Top Books of the Year 2018

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Just like 2017, I had a difficult year reading-wise in 2018. I didn’t read many bad books, but at the same time, nothing genuinely "wowed" me. However, there were quite a few books I really enjoyed. Here are the five I enjoyed the most:

5. The Unexpected President by Scott S. Greenberger
Non-Fiction

I became interested in President Chester Arthur when I read a book about James Garfield’s assassination. Arthur was Garfield’s vice-president, which means he became president when Garfield was assassinated. Initially, when Arthur was chosen as Garfield’s veep, he was a “machine” man, deep in the pockets of the Republican party’s powerful ruling class. Garfield was not; he was a reformer. Many expected that Arthur would follow the machine’s orders when he unexpectedly became president. Instead, he chose to honor Garfield by continuing many of his policies. I was interested to learn what prompted this change of heart. I can’t say that this book truly answered this question (it is perhaps unanswerable; Arthur ordered much of his personal papers destroyed upon his death) but it was still an excellent biography of a little-remembered President.

4. Shah of Shahs by Ryszard Kapuściński
Non-Fiction

An in-depth look at the rise and fall of the last shah of Iran. This is the second book of Kapuściński’s I’ve read. There are two things that I really love about him. The first is his ability to write compelling, informative non-fiction that includes beautiful, vivid language. I often find myself moved by him & have even copied down passages to re-read at a later date. The second thing I love is that so much of it is written based upon his personal experience. A Polish journalist during the time that Poland was ruled by the USSR, he covered some of the most turbulent times in modern African history (1950s onward). A truly fascinating author that deserves more recognition in the USA.

3. The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley
Fantasy Fiction

Set in the 1850s, a young man still recovering from a life-altering injury is sent to Peru by the British East India Company. His quest is to find a grove of cinchona trees and take cuttings, so that Britain can save money by growing its own trees. This is important, as quinine, a drug that treats malaria, comes from cinchona bark, and Britain is deeply mired in India, where malaria is rampant. This book is full of both mystery and mysticism while also including lots of interesting details about Peru. It’s a fantasy that somehow doesn’t feel like a fantasy. After I finished it, I read online that it’s considered a prequel to another of Pulley’s works. Being unfamiliar with her other work didn’t impact my enjoyment of this book in the slightest.

2. River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey
Fantasy Fiction

Set in the 1890s, this novel asks he question: What would have happened if, in the early 19th century, the U.S. government had imported hippos into its marshlands to be bred as an alternative meat source? The answer is: nothing much good. When a wronged man is hired to do something about the hippo problem, he assembles a rag-tag team to help him finish the deal. This slim book is inventive. I’m amazed by how Gailey was able to build such a rich world in so few words. I really enjoyed the characters, and was particularly pleased by the inclusion of a non-gendered person. I thought it was a fast-paced, fun romp (it’s also quite violent). I enjoyed it so much that I was genuinely surprised to discover online that others don’t feel the same way.

1. The Immortal Irishman by Timothy Egan
Non-Fiction

Thomas Meagher may not be well-known today, but he was extremely popular in his time. Born in 1823 to a wealthy Irish family, he suffered under the oppressive British rule of the time despite that wealth. After taking part in one of Ireland’s many unsuccessful revolutions, he was exiled to Tasmania, which he later escaped. He then made his way to America, where he became a famous orator before jumping in to command one of the fiercest Union brigades of the Civil War. After the war, he moved to Montana and unexpectedly became one of its first governors. All of this before his mysterious death at the age of 43. Timothy Egan is hands down, without question, one of the finest non-fiction authors alive. I’ve never read a single one of his books that hasn’t been interesting, informative, and thoroughly engaging. This one, however, is definitely a highlight. Don’t skip out on it - give non-fiction a chance!