Best Books: 2022 Edition
I read 29 books last year! Now it’s time to pick the top five. From fifth best to best.
#5: The Grapes of Wrath (Steinbeck)
I still stand by my claim that if one wishes to read Steinbeck, one should not start with The Grapes of Wrath (especially if you’re young and/or have a short attention span). It is sloooooooooow at the start. But once things start to pick up and everyone gets on the move, the pacing gets a lot better and it’s much easier to get invested in the characters. Also, the ending is heartbreaking.
#4: The World According to Garp (Irving)
This is not as good as A Prayer for Owen Meany (because that book’s climax is the most perfect climax I’ve ever read), but it displays Irving’s wonderful ability of creating characters that are simultaneously boring and quirky and his ability of making you care about said characters even before you realize you do.
#3: A Confederacy of Dunces (Toole)
This was probably the weirdest book I’ve read on my list. I feel like Ignatius is what Boomers think all Millennials are like (even though this was written in 1980, before the first Millennials were even born). Ignatius is obnoxious but oddly charming in a weird way, and reading about his thoughts, adventures, and how he interacts with others was entertaining.
#2: Breakfast of Champions (Vonnegut)
Vonnegut has such a specific style and sense of humor, and of all the works of his that I’ve read so far, I think both the style and humor come out best in this book. It’s also full of little illustrations drawn by Vonnegut and the whole thing has a wonderful rhythm to it as you watch Hoover go more and more insane.
#1: Lonesome Dove (McMurtry)
I mean, was there any doubt? I loved this book, yo. I think Captain Call might be one of my favorite literary characters now, haha. This is another one that starts out slowly, but I honestly didn’t notice it that much because I was immediately engaged with the characters. Check it out if you’ve never read it; you won’t be disappointed.
I found Lonesome Dove on YouTube and OMG
It’s incredibly true to the book, which means it’s great. The water moccasin scene was terrifying, just like it was in the book. I’m just to the point where Lorena gets captured by Blue Duck, but I’m excited to watch the rest of it.
WOO!
Book Review: Lonesome Dove (McMurtry)
Have I read this before: No, and I hate myself for it.
Review: Let me preface this by saying that I don’t consider “Western” to be one of my preferred genres.* And I was hesitant as soon as I bought this book because I was like oh god, a 900-page Western?
But then I started it. And got into it. The first hundred pages or so are slow, but the characters are so vivid and fleshed out that WHO THE HELL CARES THAT ALL THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT IS BEANS AND CATTLE. GIVE ME ALL THE BEANS AND CATTLE IF IT MEANS I CAN KEEP HEARING ABOUT HOW BADASS CAPTAIN CALL IS.
I don’t understand how anyone could avoid getting sucked into this story. Just Gus’ and Call’s friendship alone was enough to keep me invested, but all the other stuff? All the manly, dirty, gritty cowboy stuff? AND THE STORY ITSELF? This book grabbed me by my non-existent balls. Hell, this book made me grow balls and then proceeded to grab me by them.
I liked it, is what I’m trying to say here.
Favorite Part: The whole GODDAMN THING. But mostly Captain Call. I know most people favor Gus, but Call is definitely my favorite. I love the scene where he absolutely loses his shit on the army scout and Gus has to call him off. It’s the only time he ever really loses his cool.
Rating: 9/10
*I say this despite the fact that the Western genre is batting 1.000 with The Ox-Bow Incident and Lonesome Dove as its two representatives
Book Buying
I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned this on here before, but I’m stingy when it comes to buying physical copies of (fiction) books. That is, I really have to like a book in order to want a physical copy of it. I think this stems from moving houses SO MANY TIMES in my life; books are super heavy and are rough to haul around.
Anyway.
Given all this, I ordered a physical copy of Lonesome Dove today.
Am I done with the book yet? No. But am I enamored enough with it at 60% of the way through to already want a physical copy? Yes.
It’s really good, y’all. You’ll see more details in my review in a few days, but unless the ending is like “and they woke up and it was ALL JUST A DREAM!!!” or some such nonsense, this is definitely going to be my top book of the year.
(Yes, I know it’s just February. But it’s a GOOD. BOOK.)
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