A First, This Year, For "The New York Times Ten Best Books Of 2018."

                              Or, really, five, since all I concern myself with is fiction.

                               The first is that, for the first time ever, I have already read all their fiction picks.

                               Another surprise is that two of them would end up on my list.

                               But let us deal with this one first!

                               1."Asymmetry," by Lisa Halliday

From the moment it appeared, I knew it would make it.  An edgy tale of a book editor, Alice, who has a relationship with a Roth like writer intermingled with timely products was just too  prescient for the paper to ignore.  Some went crazy over it; not I.

2.  "The Great Believers," by Rebecca Makkai--People either love it, or hate it.  I loved the story of the AIDS crisis in Chicago, but not its intermingling with the 2015 Paris attacks, where a mother goes in search of her estranged daughter, and all this goes years back to Chicago. I felt is the Chicago story had been stuck to, instead of writing two novels that don't gel. then "The Great Believers" would deserve a place on the list.  But not the way it turned out.

         3.    "The Perfect Nanny," by Leila Slimani--Leilia who??????????  Hey, Times, you have GOT to be kidding me.  This book, a transplanted to Paris account of the Yoselyn Ortega case, on New York's Upper West Side, was an entertaining enough thriller, with the year's most chilling final sentence, but a Ten Best???????????  No way!  Gag me with a spoon, darlings, what kind of panel chose this list??????????????????



4.  There There," by Tommy Orange--A debut that succeeds.  The tale of an Oakland CA, American tribal Indian community descending on an annual festival called a "powwow," and the tragic, horrific consequences is well written, excitingly paced, and disturbing,  as reflective of our times.  I was happy to see this one on here.
5."Washington Black," by Esi Edugyan
Picaresque, socially aware, and full of adventure, I was so captivated by this work, I am glad it landed on the list. I began with small expectations, but came away glowing!

So, that is The Times Ten Best List.  Fortunately, I can move on from it.  But for those who need suggestions, happy reading!  Now, we will come to my list!

And wait till you see THAT, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!