Reading

I spent the holidays home with both our kids, which was both deeply rewarding and exhausting. This weekend we’re taking a grownups-only trip to New York, and I have a little time to think and finally pull together all my favorite books of the last year.

The Director, by Daniel Kehlmann

This might have been my favorite book of the whole year. It’s a novel loosely based on the life of D.W. Griffith, a film director in the early days of filmmaking. Kehlmann’s story begins in Hollywood, where Griffith was languishing in the 1920’s before abruptly deciding to return home to Austria moments before Hitler annexed it. Kehlmann’s storytelling is taut without being melodramatic–a remarkable accomplishment given the world-historical events that take place around Griffith as he finds himself ensnared in Hitler’s regime and still trying to make movies. There is a deeply moving scene involving a gathering of random acquaintances when Griffith arrives in Europe before going on to Austria. War is in the air, but nobody knows it for certain yet. The chill I felt when reading this section was very real.

Many of my friends in DC, and myself included, have been viewing the start of this year with dread. We feel powerless in the face of the new administration. Eight years ago, everyone was knitting pink hats and preparing for a massive demonstration on the day before Inauguration Day. This year, we are instead booking weekend trips to get the hell out of here.

These aren’t all 2024 releases, just books I happened to read this year that I liked. I know I am missing a few here but it’s the end of the year and I am weary.