One of my 2016 goals was to read more backlist books since I had great success with the few I read in 2015 (50% were 4.5 or 5 star reads). As I approached 2016’s halfway mark, I realized this was the one goal where I was utterly failing to make inroads! So, to keep me honest, I decided to briefly highlight a few backlist books in an occasional “Backlist Beauties” feature.
Here’s the 2016 crop (with one missing, which was so good it’s getting it’s own mini review) and, hopefully, I’ll read enough excellent backlisters throughout 2017 to warrant more than one post!
(Most of) the Best Backlist Books I Read Last Year
Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
Fiction (Released May 26, 2015)
179 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Source: Purchased (Publisher: Knopf)
Our Souls at Night is a sweet, calm, and uncomplicated novel about two older people (Louis and Addie) who stopped caring what everyone else thought and did what they needed to do to be happy. It’s sort of like they read The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck, which I happened to be listening to while reading this book. This novel reminded me a bit of My Name is Lucy Barton, as much of the story and background on the characters is revealed through conversations between Louis and Addie.
I told you I don’t want to live like that anymore – for other people, what they think, what they believe. I don’t think it’s the way to live. It isn’t for me anyway.
The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez
Fiction (Released June 3, 2014)
286 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Source: Purchased (Publisher: Knopf)
This powerful book about the life of immigrants living in the U.S. is initially quiet, but I couldn’t put it down towards the end. It forces the reader to see life in America through a different set of eyes. There’s lots to chew on here and it would make a fantastic book club selection.
When I walk down the street, I don’t want people to look at me and see a criminal or someone that they can spit on or beat up. I want them to see a guy who has just as much right to be here as they do, or a guy who works hard, or a guy who loves his family, or a guy who’s just trying to do the right things.
This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett
Nonfiction – Essays (Released December 11, 2011)
308 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Source: Purchased (Publisher: Harper)
Pat Conroy is one of the rare authors whose fiction and nonfiction I’ve truly enjoyed. Now that he’s gone, Ann Patchett might be taking his place (thanks to his recommendation in A Lowcountry Heart). She covers the gamut of topics in this essay collection: marriage (obviously), divorce, writing, book tours, opera (the only low point for me), friendship, how to be productive, and the story behind the opening of Parnassus Books. She lives an interesting, yet fairly normal life and I like her outlook on things.
What I like about the job of being a novelist, and at the same time what I find so exhausting about it, is that it’s the closest thing to being God you’re ever going to get. All of the decisions are yours. You decide when the sun comes up. You decide who gets to fall in love and who gets hit by a car. You have to make all the trees and all the leaves and then sew the leaves onto the trees. You make the entire world.
Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
Nonfiction (Released July 10, 2012)
308 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Source: Purchased (Publisher: Vintage/Random House Audio)
In this compilation of columns from her time as the Dear Sugar advice columnist for The Rumpus, Strayed blends empathy, truth, bluntness, and humor to form a perfect blend of “yes, that’s exactly how it is” observations about life and useful, non-judgmental advice about how to live it. I’m not an advice column type of person or an audiobook lover, but the audio version of this book (narrated by the author) earned 5 stars from me.
Trust yourself. It’s Sugar’s golden rule. Trusting yourself means living out what you already know to be true.
You Are An Ironman by Jacques Steinberg
Nonfiction – Sports (Released September 15, 2011)
304 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Source: Gift (Publisher: Viking)
The intertwined stories of six amateur triathletes’ attempts to complete Ironman Arizona 2009 (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run), a race that can last as long as 17 hours. A friend gave me this book after learning I was competing in a Sprint Triathlon and I figured I’d peek at a few pages, but probably not read the whole thing. Boy, was I wrong! I teared up within the first 50 pages and was thoroughly inspired by the stories of these regular people attempting an extraordinary feat.
The road to an Ironman truly begins with someone deciding to place one hand in front of the other in a pool, or one foot before the other on a fast-walk that might progress into a jog or a run.
I think I need to add You Are An Ironman to my bookclub!
It would be great for that!
More great sounding books I haven’t read.
I like your “Backlist Beauties” feature. Great idea! The only one of these I’ve read is The Book of Unknown Americans and I really liked it, too. The three nonfiction all sound good!
Thank you 🙂
I loved Our Souls at Night, but it didn’t turn out as sweet as I thought it would. I was quite sad at the end. I think it should have two endings – so the reader can choose. 🙂
I also love Ann Patchett, but this is one I haven’t read yet. I’ve read most of her novels.
It was sad at the end, but I still thought the whole thing was sweet.
And, I need to read more Patchett novels.
I’ve heard so many good things about The Book of Unknown Americans. I should probably add it to my TBR list.
Yes!
The Book of Unknown Americans would be a GREAT book club book!
It’s been a while since I’ve read any Ann Patchett – I always feel like the endings of her books let me down. An essay collection might not have that weakness – what about the opera essay didn’t jive for you? Now I just want to listen to opera all day…
Haha – I’m just not a music person in general and definitely not opera. I was just bored.
And I’m the kind of reader where the journey is more important than the destination, so disappointing endings don’t generally bother me unless they make the overall book seem pointless.
I’ve been trying to read more backlist too. Great list!
The Book of unknown Americans and Kent Haruf are on my TBR. If only there was more time to read
I hear ya! They were both on my TBR for a long time before I finally got to them.
The Book of Unknown Americans is on my audiobook TBR. I’m looking forward to it!
I think you’ll like it – and will be interested to hear how it translates to audio.
Fun list! The Kent Haruf has been on my list for a while. I hope I can get to it in 2017.
I haven’t quite fallen in love with any of Patchett’s fiction, but I do love her writing, so perhaps her nonfiction should be some of my backlist reading this year. I’m glad you found so many backlist titles you enjoyed!