"Miss Kim Knows: And Other Stories," by Cho Nam-Joo

"Miss Kim Knows: And Other Stories" (Liveright, 2024), by the Korean writer Cho Nam-Joo and translated into English by Jamie Chang, is an initially seemingly unassuming collection of stories that soon draw the reader in with their unexpected turns of events and revelations of character. I relished the (usually subtle) element of surprise, often slyly expressed. The stories focus on Korean women of various ages and stations in life. They are mostly written in the first person, often in a blunt voice, so we feel the character is speaking directly to us, but doesn't actually care about our opinions of her or of the stories she is telling us. Many of the stories at least indirectly allude to or illuminate ways in which women have less agency, less status, in society and in relationships. Yet the women mostly have a spark, a self-assurance, that works against what society attempts to impose on them. I like that there are some stories which show the strong bonds among women, such as a story about a woman and her mother-in-law who become very close after one's husband, who is the other's son, dies. This is a short book, just over 200 pages, but it is packed with revelatory moments as well as being subtly humorous at times.

The Best Books I Read in 2024

As I do almost every year, here I list the best books (in my opinion) out of the many that I read in 2024 (although in some cases they were published earlier). This year I have chosen 11 books for the list. After each title, I give in parentheses the genre, the year, and the date of the blogpost I wrote on that book, in case you want more information. The list is in order of those blogpost dates (NOT ranked). 1. "Onlookers" (stories, 2023), by Ann Beattie (2/6/24); 2. "Season of the Witch: Enchantment, Terror, and Deliverance in the City of Love" (cultural history, 2012), by David Talbot (2/24/24); 3. "The Year of Magical Thinking" (memoir, 2005) (a re-read for me), by Joan Didion (3/2/24); 4. "Banyan Moon" (novel, 2023), by Thao Thai (3/14/24); 5. "Fourteen Days" (group-written novel of episodes, 2024), edited by Margaret Atwood and Douglas Preston (5/20/24); 6. "Ana Turns" (novel, 2023), by Lisa Gornick (6/5/24); 7. "Real Americans" (novel, 2024), by Rachel Khong (6/13/24); 8. "Long Island" (novel, 2024), by Colm Toibin (6/23/24); 9. "Old Lovegood Girls" (novel, 2020), by Gail Godwin (10/5/24); 10. "The Wren, the Wren" (novel, 2023), by Anne Enright (10/24/24); 11. "Tell Me Everything" (novel, 2024), by Elizabeth Strout (11/12/24). PS Although the above list is in order of postings, NOT ranked, I will mention here that my very favorite book on the list, and of the year 2024, is "Tell Me Everything," by Elizabeth Strout, with Colm Toibin's "Long Island" a close second.

"Family Reservations," by Liza Palmer

A mother and three competitive daughters. (Queen Lear rather than King Lear?) The elite world of fine dining, also ultra-competitive. A Marin County (where I live) setting. The combination sounds perfect to this fan of family stories, restaurant stories, and settings very familiar to me. Well, "Family Reservations" (get it?) (Lake Union, 2024), by Liza Palmer, is an absorbing novel, definitely, but with painfully sharp edges. The famous restaurant owner Maren Winter (the last name is perhaps too much on the nose) is ruthless, has always controlled everything in her restaurant/professional life and in her daughters' lives, and makes sure that anyone who crosses her will pay, even her own daughters. I found this novel fascinating, but at the same time I found myself wincing and cringing many times as I read it. The four women (mother and daughters) distrust and compete with each other, and are sometimes outright cruel to each other. Consequently, the novel is at times difficult to read. But throughout, there are faint, mostly-hidden signs that underneath everything, there is also love among them. I will leave you to guess how it all turns out. Despite my wincing and cringing, I somehow enjoyed the book, and if you like family stories and restaurant settings, you might too.

"Women in Sunlight," by Frances Mayes

Many of you know, or know of, the American writer Frances Mayes' memoirs about her time in Tuscany, Italy (most famously, "Under the Tuscan Sun," "Bella Tuscany," and "Every Day in Tuscany"). I did not know, however, that Mayes has also written fiction about expatriates in Tuscany; I have just read and thoroughly enjoyed her novel "Women in Sunlight" (Crown, 2018). It is a lovely portrayal of a sort of dreamlike yearlong stay in Tuscany by three late-middle-aged, talented North Carolina women who have only recently met, exchanged their stories -- which include, among them, those of recent widowhood, betrayal, divorce, and the pain of a daughter seemingly lost to drugs -- and within a very short time, decide to take a yearlong lease on a villa in a small town in Tuscany. They become very close friends, and enjoy the pleasures of their new lives: gorgeous scenery, friendly local people, a new writer friend living nearby, delicious food, travels around Italy, learning Italian, time to engage in art, writing, cooking, and gardening, and -- of course! -- some new men in their lives. There are intriguing plot elements, but the main pleasures of the book are the women's new and joyful, pleasurable lives in this beautiful place. So, although some of the plot points, and the timing, are not very realistic (how many people could and would in a very short period of time pick up their lives and decide to live for at least a year with brand-new friends in a country across the ocean? With no issues about money, on top of it?) but this reader at least, and I suspect most readers, will not dwell on this lack of realism. One slight obstacle I felt when reading this novel was that the book frequently toggled back and forth among its characters' viewpoints and thoughts, sometimes not making it clear whose voice we are hearing. But this is a small issue, and perhaps my issue rather than the author's. I have to add that one of the pleasures of the book for me was the way that the characters often casually referred to the books of famous women writers. Overall, this novel is so delightful that one can simply sink into it with a sigh of pleasure. I imagine most readers will, at least in passing, entertain the thought of following in the paths of these characters and experiencing a glorious stay in Tuscany as well.

