Goodreads Choice Awards 2018

It may be hard to believe, at least it is for me, but it is once again time for the annual Goodreads Choice Awards. Readers everywhere will have to make some tough decisions, choosing their favorite books across 21 different categories. And to make matters even more difficult, five additional books are added to each category for the second round of voting, but I am getting ahead of myself.

Two DSNs have made it into the Best Fiction category. Both An American Marriage by Tayari Jones and Every Note Played by Lisa Genova have made the cut, but they will be going up against such powerhouses as The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer and Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami. Personally, I think I will have to go with Jones' An American Marriage, though both books are certainly worthy of distinction.

For Best Historical Fiction, it is actually a pretty tough decision for me. Choosing between Kristin Hannah's The Great Alone, and Ingrid Rojas Contreras' Fruit of the Drunken Tree (scheduled to appear on DSN in December) is no easy thing. Hannah is once again masterful in her descriptions and character development. But ultimately, it is Contreras' portrayal of Colombia through the eyes of two young women that will win my vote.

As someone who struggles to find science fiction books to cover that I think I will actually enjoy, I am always thrilled when even one of my choices makes it into the Best Science Fiction category, let alone two. This year, The Oracle Year by Chris Soule, and The Night Masquerade by Nnedi Okorafor have made it in, neither of which is any surprise to me. But as the third and final installment of the critically acclaimed Binti series, The Night Masquerade is the kind of imaginative science fiction that I would like to read more of. Her world-building is impressive, and Binti's adventures are incredibly creative and imaginative, especially for a book that is only a little over 200 pages. 

I have to say that when it comes to this year's Best Horror category, I am both thrilled and saddened. Included is Foe by Iain Reed (scheduled to appear on DSN in mid-November), but absent from the list is The Summer Children by Dot Hutchison, the third in her The Collector series. Both The Butterfly Garden and The Roses of May managed to be nominated in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Maybe The Summer Children will make it in via write-in votes, but I was pleasantly surprised by Reid's Foe, which is why I will go ahead and give it my vote.

Springfield Confidential by Mike Reiss is everything I wanted it to be. As a long-time lover of the The Simpsons, I could not wait to read the long and fascinating history of the show, written by someone who has been so close to it for the majority of its run. Springfield Confidential was funny, insightful, and filled with the kind of comedic timing that only a true humor writer could accomplish. However, Best Humor will be a difficult category for the book to win as it has to go up against the likes of Calypso by David Sedaris, and The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish.  

Michelle McNamara's I'll Be Gone in the Dark is a thorough look into the terrifying reign of, and long search for, California's Golden State Killer. Tragically, McNamara died two years before the book's publication, and the serial killer's capture. I recommend the book to any lover of true crime. I also recommend Ijeoma Oluo's So You Want to Talk About Race to any one who...well...wants to talk about race. Short and to the point, Oluo highlights the stumbling blocks many encounter when attempting to discuss this often difficult topic. So which one gets my vote for Best Nonfiction? It's a tough choice, but I think I will go with McNamara. Her coverage of the Golden State Killer bordered on obsessive, and the results are proof of her determination. 

If you are looking for a fascinating but true account of one woman's journey from a background where formal education was discouraged, and abuse had become the norm, to a future where she would obtain a PhD from Cambridge, then Educated by Tara Westover is for you. Honest and unflinching, this book was often difficult to read, but the struggle was worth it. Not at all surprising that it has been nominated for Best Memoir & Autobiography. 

This may be the first time I have covered a book that has been nominated for Best History & Biography. Even if it is not, it is certainly not something that happens every year. But Zora Neale Hurston's Barracoon is certainly worthy. Often using his own words and vernacular, Hurston tells the story of man who was on the last known slave ship to make it from African to the U.S. for the purpose of trading slaves. At less than 200 pages, Hurston easily and succinctly reveals why she was such a master at what she did.

