2016 books of the year, part 1

Hi all,

The end of 2016 (good riddance, 2016, come back never, please) means one thing- January 1, 2017. Wait, no, no, that's not it. Let's start over!

The end of 2016 means its time to look back on the year and dish out some awards. Around these parts, that means reading. I read one hundred and twenty-nine books this year (up from one hundred in each of the past two years). Narrowing down all those very good books was a big task but, after seventeen minutes or so of loosely focused effort, I have managed to narrow it down to a shortlist of around fifteen.

We'll do it in two parts. Today's portion, the honorable mentions, will be in awards-show style. But instead of cooking up some arbitrary categories (best story, best cover, largest overdue fine, I mean who cares???), I'll pair lyrics from my favorite band of 2016, Slow Club, to the book that they best exemplify. (1)

I'll note that some of these lyrics are petulant. That is more a reflection of my feelings for the year 2016 than they are a comment on Slow Club. Don't worry, readers, I intend to absorb events with greater maturity this year! (2)

OK, everyone ready?

Without further ado, the honorable mentions for my 2016 books of year list, presented by (sort of) Slow Club!

*Hackers and Painters by Paul Graham

I waited for the party
I never showed up
-Gold Mountain

Let's kick things off with one of my favorite books to re-read. Graham's essay collection covers a dizzying range of topics- high school popularity, the Latin of computer programming languages, email spam filters, start up incubators, and on and on.

Each essay, for me, is a reminder that a lifetime spent waiting for the party to start is a lifetime spent in wait. Better to get out there and find your own fun. Do that and you won't even realize you missed what you were waiting for.

*Mind Gym by Sebastian Bailey and Octavius Black

Hoping something good might grow
Out of this mistletoe
-Christmas TV

I checked this book out by accident. Initially, I was under the impression that this book received high ratings and strong reviews. About fifty pages in, I was ready to toss the book aside. I persevered, no doubt buoyed by commitment to tradition (in this case, complete trust in my book selection system) and struggled through to the end.

As I prepared to write about it on this space, I once more checked the reviews. I confirmed that Mind Gym is indeed the name of a highly regarded book. It just was not the same Mind Gym that I read. Oh, well.

It was only a book, in the end. I'll get over it.

*How To Lie With Statistics by Darrell Huff

Oh as stubborn as it is, as stubborn as I am
I can tell you that there is no pearl in this clam
-Dance 'till The Morning Light

One positive development of 2016 was my return to the basics of my statistics education. These building blocks of inference- understanding the base rate, keeping an eye on the sample size, looking out for the signs of sampling bias, things like that- are not as exciting as a wildly complex prediction model that tells you exactly who is going to win what vote. But if it is impossible to predict, it doesn't matter how much one tweaks the model.

I think its natural to get sucked away from focusing on basic concepts in the real world. In data analytics, the field I worked in for over five years, there is constant pressure to declare false patterns within data.

I've enjoyed the clarity of my thought process in 2016. Part of that is due to getting away from those environments. But I know a big part of it came from reading this book again at the start of the year.

*Revulsion: Thomas Bernhard in San Salvador by Horacio Castellanos Moya

Does the world make you crazy?
It made me crazy too
-Wanderer Wandering

Moya's rant is, in one way, a tirade against the unstoppable forces that constrict, reshape, and ultimately define us. For some, it truly drives them crazy. In articulating his own thoughts and feelings, Moya brings a voice to those quieted through either choice, force, or social convention.

The great question of the work regards how much power there is in simply acknowledging the realities of a struggling society. My guess is, in the same way we find common ground by relating our own difficulties with others, a society can find mutual interests and strive to build a better future by collectively acknowledging what ails them.

*Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion

I'll make it hard for you
To live the life you choose
-Not Mine To Love

Sometimes, you agree with every single syllable of advice, then do the exact opposite. I'm not going to go that far here with this book and its final essay, 'Goodbye To All That', but I did spend quite a bit of time in June thinking about moving out of my apartment and, after reading this essay, decided it was time to go. In short, there was nothing for me there.

A couple of weeks later, I signed my lease for another year.

This was the first time I really chose a place to live. Up until then, my apartment choice was always a result of optimizing other concerns such as commute, roommates, rent, and so on. I did not really understand that, though, until I signed my lease again.

A half year later, my working hypothesis is that, once you accept increasing responsibility for your choices, the frustrations of forces working externally on you slowly lose their weight. It seems a natural result- by taking control, you feel more in control, and that in turn makes it a little easier to let things roll off your back.

You know what? From that viewpoint, perhaps in the end these lyrics do not apply very well at all. But they do highlight a lesson I learned this year about how the things I accept without fully taking responsibility for the decision tend to eventually weigh me down in some way.

