Jordan Mattox

1. George Lucas: A Life Brian Jay Jones 

George Lucas, along with J.K. Rowling, created a world that shaped my imagination as a child, but before reading this book I knew little about him. Raised in Modesto, Lucas was expected to take over the family business, but, after an accident that caused him to rethink his ambitions to be a racecar driver, Lucas went to film school at USC and never turned back. This book tells his story at a bristling pace and is full of juicy Hollywood director stories, with Coppola featured in many of them. The book definitely changed how I view Star Wars, in particular the narrative and the production. 

2. The Subtle Knife (Book 2): His Dark Materials, Book 2 Philip Pullman 

The second book in the series is incredibly different from the volume one. The story expands to include other worlds, new characters, big concepts and ideas, and a lot of clarity in regards to plot points that were vaguely referred to in volume one. The characters have gone a lot of different directions and are each facing their own unique challenges and pursuing goals that seem unrelated, but are all moving in the same direction. I am excited to wrap the story up and have already started volume three! 

3. The Sense of an Ending Julian Barnes 

Barnes is a prolific novelist and this one won the prestigious Booker Prize in 2011. The story follows a middle aged man as he reckons with the death of a friend and the fallout of a relationship during his college years after new information comes to light from a will. The story is one of those that as soon as you finish you immediately want to reread in light of what you discover at the end. Recommended. 

4. Ties Domenico Starnone

I have been meaning to pick this one up for a while, but didn’t realize that Jhumpa Lahiri, whose book about learning to read and write in Italian I had read last month, translated this into English. Lahiri believes that Starnone is one of the best living Italian novelists and her praise was matched by the quality of the storytelling here. The story follows a family that goes through trauma after the father leaves the family for a younger lover, shuttling back and forth between the time of the affair and the present day. Recommended. 

5. Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic Tom Holland 

I’ve decided to do some brushing up on Roman history over the next few months. Holland’s books have always been on my radar, but this is the first one that I’ve read through and I really enjoyed. He writes like you are reading a political thriller and brings all the scheming senators and generals to life. There are certain parts where he probably should have introduced fewer historical figures as it’s easy to get their names confused. Nonetheless, a good refresher on the important period of the Roman Republic’s last years. 

6. Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay Elena Ferrante 

This the third volume in the quintet of novels. The characters are moving from adolescence into adulthood, having children and encountering new varieties of problems and complications. Like the previous two volumes, this was a page-turner and I found it hard to put down. At almost a thousand pages between these first three volumes, I find myself fully absorbed in this neapolitan community, leaving with a feeling of excitement to finish the story, but a dose of sadness that the story is coming to a conclusion. Please read these books. 

7. The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War Ben Macintyre

Macintyre is the master of the real spy thriller. This is the third book I’ve read by him and my favorite so far. It follows the story of the famous Soviet Double Agent who started working for the MI6 and delivered more intel to the west than any spy in history. The book details his movement up the KGB ladder, his growing infatuation with western culture, how he turned and his relationship with MI6, and finally his discovery by the KGB and his escape. I won’t give away the thrilling ending, but just will say that I was on the edge of my seat for the final one hundred pages. 

8. Small Things Like These Claire Keegan 

This little novella packs a massive punch and leaves emotionally devastated and wishing for more. Keegan, a master observer of human nature, sadly leaves large gaps in her publication: she’s only published four works, two short story collections and two, including this one, novellas. This story follows a coal delivery worker through his week leading up to Christmas. The story takes a turn when he discovers a dark situation at a local convent that connects to his past. Please read this. 

9.  Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage: Stories Alice Munro

I’ve read many of Munro’s short stories, but I haven’t read full collections before. This year, I’ve decided to systematically read through Munro’s oeuvre. I started with this collection because it is considered one of her best, and I can confirm the accuracy of that assessment: I was blown away. These stories are beautiful, devastating, enthralling, mesmerizing, and powerful in their subtle and deft approach that only one of the greatest living wordsmiths can accomplish. Each story in this eight story collection is its own universe with characters that seem like people you know, who you can imagine having a life apart from the page.