It is no surprise that Sarah Andersen's Herding Cats made it into the Best Graphic Novel category. That makes it three years in a row for her Sarah Scribbles collection. Once again, she captures the complicated issues facing the introverted artist through simple but spot-on observations. My only issue with any of her collections is that they are too short, but still worth picking up. 

Contreras' Fruit of the Drunken Tree makes its second appearance in the Goodreads Choice Awards, this time in the Best Debut Author category. But it is joined by Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, and The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan, both of which are YA titles, and we all know how much I adore YA. So my choice? Definitely Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone.  

Pan's colorful novel about a young girl attempting to navigate her own grief makes another appearance in the Best Young Adult Fiction category, meaning I will have to choose between The Astonishing Color of After, and Courtney Summers' Sadie (scheduled to appear on DSN in December). Ultimately it will be Sadie that will win my vote; Summers once again manages to convey the trials and pain of a young but determined girl faced with an impossible situation.

And naturally, Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone has also made it into the Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction category. It easily wins my vote for the second time, though Neil Shusterman's Thunderhead also deserves its nomination. I expect both novels to make it into the semi-final, and even final round, with no problems.

New this year is the category of Best of the Best. This category includes every book that has won a Goodreads Choice Award in the past ten years, making the choice nearly impossible, at least for me. Even so, I have made my decision, and I stick with it. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas may be one of the more recent entries on the list, but it has certainly earned its place, and I think it has a good chance of coming away with the award. 

So there we have it. Not counting the entries in the Best of the Best category, there are 17 DSNs that have been nominated for Goodreads Choice Awards this year. I have made my preferences clear, but let me know if I should reconsider. Or even more importantly, please let me know which books I have not read that deserve more attention. And of course, be sure to vote and make your own voice heard. The opening round of voting closes Sunday, November 4.

Nonfiction: Springfield Confidential by Mike Reiss

My favorite television show of all time has been and probably always will be The Simpsons. Sure, it is a popular thing to be down on the show and say it should have ended years ago, but I don't care. I still love it. I still watch it. And I'll most likely continue to watch it as long as it remains on air (honestly, I am kinda hoping it outlives me). So it was an easy decision to pick up Springfield Confidential: Jokes, Secrets, and Outright Lies from a Lifetime Writing for The Simpsons by Mike Reiss, a man who has won four Emmy Awards for his work on the show. 

Genre, Themes, History: This is a nonfiction book that begins, appropriately, with Reiss explaining one of the many hidden jokes that appears in the opening credits of the show. From here, Reiss will talk about the birth of America's longest-running prime time television show, how he got started in comedy, how he ended up on The Simpsons staff, why he eventually left, and then why he returned. In between, Reiss introduces the reader to the other showrunners, the characters, the cast, the fans, and even tells stories about a handful of the many guest stars that have been on the show. Reiss also answers eight "burning questions" that he often gets from people, possibly the most popular of which is "Where is Springfield?" (the answer: it isn't real...also, Oregon). The book is an insight not only into how The Simpsons works and how the show is run (which seems like a brutal and hellish process), but how comedy works - or sometimes doesn't - and the inner workings of network television, as well as movies and even children's literature. It would possibly have made more sense to write this kind of book after the show ends, but as The Simpsons is about to air its 30th season, and shows absolutely no signs of stopping, this is as good a time as any. Also included are Reiss' thoughts on fan theories (they are fun but always wrong), how Lisa became the heart of the show, and his own insight into why the show has lasted for so long.

My Verdict: Reiss is a wealth of information and experience, as well as laughs. It is difficult for a book to have the comedic timing of a television show. It is even more difficult for a nonfiction book to have the comedic timing of a television show, especially one as fast-paced as The Simpsons. But Reiss pulls it off, managing to have me laughing out loud at several moments throughout the story, a few of which I probably wasn't supposed to find funny. I even think someone who is not all that big a fan of the show would enjoy this book. There are some many people that Reiss name drops that every reader would find at least one anecdote to be funny or interesting. My personal favorite, of course, was Michael Jackson. My only quibble is with Reiss' assertion (albeit it was made in jest...probably) was that the people of Texas don't read. First of all, how dare he. And second, I'm still laughing.     

