My 7 Favorite Books of 2015

My full 2015 Reading List is here.  

Below are my 7 favorite reads from 2015.  The two most entertaining reads were War of the Encyclopaedists and The Martian.  These were both funny, well-written and easy to read.  From an haut literature standpoint Light Years  and The Fishermen had the best writing--both authors are flat-out phenomenal writers that stand above and apart from their peers. Fearless is the go to pick if you want something inspirational, amazing and tear-inducing (*rubs "dirt" from his eyes).  Finally, Redeployment is the book every American should read (since most haven't served in the military)--it's a funny, sad, terrifying and honest collection of stories that examine what it is to fight and then return to what is supposed to be home.  

The Martian

I will be the first to admit--I didn't understand even half of all the technical jargon that Andy Weir throws down in The Martian.  But Weir can write--I tore through this tale of intergalactic ingenuity and relentlessness in three days.  Thrilling--yet lined with humor--this is a perfect read for a plane ride or road trip. FOR THE RECORD: I read this before I even knew it was going to be a movie:)

War of the Encyclopaedists

Kovite and Robinson have written something special together--they've penned a story that is gripping and unique, funny and sad--a book that's hard to put down.   

War of the Encyclopaedists is a story about war, love and friendship.  And like all good books there's a love triangle, an IED, an Iraqi kid named Monkey, a sperm bank and a sleep study.  With moments of humor and horror, passion and punch, the authors are part of the growing crop of writers (e.g. Klay, Fountain,  Lish, and Roxana) that are setting the war in Iraq into a context that the greater American culture can digest.  The ability to find and create this context in a balanced manner takes grit and talent--Kovite and Robinson have proved they have both in spades.  

One of my favorite lines from the book:

There is no definitive moment when two people become a couple. Elements of intimacy accumulate, and what makes a couple a couple is the gradual recognition of this accumulated intimacy.

My complete notes and highlights on it are here.

The Fishermen

This is Obioma's first novel and it has been met with widespread critical acclaim in places like the Times; it also made the long list for the 2015 Booker Prize.  And for good reason--Obioma stands as the heir apparent to Achebe because of his writing acumen in translating and capturing complex political events with parables and fables (personally, I like Obioma's writing better).  In Fishermen, we hear the tale of a family falling apart amidst the backdrop of the turbulent 1993 elections.  As the family arcs toward destruction, Obioma offers insights about Nigerian family life: the switching between Yoruba, Igbo and English in a single conversation and headscarves tied to indicate you've been praying.  Perhaps one of the best things about this book is that Obioma's is still in his 20's and just beginning. My complete notes and highlights on it are here.

Light Years
 

This is a heart-breaking novel about love, marriage and the danger ignoring the slow cracks that seep into relationships.  This novel is chocked full of beautiful lines, so I will just leave you with a couple of my favorites:

• What confidence, what success there is in a man’s face at thirty.
• Her laugh was gorgeous, it was like applause.
• “The only thing I’m afraid of are the words ‘ordinary life,’ ” Nedra said.
• “You’re so American. You believe everything is possible, everything will come. I know differently.
• “Nice. Didn’t that once belong to Italy?” “Everything did once,” she said.
• It happens in an instant. It is all one long day, one endless afternoon, friends leave, we stand on the shore. Yes, he thought, I am ready, I have always been ready, I am ready at last.

 My complete kindle highlights are here. 

Fearless

Fearless is one of the most incredible life stories that I ever heard.   And happiest.  And inspiring.  And most tragic.  And saddest. And unforgettable.  I don't care who you are or what you believe.  Just pick up this book and read about a man named Adam Brown--his story will stick with you--and might even make you a better husband, father and/or christian.  I read this book in three days. 

Redeployment

 
With less than .4% of Americans serving in the military, this is the book the other 99.6% should read.  The idea of coming home as another deployment aptly captures what it's like for so many of our troops who fight our wars and then are supposed to just come back to a place that doesn't feel like home anymore. Klay has a beautiful line in one of the early stories:  "Getting back feels like your first breath after nearly drowning. Even if it hurts, it’s good."  Ultimately, reading this book serves as a cathartic communion of sorts for the reader, a chance for those who haven't served to break bread with those who have sacrificed so much.    My complete notes and highlights on it are here.