OSCAR H. WHITE

I am looking back on all of the books I read in 2019! I was able to read approximately 25-30 books this year and they did not disappoint. Literature, Short Stories, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction. Here is a list of my top 5 books of the year!

(…I shout out several that don’t make the list at the bottom of this post…)

1: “A King Alone” – Jean Giono (Fiction)

Sub-Genres: Philosophical Lit, Gothic Lit, Mystery

Topping the list this year is the French author Jean Giono and his book, A King Alone. This is an amazing piece of philosophical literature! A horrifying tale of a small village in the French Alps (1843) that has a quiet and unlikely murderer on the prowl. Giono creates an eerie and unsettling atmosphere in this wonderful book, translated by Alyson Waters. Read more about the book and its themes on my Blog by clicking Here (Book Review 2) 

2: “Blood Meridian” – Cormac McCarthy (Fiction)

Sub-Genres: Historical Fiction, Gothic Lit, Western Fiction (Anti-Western)

Coming in at a close second is McCarthy’s Blood Meridian. Considered to be his best novel of all time. Set in the 1850’s along the Texas-Mexico border, the story follows a fourteen year-old kid who finds himself caught up with a misfit posse of outlaws who are hired by the state to collect scalps. If you enjoy anti-heroes, existentialism, graphic imagery, harsh language and tortured protagonists; this is for you. This can also be found on my book review blog, as it was the first one ever! Click Here (Book Review 1)

3: “In Cold Blood” – Truman Capote (Nonfiction)

Sub-Genres: True Crime, Non-Fiction Novel, Mystery 

The controversial non-fiction novel by Capote, In Cold Blood. Published in 1965, it deals with two sides of the horrific murders that took place in Holcomb, Kansas 1959. Exploring the effects of homicides in rural America and the psychoanalysis of the men that commit them. This book is riddled with dramatic irony, moral implications and controversial perspective. It is not a question of who did it, but rather, why they did. If you are interested in True Crime, read this book! (Via Instagram)

4: “In the Night Wood” – Dale Bailey (Fiction)

Sub-Genres: Fantasy Horror, Contemporary Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Thriller

A contemporary fantasy horror tops the chart at number four for the year! Dale Bailey’s In the Night Wood is incredibly riveting. This book is the definition of page turner. It is a story about Charles Hayden, a writer and scholar that is struggling to save his marriage while trying to write a biography of the mysterious author that wrote his favorite book. Moving to the (now deceased) author’s estate in Yorkshire, he and his wife battle with marriage, loss, addiction, affairs, and an unsettling presence that lurks in the woods beyond the garden.

5: “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” – Heather Morris (Fiction)

Sub-Genres: Historical Fiction, Biographical Fiction 

Based on a true story and interviews with Holocaust survivor Ludwig Sokolov, Morris recreates the relationship of two people finding love amidst the horror of Auschwitz. The main character, Lale, has been captured, separated from his family, and taken to the concentration camp. Once there, the Nazis discover that he can speak several languages and force him to work as the tattooist, giving every prisoner (Men, Women and Children) their Identification Number. Although his job is horrifying, he uses his position of power among the soldiers to smuggle food and necessities to the other prisoners, including Gita, a woman whom he tattoos in his early days at camp. Gita and Lale’s relationship grows more and more, and you see a beautiful glimpse of hope and passion in the darkest and barbaric of places. This is an incredible story, meant to move you to tears. A story of love, cruelty, perseverance and the human condition.

Below are some honorable mentions by Genre

Poetry:

• “The Boy in the Labyrinth” – Oliver De La Paz
• “Singularity” – Greg Glazner
• “Nightworks” – Marvin Bell
• “Howl” – Allen Ginsberg

Fiction: 

• “One, No One and One Hundred Thousand” – Luigi Pirandello
• “A Gentleman in Moscow” – Amor Towles
• “The Last Picture Show” – Larry McMurtry
• “Winter in the Blood” – James Welch

Collection (Short Stories and/or essays):

• “Island” – Alistair Macleod (Short Stories)
• “Catch, Release” – Adrianne Harun (Short Stories)
• “Battleborn” – Claire Vaye Watkins (Short Stories)
• “The Dark Dark” – Samantha Hunt (Short Stories)

Non-Fiction: 

• “Indian Creek Chronicles” – Pete Fromm
• “On Looking: A Walkers Guide to the Art of Observation” – Alexandra Horowitz
• “Astrophysics for people in a hurry” – Neil DeGrasse Tyson
• “Andrew Wyeth: A Secret Life” – Richard Meryman (Still reading…)