Favorite Joke: On having attended Harvard University: "I spent four years at Harvard and I hated the place. I'm not alone: In a 2006 poll, the Boston Globe ranked schools in terms of fun and social life. Harvard came in fifth...from the bottom. Amazing. I couldn't imagine four schools less fun than Harvard. But then I saw the list. The four schools ranked below us were:
Guantanamo Tech
Chernobyl Community College 
The University of California at Aleppo, and
Cornell."

Favorite Quote: On Internet trolls who complain about the show: "One fan complained, 'In Season 8, Homer smuggled beer. Then in Season 27, he smuggled snakes. Rip-off.'
Yes, we did two vaguely similar stories, nineteen years apart. But the fan who complained was only fourteen years old - we hadn't even repeated ourselves in his lifetime!"

Favorite Photo Caption: Included in chapter 7 is a picture of the author with Dan Castellaneta, and a statue of a pig between them. The caption reads, "(Left to right:) Dan Castellaneta, Harvey Weinstein, and me." Well played.

Recommended Reading: Reiss and I both agree that Born Standing Up by Steve Martin is an excellent memoir.

Contemporary Fiction: Star of the North by D.B. John

In general, I try to avoid books about war, and stories labeled as "thrillers" that involve spies, political intrigue, government conspiracies, etc. So when I picked up Star of the North by D.B. John, I was certainly going against my better judgment. With the three different story lines moving and converging against a North Korean backdrop, I knew I was potentially in for a hard time as this book seemingly contained exactly the type of story elements I avoid. But instead of a lot of anxiety and heartache, I was surprised with genuine curiosity and delight.

The Situation: Jenna Williams has spent her academic career studying North Korea. She knows the language, is half-Korean herself, and has a more personal reason for getting to know a country that many consider to be the most dangerous place on Earth. In June of 1998, Jenna's twin sister disappeared from a beach in South Korea. While she has since been declared dead with drowning listed as the official cause, a body was never found, and Jenna has managed to hold onto the belief that her sister was abducted, and may still be alive. Meanwhile, back in the North Korean capitol of Pyongyang, Colonel Cho has just received an impressive promotion and will be traveling to New York City to oversea negotiations with the U.S. And Mrs. Moon, a poor peasant in a province of North Korea, has found a balloon carrying banned products from the west. After some smart dealing and quick thinking, she is able to become a major player on the Korean black market.

The Problem: Jenna has a usual day of teaching college students interrupted by the appearance of a high-ranking official. Apparently the CIA thinks she would be better suited for their organization than to the life of a tenured professor. At first she declines the offer, believing she isn't CIA material. But when the albeit small chance to use CIA resources to find her sister takes place in her mind, she finds herself accepting the position and entering the training program. This decision will propel her into events she never imagined she could be a part of, while also bringing her into close proximity with Colonel Cho, whose life is also about to change. Despite being incredibly successful in his trip to New York City, the worst thing imaginable has happened: a terrible family secret has been found in Cho's past. This revelation could not only result in the loss of his job, but also his family, his status, and ultimately, his life. And while Mrs. Moon may have found nominal success on the black market, for every two steps she makes forward, the North Korean government forces her and her community three steps back, causing her to make decisions that endanger what little freedom she does enjoy.

Genre, Themes, History: The is a fiction novel that has also been placed under the heading of thriller. I could even argue for the heading of historical fiction despite the main action occurring in 2010-2011. What John does is take real events the took place at the time in North Korea and add his own characters and situations. Also, he takes some of the elements of real life in North Korea and uses them in the book. Telling the difference between what is fiction and what was drawn from real life is not easy, mostly because what often happens in North Korea is much stranger than fiction. But the The Abductions Program was real: a program where people were abducted off of beaches in Japan and South Korea and were taken to North Korea for a life of various forms of slavery and eventual death. The Seed-Bearing Program is also real, where North Korean women were sent out to become pregnant by men of various races. These children would grow up to be trained as spies with the hope that the way they look could help them better infiltrate other countries. Also real in John's book is the way North Korea treats Christians and Christianity. The only religion allowed is the worship of the Dear Leader; essentially nothing else is tolerated, much less a religion that is often associated with the U.S. John uses these real situations and institutions as backdrops for his fictional characters. Jenna Williams gives us a look at an intelligent half Korean, half African-American woman who would do anything to locate the sister she is convinced is still alive. Colonel Cho is a loyal North Korean, right up until his country is no longer loyal to him. And Mrs. Moon is a feisty sexagenarian who is not afraid to fight for her own survival, as well as that of the people she loves, come what may.

