Hey, I hear you don't like lists. Okay. Think of this post more as an extended diary entry. My three loyal readers: I present this to you.

Nefertiti, by Michelle Moran
Historical novel about Nefertiti and her teenaged husband, who within the scope of the novel wreak havoc as they try to worship a new god; calamity ensues. Lots of intrigue but not particularly well written. Characters are flat and I was left wondering how much of it was true. It's certainly a far cry from literary fiction.

Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund
In Moby Dick, there are apparently just a few lines dedicated to Captain Ahab's wife, who lives on dry land. This novel reimagines the life of Mrs. Ahab, as as (yes, two as's) adventurous as the men pursuing the great whale. Many subjects are woven into the narrative, including religion vs. spiritualty, the roles of women, cannibalism, insanity, and slavery. The main character is likable. I knew when I picked it up that I would probably hate this book, and I was happy to be wrong.

A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore
I was told by a fellow twitterer that to publicly savage a book is boorish, so at the risk of offending all those rabid Moore fans, I have to say I thought this novel was a failure. The narrator's voice was unbelievable, and there were continuity and plot issues that should have been addressed by an editor. I would love to hear your opinion if you've read through to the end.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Well written and surprisingly funny for a memoir about what it's like to have utterly terrible, crazy parents who have no sense of boundaries or curiosity about how to care for children so they can turn out okay in the end. It was a quick read, good for a book club.

The Mistress's Daughter by AM Homes
I was in memoir mode, having just finished the Walls, and for the most part enjoyed Homes's true story of psychological adjustment to finding out ALL about her biological parents. The book as a whole is uneven overall, but still fascinating, especially when her biological mother stalks Homes at a book signing. (And when I read the book, The End of Alice, which was released at the time of the stalking, I thought about how its subject matter might have really added a caustic element into the already-unhappy reunion.)

Dracula by Bram Stoker
To be honest, I am not a vampire kind of girl and was thus prejudiced against reading this novel based on the movies I've seen and in general a rejection of vampire lore as important. Snobby? Yep. I am often snobbish, though I trick myself by calling it discernment. But there was an online, guided reading of Dracula in October, so I gave it a try. Overall, I liked the first 2/3 of the book, especially the characters' reliance on the practice of writing every detail of every stranger encounter with Count Dracula and then relying on those written narratives as the basis for action. The Van Helsing detective character was annoying as he parses out the barest, sketchiest information to his little entourage, as was the abuse of mental patient Renfield. This is a passel of extremely passive characters. Still, a fascinating look back to the early 20th century view of technology and folklore. 

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket, by Edgar Allan Poe
I was still in ship-mode and Jonathan Lethem recommended this novel in a blog posting and since I love Jonathan Lethem and couldn't get enough of the cannibalism concept from Ahab's Wife, Amazon delivered this tiny novel with its usual expedience. The writing is good, as you would expect from Poe, but it the novel overall isn't carefully constructed. There are gaps in logic and timeline. On the plus side, there is real agonizing suffering happening in these pages, and Poe doesn't pull any punches. Extreme hunger will drive a lot of very bad behavior.

The End of Alice by AM Homes
Stomach-churning novel about a pedophile murderer who (allegedly) correpsonds with a young woman who uses his life story to spur on her own sexual crimes. Yet it's hard to tell what's true since the reliability of the narrator is in question. A well written, honest  novel about the extreme ugliness of human nature when taken way beyond accepted social mores to obsession. All I can say is you really have to be in the mood.

The Financial Lives of the Poets by Jess Walter
This novel was an antidote to the brutality of The End of Alice, and could have been written in the last five minutes, since it's based on today's economic crisis. The main character is trying to salvage his home and his marriage, and turns to illegal activities as a means to survive. It's not dour, though. It's funny and it has poetry that will make you laugh. I recommend this one to everyone.

Sharp Objects: A Novel by Gillian Flynn
You will tear through this dark tale of murders, narrated by a broken female reporter who's been assigned to return to her home town to cover the case. I loved the writing and willfully followed the twists and turns of the story, recoiling but staying true to the author and the text. It's awfully dark, but awfully good.

The Man Who Went Up in Smoke by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo
#2 in the 1960s era Martin Beck Swedish crime novel series. Refreshing  the wry humor and pathos reside in these novels. The crimes, when compared to the sometimes excessive American novels of the same genre, seem tame--it's only murder, after all. But the psychological state of Martin Beck as he travels wearily across Europe to seek out the solution to the mystery cannot be matched. If you haven't read any of these in the series, start with #1, Roseanna. It made me a fan.

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
If you've read this epic tale of cathederal building and church politics and are offended that I thought it was terribly written, I apologize in advance. Flat characters, soap opera plot, sadism on every page. I read this book in four days. Four days I'll never get back. Yes, I was happy to see the characters' vindications, but it was not worth the hours I applied.

The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens
There are some gems in this novel about a compulsive gambler and his grandaughter as they are menaced by a very scary money-lending dwarf, Quilp. Many of the novels' characters have dimension, though heroine Nell is way too good to be true. I've read many Dickens novels, and this is not one of the strongest of his career. Give me a Great Expectations or Our Mutual Friend. Next time, I'll revisit one of those.

Netherland by Joseph O'Neill
I think if I tell too much about this novel, it might spoil for you a memorable, thrilling experience. Suffice it to say that the novel is about a Dutch banker, Hans, who is living in NYC during 9/11. Afterwards, his marriage is failing. So that's the bare bones structure that hides deeper themes: nostalgia, parenthood, being an outsider in America, the passionate pursuit of cricket, friendship, love, obligation, and maturation. It didn't win all those accolades for nothing.

Stoner by John Williams
This novel is an older oddity, and you might recognize the title if you read literary fiction blogs like The Millions. It was on many Best Reads of 2009 lists and there is good reason for its resurgence. Stoner is a slim novel about a young, incurious man in 1910 or so who gets sent off to college by his very poor parents to study agriculture, with the expectation he will return to the farm when he graduates. However, Mr. Stoner instead falls in love with literature and decides to become a teacher. The novel is about his life from college and beyond, and is written in spare but beautiful style. There are small moments of contemplation as Stoner chooses his life's paths and then lives out the consequences of those choices. You might recognize parts of yourself through his eyes, and you will be so sorry when you've reached the last page. Please, somebody, read this book.