To Offset The Times--Because My List Is Better--Here Are The Five Best Works Of Fiction In 2018!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                OK, you've seen The Times, and what they wrought.  Now it is time to see what I chose.  I am amazed two of them also made The Times, so, either, I am starting to think like them, or they have carefully read my blog posts.  Maybe a bit of both.  In any case, here are my choices

                                 1.  "Lost Empress," by Sergio De La Pava

This was, indisputably, The Book Of The Year," as far as I am concerned.  I began this sweeping work, combining such disparate and uninteresting things to me as minor league football and the Mob, but I was swept away by the story and characters.  Informative, suspenseful, and a total surprise, it took elements of fiction I am not generally interested in, and through skillful writing, turned it into the surprise act of the year.  I cannot urge you enough to read it, but do!  I knew, when I read it, I had found the Book Of The Year!

2. "Where The Crawdads Sing," by  Delia Owens

This was my personal favorite of the year.  Possessing the lyricism that Daisy Johnson's "Everything Under" lacked, the descriptive world of Kya, The Marsh Girl, and the mysteries, especially one, surrounding her, come vividly to life.  Like the best of Southern Gothic, it had gorgeous writing, and heart and soul.  I loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3. "There There," by Tommy Orange

                                              In my original post, I compared the structure of this book to Robert Altman's 1975 masterwork, "Nashville," wherein a disparate group of people descend en masse upon what is supposed to be a festive event, but where a terrible agenda awaits them.  The crossing back of perps and victims, the depiction of the California American Indian community in Oakland, and the tightly structured style of first timer Orange, makes this novel stand out.  And I cannot wait for more novels from him to come!

                                                                                4. "Washington Black," by Edi Edugyan

It took me by surprise.  As I said, it is a brilliant social treatise, but a stunning literary amalgamation of Jules Verne, Herman Melville, and Joseph Conrad.  Edugyan puts her own social stamp onto things, but her sweeping epic treatment of the story took my breath away. If there was a runner up for Book Of The Year, this would have been it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5. "Circe," by Madeline Miller

"Circe," by Madeline Miller--Miss Miller does what Miss Johnson could not.  She brings a flesh and blood reality and bitchiness to the Gods, incorporating them into the story of Circe, a witch, who is exiled to an island.  Circe becomes more alive and sympathetic than the actual mythologists have rendered her.  Miller achieved the same sort of success with "The Song Of Achilles," and I cannot wait to read that one.  "Circe" will leave you enthralled.  One of those books, that, again, took me by surprise.

So, those are MY selections, so New York Times, put that in your pipe and smoke it!  I stand by what I have chosen, and I hope you enjoy some of these that you may not have already read.

Oh, but don't, for a minute, thinks the reading stops here!  I have till the end of the year to beat my record of 115 books, read last year, and I have a few more notables and new things to get through.

The reading goes on and on!   Because I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love to you, too, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!