I’ve already done my top-ten list for 2012, but I was inspired by Abigail Hartman’s roundup post on her year’s reading (and similar endeavors by Rachel Heffington, Jennifer Freitag and Elizabeth Rose), to do a more general overview of my own year in books. I’ve always wanted the chance to mention, even briefly, the numbers of other good books I enjoy during the year which don’t make the top list. So here goes! Links go to reviews where there are any.
Although I read more than 100 books in 2012, there were many shorter and lighter works among them, which undoubtedly swelled the numbers more than if I’d read mainly thick novels. I did undertake a few substantial reads, though. Back in January I finally got around to reading Wister’s The Virginian, which I figured was essential for anybody who wants to be familiar with the Western genre. It was interesting—one of these days I plan to re-read it and try to write a careful review explaining my thoughts on it. My biggest ‘classic’ read for this year was undoubtedly Anthony Trollope’s The Way We Live Now (which I did review). Some others I enjoyed were Mary Elizabeth Braddon’s melodramatic Victorian suspense novel Lady Audley’s Secret, and also Daphne du Maurier’s French Revolution family saga, The Glassblowers.
A couple other thick books I forged my way through were May Sinclair’s The Divine Fire (having been made curious about Sinclair by Agatha Christie’s praise of her books in her Autobiography) and Edna Ferber’s So Big. Neither really won me over, though I observed that Ferber certainly did know how to turn a beautiful sentence.
On the Western front, I read several more B.M. Bower books besides those on my top-ten list, Fool’s Goal and Shadow Mountain being standouts. I enjoyed Henry Herbert Knibbs’ The Ridin’ Kid From Powder River, Jim Waring of Sonora-Town and Sundown Slim. Knibbs wrote curiously rambling and unfocused plots, but endearing and entertaining characters. Also liked The Sheriff’s Son by William McLeod Raine, an author I’m not crazy about in general.
In mysteries, I took my first try at Dorothy Sayers with her first two Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries. Mixed feelings here—Lord Peter, Bunter and the Dutchess were positively delightful, but the stories themselves left a little to be desired, taking abrupt turns from light to macabre and featuring some slightly unsatisfying resolutions. I read another fine Anna Katharine Green novel, Hand and Ring, and a couple more short story collections by Melville Davisson Post: The Casebook of Monsieur Jonquelle and The Sleuth of St. James’s Square—both of which had some very good stories, but still not touching the magnificent Uncle Abner!
Nonfiction encompassed history and theology—in history, Edward T. Cotham’s Battle on the Bay: The Civil War Struggle for Galveston and Betty J. Mills’ Calico Chronicle were favorites. In theology, I read through Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ four-book Assurance of our Salvation series, and I’m still working on his Studies in the Sermon on the Mount.
Some good memoirs I read included Walt Coburn’s Stirrup High, Nannie Alderson’s A Bride Goes West (both excellent!) and Mary O’Hara’s Wyoming Summer. One Man’s Meat by E.B. White was also interesting. In philosophy we differ a good deal, but I appreciated many of his sensitive observations on farm and country living, writing, and life in pre-WWII America. Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain took some getting through. What an odd mix! Really interesting narratives on the life of a river pilot and the people and places along the river, alternating with strange anecdotes and satires where it was difficult to tell fact from fiction.
Miscellaneously—if that’s a word—I read and enjoyed Jean Webster’s Daddy-Long-Legs and Dear Enemy. Christopher Morley’s short comedy Kathleen made a charming summer read. And one month when I was sick in bed I read through Susan Coolidge’s What Katy Did series (five books) in a couple of days. The only poetry I read was Scott’s Lady of the Lake. (I’m always telling myself I ought to read more poetry.) Last but not least, I loved Kathleen Norris’ The Rich Mrs. Burgoyne, and I read two more good novels by Booth Tarkington: The Turmoil and The Flirt.
I don’t have any specific reading goals for 2013, other than those that will probably arise from going where historical research leads me. I do want to make a point of reading some more substantial books, as opposed to the majority of short ones I read this past year. I can’t wait for my first batch of library requests to arrive so I can get started!
