Books read in 2016

To answer my question from last year, it looks like Early Modern history has been replaced by leftist politics in terms of non-fiction reading, or at least was for most of 2016. In 2017 I'm going to start another novel and prepare the ground for something on Camilo Pessanha, so I'll be reading even more in Portuguese, and hopefully Chinese as well.


January

-The Guild of Saint Cooper, Shya Scanlon (1.9.16)
Uneven is the adjective that first comes to mind. There's some genuinely good writing here, and some neat imagery, but there's also a fair amount of what I'd call "MFA writing".
-Uma espécie de ausência, João da Veiga Coutinho (1.17.
Originally in English, the author rewrote this book in Portuguese, which he spoke growing up in Goa. A meditation on the nature of Goan history and identity, well worth reading.
-Delta Green: Extraordinary Renditions (1.24?.16)
The newest batch of DG fiction. Overall pretty good, with stories ranging from so-so to almost great. A little more proofreading and editing would've been welcome, but it wasn't a total wreck, unlike another DG book I read. The Great Race sure seems popular with this crowd.
-Reform or Revolution, Rosa Luxemburg (Integer, trans.) (1.28.16)
A persuasive takedown of reformist tendencies within the socialist movement. Easier to read than I'd expected, and much of Luxemburg's analysis still applies today.
-The Dream Years, Lisa Goldstein (1.30.16)
I learned about this from China Mieville's list of 50 sci-fi and fantasy books every socialist should read, which I consulted while browsing at Kaboom. Focusing on the intersection of surrealism and revolution, and interspersed with time travel, this was a fun, thoughtful read that I'd certainly recommend.

February

-The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking, Brendan I. Koerner (2.14.16)
I bought this to give to my brother for his birthday, and man, what a read. Smoothly written, informative, and compelling as hell. I've been meaning to read it for a while, and I'm glad I finally did. I know Scott will dig it, too.
-Dune, Frank Herbert (2.28.16)
Re-read for the sci-fi book club. I think this is the fourth time I've read Dune, and it remains an outstanding book.

March

-Kingdom of Fear: Loathesome Secrets of a Star-Crossed Child in the Final Days of the American Century, Hunter S. Thompson (3.2.16)
I remember when this book came out, but I never got around to reading it until now, even though I dig HST a lot. The Freak Power sheriff's badge on my jacket ain't there for nothin', Bubba.
-Retrato do Brasil: Ensaio sobre a tristeza brasileira, Paulo Prado (Carlos Augusto Calil, organização) (3.4.1
I found this among the few Portuguese books available at the Houston Public Library. Prado's meditation on Brazilian society and its ills is definitely a product of its time- it was published in the late 1920s- but for all that it's a well-written, sui generis work. I'm glad I read it.
-The Conquest of Bread, Peter Kropotkin (3.6.16)
One of Kropotkin's classic texts about the organization of an anarchist communist society- more specifically, consumption and production. Finely written in a serious but not overbearing tone, 21st-century anarchism would do well to emulate such a book.
-Imagine: Living in a Socialist USA, Francis Goldin, Debby Smith, and Michael Steven Smith, eds. (3.17.16)
I ran across this title while looking for something else in the Houston Public Library catalogue. As an easy-to-read collection of essays about how to bring about, and live in, a socialist USA, it's a pretty good introduction to socialist ideas, if a little light on theory- the kind of book you can give to your liberal friends who might not realize how much they have in common with socialists, or just don't know anything about it.
-Desert Solitaire, Edward Abbey (3.31.16)
I read the bulk of this while out in Big Bend and environs, and it was the perfect fit. I like most of what Abbey has to say, and it rings true ~50 years after it was written.
-Laxmanrao Sardessai, Prakash Thali (3.31.16)
A monograph primarily about Sardessai's work in Marathi and Konkani, but useful nonetheless to my ongoing efforts to translate Sardessai's Portuguese poetry. Thali, alas, died in 2010, so I can't contact him in search of more information.
April

