Books read in 2016

Books! Best to worst.

Paul Beatty, The Sellout

Extraordinary, hilarious, brilliant. Racial stereotypes dancing in front of a funhouse mirror of satire, through a knowing lens of American literature and culture (both African- and Anglo-). More great comic one-liners per page than any other fancy hardbound book I’ve ever read.

Jon Meachum, Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power

He was a puzzle: he wrote one of the visionary documents in human history, yet he was blind to the slavery maintained in his own household — and family.

Gary Krist, City of Scoundrels

A gripping account of an astounding chapter of Chicago history.

Costello, Elvis, Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink

Half-fascinating.

Sloane Crosley, The Clasp

Funny, slight, satisfying.

Martin Amis, Lionel Asbo: State of England

Wicked, often hilarious, sometimes skidding off the mark.

Kurt Vonnegut, Breakfast of Champions

Not as good as I’d remembered.

Kliph Nesteroff, The Comedians

Serviceable history of standup comedy.

Haruki Murakami, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage

Interesting.

Haruki Murakami, 1Q84

Fascinating, wildly imaginative, but bloated and repetitive.

Yuval Harari, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

Couldn’t get into it, abandoned after Chapter 1.

 


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