*Sounds Like Me by Sara Bareilles

And I said let's all meet up in the year 2000
Won't it be strange when we're all fully grown
-Disco 2000

One of my favorite qualities in a musician is the willingness to cover a song by another and the ability to do it well. I define 'well' here as a performance that highlights the best of the work while simultaneously bringing one's own strengths to the performance. Slow Club, like this book's author, has expressed this quality in a number of cover performances over the years, including this one of Pulp's 1995 hit on the cover-only album I Swam Out To Greet You.

The book highlights a similar quality. It follows a framework for songwriting memoir but does so in a way to bring out the best of the author. Sounds Like Me is very much Bareilles's own project, infused with the personality and instinct for performance that make her so popular among her fans.

*Bluets by Maggie Nelson

You call this true
Why did you become you?
-Beginners

The best book that did not make this list was The Argonauts. Released in 2015, The Argonauts was the first of Nelson's nine books that I read. I enjoyed it so much that I requested a number of her eight prior works within hours of finishing up The Argonauts.

What I expected in her past work was evidence of a series of gradual progressions in Nelson's writing, each building up to the next, culminating in her performance for The Argonauts.

What I discovered was a writer who was there all along. And after reading Bluets in particular, the success of The Argonauts seemed inevitable. I guess it was written by the same writer, after all.

This is not to say, of course, that writers do not improve with time. Even for a future bestselling author, a book that is dismissed by most of the reading public is usually done so for good reason. But in the journey of cultivating one's potential, the matter of knowing oneself, of 'becoming you', is far more significant than is any honing of the technical skills involved in the craft.

*Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli 

If I get to sixty will you let me slip away 
Into an armchair for the rest of my days
-When I Go

'When I Go' is a simple song about how feelings change over time. I've read Spinelli's Newbery Medal winner about once per year now for several years. I continue to identify it as my favorite book.

But in reading it this year, I did start to sense subtle shifts in my response. And when I consider the future, it hardly seems feasible that I will still consider this book my favorite when I turn sixty.

*The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson

I was half-joking
And you were half-drunk
And we were half-crazy thinking that maybe this could add up
-Half Drunk

As I was considering Maniac Magee, I realized that The Argonauts was perhaps a little better than it. And Mind Gym. And maybe even (gasp) Sounds Like Me. So, uh...

Yup, just joking I was, back there, in that Bluets intro! Must have been a little tipsy there myself.

My apologies for the initial oversight.

*Eternal Echoes by John O'Donohue 

No one
Told me 
You'd be disappearing 
-The Pieces

I must mention my shock in discovering, earlier this year, that O'Donohue was killed in a motorcycling accident in 2008. These lyrics, in a way, bring me back to this strange moment from my reading year.

Eternal Echoes talks about the human desire to belong. It covers a wide range of emotions involved in the process, including the impact of suffering on one's sense of belonging. Suffering, he writes, is the place where no one can find you. In such a place, one loses the sense of belonging he had with others. The act of bringing the lost back into their places is an act of compassion achievable once the initial disappearance has been acknowledged. 

*Plain Talk by Ken Iverson 

And the air is no good here
But you think you'll come back 
-Tears Of Joy

The biggest reading year of my life coincided with the lowest total of 'business' books. One might posit that this is a welcome development. After all, the last thing a detoxing business bro requires is an additional dosage of profit-driven nonsense.

And yet, Plain Talk became one of my favorite reads of the year. The timing, I realize, was ideal. In reading this book, I understood the exact type of role I should seek. I also got a much-needed confidence boost in seeing so many of my own managerial methods described in detail here. 

*The Waves and Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf 

Marry into money
Marry twice
-Me and You

If you are going to read just one author for the rest of your life, you could do a lot worse than Virginia Woolf. One's outlook on things changes a little bit after reading her work.

That said, I am not going to pretend I understood half of Mrs. Dalloway. Generally, I would regard such an outcome as a failure of the book- too hard, too lame, too old.

But in this case, I simply acknowledged my own role in the outcome. I resolved to try a little harder the next time. I returned after my initial failure, a wealthier reader, and felt a true payoff after focusing a little harder while reading The Waves.

DISCLAIMER: All marriage advice dispensed via direct quotation and/or song lyric does not express the viewpoint of this blog (though that idiotic Business Bro might see the validity in this one).

*The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo 

Let the blade, let the blade 
Do the work 
-Let The Blade Do The Work

Effort is a funny thing. In a vacuum, as they say, more effort is preferred to less effort. And yet those who try too much risk burnout. Sometimes, it is better to slice easily with a good knife than it is to struggle endlessly with a dull blade.

So, whenever I gaze over the pile of rubble that comprises the southwest corner of the apartment, I cannot help but think back to a lifetime of failed tidying efforts. All those dulled edges of storage bins, labeled folders, and 'maybe five minutes a day, starting tomorrow'.

