Most novels and comics that I read aren’t new releases. This
makes things a little complicated when it comes to end of year lists. Most
often those kinds of things are focused on new releases. If I focused on new released
I’d have a really small list. You’ll find a couple titles on my list that are
new releases, but most of these of older books.
In previous years I’ve organized my end of year list by
categories such as Science Fiction Novel, Fantasy Novel, Best Manga, Best Comic
Book, etc. This year I’m lumping it all together and simply listing my 20
favourite comics and novels read in 2015. These are books that I’ve read in the
last year, not books that were published in the last year. Still, all of these
books were new to me and I didn’t include anything I reread and enjoyed this
year. Unfortunately, due to taking a month off in February (I got married) and
because I had a two month long project focused on the Harry Potter series, there are some really good books that I read
this year that I didn’t review on the blog. I planned on reviewing these books,
honest, but they never took shape past my initial notes and reactions I took
while reading them. Now I feel like too much time has passed for me to write
worthwhile reviews.
Before any more stalling, here they are, my favourite 20
books of 2015. We’ll start with books 20 to 11 today and we’ll finish with the
top 10 on Sunday.
Fiction
One of the things I wanted to do in 2015 was read a few
books that were reputed to be difficult reads. Either difficult to understand,
using complex prose, or simply very dense books. Three of those books come to
mind and interestingly enough, they’re all on this top twenty list. I guess the
lesson here is that challenging books are often good books. Sure, three is a
small sample size, but every one of these books was memorable for multiple
reasons.
Thomas Pynchon has a reputation for writing difficult
books. Inherent Vice is said to be
one of his more accessible books which is kind of mind boggling. I had a hard
time keeping up with the plot in this one and there were many, many references
that I didn’t catch. I wouldn’t even have realized most of them if it wasn’t
for the online annotations I found, which were a fascination read of their own.
One of the things that impressed me the most with this book is how versatile
the writing and the story were. At time a hilarious book with some skilled and
intelligent comedic writing, the novel switched gears to be a period piece,
detective fiction, character centric book, to biting satire. There’s a lot to
enjoy in it. Much more than what you’re used to finding in a book its size
(under 400 pages) and it’s layered so effectively that there are multiple
meanings for many key elements of the plot and themes.
Non-fiction
Another one of my personal goals this year was to read
more non-fiction. I don’t read much non-fiction and the main reason is that I
have clearly defined reading habits. Fiction, specifically genre fiction and
comics, are my go to thing when I browse for new books. The beauty of
non-fiction is that regardless of what you enjoy in life, there are non-fiction
books dealing with a subject you find interesting. In the past, I’ve found most
of what I enjoy when it comes to non-fiction is biographies by musicians or
bands that I like. I’m a big Neil Young fan and it seemed like a no brainer to
pick up this little book when I found it at Bay Used Books here in Sudbury, ON.
Neil and Me has
an interesting angle as it’s written by Neil’s father, Scott Young, a
journalist and writer. Since it was written in the 80s, the book only covers
about half of Neil’s career. The focus of this book isn’t on the music or
mapping out Neil’s career. Instead, it’s about Neil’s character. Who he is, why
he does what he does, and how that is reflected in his music, his life, and his
career. It’s about the man who makes the music from the point of view of his
father which gives the information in the book a sense of immediacy and
intimacy. Any fan of Neil Young would enjoy this book if for no other reason
that it has a unique perspective on the rock legend.
Fantasy
Steven Brust’s Jhereg
was a huge surprise to me last year. A slim fantasy novel published in 1983 did
things with world building I never could have imagined. I had no expectations
coming into this book other than the fact that Jo Walton said some nice things
about this series at Tor.com. What I found inside was a world that seemed
infinitely bigger than the novel could actual contain. Better yet, the book was
fast, precise, and instantly marked Brust as an author I respect and admire.
I’m notorious for taking a long time to read an entire series. I like variety
in my books and I’m constantly jumping around. I suspect this is pretty common
for avid readers. The downside to this kind of habit is that it can take months
to get to the second volume of a series, even after you’ve named the first book
one of the best books you’ve read in a given year.
Thankfully I found time to read Yendi this year. I devoured it in two 100 page sittings and the
novel was delightful. I’m so very impressed by Brust’s writing. The man writes
so well I’m amazed I never heard of him until a year ago. With this second
volume in his Vlad Taltos series,
Brust provides us with a prequel. He tells the story of how Vlad got his first
big break in the Jhereg world of crime. In Yendi
he acquires a small territory and has to defend it against a richer and more
powerful rival trying to squeeze in on his streets. The simple and small time crime
war ends up being tied to a secret plot between Dragaerans that reaches as far
back as a millennium ago. Though not on the same level of quality as Jhereg, Yendi proves that Brust can consistently write fast moving, tightly
plotted, and complex narratives in a fantasy world setting. That he does it
with style and snappy dialogue is simply icing on the cake.