My Verdict: Clearly, something drew me to this book despite my default setting of avoiding this kind stuff. Perhaps it was the interweaving story lines, which I am always a sucker for when it is done well, and John certainly does it well. It is not forced, but instead the plot flows smoothly as details are given freely without becoming tangled or burdensome. Naturally, North Korea makes for a harsh and intense setting, but John does the seemingly impossible and places the reader within the country without scaring you away from the story. Even when it is clear danger is on the way, or at least watching and waiting, the compelling characters and situations kept me turning the pages. There were plenty of political details that were over my head, but I never felt lost or even bored. From the beginning, even knowing where the book was headed and what kind of situations I could end up reading about, I knew I was going to enjoy this book, and I was never disappointed at any point along the way.

Favorite Moment: When Jenna passed one of her CIA tests by fighting her way out of an interrogation. 

Favorite Character: Mrs. Moon is a tough woman who has not had an easy life, but she continues to work hard, and even manages to outsmart many in her attempt to provide for herself and those she cares about. She is even willing to take considerable risks to her own life if it means saving someone she loves.

Recommended Reading: Like I said, I do not read many political thrillers, so I recommend the nonfiction title Age of Ambition by Evan Osnos, which explores life in modern China.

Young Adult Fiction: Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

Tiffany D. Jackson's Monday's Not Coming is one of those books I feel guilty for not having picked up sooner. It has been out since May, but I am just now getting to it. But hey, I guess better late than never. And also, there are still so many books from 2018, especially YA books, that I still want to read. It is impossible to get them all in before the end of the year, but I will certainly have fun trying.

The Situation: To say that Claudia and Monday are best friends would be an understatement. Claudia and Monday are best friends in the way that they have their own secret language. And while they do sometimes dress alike, they can look like twins even when they are wearing different clothes. Attending the same school in DC, Claudia and Monday stick together and endure the same torture from the same bullies. But since they have each other, they remain okay. Claudia sees what they have as a sort of protective bubble with the two of them inside. There are things beyond school bullies that threaten to pop it though, such as the difference in their socioeconomic status, with Claudia being closer to middle class, and Monday living in Ed Borough, an area known for crime and poverty. Also, while Claudia is an only child living with her mother and father, Monday is the second of four children, living only with her mother, who does little to hide her dislike for Claudia's mother. Still, the girls make it work, until Monday goes missing.

The Problem: Every summer, Claudia visits her grandmother down south, while Monday stays in DC. This past summer, the girls were supposed to write letters to each other the entire time Claudia was gone, but all of Claudia's letters went unanswered. And then, Monday does not show up for the first day of school, or the second, or the third, or the first week, second week, and on it goes. Claudia knows something has to be seriously wrong for her best friend to not only stop communicating with her, but also not show up to school. But what is even more frustrating than having her best friend seemingly drop off of the face of the earth is being the only one who seems to be looking for her. With the exception of one teacher, school officials brush off Claudia's concerns, Monday's family will not give her straight answers, the police will not take her seriously, and even Claudia's parents do not want her digging too deep. Without Monday, Claudia feels more alone than she has ever felt, and while she refuses to move on without her best friend, she would not know where to start even if she wanted to.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult novel narrated by Claudia, a teenage girl living in the DC area who is looking for her best friend, Monday. The story begins with Claudia's return from her annual summer trip to her grandmother's house, and as usual, the first thing she wants to do is contact Monday. At first, Claudia experiences only a mild panic when she cannot get in touch with her best friend before the first day of school. But this panic grows the longer Monday is missing. And while Monday being missing is certainly an issue, it is only part of the reason for Claudia's panic, as it is revealed that not only is Monday her best friend, but also her only friend. Plus, it seems that Monday was essential to Claudia getting through school in more ways than one. The two kept each others' secrets, protected each other, supported one another, and never turned their backs on each other. This is why Claudia refuses to give up on finding her friend. Told through chapters with titles such as 'The Before,' 'The After,' 'One Year Before The Before,' and even 'Two Years Before The Before,' the story touches on various themes concerning life for black families in DC (the 80s drug crisis and gentrification, just to name a couple), as well as what it means to never give up on a friend.

