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| Jade Sharma |
The 25 Best Books of 2016
PART THREE
A collection of the best novels, non-fiction, and memoirs from the past year.
At a time when politics have dominated the national conversation in a way that can often feel overwhelming, the best books of 2016 so far have provided escapism and comfort. They've shown us that empathy is a great virtue, and that art can transcend the unhappiness of the everyday. These 25 books are all highly recommended.
By Maris Kreizman and Angela LedgerwoodDec 5, 2016
18. Rich and Pretty by Rumaan Alam
Rumaan Alam has a near telepathic knowledge of the female mind. His debut novel would still be a lovely, emotionally raw meditation on a complicated friendship between two women, even if the author weren't a man. But Rich and Pretty is especially jolting because it's clearly a feat of intense observation and imagination. Alam understands the petty (and not so petty) jealousies that accompany friendship, and the small digs and larger issues that divide and reunite friends. —MK
17. Lust and Wonder by Augusten Burroughs
After Running with Scissors and Dry, Augusten Burroughs closes out an unforgettable trilogy of memoirs with Lust and Wonder. In Lust and Wonder we find Augusten sober (or, at least, soberer), a successful writer, and rather unlucky in love. It's only fitting that the next piece of the puzzle to solve involves romantic relationships, and the failures and heartaches that always accompany such quests. That he finds an ideal mate is not a spoiler, but a well-earned happy ending for the lonely and disaffected. That his dream man with the singular laugh happens to be his friend, his literary agent, and a co-parent to their growing menagerie of dogs is even more satisfying. It takes nothing away from Augusten's struggles to acknowledge that in a lifetime of uncertainty and unease, it really does get better. —MK
16. Proxies by Brian Blanchfield
The premise of this autobiographical essay collection is simple: Blanchfield writes from memory alone, without consulting any outside resources to fact check. As the author explains, "I wrote these essays with the internet off." The result is unlike anything written before. The 24 single topic essays in Proxies are short and focused (topics range from owls to housesitting to frottage), but every single one leads to a more personal revelation or a wider point about the author's life or the greater world. The conclusions of his writings feel organic and authentic, and the 20+ pages of corrections at the end of the book only validate how powerful writing from memory and relying only upon what's inside your own brain can be. —MK
15. Problems by Jade Sharma
"Behind every crazy woman is a man, sitting very quietly, saying, 'What? I'm not doing anything.'" If this sentence doesn't make you want to stand up and cheer, stop reading this blurb right now. If you prefer to read books with cuddly, likable heroines who always make good and healthy decisions, stay away from this novel. But if you enjoy complicated protagonists who don't necessarily pass the "likability" test but do speak to the blackest part of your soul, Problems is for you. Jade Sharma's debut is a darkly funny character study of an unhappy yet witty-as-hell woman whose self-destructive streak is as appalling as it is somehow understandable. Problems challenges readers to forget traditional redemption stories and yet to still find empathy for the messiest of heroines. —MK
14. Party of One by Dave Holmes
Esquire Editor-at-Large Dave Holmes uses music—21 songs, and many others that also get name checked—to tell the story of his life with exactly the amount of humor and sensitivity and celebration of fandom that you'd expect from him (lots). The former MTV VJ and pop culture whiz has written the kind of book where, at the end one of the most affecting and charming chapters in the book about coming out at his very Catholic college, he rewards you for finishing with a photo of Melrose Place's Grant Show. (Thank you, Dave.) Party of One is as charming as it is funny, and it's a testament to how pop music has the power to shape our lives. —MK
13. What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell
An American schoolteacher living abroad meets a 23-year-old male prostitute in a public restroom in Bulgaria. Money is exchanged. A long, complicated relationship ensues, one based in lust and shame and dread. What Belongs to You is a short novel, but Garth Greenwell's sentences are expansive and revelatory and poetic. Greenwell juxtaposes the narrator's experiences in an unprogressive, formerly Communist country still recovering its infrastructure, to the narrator's own childhood, growing up gay and closeted in the oppressive American South. What Belongs to You is a lovely meditation on fear and acceptance, desire and oppression, and the disparity between two cultures. —MK
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