Star Wars, Science Fiction
Did anybody else get excited about Star Wars in 2015? I feel like I was the only one. Like many other
readers and fans of the franchise, I spent my time in anticipation for the
movie reading Star Wars novels. In
the first half of the year our options were mostly limited to works in the
Expanded Universe which were sadly but understandably pushed aside in place of
new post-Return of the Jedi
continuity which now goes under the name of New Canon. Later on in the year,
receiving a big push in the fall, was the arrival of plenty of tie-in media
under the line of Journey to Star Wars:
The Force Awakens which provided fans with a wide variety of tie-in
fiction.
Most of what I read this year was part of the EU. I
particularly enjoyed The Thrawn Trilogy
of novels by Timothy Zahn. It’s an excellent series that provides a satisfying
continuation of the saga and further development of well-known characters,
essentially giving the franchise new life during its original publication in
the early-to-mid-90s. In addition, Zahn included many new characters which have
remained popular in the EU for two decades.
In December I read some of the new comics by Marvel and
while I enjoyed them they weren’t as good as the novels. I find that the
franchise requirement and focus on action didn’t allow for much character
development or complex plotting. I still got my fill of good characterization
and action with the short novel Smuggler’s
Run: A Han Solo & Chewbacca Adventure
written by Greg Rucka with illustrations and cover by Phil Noto. A character
centric story, Rucka proved to have a good grasp on Han and he included a new
villain for the New Canon, a character I hope to see again.
Comic Book
Love and Rockets
might just be the best comic of the last thirty years. It’s been in near
continuous publication since then, too. The most recent format is an annual
paperback. It’s done in an anthology style, similarly to the original series
that began in the 80s. Each issue contains stories of varying lengths by Jaime
Hernandez and Gilbert “Beto” Hernandez. In this new format, the Bros Hernandez
have been using their comic to continue the decades long stories which consist
of a cast of characters in the hundreds.
In this issue, Jaime focuses on two different stories. The
first one is about his two most famous characters Maggie and Hopey as they
travel to their hometown for a reunion with old friends. The second story deal
with a new character recently introduces in an earlier issue of New Stories. His grasp of aging punkers
and their 21 Century equivalent is as exciting and endearing to read as some of
his most acclaimed stories. As always, his art is clear and beautifully
rendered. Jaime’s art is instantly recognizable as the work of a master of the
comic book medium and it’s a regular pleasure to see him continue to refine his
skills in these annual volumes.
As for Gilbert, he hasn’t been doing the same kind of
stories as found in his earlier Palomar work. Rather, the comics he’s doing
today are an extension of the stories he’s started all those decades ago. While
Jaime has been perfecting his style of storytelling, Gilbert has been letting
loose. His art is as imposing as ever while his dialogue is getting sharper and
more unusual. Still, he’s been building a complex and multilayered story based
on the grandchildren of his matriarch Luba. Her granddaughter, Killer, has
become a favourite of mine in the last few years. If anything, half of the
annual paperback doesn’t seem like enough room for Gilbert and his big ideas. I
guess that’s why he’s been doing many side projects in recent years. One thing
is clear, however, the Bros Hernandez are still at the top of their game with Love and Rockets: New Stories.
Non-fiction
This is another book I read specifically because it was
non-fiction. And because it’s about dinosaurs, obviously. As a fan of dinosaur and prehistory in
general, I’m rather uneducated in the whole thing. This book, which I received
as a gift from my little sister after I dropped some not-so-subtle hints, was
chosen as a good starting point because I had read some of author Brian
Switek’s online articles. I enjoyed his style and the knowledge he has on the
subject of dinosaur and prehistory. He’s got an infectious energy when discussion
these particular subjects. Sampling his work online gave me a good appreciation
for what he does and encouraged me to check out this book.
My Beloved
Brontosaurus is a good introductory book for mature dinosaur fans (not
targeted towards a child audience). The writing style is conversational without
being pandering or condescending. Switek writes with quite a bit of energy and
the whole thing is structured in a way that is approachable. You could know
nothing about dinosaur and read this book without feeling lost. Some books on
the subject of dinosaurs get lost in the specific language of the field of
study and casual or amateur fans of dinos can find it difficult and confusing.
There is none of that here. If you finish reading My Beloved Brontosaurus and you want to get something more details
or technical language, the bibliography will provide you with dozens of
starting points for further research. Quite simply, this is a great book to
introduce fans to the world of dinosaurs.
Fiction
What can I say about Parker
that I haven’t said already? I’m a fan for life, that’s got to be clear at this
point. In The Seventh, Richard
Stark’s writing is as precise as ever. His prose has a poetic brutality to it.
There is no sentimentality for the characters or sympathy for their actions. It
suits the main character quite well. Parker gets in a situation where his
single-minded attitude and his drive for a particular goal are crucial. They
are key characteristics that are essential not only to his getting his cut of
the money, but equally important to his very survival.