-Why Marx Was Right, Terry Eagleton (4.9.16)
Eagleton addresses common criticisms of Marx and his associated -ism and does a pretty admirable job of it. Sometimes his thoughts tend to wander slightly, and there's some axe-grinding w/r/t postmodernism going on, but all in all, I'm glad he wrote this book. It's a good read.
-Militant Modernism, Owen Hatherley (4.14.16)
Hatherley looks at the legacy of Modernism- in architecture, sexuality, film, and theatre- and, as the blurb puts it, defends it against its defenders. I'm terribly unfamiliar with a large amount of what's under discussion, but this book made a good starting point into further forays on the topic.
-The Star Fraction, Ken MacLeod (4.17.16)
I found a two-volume collection of MacLeod's Fall Revolution quartet at Kaboom Books, and if the next three books are as good as this one, I'll have gotten way more than my money's worth.
-Butcher's Crossing, John Williams (4.27.16)
Picked this up in Marfa, and could barely put it down during the few days it too me to read it. Williams has written a hell of a Western here, but not just that- it's simply a hell of a book. Nature and humanity have never been so inscrutable and unforgiving.
May

-The City and the City, China Miéville (5.1.16
Re-read for science fiction book club. I enjoyed it as much as I did the first time, which is to say quite a bit.
-Filhos da Terra: A Comunidade Macaense, Ontem e Hoje, Alexandra Sofia Rangel (5.5.16)
A compact, informative look at the Macanese, written by one of their own. Wish I had more to say about it.
-Threshold, Caitlín R. Kiernan (5.9.16
I don't read a lot of horror novels, but when I do I'm usually fortunate enough to read good ones (most of my recommendations come indirectly from a friend). I really liked this, particularly for the rather Joycean language, sense of place, and the skill with which the alienness of our own planet is depicted. I'll certainly read more of her books. Thanks, Brad.
-Dissident Gardens, Jonathan Lethem (5.18.16)
Not bad, but not great. Too little dialogue, too much narration. I thought the political angle would be more interesting than it was. Lethem's increasingly exuding the "consciously literary Americana" vibe I don't particularly dig, which I must have known when I bought this three years ago- I only now got around to reading it.
-Portugal, China and the Macau Negotiations 1986-1999, Carmen Amado Mendes (5.31.16)
A brief but fairly detailed look at the process behind Portugal's handover of Macau to China in 1999. Not the most exciting read, but useful nonetheless.

June

-Villa and Zapata: A History of the Mexican Revolution, Frank McLynn (6.6.16)
Goddamn, this was a great read. McLynn knows how to write approachable, even exciting, in-depth history, and I would recommend this in a heartbeat to anyone, not just those interested in Mexico or the book's titular figures.
-Dune Messiah, Frank Herbert (6.11.16)
Re-read for the science fiction book club. Compared to Dune, and later God Emperor of Dune, this one feels thin.
-The Great God Pan, Arthur Machen (6.22.16)
The first Machen I've read, I'm ashamed to admit. I will be reading more in the future, because weird fiction rules, and Machen's reputation as a progenitor thereof has proven to be well-deserved.
-In Black and White: Insiders' Stories About the Press in Goa (Frederick Noronha, ed.) (6.24.16)
I bought the Kindle version of this for two reasons: I hoped to glean some useful info for my Sardessai book, and because it sounded interesting independent of my research. I scored on both counts, learned a lot, and would recommend this to anyone interested in firsthand accounts of journalism in small markets (or in general, as many of the contributors have worked outside of Goa).
July

