After I snuck a last one in today, here are the books I read this year. Those I'd recommend strongly are marked with an *. I've linked to a random scattering of reviews, too, just for the hell of it.
Favorites:
Fiction: The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes was most remarkable.
Non-fiction: The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright, with honorable mentions to Bonhoeffer and Voices from Chernobyl.
Poetry: Nets by Jen Bervin was favorited for the concept as well as the poetry itself, which was rivaled by Sestets.
Short fiction: Tenth of December by George Saunders, followed closely by No One Belongs Here More Than You.
59. The Mansion of Happiness by Robin Ekiss (Dec 31)
58. Television Without Pity by Tara Ariano (Dec 22)
57. Sometimes There Are Travails by Lisa Ciccarello (Dec 22)
56. The Other History by Scott T. Starbuck (Dec 14)
55. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood (Dec 7)
54. Phèdre by Jean Racine (Nov 29)
*53. No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July (Nov 20)
52. The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obrecht (Nov 13)
51. Off-Topic: The Story of an Internet Revolt by GR Reader (Nov 11)
50. Portuguese Irregular Verbs by Alexander McCall Smith (Nov 5)
*49. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (Nov 3)
*48. Voices from Chernobyl by Sveltlana Alexevich (Oct 28)
47. If Not Winter: Fragments of Sappho (Oct 22)
46. Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates (Oct 21)
45. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (Oct 17)
44. Songs for the Missing by Stewart O’Nan (Oct 12)
43. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (Oct 10)
42. The Quality of Mercy by Barry Unsworth (Sep 28)
41. Lichtenberg and the Little Flower Girl by Gert Hofmann (Sep 3)
40. Galileo’s Daughter by Dava Sobel (Aug 28)
*39. The Map and the Territory by Michel Houellebecq (Aug 17)
38. The Old Child by Jenny Erpenbeck
*37. The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright (July)
36. The Chemistry of Death by Simon Beckett (July)
35. Whispers of the Dead by Simon Beckett (July 14)
*34. Tenth of December by George Saunders (Jul 10)
33. Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks (July)
*32. The Piano Teacher by Elfriede Jelenick
*31. Ophelia Unraveling by Carol Berg (June)
*30. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas (June 21)
29. Morte D’Urban by JF Powers (May 25)
*28. This is Not a Novel by David Markson (May 4)
27. Under the Skin by Michel Faber (April 29)
26. Lamb by Bonnie Nadzam (April 25)
*25. The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa (April 21)
24. Flaubert’s Parrot by Julian Barnes (April 20)
*23. Nets by Jen Bervin (April 20)
22. Dog Ear by Erica Baum (April 12)
21. After Visiting Friends by Michael Hainey (April 9)
20. The Lambs of London by Peter Ackroyd (April 9)
19. The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson (April 5)
*18. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes (March 19)
17. In Watermelon Sugar by Richard Brautigan (Mar 15)
16. The Complete Perfectionist by Juan Ramón Jimenéz (Mar 15)
*15. Old Filth by Jane Gardam (Mar 12)
*14. Group Portrait with Lady by Heinrich Böll (Feb 26)
13. Sex with Buildings by Stephanie Barbe Hammer (Feb 19)
12. Corner Office by J. Hope Stein (Feb 18)
*11. Talking Doll by J. Hope Stein (Feb 15)
10. The Quiet Winter by Carrie Bennett (Feb. 9)
9. The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman (Feb. 8)
8. The Infinities by John Banville (Feb 7)
7. The Big No by George Grosz (Feb)
6. Almanac of the Sleepless by Karin Gottshall (Feb 7)
*5. Sestets by Charles Wright (Feb 6)
4. Too Loud a Solitude by Bohumil Hrabal (Jan. 26)
*3. Wittgenstein’s Mistress by David Markson (Jan. 21)
2. The Best of Fence, ed. Rebecca Wolff (Jan)
1. Of Lamb by Matthea Harvey (Jan. 18)
59. The Mansion of Happiness by Robin Ekiss (Dec 31)
58. Television Without Pity by Tara Ariano (Dec 22)
57. Sometimes There Are Travails by Lisa Ciccarello (Dec 22)
56. The Other History by Scott T. Starbuck (Dec 14)
55. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood (Dec 7)
54. Phèdre by Jean Racine (Nov 29)
*53. No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July (Nov 20)
52. The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obrecht (Nov 13)
51. Off-Topic: The Story of an Internet Revolt by GR Reader (Nov 11)
50. Portuguese Irregular Verbs by Alexander McCall Smith (Nov 5)
*49. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (Nov 3)
*48. Voices from Chernobyl by Sveltlana Alexevich (Oct 28)
47. If Not Winter: Fragments of Sappho (Oct 22)
46. Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates (Oct 21)
45. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (Oct 17)
44. Songs for the Missing by Stewart O’Nan (Oct 12)
43. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (Oct 10)
42. The Quality of Mercy by Barry Unsworth (Sep 28)
41. Lichtenberg and the Little Flower Girl by Gert Hofmann (Sep 3)
40. Galileo’s Daughter by Dava Sobel (Aug 28)
*39. The Map and the Territory by Michel Houellebecq (Aug 17)
38. The Old Child by Jenny Erpenbeck
*37. The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright (July)
36. The Chemistry of Death by Simon Beckett (July)
35. Whispers of the Dead by Simon Beckett (July 14)
*34. Tenth of December by George Saunders (Jul 10)
33. Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks (July)
*32. The Piano Teacher by Elfriede Jelenick
*31. Ophelia Unraveling by Carol Berg (June)
*30. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas (June 21)
29. Morte D’Urban by JF Powers (May 25)
*28. This is Not a Novel by David Markson (May 4)
27. Under the Skin by Michel Faber (April 29)
26. Lamb by Bonnie Nadzam (April 25)
*25. The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa (April 21)
24. Flaubert’s Parrot by Julian Barnes (April 20)
*23. Nets by Jen Bervin (April 20)
22. Dog Ear by Erica Baum (April 12)
21. After Visiting Friends by Michael Hainey (April 9)
20. The Lambs of London by Peter Ackroyd (April 9)
19. The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson (April 5)
*18. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes (March 19)
17. In Watermelon Sugar by Richard Brautigan (Mar 15)
16. The Complete Perfectionist by Juan Ramón Jimenéz (Mar 15)
*15. Old Filth by Jane Gardam (Mar 12)
*14. Group Portrait with Lady by Heinrich Böll (Feb 26)
13. Sex with Buildings by Stephanie Barbe Hammer (Feb 19)
12. Corner Office by J. Hope Stein (Feb 18)
*11. Talking Doll by J. Hope Stein (Feb 15)
10. The Quiet Winter by Carrie Bennett (Feb. 9)
9. The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman (Feb. 8)
8. The Infinities by John Banville (Feb 7)
7. The Big No by George Grosz (Feb)
6. Almanac of the Sleepless by Karin Gottshall (Feb 7)
*5. Sestets by Charles Wright (Feb 6)
4. Too Loud a Solitude by Bohumil Hrabal (Jan. 26)
*3. Wittgenstein’s Mistress by David Markson (Jan. 21)
2. The Best of Fence, ed. Rebecca Wolff (Jan)
1. Of Lamb by Matthea Harvey (Jan. 18)
1 comment:
Eclectic list. I've read the Barnes, I'm happy to say, along with UNBROKEN. Really need to pick up on my poetry reading -- for a NET gain, so to speak!
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