Favorite Books I Read This Year - a photo on Flickriver

As usual, I have to state that these were not all books published this year. These were just books that I read this year. But does time even exist anyway? Not when you're reading a great book! There are so many books that came out this year that I am looking forward to reading-The Last Dream by Pedro Almodovar (I enjoy his movies so I am intrigued what this book will be like!), The Mighty Red by Louise Eldrich, The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami, and Playground by Richard Powers are all on my list but first I have to finish the four books I am in the middle of-Annihalation by Michel Houellebecq, There is a Rio Grande in Heaven by Ruben Reyes Jr., Pageboy by Elliot Page and The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates. I find if I try to read more than 4 books at once I get a little discombobulated and I never seem to find time to read everything I want!

I should also state for the record that I typically read somewhere between 200-250 books per year. This year more than ever was the year I read Japanese and Korean best sellers that I am guessing would be seen as every day paperback fiction if you were to reside in those counties. For me, though, I could forgive my addiction as they are a glimpse into a different culture. Some of these include the series The Restaurant of Lost Recipes by Hisashi Kashiwai, The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki, The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee, Before the Coffee Gets Cold series by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, and finally What You Are Looking For is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama

The best of these was perhaps The Lantern of Lost Memories by Sanaka Hiiragi in which characters recreate a moment from their life to cherish as they pass along to the afterlife. It was perhaps a bit too short for my tastes and borrowed too much of the idea from one of my favorite films, After Life by Hirokazu Kore-eda but other than that, I would recommend it. A close second was Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum, which explored literature, coffee, and going on your own path vs. one defined by common expectations and capitalism.

Also honorable mention for memoirs (I read a ton of them, too): Knife by Salman Rushdie and I Heard Her Call My Name by Lucy Sante

Here are some other novels that I felt were worth mentioning that I read this year and I'd love to hear yours! Broadcast (dilute tort) and Jarvis Cocker (tuxie) were both compensated for this photoshoot. Protect Trans Kids! Read Banned Books! Here we go:

The Extinction of Irena Ray by Jennifer Croft

I cherished this book so much....the imaginative premise relates to giving a voice to the translators of a novelist who become disoriented and obsessed with tracking her down when she goes missing. It's a really dynamic and fun read and thoroughly enjoyable from an intellectual standpoint. The characters are so well delineated based on their language and country of origin as well. I could vividly imagine several of these conversations.

www.theguardian.com/books/2024/mar/02/the-extinction-of-i...

There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak

Shafak is one of the world’s greatest living authors! I have loved many of her books and have felt lucky to have discovered them. Though this wasn’t number one for my year, I still greatly enjoyed the idea of water as a protagonist and the way that she intervened historical events and different protagonist that alternated between timelines Here. She also inspired me to research the Yadizi people and the harm done to them, which is quite an atrocity. I think the most interesting thing sometimes about this author is how she can skip across so many centuries of time as if it were nothing to her. However, the way that she does, it puts certain things like artifacts and water in a certain context, which is very interesting.

www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/aug/07/there-are-r...

Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell

What if white people all just drowned themselves and the world continued? That's the premise of this very interesting and creative book that has a really good balance of character development and plot and explores different reactions to this event as well as all of the different ways racism manifests. Very well written and worth reading. I didn't honestly find it as unsettling as many did.

www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/entertainment_life/books/...

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

I fell hard for this one. The main character of Cyrus Shams and his quest for meaning in life and some of the unexpected turns was really something. I also think it made interesting statements about dual identities , addiction, mental health, and performance art as well. There's a great deal about family here and the complexities of being human and trying to exist in this modern world. A very complex character development and a well crafted story make this one highly recommended.

www.npr.org/2024/01/29/1227116232/book-review-martyr-by-k...

Golem Girl by Riva Lehrer

This is an important memoir about being born with Spina Bifida in 1958 and surviving despite the lack of medical advances and very limited schooling options. Lehrer is not just a surviver but she is also a highly interesting artist. In the first part of the book, she talks a lot about her small school, Jewish culture, and her family life but as the story unfolds, she speaks more about her relationships and her art work.

exileinbookville.com/item/zroBIQl5na81vBiFH5JHKw

Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird by Agustina Bazterrica

Ok you might be getting the idea that I love the art and craft of a bizarre short story. These were just a little sinister in nature-some of them-with such a variety of topics but also again quite strange...I love the short stories that keep me on my feet and take me places that I couldn't predict! Argentinian authors are really starting to emerge on the experimental fiction scene in a big way right now, too, I have noticed and I am here for it! Tender is the Flesh was also wondrous and she has a new novel coming out in the spring entitled The Unworthy.

citylights.com/literature-from-africa-latin-america-the-m...

Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris

I really didn't know too much about the siege of Sarajevo 1992-1996, which this is based on with a mix of her own family history and accounts from others, Morris weaves together the story of Zora, who is a painter (mainly of bridges before the war) and who is caught in the midst of war and desperately trying to survive. You get the feeling she is stuck...she feels she cannot leave her paintings but she also cannot stay in the midst of the utter destruction and danger. You get the sense of her as a person and her thought processes as well as her neighbors and a little bit about the complexity and chaos of the war itself. Most of all, you care for Zora the way you would want to look after a dear friend.

Often, I find people who don't create anything and it is always very odd to me. They don't write, draw, paint, photograph, etc. They just exist and consume the work of others. But, when you are a certain type of person, you live to create and you create to live. It's a symbiotic relationship. I couldn't exist each day without creating something out of it. That's the type of human Zora is too and I don't often connect as deeply in literature as I did with her.

coffee-time-reviews.com/2023/06/13/black-butterflies-reve...

Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata

Murata is super weird in a good way. These stories made me question our current traditions in life and where they might be headed in the future. It also made me contemplate life and death (and also at times food/eating) in new ways. I should put in a warning that I started telling my partner, Cinchel, about some of them, he made me stop because he was so grossed out. I just thought it was really bizarre, intersesting and wholly original.

groveatlantic.com/book/life-ceremony/

James by Percival Everett

Listen, I was in love with Everett before American Fiction. I've read all of his works and they all deal with racism in different ways. Many of them are actually a little absurd and overly intellectual like I Am Not Sidney Poitier and Glyph (I actually like those quite a bit). James is more of a historical piece based on the character from Huckleberry Finn who wasn't given this much of a voice, of course. Actually, I haven't even read Huckleberry Finn or much of the old white male classics to be honest. They don't speak to me and are too rooted in our "American tradition of literature" blah blah blah forcefed to children in schools. I had enough of it when I was there.

I digress. I liked the quote from Everett that he hopes he wrote the novel that Mark Twain did not and that's probably all I should have to tell you to get you to read this.

thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/features/percival-...

Sociopath by Patric Gagne

This book was super important for me to read as someone trying to understand why some children and then grown ups make the choices they do. I've always been the exact opposite of a sociopath and felt an empathy towards people that is overpowering and sometimes feels even crippling. So, it was really interesting for me to try to explore the thought processes of someone who is completely different from me. Reading this book was just bizarre but I still found it very valuable and it is apparently the first of its kind to be written by someone who self identifies as a Sociopath.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/apr/08/patric-gagne...

Forgottenness by Tanja Maljartschuk

I feel a little nervous about putting this on my list because I really don't know all of the historical figures and history between the relationship with the Ukraine and Poland in particular. This spans from the 1920s era until present day and explores Ukrainian identity and politics on one hand (especially in the alternating chapters of the past) and the sense of loneliness and agoraphobia for our present day protagonist. There are a few different historical figures featured here but the main one is Viacheslav Lypynskyi. This is apparently the first novel written in Ukrainian to be published in a major US trade house, which explains why I haven't really read any others and why I also felt it should make my list.

wwnorton.com/books/9781324093220

Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino

I think the title of this novel is actually a bit misleading. To me, this book really speaks to being a keen observer of all of the absurdities and contradictions of human life and feeling like a constant outsider. I literally laughed out loud several times while reading this and found it immensely entertaining! Adina might be an alien...she might be on the spectrum. She might be an alien on the spectrum. Either way, she is hilarious and very lovable as our protagonist.

www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/marie-helene-bertino/b...

Your Utopia by Bora Chung

Another short story author I will never get tired of ever. Her wildly speculative fiction takes you on adventures you least expect and keep you guessing as to what you might read next. Wholly engaging and a wild ride into postmodern thought and possibilities.

www.npr.org/2024/01/30/1227121211/book-review-bora-chung-...

