and now to the favorites list:
I read so many good ones that it's hard to pin them down, but I'll give it a go.
Overall favorite book of the year: Skippy Dies, by Paul Murray.
Favorite crime fiction of the year: actually, the winner of this category comes in a set of 3, all by Marek Krajewski: Death in Breslau, The End of the World in Breslau and Phantoms of Breslau.
[following closely behind: The Darkest Room by Johan Theorin, Hypothermia by Arnaldur Indridason and The Broken Shore by Peter Temple]Favorite sci-fi/speculative fiction novel of the year: Kraken, by China Mieville
[following closely behind: Yellow Blue Tibia by Adam Roberts and Boneshaker, by Cherie Priest]Favorite nonfiction of the year: Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory, by Ben Macintyre
[following closely behind: Columbine by Dave Cullen, The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival by John Vaillant and The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast by Douglas Brinkley]Favorite fiction set in Latin America: Needle in a Haystack, by Ernesto Mallo
[following closely behind: Lost City Radio by Daniel Alarcon, The Dark Bride by Laura Restrepo, and Thursday Night Widows, by Claudia Pineiro]Strangest good book of the year: Little Hands Clapping, by Dan Rhodes
Others worth mentioning for the year:
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, by David Mitchell
In a Strange Room, by Damon Galgut
Fieldwork - Mischa Berlinski
The Beast - Anders Roslund and Borge Hellstrom
Redbreast, Nemesis, The Devil's Star, and The Redeemer by Jo Nesbo
Here's to another good reading year!
I loved Skippy Dies so it is great to see it at the top of your list. Have a wonderful 2011!
ReplyDeleteHey, very nice to make your list, Nancy.
ReplyDeleteWe are trying to help teachers use the book, and just created a Columbine Student Guide and Columbine Teacher’s Guide.
Skippy Dies is still crying out to me from my Kindle! I also purchased Redbreast based on your recommendation the other day, and Broken Shore is on my 2011 Aussie Author Challenge list, can't wait!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your insightful comments, top notch book recommendations and for guest posting on my blog in 2010 Nancy! Have a very happy new year and I look forward to sharing more bookish banter with you in 2011!
Jackie: Thanks so much! I've decided to be less distracted this year (we brought Wii and Netflix into the house in 2010) and read more.
ReplyDeleteDave: Of course you made the list! I recommended your book to so many people, so how could you not?
Jo: I hope you like Skippy Dies and especially Jo Nesbo since it was on my recommendation that you buy it. I'll feel terrible if you hate it. And I'm all about bookish banter!
Happy new year to all -- may it bring joy to everyone.
Great list, Nancy. A number of these are on my TBR list because of your reviews! Happy 2011!
ReplyDelete