My Verdict: I thought this book was going to be tougher to get through than it was. Even so, I picked it up anyway and was glad I did. It is so much more than a story about a missing girl whose best friend refuses to give up looking for her. It is also about what family is supposed to be, the role of educators in today's school, what happens when property and land are suddenly desirable, and the always important difference between being friends with someone, and also being completely socially dependent on them, while not really knowing them. Something readers often talk about with YA is the authentic teenage voice, and this book certainly has that. There were parts that did make me slightly uncomfortable only because they reminded me of what is was like to line up by grade in middle school, of line up in the cafeteria in high school, or struggle through homework assignments you would really rather not do. There are parts that were hard, and other parts that were simply heartbreaking, but more than that, Claudia's determination almost becomes the reader's determination, and ultimately, we would all want someone like her in our lives who would refuse to give up on us.

Favorite Moment: Claudia may have been warned against fighting by her parents, but I do admit to enjoying any moment when she stands up for herself and refuses to be pushed around.

Favorite Character: Claudia's parents remind me of my own. The girl cannot get away with much, and it is certainly for the best.

Recommended Reading: A List of Cages by Robin Roe is a YA novel about a boy refusing to give up on an unlikely friend.   

Contemporary Fiction: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

When the brother of one of your favorite young adult fiction authors publishes a book, you get excited. Especially if said brother already has a respectable career of his own making content for some incredibly popular YouTube channels. It was a given that I was going to cover An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green, younger brother of John Green (author of The Fault in Our Stars and Turtles All the Way Down). And while it would be unfair to expect to feel the same way about Hank's book that I have about John's, I will say that I was more than intrigued to see what the younger Green brother would offer up.

The Situation: April May is a 23 year-old New York resident simply doing what many young 20-somethings do. In the interest of paying off student loan debt, she has taken a job she is not all that crazy about, but pays enough so that she can split an apartment with her roommate/kind of girlfriend Maya. After a fairly routine trip on the MTA, April is walking down a sidewalk when she encounters a sculpture in the form of a Transformer. Ten-feet tall and wearing a suit of samurai armor, the sculpture is simply standing in the middle of the sidewalk. And being New York City, no one really takes notice or cares, April included, at least at first. But then she convinces her good friend Andy to help her film a video about it and upload it. To say it goes viral would be an understatement. And then it is discovered that there are more of these sculptures located all over the world, and they all seemed to have simply appeared. Since April was the first to bring the strange sculpture, or "Carl" as she has named him, to the Internet's attention, the world is looking to her for more information.

The Problem: It has long been humanity's method of operation to almost immediately become hostile to anything that is new and/or different. When a hastily put-together book is published, with the author asking for caution and preparation of a defense, April finds herself in the middle of a debate she is less than prepared for. But she also finds herself increasingly addicted to watching the number of her Twitter followers increase. She already knows herself to be bad at relationships, and bad at making major decisions, and her new-found fame is only making things worse. Often oblivious to the damage she is causing, and sometimes fully aware, April continues on the path before her, while the danger around her grows, and the mystery of the Carls becomes an intriguing puzzle in which the entire world is involved. Will April be able to keep her mouth shut long enough to listen to those closest to her? And what exactly is her roll in this incredible global event?