-The Red Flag: A History of Communism, David Priestland (7.11.16)
A pretty comprehensive history of communist movements across the globe. I'm not sure what I think of the author's division of Marxist/Communist thought into romantic/radical/modernist strains, but that's partially because I'm unfamiliar with broad studies of Marxism as an ideology (as opposed to examining aspects of it). All in all, a worthwhile read, thanks in no small part to Priestland's clear writing.
-The Stone Canal, Ken MacLeod (7.13.16)
Volume two of the Fall Revolution, but not a sequel. The narrative that tied into The Star Fraction was probably my favorite, but the other one, set centuries afterward, was good too. MacLeod structured the book in such a way as to really bring everything together, and make the wait for the next volume nigh-intolerable. Fortunately, I need not wait at all.
-The BASTARD Chronicles 2015: Utopia & Other Science Fictions (7.21.16)
A collection of essays/presentations from 2015's gathering of the Berkely Anarchist Students of Theory And Research & Development. I especially liked Nick Mamatas' contribution, the Samuel Delany and slavery/BDSM piece, and the discussion of parallel tensions within anarchist and Christian monastic communities.
-Oryx and Crake, Margaret Atwood (7.21.16)
Another sci-fi book club selection. Despite my distaste for the three main characters, two of whom felt like caricatures, and the cheesiness of Atwood's names for mega-corporations and products of the future, it was pretty good.
-Militant Liverpool: A City on the Edge, Diane Frost and Peter North (7.26.16)
A study of Liverpool in the mid-1980s, when a Labour council heavily influenced by the Militant Tendency was elected and took on Thatcher's government. Fascinating stuff, with a lot of lessons to be learned about municipal government, the value and limits of confrontational politics, and how a serious leftist organization should act when it holds the reins of power.

August

-Xiccarph, Clark Ashton Smith (8.10.16)
I thought, for no good reason, that I might like this less than Zothique. I was mistaken. Klarkash-Ton rules!
-The Sympathizer, Viet Thanh Nguyen (8.15.16)
I bought this for Tracey's birthday. She hasn't read it yet, but she's in for a treat. This book was fantastic on so many levels.
-The People's State: East German Society from Hitler to Honecker, Mary Fulbrook (8.25.16)
Listening to Kosmischer Läufer, the fake soundtrack to the GDR's Olympic program, got me interested in East Germany. Fulbrook does an exhaustive job of depicting a state and society that was simultaneously repressive, paternalistic, open to a surprising degree of internal criticism, and even idealistic. More importantly, she shows how regular people lived under such conditions, and in doing so does away with any claims that the DDR was a purely totalitarian nightmare or a socialist paradise. A thoroughly engaging work of social history.
-Cold Print, Ramsey Campbell (8.31.16)
I bought this book in 2002, but only now got around to reading it. A collection of short stories that runs the gamut from early Lovecraft pastiche- much of which is good- to Campbell's more mature, unique voice, I enjoyed this more than I'd expected. No real masterpieces in here, but as a whole it's pretty strong, and often quite creepy.

September

-The Smile of a Ghost, Phil Rickman (9.11.16)
The Merrily Watkins books were recommended somewhere on Metafilter, so I checked this out from the library. While I don't see myself rushing out to read the rest of the series, Rickman spins a good yarn, and is no slouch in the imagery department. A good pleasure read.
-Kindred, Octavia E. Butler (9.21.16)
Another sci-fi book club choice, and an excellent one. Simple, powerful writing. The sci-fi narrative tool is used almost perfectly to tell a harsh, necessary tale. Highly recommended.
-State Capitalism and World Revolution, C.L.R. James with Raya Dunayevskaya and Grace Lee (9.29.16)
This wasn't an easy read, aimed as it is at readers steeped in Marxism and familiar with the political situation of the 1940s. Nevertheless, it's a solid denunciation of Stalinism, and doesn't spare orthodox Trotskyism, either. I'm looking forward to reading James' books on Melville and cricket, which I assume will be more approachable.