The Parker
novels aren’t long, but they’re not sparse. They have a good amount of detail,
but they have details without the addition of fluff or filler. The result is
that each book condenses a surprising amount of tightly plotted crime stories
with a fascinating character at its centre. If you’ve never read a book by
Stark, I strongly recommend you give them a try. The Seventh isn’t his best book but it’s still a skilled novel that
has earned its place in the consistently excellent series of novels starring
the coldest, most practical, and most professional criminal in literature.
Science Fiction, Fantasy
Reading Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern series since I started Shared Universe Reviews
has been one of the most consistently enjoyable reads. As a whole, the series
has its flaws but I still find a lot to enjoy in these novels. I’m not
suggesting these flaws should be ignored. I’m saying they shouldn’t be the sole
focus of your evaluation of these books.
Really though, none of that matters. Those who take the
time to read the novels in the Pern
series will be rewarded with a rich science fiction and fantasy world. The kind
of place that is realized in such detail that you could (and likely will) spend
hours of you time visiting the distant planet in your imagination. This year I
read three novels in the series. Two of them (Dragondrums and The White
Dragon) closed off their respective trilogies and effectively concluded the
first portion of the series which is made up of two trilogies that complement
each other nicely. The third book I read provided readers with a look at a
particular time in Pern’s history and giving us the story one of their
legendary Weyrwomen, Moreta. In this book McCaffrey excelled at telling a
science fiction story in a fantasy world setting in ways that I still find
impressive. Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern
acts as the introduction novel to the second portion of the Pern series, the portion that looks at
Pern’s history and provides readers with many answers to six novels’ worth of
questions.
Am I cheating by including three books here? Nah, I don’t
think so. They’re all part of a series and they’re all connected. I listed the
individual titles I read but I could have simply put Dragonriders of Pern as the title. If you really want to pick a
single title, I might suggest The White
Dragon. Though if you asked me the same question tomorrow, I’d likely
answer with Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern.
When it comes to classic books, these are oldies but goodies. I’d call them a
guilty pleasure if that didn’t suggest they aren’t worth reading. They
certainly are and I’ll continue to do so for many more volumes.
Comic Book, Humour
Kate Beaton is Canada’s gift to comedy and literacy. I
can’t think of any other cartoonist that combines such a wide range of sources
for jokes as she does. There are so many enjoyable things to find within the
pages of her latest collection of comic strips. Pop culture references, low
brow humour, history jokes, and literary based gags all share space between two
covers. There is quite literally something for everyone.
What impresses me most of all isn’t the style of humour
but the execution of it. I admit that it took some time for me to adjust to
Beaton’s art when I first encountered her work. Since then, I’ve simply grown
increasingly found of it. This resulted from my understanding her style of cartooning.
Beaton is a very expressive artist and while some of her art can occasionally
look a little crude, it’s the gestures and the slightly raw execution that
strikes a chord with me. Beaton isn’t just a good comedic writer she’s also a
skilled artist. She excels at body language. It’s the details that add to the
movement and facials expressions of her characters that make the jokes land and
work better than they should. Beaton also excels at making feel guilty. After
reading her comics I feel like I need to read more history books and classics
literature. It’s not my fault that I’d rather read Step Aside, Pops. She’s the one who had to make perfectly hilarious
comics that distract me from reading the classics.
You can read most of Kate Beaton’s comics at her website
Hart! A Vagrant. Be sure to check it out as it’s pretty rad.
Fiction
Cormac McCarthy writes brutal books. His style of writing
is also pretty rough as his often strays from conventional syntax and grammar
in favour of minimalist use of punctuation. The result is a style of prose that
is short and sharp that creates a particular mood for his stories. The only
other book I’ve read by McCarthy was The
Road, a stark portrayal of humanity’s possible future following the
destruction of society by nuclear weapons. It’s not an easy book to read
because McCarthy includes many difficult truths about human behaviour and the challenges
we have with peaceful cohabitation. In some ways No Country for Old Men is even more disturbing because it’s set a
few decades in our past but presents the reader with a realistic and unfiltered
look at humanity’s darker side.
It’s undeniable that McCarthy is an important voice in
fiction. His books pack a punch and they never shy away from telling it like it
is. McCarthy isn’t looking out for his readers, instead he’s looking out for
his story and the themes at play. No
Country for Old Men is about humanity’s decline into a society where
criminal activities are the norm. There are fascinating comparisons to be made
between the three main characters, two of which are living in completely
different worlds and one of which is straddling both, not really belonging
entirely in one or the other. This book is about a great many things and one of
them is the noticeable changes one experiences in a human lifetime, the moral
ambiguity of the present, and the decline of strong values and proper civil
conduct. It’s a quick and powerful read which prose that highlights the
impactful nature of the story and its imposing characters.
Come back to SUR on Sunday, January 3rd, for
the final ten in my Favourite Comics and Novels Read in 2015.
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