Who could have predicted this? Who would have guessed that having a child would mean that my pace would fall from 21 books in the first half of the year to a measly 8 in the second half? And that instead of posting a quarterly update some time around the beginning of October, I would instead be pushing two quarters together for one end-of-year update? It is almost as if becoming a parent changes your whole life or something. Nevertheless, with what reading I was able to do in the second half of 2019, I still made a conscious effort to read in a way that expands my horizons, reduces stress, challenges me, and improves my mental health. As I said in June, this was never going to be about volume read, but the quality of my reading choices.
So, what were the final books that rounded out my reading this year? Why did I chose the books I did? Were they helpful, healthy, diverse reading choices? What does my reading future look like?
22. Stories From the Vinyl Cafe by Stuart McLean
Why?: This was my annual camping read; and while it was not as profound an experience as other books I have brought to read in the great Canadian wilderness, it was a purposeful choice. I have been working for about a year now on a large research and writing project about my grandparents. My granddad has been a devotee of Stuart McLean as long as I have known him, and I looked to this early collection of stories to find a new way to connect with my grandfather.
Health check: While Stuart McLean was an older white male author, and therefore among the most overrepresented demographic in publishing, he was (and will always be) a Canadian icon. His viewpoints may not be groundbreaking, nor open me up to ideas which are foreign to my own experience. Nevertheless, his storytelling echoes with a warmth and nostalgia that cleanses the soul. The simple truths he speaks are universal, despite being cast in hegemonic white suburbia, and there is comfort in going back home to a place that never existed.
23. Caring For Your Baby and Young Child by Steven P Shelov et al.
Why?: Because Angela and I had a baby! Parenthood has been the most indescribably wonderful experience of our lives, but looking at it from the outside was terrifying. I wanted to read everything I could to be best prepared for every challenge we may face. Of course, all of that reading and preparation goes out the window when you are faced with the very real and daunting task of caring for an actual human baby, but I am glad I did my homework anyway.
Health check: Disappointingly, this book was also written by an old white man. On one had, I wish I had tried harder in our prenatal days to seek out other voices on childbirth and parenting. On the other hand, I am much more interested in fact- and science-based approaches to these subjects, and it seems from my own observation that many more white men have been given the opportunity to write those types of guides than the next closest group.
24. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Why?: This book has been on my list to read since it was released to wide acclaim. I waited as long as I could for a paperback release (not because of the price but because I hate owning hardcover books for shelving purposes). Eventually, when the paperback showed no signs of coming, I went and renewed my long-lapsed library card specifically in order to take out and read this book.
Health check: Little Fires Everywhere joins Fifth Business on a very short list of perfect books I have read in my life. I have since bought Ng’s first novel, the similarly-acclaimed Everything I Never Told You, and can’t wait to read more from her. The breathtaking realism and devastating truths in this book held me rapt to the final word. An Asian-American woman wrote the best book I read this year, and that makes me quite happy.
25. Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind
Why?: I was leant a copy of this book ages ago, when I was sampling a number of other epic fantasy series to try to find a new obsession. I picked it up and put it down many times before actually committing to getting through it.
Health check: This was the first outright poor reading decision since starting the year with After James. Especially knowing that I have yet to read N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth series, slogging through a tired and derivative first chapter of a gargantuan epic written by – you guessed it – an old white guy was a complete waste of time in retrospect. I am still surprised I finished this one at all, and I don’t like what it detracts from my attempts to diversify.
26. Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
Why?: I have been casually making my way through all the Bond movies for the past year or so, and so I figured I would pick up the first of the original Fleming novels to give them a try. This turns out to have been an error of unfathomable proportions.
Health check: There is nothing to be found in this book of the charm, wit, and fun of Bond on film. Instead, his innuendo is replaced with aggressive chauvinism; his charm is replaced with cold malice; his ingenuity is replaced with dumb luck. The casual racism and overt sexism make this an abysmal read, and I will go out of my way to never read another. Love the movies, hate the book. An uninspired white male saviour written by a white male author. Shame on me.
27. City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
Why: Having heard her speak and be interviewed many times, I have deep admiration for Elizabeth Gilbert. She is a wonderful writer, thinker, and human being. Naturally, I could not wait to check out this foray into fiction!
Health check: Liz Gilbert is as remarkable in fiction as she is in memoir, and her unabashed celebration of womanhood and female sexuality in the 20th century left me in tears. The vision she conjures of seedy theatre life in WWII-era New York City is salacious and delicious. The audiobook narrated by Blair Brown is highly recommended.
28. What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell
Why?: I have become obsessed with Malcolm Gladwell’s engrossing podcast, Revisionist History, and I have heard him discuss some of the case studies from this book in other interviews. The way he makes the obscure both fascinating and accessible is unmatched by any other public intellectual I have encountered.
Health check: Gladwell is a Canadian treasure, and that rare celebrity who has not jumped ship on their home and native land as soon as the spotlight found them. He represents multiple ethnic backgrounds, and somewhat epitomizes the Canadian spirit of fairness, openness, and inclusivity. This book is also of a genre (sociology/anthropology/social studies generally, though it is also more than the sum of those parts) that I have rarely explored. I am glad that I read this one.
29. Debt: The First 5000 Years by David Graeber
Why?: If I remember correctly, I first heard of this book when it was mentioned on Dax Shepard and Monica Padman’s excellent podcast, Armchair Expert. I don’t even remember the context now in which it came up, but I remember being intrigued. Ever since reading Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens, I am always eager to read these sorts of broadly digestible essays on deeply interesting topics (in Harari’s case, a grand unified theory of anthropology and human history; in Graeber’s case a fundamental reimagining of the origins of money and economic systems).
Health check: Another book by another white guy was not how I imagined this year of conscious reading would end, but the horizon-expanding and preconception-challenging which this one prompted makes me feel less guilty about it. This was a fascinating look at what seems, from the outside, to be among the world’s most boring subjects: economic history. The audiobook was hugely helpful in making it digestible for me, and kept me thoroughly engaged for many commutes.
***
Summary
Books read: 29
Books by Canadian authors: 5
Genre diversity:
- Fiction (General) – 14
- Narrative nonfiction – 3
- Children’s Fantasy – 3
- Nonfiction (General) – 6
- Young Adult – 2
- Western – 1
Gender breakdown (Authors):
- Women – 10
- Men – 19
- Nonbinary – 0
Ethnic breakdown (Authors):
- White – 21
- Black – 3
- Indigenous – 2 (disputed; Joseph Boyden’s claim to Native Canadian ancestry has been questioned)
- Latin American – 1
- Jewish – 1
- Asian American – 1
Here at the end of the year, I would be lying to say I am ecstatic with my results. I certainly underestimated how drastically my reading time would be reduced after having a child, which meant that the long list of books by non-white, LGBTQ+, and other underrepresented authors simply didn’t get finished. But I did have time to read 8 books in this latter half of the year and I chose 5 by white men, so I have no one to blame but myself. Ultimately, I am glad that a quarter of the books I read this year we’re by non-white authors, and more than a third were by women – I don’t have the stats, but I have to imagine this is better than my lifetime average. And I truly feel the way that I choose books has changed. Looking at what has already made it into my TBR pile for 2020, I see the fruits of the efforts I made this year to overcome my biases. Reading with more awareness for my prejudices, seeking out marginalized voices, and broadening my horizons have made me a better reader – and just as importantly, have contributed greatly to my enjoyment of reading this year. And that, at least, is a success.
An Awfully Big Adventure 