Touch

Touch by Alexi Zentner came to my attention from a couple of friends who know him and had read the book.  I have had it on my TBR (to-be-read) list for a long time and finally got around to ordering it and reading it.  It is a great story and I love the author's writing style.  I found it to be a rather mythical type story, somewhat like The Snow Child that I had just finished.  The kind of book that leaves you wondering and considering and thinking.

The story is told by Stephen, an Anglican priest, who, with his family,  returned to Sawgamet in the wilds of Canada where he was raised.  He had left there when he was sixteen and the story is told from thirty years later.  Stephen's mother was there dying and Stephen was asked to come there to take over the parish and minister to the area. 

"There were only the last few weeks of sitting at my mother's side, knowing she was preparing to die, and trying to sort out the truths from the myths. I talked with her and asked her questions when she was awake, held her hand when she was asleep.  And yet, no matter how many times my thoughts returned to the winter I was ten, no matter how many questions I asked my mother as she lay dying, no matter how many stories I have heard about my father and grandfather, there are still so many things I will never know."

Stephen began recalling his growing up, the loss of his sister and father, and his grandfather's return. The story tells of his grandparents settling the country there and of love that never dies, despite death and years passing.  Stephen wanted to pass on the stories that he had heard from his father and his grandfather (and others) of the family and of encounters from the spiritual world.

Stephen's father had never met his own father (Jeannot), who had left Sawgamet shortly after his wife died,  but he told the stories about Jeannot to Stephen that had been told to him. When Stephen was ten years old, his father died, and shortly after, Jeannot showed up in Sawgamet.  When questioned why Jeannot had returned, Jeannot replied:

"I've come for you grandmother.  I've come to raise the dead."

The book is the story of Jeannot's life and the impact that the story had on Stephen.  The book is about loss and love.

"...but I have come to believe what my mother began to believe soon after my father and Marie went through the ice on the river: memories are another way to raise the dead."

I love that line.  It speaks volumes and yet, is so simple.

This is a beautiful book.

Favorite Books of 2012 and Reading Goals for 2013

Well, last year 22 books made my Top List for 2011.  I felt bad that I couldn't even narrow it to 20, but then this year I have ended up with a Top 28 Books (out of about 70 that I read), so I am re-framing my feelings, and feeling grateful that I read even more great books this past year!  The books I read are rated by me on a very subjective scale, ranging from "bad" to "excellent".  I don't share my subjective ratings with others; it is just for me.  However, the list of 28 books below were rated either "excellent" or "very good".  And as last year, I will slowly attempt to narrow this down.  Last year, I could not pick a number one favorite, but this year, there is a hands-down favorite!

So, here is the list of the top 28 books that I read in 2012, listed in the order that I read them:

Jack Kennedy Elusive Hero-Chris Matthews                        

The Immortal Life of Harriett Lacks-Rebecca Skoot

The Sense of an Ending-Julian Barnes                                       

On Canaan’s Side-Sebastian Barry

To Kill A Mockingbird-Harper Lee                                                

Old Filth-Jane Gardam

Hunger Games-Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire-Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay-Suzanne Collins

The Man in the Wooden Hat-Jane Gardam

A Prayer for Owen Meany-John Irving                                       

The Bottoms-JR Lansdale

nightwoods-Charles Frazier

The Snow Child-Eowyn Ivey

The Ice Queen-Alice Hoffman

The Absolutist-John Boyne

In the Tennessee Country-Peter Taylor                                      

The Orchardist-Amanda Coplin

The Patron Saint of Liars-Ann Patchett

A Summons to Memphis-Peter Taylor

11/22/63-Stephen King

Wild-Cheryl Strayed

Rebecca-Daphne Du Maurier

Once Upon A River-Bonnie Jo Campbell

The End of Your Life Book Club-Will Schwalbe

Gone Girl-Gillian Flynn

Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul-Deepak Chopra

The Lost Wife-Alyson Richman

Lincoln-David Herbert Donald 

I am pleased (with myself) to report that of the top 28, 6 are non-fiction.  At this rate, I may have to stop saying that I don't like non-fiction!

Okay, narrowing the list down to my top 16 (why are my numbers so odd?)

Jack Kennedy Elusive Hero-Chris Matthews                       

The Sense of an Ending-Julian Barnes                                 

On Canaan’s Side-Sebastian Barry

To Kill A Mockingbird-Harper Lee                                      

A Prayer for Owen Meany-John Irving                                

The Bottoms-JR Lansdale

nightwoods-Charles Frazier

The Snow Child-Eowyn Ivey

The Ice Queen-Alice Hoffman

The Absolutist-John Boyne

In the Tennessee Country-Peter Taylor                                

The Orchardist-Amanda Coplin

A Summons to Memphis-Peter Taylor

Wild-Cheryl Strayed

The End of Your Life Book Club-Will Schwalbe

Lincoln-David Herbert Donald

Wow, there are still 4 non-fiction books on my list!  Crazy!  It is interesting to note that 6 of these 16 are older books.

And more selecting:

Jack Kennedy Elusive Hero-Chris Matthews                       

The Sense of an Ending-Julian Barnes                                 

To Kill A Mockingbird-Harper Lee                                      

A Prayer for Owen Meany-John Irving                                

The Bottoms-JR Lansdale

nightwoods-Charles Frazier

The Snow Child-Eowyn Ivey

The Ice Queen-Alice Hoffman

The Absolutist-John Boyne

The Orchardist-Amanda Coplin

Wild-Cheryl Strayed

Oh, nuts, now the number is 11.  Maybe I am odd, not the numbers! 

Okay, now it is getting really tough, but I am narrowing it down even further (last time before announcing my favorite book of 2012, I promise):

Jack Kennedy Elusive Hero-Chris Matthews                       

To Kill A Mockingbird-Harper Lee                                      

The Ice Queen-Alice Hoffman

The Absolutist-John Boyne

The Orchardist-Amanda Coplin

Wild-Cheryl Strayed

And now for the final narrowing...Despite the fact that To Kill A Mockingbird is my favorite all-time book, my very favorite book read in 2012 was:

 Wild by Cheryl Strayed

And there you have it...my absolute very favorite book that I read this past year.  And, yes, it is non-fiction!  Hooray for me and my reading!

 My reading goals for next year are a little different than in the past.  Usually I have focused on wanting to read more books than the year before.  I am not focusing on that this year.  This year one of my goals is to begin reading more about Abraham Lincoln.  It was a in-retirement goal that I had for years, and I still hadn't gotten to it until last month.  Reading Lincoln and seeing the movie Lincoln re-enforced my feeling of wanting to know more about him. A second goal is to begin reading some of the books that my mom had left a list of that she wanted to read.  And my third goal is to whittle down the pile of books to-be-read (TBR) that are all over my house! I can't wait to get started, so off I go to read right now!

Happy New Year everyone!