October

-Pic, Jack Kerouac (10.2.16)
I'm not sure what Kerouac was thinking when he decided to write a book, which would be his last, in the voice of a 10-year-old black kid from North Carolina. The weird approximation of black dialect is questionable, the story is paper-thin, and there are only a couple weak flashes of Kerouac's old brilliance. Not really recommended.
-The People Want: A Radical Exploration of the Arab Uprising, Gilbert Achcar (10.17.16)
A Marxist analysis of the historical, economic, and socio-political factors that led to the Arab Spring, and an inquiry into how revolutionary the various uprisings were (or are, really, as Achchar argues that the implications will take years to unfold, though their revolutionary status is questionable in most cases). A solid read; I'm going to read his second book on the subject, published earlier this year, soon.
November

-Goa Outgrowing Postcolonialism: Historical Explorations, Teotonio R. de Souza (11.2.16)
A collection of essays about Goan history, as well as ruminations on current events in the state. De Souza's style can be choppy, but everything I've read of his is interesting, including this quick read.
-Safe in Heaven Dead, Jack Kerouac (Michael White, ed.) (11.2.16)
Collected snippets from Kerouac's interviews and part of the Hanuman Books series, which I'd never heard of before but now want to collect in its entirety. The book itself is about 4 1/8" by 2 1/2", illustrated and printed in India, and a fine little look at Kerouac in his own words.
-O Signo da Ira, Orlando da Costa (11.14.16)
One of the best-known Portuguese-language Goan novels, written by the current PM of Portugal's father. A rather grim book about the trials and tribulations of Christian mundkars, or tenant farmers, during WWII and a long drought. Socially neo-realist through and through, the book was simultaneously lauded for its literary merit and condemned for its less than flattering portrayal of the bhatkars, or land-owning class. Despite some complaints, I generally liked it.
-In the Dust of This Planet, Eugene Thacker (11.19.16)
A fascinating study of the "horror of philosophy" via inquiries into demonology, theology, black metal, and other such things, with the absolutely nonhuman nature of the world as a focal point. Fortunately not a purely pop-cultural work; unfortunately, my philosophical background was too inadequate to get the most out of it. Thacker is good at explaining philosophical concepts, though, so I never felt totally out of my league.
December

-Ancillary Justice, Ann Leckie (12.4.16)
The latest sci-fi book club pick, chosen by Tracey. A good story told from an interesting perspective I won't give away (not that it's a big twist or anything). The writing was strange- not really page-turning stuff, but not overly plain and workmanlike. I think it was intentional, given the narrative voice, but the compelling-but-not-quite nature of it left me more intrigued than the plot.
-E se Obama fosse africano? e outras interinvenções, Mia Couto (12.5.1
Mia Couto is from Mozambique and is best known for his novels, none of which I've read, alas. These essays were fascinating: unflinching criticism of Africa by an African, thoughts on various writers and languages, examinations of history and national identity. His novels have been translated into English, but these essays deserve to be, too.
-For Self-Examination, Søren Kierkegaard (Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong, trans./eds.) (12.16.16
Kierkegaard uses several scriptural passages read on holy days to delve into various aspects of what it means to be Christian. It should come as no surprise that he is quite merciless in his assessment of what passes for Christianity, though as befitting the book's title he focuses on some of the more inward-facing aspects of faith.
-Nihilist Communism, Monsieur Dupont (12.22.16)
Somewhat sensationalist title aside, this was, and is, a lot to chew on. While M. Dupont's theoretical definitions of revolution and its makers are rather rigid, at times simplistic- hell, you could even accuse it of an optimism absent in the rest of the book- I found their critique of (pro-)revolutionary groups vis-a-vis politics and revolution incisive, almost painfully so. Highly recommended to leftists involved in activism or party politics who are willing to rethink a lot of basic assumptions about why they do what they do and the effectiveness thereof.
-The Secret History of Twin Peaks, Mark Frost (12.26.16)
Just as I'd hoped, this really got me even more excited about the upcoming return of Twin Peaks, which has long been one of my favorite things in the world. There are some discrepancies with the show itself, which I found curious, but they're minor, and the overall book is a really fun read.


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