
• What You Learn About the Baby
• Head, Heart*

5. Mother's Milk: Poems in Search of Heavenly Mother // Rachel Hunt Steenblik, illustrated by Ashmae Hoiland

One of my favorite aspects of Latter-day Saint theology is the teaching of a Heavenly Mother. Rachel Hunt Steenblik's book of poems is everything that I didn't know I needed; it speaks to an ancient ache in my heart and gives words to so many missing puzzle pieces. I love her writing—the imagery she uses, how her experiences and friendships and motherhood have informed her understanding of a divine Mother, and how these poems articulated the longing and searching I know I have felt along with many other women. Ashmae's illustrations are the perfect accompaniment. I attended a reading by Rachel and Ashmae after its publishing release, and hearing their thoughts and poem readings was wonderful.

6. Men Explain Things to Me // Rebecca Solnit
This is yet another book which I have wondered why I didn't read sooner! I recently followed Rebecca Solnit's Facebook page, and I love reading her well-articulated posts about current events and women's issues. The essays in "Men Explain Things to Me" read fairly quickly and this small volume packs a punch. Not too far in, I had to search for a pencil so I could begin striking through with underlines and margin notes for future reference and later review. She has written on many other topics, and the variety of her non-fiction work is so interesting. This was a great introduction, but I'm looking forward to reading more of her essays (and likely rereading these, let's be honest).

7. H is for Hawk // Helen Macdonald
This book came into my stack by way of a recommendation of Elizabeth Morgan, a wonderful friend who came into my life via the technological age (and Instagram). Helen Macdonald's memoir-cum-prolonged-nature-essay reminded me oh-so-much of Annie Dillard's nature writings. The myriad ways in which Macdonald described grey stormy days and fields bordered by hedgerow utterly enchanted me. I also loved this literary journey through the landscape of Macdonald's grief after her father passed away. Human emotion is complex and inexplicable, but woven with Macdonald's story of training a hawk, this deeply personal account was a masterpiece.

8. In Other Words // Jhumpa Lahiri
It is difficult to describe and convey my love of the Italian language. I made a primo passo at doing so in this post I wrote upon leaving Italy on a trip this summer, but for connections and meaning which are so far-reaching, it is hard to distill into so many (few) words. Reading Jhumpa Lahiri's memoir of her study of the Italian language, "In Other Words," was wonderful for this reason. She explores the complexity and profundity of learning a language, how it becomes part of you but remains foreign at the same time. That Lahiri did not translate her own work is significant and exactly what I'd have expected; translation itself is a process of transmutation and I can't imagine the difficulty of translating one's own work—the temptation to change and improve in another [more comfortable] language would be maddening. Ann Goldstein, an award-winning translator known for her translations of Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan Novels, translated Lahiri's book into English, which I loved. I mainly stuck to the Italian text, but at times would glance over at the recto page and its accompanying English translation. Goldstein rendered Lahiri's words with such resonance and I was amazed again and again at her talent. In the hands of the wrong/less talented translator, a translation can appear dull and drab, losing all the lustre of its original tongue. That this book appears in both languages, one alongside the other, speaks to the talent of both women involved in its publishing process. I hope Jhumpa Lahiri continues to write in Italian, and in the meantime I'll wait expectantly and work through her (English-language) fiction.

9. Commonwealth // Ann Patchett
I love Ann Patchett's non-fiction/creative fiction (this book of essays), but had not read any of her fiction, for which she is primarily known. Generally, I tend to dislike novels with dozens of characters and non-sequential plot lines; this method is often used to ill-effect by lesser writers. Patchett, however, uses this technique wonderfully and I never found myself having to flip back to keep track of a messy storyline. I was drawn into this story immediately, and it was captivating storytelling.

10. Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living // Krista Tippett
I received this book for Christmas 2016 from my mom, and I began reading it on my trip back from Christmas break. It was quite the perfect book to kick off a new year (and bears revisiting, now that I find myself again in January with the prospect of another year unfolding). Written by Krista Tippett, creator of the podcast "On Being," her wonderful prose was woven with interviews and quotes from podcast guests, adding so much breadth and depth beyond her own observations. | "The mystery and art of living are as grand as the sweep of a lifetime and the lifetime of a species. And they are as close as beginning, quietly, to mine whatever grace and beauty, whatever healing and attentiveness, are possible in this moment and the next and the next one after that."

11. The Underground Railroad // Colson Whitehead
This book is the only one in this list not pictured, as I procured a copy from my local library earlier in the year. This was one of my favorite novels from my 2017 reading and its Pulitzer award is well-deserved. Colson Whitehead writes using magical realism to explore his childhood notion of a literal underground railroad and in doing so, translates real facets of historical events in parable form. I loved his cast of characters and the way he rendered this story. Colson Whitehead is speaking in Salt Lake in March, and I'm hoping I can go to hear him. Regardless, I plan to add his earlier works to my list and read more of his amazing writing.


What were your favorite books of 2017? (either published in 2017 or books that you read during 2017) I'd love to hear about any you'd recommend and make sure I fit them in this year!

{see my favorites of 2016 here}