Suggested in the Stars by Yoko Tawada

I will always love books that are a little experimental in nature and question our relationship to language, in particular. I enjoyed these characters in the first of this series, Scattered All Over the Earth and I would say it is necessary to start there as this a continuation of that journey. Inventive, captivating, and engaging. I was so excited when this came out and I was not disappointed.

lit.newcity.com/2024/10/24/yoko-tawada-charts-a-path-for-...

The Mark and the Void by Paul Murray

I actually read three books by Murray this year-The Bee Sting and Skippy Dies in the End but this was my absolute favorite. A brilliant work of experimental fiction with so many plot twists that I couldn't put it down. Incredibly well written and one that turns the tenants of capitalism on its head a bit. Great work and so much adventure!

dublininquirer.com/2015/07/29/the-mark-and-the-void-by-pa...

Honeybee and Distant Thunder by Riku Onda

I loved Onda's The Aosawa Murders so much but I wasn't sure I would like this one because I am not really a huge fan of classical music and the plot revolves around a classical music recital competition but the way that Onda describes the music and simultaneously develops the characters and the passion for their pieces, it was like I could suddenly hear them in my head as I read through. A very thrilling read that celebrates the love and connectedness of people throughout time and notes.

www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/riku-onda/honeybees-an...

Memory Piece by Lisa Ko

This book was just as horrifying as it was riveting...a book about art, culture, friendship, and the apocalypse. This book actually feels pretty epic in terms of time span and the events that unfold but it is another one on this list that fits so well in that balance of character development and plot. A dystopian postmodern intellectual journey.

www.theguardian.com/books/2024/mar/24/memory-piece-by-lis...

Present Tense Machine by Gunnhild Øyehaug

This is such an interesting read....the idea that you might misread a word and suddenly another parallel timeline opens up....I love books that explore quantum mechanics like this and, though it became difficult at times to recall the context of each character and what they were doing in the other timeline, I thought this was so inventive and unique!

www.npr.org/2022/01/14/1073006018/in-present-tense-machin...

Horizontal Vertigo: A City Called Mexico by Juan Villoro

I greatly enjoyed all of the diverse topics of this work of nonfiction by the acclaimed Villoro. I haven't yet been to Mexico but this book made me feel like I understood so many facets of Mexico City from the characters to the beliefs. For non fiction, it is also one of the most engaging reads while at the same time greatly informative.

nacla.org/juan-villoro-horizontal-vertigo-review

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

I wasn’t honestly expecting to like this book so much, but it was very engaging and really spoke to the early feminist movement in the late 1950s-1960s for a woman who just really wanted to be a chemist and known for this and to be able to support herself. This is an author whose first book was published just now while she is quite of an advanced age, but I hope she has more stories to tell us. This book is very engaging and funny but I loved the way it explored sexism in the Sciences. Also, the dog in the book is truly a joy!

www.theguardian.com/books/2022/apr/19/lessons-in-chemistr...

**All photos are copyrighted**

Taken on: January 4, 2025

Tags:

cats

feline

favorite

Lists

read

reading

literature

fiction

nonfiction

memoirs

Read banned books

Protect trans kids

Trans rights are human rights

katzen

book

kitty

cat

chat

gato

gatte

Tuxedo cat

tuxie

tortie

pet

Dilute Tort

self

selfie

myself

portrait

self portrait

The Extinction of Irena Ray

Black Butterflies

Pervical Everett

Life Ceremony

Sociopath

Patric Gagne

Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird

Agustina Bazterrica

Marie-Helene Bertino

Suggested in the Stars

Yoko Tawada

Bora Chung

Sakaya Murata

Your Utopia

Paul Murtray

The Mark and the Void

Riku Onda

Honeybee and Distant Thunder

Lessons in Chemistry

Bonnie Garmus

Horizontal Vertigo: A City Called Mexico

Juan Villoro

Elif Shafak

Gunnhild Øyehaug

Martyr!

Kaveh Akbar

Sky Full of Elephants

Cebo Campbell

Goldem Girl

There Are Rivers in the Sky

Tanja Maljartschuk

Forgottenness

Lisa Ko

Memory Piece

Present Tense Machine

Speculative fiction

Experimental fiction

short stories

novel

Beautyland « less

Sets appears in: • Best of Lists • I read.