But even after reading this book, I'm yet to dive in and fully commit myself to applying Kondo's razor-sharp blade. There remain a couple of other hacks I would like to try first...

*Impro by Keith Johnstone

And in a year from now I wonder if I'll find
That thoughts of you will pass me by
-Suffering You, Suffering Me

To the book I tried and failed to read twice in 2016, I state my intent to make it 'third time the charm' in 2017. I'm sure I'll do it- from what I saw, it was a pretty entertaining and insightful read.

Just for the record, my second attempt got about one hundred pages deep before I somehow lost my bookmark. Washington DC, thanks for nothing. This is the first 'loss of bookmark' problem I've experienced in six years of tracking my reading. 

*Still Alice by Lisa Genova 

So let's say, I'll come another day.
And maybe, you'll understand.
I'll look into your eyes
You don't know who I am
-Two Cousins

As my volunteer role grew over the course of 2016, I was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable I was with dementia patients. I think part of it was influenced by reading books such as this one, a novel in which Genova details the progression of her title character's early onset dementia.

Books drive learning in many different ways. Some prescribe the exact methods to achieve a desired outcome. Still Alice worked a little differently. From this book, I saw the reality of this condition from a previously unconsidered perspective. I accepted that what one could do on a given day sometimes made no difference at all. On such visits, recognizing the person locked within and resolving to try again at a different time is all that can be done. 

*100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

You can tell me you're not like this
Staring down the pages of the shit you've missed
Hoping you find a way to change
-In Waves

I first read this classic in 2005 as part of summer homework for Spanish class (we were allowed to read the English version). I did not read this book very carefully but I still gleefully delivered my verdict to anyone who dared ask ('this book sucked'). Luckily, my Spanish teacher was never among those inquiring...

My view has, let's say...matured...since those heady days.

I recognize now the importance of one's mental and emotional state during the reading process. Being seventeen, I was probably better off playing Madden 2006 on PlayStation 2 than I was reading one of South America's greatest novels.

And that's OK, because eventually I turned twenty-eight. The changes I underwent in the past decade prepared me to understand and appreciate everything I missed the first time. 

*But What If We're Wrong? by Chuck Klosterman 

You read in books about how it all should work
Written by men who've never seen the world 
-Number One

Klosterman's most recent release covers a simple premise- what we know today is merely a revision of what we knew yesterday. And so, he asks, what makes today different? Isn't tomorrow's knowledge going to simply discard today's understanding?

Gravity, for example, is an idea that evolved greatly over several centuries. At one point, people believed things desired to return to their rightful resting place: the core of the earth. Now, we talk earnestly about 9.81 meters per second and sniff at those who still believe that all a rock wants to do is get as close to the center of the planet as possible.

In 2016, I unlearned a lot of things. I see this as a positive development. Most of what I unlearned was rubbish, specific to domains and situations, application of theory rather than a clearly stated understanding of the world. Hopefully what remains with me is the simple, generalized, and flexible knowledge that is invaluable in conquering new challenges.

Or to put it another way, I'm interested in knowing that if I push my computer off the table, it will fall to the ground. I'm not quite as concerned about the exact rate of its acceleration. And I'll remain skeptical about whether my computer crashing proves some inherent desire for the 'caps lock' key to return to earth.

*Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami 

I'm on a raft of brand new beginnings
Won't be a sports car in three feet of grass 
-Hackney Marsh

I think this is the book I casually reference the most often on this blog. As regular readers know by now, this story involves a 'parallel worlds' idea (that may or may not intersect at some point...no spoiler alerts here, kids).

What the parallel stories share is the desire for self-discover in each plot's main character. In each arc, he recognizes a missing element in his life and makes strides to uncover what it is. And once each protagonist understands himself well enough, it becomes impossible to turn around and return to the environment that for so long limited his full potential.

*Show Your Work by Austin Kleon 

I'm running out of things to say
Would you please start talking?
-Apples and Pears

There is no one book I identify as the main catalyst for the formation of this unformed mess of book reviews, ramblings, and general nonsense that some kindly refer to as True On Average. If I had to pick one- to the extent that I have to do anything in a fully self-directed space- I would choose Show Your Work.

The big idea I took from this hour-long read is the value of sharing process. I related to this idea right away, having focused on doing the same in my previous job. I saw in this book the possibilities inherent in tying life and work closely together. It also prompted me to consider approaches for sharing the previously unrevealed processes in my life- selecting books, storing knowledge, exercise, healing, and so on- that might prove helpful to others in some way.

So, why this quote? I think it summarizes a lot of what's happened here. The posts (the tongue-in-cheek 'proper admins' excepted) rarely delve into what I consider small talk. Generally, I try to pick up from that most interesting point in conversation when people start talking because everything has been said.

