All We Ever Wanted Was Everything by Janelle BrownI tried to write this novel and failed. I'm glad Brown succeeded.
Persepolis: The Story of A Childhood by Marjane Satrapi Amazing, blah blah blah, but the casual references to evil Zionists freaked me out. The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante Oh give me a break! Misery misery misery, I get it. Get over it already.
Saturday by Ian McEwan This book was even better the second time. Knowing what was coming made it much more fun to watch it unfold.
December by Elizabeth Hartley Winthrop An interesting young writer.
Triangle by Katharine Weber I wasn't particularly enamored of the mystery at the heart of this novel (far too easy to figure out) but I loved reading about the seamstresses. The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer Another brilliant novel by this brilliant writer. Earthly Possessions by Anne Tyler So here's the question...do I watch the movie or not? Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler Remember when a novel written by a woman about a woman could win the Pulitzer Prize? Yeah. No more. Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler Reading for tips on how to construct a novel. If Morning Ever Comes by Anne Tyler It's incredible to watch Tyler take essentially the same main female character and put her through various scenarios in book to book.
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert I'm not really into the whole meditation thing, but this book provided great "how to write a memoir" guidance. The Book of Getting Even by Benjamin Taylor Taylor's a terrific writer, but this book's breakneck pace was a bit exhausting. The Ginger Tree by Oswald Wynd I could not stop reading this book. I absolutely gobbled it up. Her Last Death by Susanna Sonnenberg This memoir was beautifully written and often riveting. The Innocent by Ian McEwan I'll never tire of reading and rereading McEwan. I just wish he'd write as fast as I read. The Go-Between by L.P. Hartley What a discovery! I love this guy. The Short History of a Prince by Jane Hamilton She is an amazingly talented writer, and this character broke my heart. The People's Act of Love by James Meek I guessed the big secret right away, but I liked the book very much despite that. I felt like I learned some seriously creepy stuff. Very cool. The Family Markowitz by Allegra Goodman Another reread. It's just a pleasure to read this author's prose.