December Rec Roundtable: Golden Oldies
Dec. 2nd, 2018 08:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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ladybusinessIt's December: the end of the year and the time of 1000 recommendation lists. We thought we'd get in on the action with some sweet themed recs before a certain holiday arrives and everyone who reads this blog is unavailable as they've been trapped under a pile of books acquired during end of the year book sales because "just one pass through the sale shelves won't hurt".
The oldest book I read this year so far was Citizen 13660 by Mine Okubo which somewhere between a graphic novel and an illustrated memoir—each page has picture and a text explanation. The book is the author’s account of her time spent in the Japanese American internment camps during the Second World War. She never dwells on the most uncomfortable bits, but it's still a stark and compelling read.
I’d also like to shout out to Naomi Kritzer’s Eliana's Song duology—these are much more recent published in the early 2000’s but they haven’t got the attention they deserve. These books are a wonderfully complex fantasy featuring a queer main character (though she doesn’t figure this out about herself until almost the end of the first book). I don’t want to get into detail too much because of spoilers, but I loved how these books dealt with political change, activism, and organizing. Definitely worth picking up if you missed these when they were new.
I read a few older books this year, including a reread of The Great Gatsby that (to my immense relief) reaffirmed my love of The Great Gatsby. Phew, you can have socialist leanings and still enjoy F. Scott Fitzgerald. However, my pick for this is actually Alfred Lansing’s Endurance, a nonfiction book about Ernest Shackleton’s expedition to the South Pole. It’s packed with amazing details and reads like a suspense novel.
I finally got around to Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before which was published in 2014, and proceeded to burn through the whole trilogy in two months (I'm usually lucky if I complete a trilogy now). Always and Forever, Lara Jean, the last book in the trilogy, is my favourite book out of the three, but props to the first book for pulling me into Lara Jean's world and giving me the sweetest, most wholesome fake dating web of lies plot ever.
The oldest book I read this year was The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells, published in 2011, which I picked up because the Books of the Raksura was nominated for the Best Series Hugo. Although I haven't gotten around to reading the rest of the series yet, I enjoyed this opening entry a great deal: I loved the main character, Moon, and his journey drew me in. I look forward to discovering more of his story.
Honestly, the thing I read this year with the oldest publication date is probably The Prisoner of Zenda, which was originally published in 1894. I had some issues with it, but once the villain actually showed up and the sword fights started, I suddenly found myself invested in it!
Theme for December 2: Favorite story with the oldest release date.
Forestofglory
The oldest book I read this year so far was Citizen 13660 by Mine Okubo which somewhere between a graphic novel and an illustrated memoir—each page has picture and a text explanation. The book is the author’s account of her time spent in the Japanese American internment camps during the Second World War. She never dwells on the most uncomfortable bits, but it's still a stark and compelling read.
I’d also like to shout out to Naomi Kritzer’s Eliana's Song duology—these are much more recent published in the early 2000’s but they haven’t got the attention they deserve. These books are a wonderfully complex fantasy featuring a queer main character (though she doesn’t figure this out about herself until almost the end of the first book). I don’t want to get into detail too much because of spoilers, but I loved how these books dealt with political change, activism, and organizing. Definitely worth picking up if you missed these when they were new.
Jenny
I read a few older books this year, including a reread of The Great Gatsby that (to my immense relief) reaffirmed my love of The Great Gatsby. Phew, you can have socialist leanings and still enjoy F. Scott Fitzgerald. However, my pick for this is actually Alfred Lansing’s Endurance, a nonfiction book about Ernest Shackleton’s expedition to the South Pole. It’s packed with amazing details and reads like a suspense novel.
Jodie
I finally got around to Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before which was published in 2014, and proceeded to burn through the whole trilogy in two months (I'm usually lucky if I complete a trilogy now). Always and Forever, Lara Jean, the last book in the trilogy, is my favourite book out of the three, but props to the first book for pulling me into Lara Jean's world and giving me the sweetest, most wholesome fake dating web of lies plot ever.
KJ
The oldest book I read this year was The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells, published in 2011, which I picked up because the Books of the Raksura was nominated for the Best Series Hugo. Although I haven't gotten around to reading the rest of the series yet, I enjoyed this opening entry a great deal: I loved the main character, Moon, and his journey drew me in. I look forward to discovering more of his story.
Susan
Honestly, the thing I read this year with the oldest publication date is probably The Prisoner of Zenda, which was originally published in 1894. I had some issues with it, but once the villain actually showed up and the sword fights started, I suddenly found myself invested in it!
no subject
Date: 2018-12-03 08:52 pm (UTC)