*Lost In Translation by Ella Frances Sanders 

So I'll go home and practice the traits you said I lacked 
Like listening to the thunder of your heart 
-It Doesn't Have To Be Beautiful

I believe I read this book last year, actually, so let's call this a 'lifetime achievement' award for the purposes of getting it onto this list. This short volume's inspirational role in the first actual effort I made at anything on this blog (and, quite frankly, my first actual effort at anything in over a year) should not go unrecognized.

The Lost In Translation word bracket forced me to dig deep. Perhaps the most significant moment came after I finished round one. I realized that, despite having already written several hundred words about each entrant in the tournament, I would need to do so AGAIN since the same words would go head to head in the next round. Extending the idea just a little further, I saw that for the eventual finalists I would need to do this process AGAIN and, once more, AGAIN, given the logistics of how a knockout tournament works.

It seemed at this point that I would have nothing else to say at all. I was at a crossroads. There was very little definition to anything I was doing (the blog being a small but by no means trivial component of that) and the trivial yet clear reminder presented by writer's block (bracket block?) was not pleasant. I took a brief break from the project to consider options and, perhaps, wait for some signal that there was something worth waiting around for.

At some point, I recognized a missing component in how I was assessing the words. Most of what I considered relevant for the bracket setup, I realized, involved my analysis. It was well-thought out at times but that's all that it was. Anyone could do it and, in all likelihood, a lot of people could probably do it better.

The missing component was me. In focusing on analysis, I worked from behind a screen built and defined by all the skills I cultivated over decades of school and work. These highly useful skills allowed me to consider the bracket from a technical perspective but got in the way of my efforts to connect with them at a personal level.

In short, I was not connecting to the words because I was too busy thinking about them. The key step was finding a way to relate my own experiences to the words. I saw reflections of myself in the most relevant words and discarded those that left me unmoved. It all came together in the final when I opened myself to understanding the emotions involved in waiting.

Since the completion of that post, I think my writing here has picked up a tiny bit. I don't think its any coincidence that July became a turning point of sorts for me. I resumed the process of finding my best self by practicing the traits I found myself lacking. No different, really, than what I always did, but this time I was truly responding to beat of my own drummer.

******************

I'll be back shortly with my books of the year. I ended up with three. Careful readers of this space might be able to guess which ones they are, in fact, but I'll leave the fun and games of predictive analytics to you.

I think I'll be ready to go with those within the next two weeks. If I progress quickly, it will be Monday. Otherwise, look for those on Friday, the 27th.

But in any event, I'll be back on Monday with something.

Enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend.

All the best,

Tim

Footnotes / imagined complaints

1. Band of the year???

I'm not going to waste everyone's time by applying quotes from my favorite book, 'awards show' style, for this. Let's just have a look at the recent winners of this honor that I retroactively dished out about twenty minutes ago (with up to two honorable mentions in parentheses).

1987 - 2006: Eminem (Nelly, Nirvana)
2007 - 2009: U2 (Counting Crows, Passion Pit)
2010: The Killers
2011: Muse (Arcade Fire)
2012: 'Podcasts' (sorry)... (Oasis, Foster The People)
2013: Yeah Yeah Yeahs (T.I., P!nk)
2014: The Head and The Heart (Sara Bareilles, Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
2015: Lake Street Dive (Of Monsters and Men, U2)
2016: Slow Club (Courtney Barnett, Lake Street Dive)

When I am asked what my favorite band is, I usually answer Slow Club, Of Monsters and Men, or U2. Slow Club is the truthful response since that's what I listen to the most often at the moment, Of Monsters and Men is the honest response since I enjoy all their work and like the actual band, and U2 is the factual response since my enjoyment of their music combined with the overall length of time I've listened to their work is the highest.

Interestingly, I've yet to see any in a concert despite some opportunities. Some of the various reasons- illness (I went, but only half of Slow Club made it), lack of a car (twice, ironic given how Of Monsters and Men sing half the time about running around in the woods), and death in the family (U2).

If I were to handicap next year's winners, I would list U2 as a narrow favorite with Slow Club, Arcade Fire and Courtney Barnett as possible challengers. Celtic Social Club is a dark horse. And of course, there is always the chance that a currently unknown band makes a big impact on my headphones in 2017.

2. But I mean, band of the year?? Why would I listen to a petulant two-piece from England???

Please keep in mind that like with any writing, Slow Club lyrics are easy to read petulantly if it is taken out of context. Trust me, this band writes plenty of non-petulant lyrics.

Then again, they once released an album called Christmas, Thanks for Nothing. Song titles include 'It's Christmas And You're Boring Me', 'All Alone On Christmas', and the title track.

Maybe, occasionally...ah, well...