Brammer states early and often that he’s not a trained mental health professional, simply a person that stumbled into a career with the ability to help others. “¡Hola Papi!” is clear example that he’s succeeded.
Gay Bar: Why We Went Out – Jeremy Atherton Lin
There are multiple things I took umbrage with in this unfocused, pretentious, and boring historical memoir (is that a thing?) that I gave up at 34 percent read.
Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations – Mira Jacob
While “Good Talk” sound like a heavy, depressing read it is anything but. Jacob writes with humor and sharp clarity that roots the situations presented (even those that may not be universal) in shared pathos. It’s easily one of my favorite reads of the year.
The Grownup – Gillian Flynn
From the blush inducing opening sentence to a first act that was equal parts “where is she going with this?” and “wow, that’s genius!” the story is a little all over the place, but Flynn mostly ties it all together. Mostly.
The Gatherings – Jeremy Ray
Mysterious worldwide gatherings devolve into the end of times in this short-story horrorfest.
No One Goes Alone – Erik Larson
Expectation: A good old fashioned ghost story told in radio serial style.
Reality: An intellectual ghost story that’s heavy on talking and light on action.
The Underground Railroad – Colson Whitehead
Expectation: Adventure story with a speculative fiction slant.
Reality: At times both horrific and hopeful, the cross-state settings help broaden the view from other, similar stories.
Into the Wild – Jon Krakauer
Krakauer kept my attention from the first page to the last, and I found myself wishing that there was more to the story. I know that many people have a love/hate relationship with this book - mainly because they either love or hate McCandless - but there is no denying that Krakauer is a gifted writer.
Apartment – Teddy Wayne
Expectation: An LGBTQIA+ story about unrequited love and finding yourself.
Reality: An engrossing character study that gives you a front row seat to how easily it is destroy yourself in the name of saving others.
The Comfort Book – Matt Haig
This is probably best suited for individuals that have had their own struggles with depression and are looking for additional suggestions on how to survive and thrive. I appreciate the stigma breaking Haig does here – especially for men – but I think his fiction, which also covers similar themes, is more for me.
The Only Plane in the Sky: The Oral History of 9/11 – Garrett M. Graff
The stories are raw, painful and incredibly difficult. Only a few have happy endings. I had to pause the book several times to collect my thoughts. I cried frequently. That’s a testament to how Graff structured the book, its phenomenal narration, and the fact that it is an oral history.
Pachinko – Min Jin Lee
Expectation: A richly drawn, multi-generational story about love, loss and finding purpose.
Reality: A sometimes melodramatic, but ultimately effective snapshot of life in Asia during one of the most tumultuous time periods in history.
The Stranger – Albert Camus
Expectation: An overrated classic.
Reality: Not every aspect of the story worked for me, but our collective experience during the pandemic gave new understanding – and perhaps compassion - to Meursault’s personality.
The Goldfinch – Donna Tartt
Expectation: A modern “Great American Novel.”
Reality: A captivating and gorgeously written novel that, at times, asks too much of the reader.
Who Is Maud Dixon? – Alexandra Andrews
Expectation: A twisty, wicked story of ambition with shades of Stephen King’s “Misery.”
Reality: A slow burn page turner that mostly delivers with implausible originality.
The Bridges of Madison County – Robert James Waller
Expectation: A heartbreaking and memorable story of forbidden love.
Reality: A well-written but incredibly male-centric romance with laugh out loud dialogue that detract from the novel’s stronger elements.
A Children’s Bible – Lydia Millet
Expectation: A moody, intelligent apocalyptic tale for modern times.
Reality: A mess.
Leaves of Grass – Walt Whitman
While I’m glad to have read a small portion of this very American collection, I wouldn’t recommend most readers start with this unabridged version of “Leaves” unless you’re prepared to seek out the must-read poems from the often confusing and repetitive filler.
Can You Still Handle Pandemic-Focused Novels?
From the Bible to “World War Z,” humanity has turned to art and literature to help understand pandemics, which, in reality, are a not infrequent occurrences when you look at world history. And part of that healing and processing comes from being entertained.
Station Eleven – Emily St. John Mandel
Expectation: A high-brow thriller set in the post-apocalyptic Midwest.
Reality: A richly drawn character study that expertly balances multiple, intersecting plots and timelines.