"Shred Sisters," by Betsy Lerner

As I was reading "Shred Sisters" (Grove Press, 2024), by Betsy Lerner, I was thinking about how very often novels are about sisters. Although (or maybe because?) I have three terrific brothers but no sisters, I often wonder about what it would be like to have and be a sister. Of course (of course!) I get much of my information about sisters (as I do about life in general!) from books. Among novels about sisters that I have read and enjoyed are my beloved Jane Austen novels ("Pride and Prejudice," "Sense and Sensibility"), Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women"; "Atonement," by Ian McEwan; "They Were Sisters," by Dorothy Whipple; "The Story Sisters," by Alice Hoffman; "Atlas of Unknowns," by Tania James; and many, many more. Reading "Shred Sisters," I was reminded of how often sister-focused books follow certain tropes, subtly or not. One is that each sister has a distinctly different character and role. Another is that there is usually deep love among sisters, but also deep divisions and violent emotions. Often the novel focuses on the latter, but by the end of the novel, the sisters have gained a new appreciation of each other, and/or have reconciled or at least reached a place of resolution and even peace. Along these lines, the sisters in "Shred Sisters" are very different from each other. Olive (Ollie) is dramatic, glamorous, fearless, and utterly unpredictable. Amy is serious, careful, successful at her studies, and a little dorky. Amy feels a lot of worry and fear, but also anger, about the ways Ollie flits in and out of their family's lives, often flirting with danger along the way, and seeming not to care about the effects of her unpredictable and irresponsible behavior on her family. Amy is very conflicted about constantly having to pick up the pieces Ollie leaves behind. But the basic connection and love between them persists. This is all disturbing and difficult, yet the basic love in the family (including Ollie's and Amy's longsuffering parents) comes through. Of course not all fiction about sisters is like this, but authors often do make sure to clearly differentiate their sister characters from each other, assigning them different characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses, and describing conflicts between or among them.

"Tell Me Everything," by Elizabeth Strout

Last time (10/24/24) I wrote about how I (like most readers) watch out for new fiction by my favorite authors. One of the authors whose new writing I eagerly await is Elizabeth Strout. She has created a world of overlapping characters (e.g., Olive Kitteridge, Lucy Barton, Bob Burgess) in her various novels; very often a character from one book suddenly pops up in a subsequent book. The novels are set in Maine, and contain a fascinating variety of highly original, sometimes eccentric, and very recognizable characters (which, when you think about it, is a real feat). With each novel, the reader feels further and further drawn into the world of these characters in this geographical area. I was excited to read Strout's latest, "Tell Me Everything" (Random House, 2024), and it turned out to be, in my opinion, the best of her novels, and that is saying a lot. Strout's writing is always fresh, crisp, and often surprising. Even more than in the earlier novels, the portrayal of the characters in "Tell Me Everything," and of how they face the many facets of life, is utterly immersive and deeply humane. I highly recommend this absorbing, moving novel. -----------------

On New Books by Favorite Authors, such as "The Wren, The Wren," by Anne Enright

Like many readers, I am always excited when I see that one of my favorite authors has a new, or very recent, book out. I usually make a note, and as soon as possible, either put the title on my local library's waiting list, or buy the book. Of course I can't be absolutely sure that because the author is a favorite, I will like every book she or he has written. A quick glance at reviews generally gives me a good idea of whether I want to read the book or not; usually I do want to read it, and look forward to it with great anticipation. Lately I have been fortunate to note that a lovely outpouring of several books in this category have appeared: new books by authors I admire/enjoy, with whom I often have a long history. The most recent of these is "The Wren, The Wren," (Norton, 2023) by the wonderful Irish writer Anne Enright, whose novel "The Gathering" (2007) first drew me to her work. The current very woman-centered novel, "The Wren, The Wren," focuses on three generations of women, but the women, and the story, are always somewhat overshadowed by the family patriarch, a famous Irish poet who generally focuses on what is best for himself. The characters are vivid, their relationships perceptively portrayed; the author's psychological insights are sharp and clear; the writing is distinctive and compelling; and readers are reminded of the great gift this writer is to us.