Genre, Themes, History: This is a fiction novel that many have categorized as young adult. But seeing as April and her friends are all in their mid-twenties, this would make it more of a "new adult" novel, a category that is often ignored in contemporary fiction. April unwittingly finds herself the leader of a cause, opting to not approach the appearance of the Carls as something to fight against. While April and many of her followers are curious and excited, there is naturally an opposing group whose suggestion to use caution is simply a mask for the fear they feel, as well as their desire to cause panic and suspicion. Unfortunately, this opposing side is louder, arguing that the Carls are probably dangerous and not here in peace. This is a reaction born of fear, but when accused of being afraid, people also become angry and defensive. April is all for the fame and being the face of this strange event, right up until the danger becomes real. Green takes a hard look at the seductive lure of fame, how fear can seem like the safe choice, and how little we know when we think we know everything.    

My Verdict: Is this book supposed to be one massive complaint about the hardships of being famous? Because it often came off as one massive complaint about the hardships of being famous. I doubt that is what Green was going for...maybe something closer to the dangers of fame if handled by someone like April. I am all for a snarky and sarcastic narrator, but the enjoyment quickly tipped into annoyance once I realized that April does not have any real problems, and what she is often fretting about is something of her own design. Of course, it is all stated right there on the inside of the book cover: "Knowing something is a bad idea does not always decrease the odds that you will do it." April launched headlong into what she knew could become a potential disaster, and she got what she got. April's failings aside (and there are many),the story is an interesting showcase of how humans react when strange things happen, and something we are not used to makes a permanent presence in our lives. Also, how well (or how badly) people handle fame. Unfortunately, April is incredibly annoying, and she knows it. Also, she does terrible things, and she knows that too. The thing is, being self-aware enough to know you do terrible things does not endear you to anyone when you simply keep doing them. It only exposes how selfish and awful you are. Like I said, the story is interesting, and also incredibly well done; I simply wish it had been narrated by someone else.

Favorite Moment: The Carls seem to have an affinity for popular music, using songs by Queen, David Bowie, and even Carly Rae Jepsen to communicate.

Favorite Character: This is difficult, because what April does best is keep everything centered on herself, but I will pick Andy anyway. Like April, he did not sign up for this, and probably would have had a very different reaction if he were the one who was thrust into the spotlight. He somehow keeps it together, even as everything seems to fall apart.  

Least Favorite Character: April. It has been awhile since I have disliked a main protagonist as much as I dislike her. It is possible to still enjoy a book despite this, but it can make for difficult reading. 

Recommended Reading: One book that kept coming to mind while I was reading this one was Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. And in case you have not heard, Cline has confirmed that there will be a sequel.

Literary Book Gifts (Discount Code Inside!)

It is no secret that I love books. And while the stories and adventures I find inside are the primary reason I love them so much, I also love cover art, typeface, book jacket design, binding, even the smell of the pages. 

So what is even better than carrying around a well put-together book? Carrying around many well put-together books in a well-made, well-designed, book-inspired tote bag.

The good people at Literary Book Gifts have decided to give DSN readers a promo code (DOORSTOPNOVELS20) that is good for 20% off any item. And as of right now, this code does not have an expiration date. 

So that awesome tote bag pictured in the top right of this post depicting a scene from my favorite Shakespeare play? Yep, it qualifies for the discount. Everything from the site does.

Naturally I must talk about my favorite designs for some of my favorite DSNs, like this men's t-shirt for Bram Stoker's Dracula (also available in women's). And of course, I could never pass up mentioning my favorite book and door stop of all time, Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. I adore Cosette and all, but it is nice to see an image for the book that does not only focus on her. The design on the left brings to mind the battles fought, the young men who died, and the struggle of Jean Valjean to make an honest life for himself.

With all of the designs and products entirely put together by one person, this takes an amount of artistry and patience that I certainly do not have. And with so many titles represented, every lover of classic books is sure to find something they would love.