Groups appears in: • Portraiture Photography (of real people) • Photography more » • I love my cat • Portrait (real persons only) • Reading List • Beautiful Light • All Things Literature • We Are the Cat People • iFlickr • Women - Grace - Beauty - Wisdom • Creative self-portraits. • Your Favorite Photos - Unlimited! • My Books • Flickritis: over 87,000 waiting for a vaccine. • Happy Cats • Flickr Women Photographers Only • Photography Corner • Everybody wants to be a cat... • FlickrToday (only 1 pic per day) • Total Photography (No AI or SL) • Portraits- this is me • Your photo goes here! no 30/60 • Show Me Your Cat • Powerful Portraits • Your mind, your photos • The Portrait Group • Artistic Self-Portraits • THE CAT IS, Everyone's Best Friend! • The Flikr Group • People ALL • THE FEELING - Photos that move people (READ RULES) • A MOMENT OF LIFE • Books that inspired me • Canon Camera • A Portrait • Kitty Stormtroopers ~ Cats with Attitude! • Crazy Cat People • Your Best Photography • I collect light • Flickriver • Reasons Of Our Humanity • Photography Un-limited • Photography Club • Kitten and Cat Lovers Only • Furry CAT Friends!!! • no rules Photo........... • This is Why I Love Photography • Vivid Cats ~ New comp: **Your best Cat photo**~ • woman portrait • Women Women Women • Cats already rule the world • Flickr Lovers • Flickr's Biggest Group • FlickrCentral With No Posting Limit • Book Impression • CANON-NO LIMIT • All beautiful photos • Portraits have Souls • DIY eclect(r)icArt / shots • No Rules! No limits! Just pictures! • Book Love • Photocats • No rules only photos • Cats I love you • Documenting the Human Life • this is how I feel today* • A Photographer [No AI or SL] • EXISTentialism -- Emotions, People, Portraits • A PHOTO SOCIAL PROJECT : social Experience • Moments of Life • Women of All Ages • LOVE PHOTOS • Photographer Universe • Human Experience • Writers, authors, poets and readers of Flickr • ` FLICKR ´ • The Human Element • Your view through the camera lens • flickr (unofficial) • Canon EOS Cameras. • Your Life In Photos • ...that certain feeling • flickr every day! • The Passion of Photography • The Pretty Kitties - No 30/60 Limit • Photographers from around the world • in explore • Nature. Animals. Plants. People. Feelings. • My time behind the lens No 30/60 limits • Photography with a Story • We love cameras • The Best ... • Great Portraits • Flickr Celebrates Pride • The Art of Self-Portraits • Portraits with soul • Flickr Social • Portraits / Retratos • This is Why I Bought A Camera • Today's Flickr • Cats! Cats! Cats! • The cats we love. • Colours of Flickr • !Great Photographers! No AI please! • Cats Cats Cats - Katzen Katzen Katzen • Group for all users of FLICKR - No 30/60 Groups Limit • * just photos * no rules please use comment code appreciated • We Share The Light • 1 Person (100001) • No Limits Group, opted out 30/60 • All great photos - No 30/60 • There`s no limit: Whitout 30/60! • NO Second Life (opted out 30/60) • LOOK ! *** the Home of great Photos (no 30/60 Limit) no limits • Feel...write...share... • FLICKR INTERNATIONAL - No 30/60 Groups Limit • Cats and Cats • ~Attention Worthy - No 30/60 Limit • No limit - No 30/60 • Flickr Foto Fun. Opted Out 30/60 • flickr 30/60 limit sucks • I Love My Canon - no 30/60 • Canon - no limit • Photography at its best ... all welcome • We love photography! • Flickr-at-Home • * no limits, just quality photography! • Barefoot at Heart • Fans of Flickr • ! with people -in colour! OFF till June 1 • people renmen hito • WONDERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN GENERAL.MARAVILLAS DE LA FOTOGRAFIA EN • all photos of whatever no 30/60 • Awesome pictures and art in general no limits! • ...and suddenly: fascination « less

Camera: Canon EOS 5DS R, f/7.1, 1/60 sec, 100mm, ISO 1600 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 5DS R
Lens:	EF100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
Aperture:	f/7.1
Exposure Time:	0.017 sec (1/60)
Focal Length:	100mm
ISO:	1600
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop 26.1 (Macintosh)
Show full info

Stats: 19,448 views / 85 comments

Link to this photo view:
Link to this photo large view: