Can we talk about books for a moment? First, the bad. What was the last book that you started reading and intentionally did not finish? Mine is The Buccaneers by Edith Wharton. She was writing it when she died and I felt like I was dying while reading it. I like Edith Wharton, but this one was BORING.
Has someone ever given you a book as a gift and you disliked it or didn't finish it, and then pretended you had read the book or liked it when the gift giver asked you about it? It's a little like being set up on a blind date and then the guy comes to the door and you think "why in the world did my friend think I would like this guy?" For me, the book was A Prayer for Owen Meany. Gift-giving friend shall remain nameless. I just didn't like it. Sorry, nameless friend. At the time, I didn't want to hurt your feelings by telling you that the book you loved was not loved by me.
Have you ever been so disgusted by a writer or character in a book that you threw the book across the room? In my case, the book that hit the wall was Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. Sure, maybe some of that had to do with my own sleep deprivation at the time, but it was an annoying and unhelpful book. I know several in my book club were spectacularly disgusted with Humbert Humbert, the main character from Lolita.
And now the good. I have taken a look back and wish to recognize the best books I have read in the past year. These books didn't necessarily come out in the past 12 months, but that's when I read them. As usual, I have created my own categories.
Best Gift or Coffee Table Book: Awkward Family Photos by Mike Bender and Doug Chernack. I gave this to my dad but secretly wish I had a copy for myself. If you're not familiar with this book, please, please go to the Awkward Family Photos web site after you finish reading this post.
Best Mystery: I am generally not a mystery reader, but my book club recently read Arctic Chill by Arnaldur Indridason and it was excellent. It's the fifth book in the series but you don't need to have read the previous books. The mysteries are set in Iceland and it makes me cold just thinking about it.
Best Historical Fiction: March by Geraldine Brooks. Set during the Civil War. Very well written and the historical details seem accurate without making it a less compelling story.
Best Nonfiction: Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick. I can't say enough about this book or tell enough people about it. This may be the best book I read all year. North Korea is fascinating, especially when you read about it from an insider's point of view. This is nonfiction that reads more like a great newspaper feature story or even like fiction in terms of writing style. I didn't know much about the country and this book has sparked my interest in learning more.
Best Short Stories: a tie between Lost in the City by Edward P. Jones or In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin. If you like stories about urban Washington D.C. go for the first. If you want stories about rural Pakistan, take the second.
Best Fiction with a Love Story: Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo. There are multiple love stories in this book and I like how the couples mature from teenagers to old folks and how their love changes over time.
Most Realistic Depiction of the Immigrant Experience: Little Bee by Chris Cleave. If you like light, uplifting books, this is not the book for you. However, this is one of those stories that stays with you for a while. You want to tell others about it, but you can't tell too much or it ruins the story.
Best Poetry: Does anyone else out there read poetry? Check this one out -- Good Poems for Hard Times, edited by Garrison Keillor. I bought this to give to someone as a Christmas gift but kept it for myself. Ha.
If you are looking for a book store in Atlanta where everyone knows your name, I highly recommend the Blue Elephant Book Shop in Decatur. The staff members are good at listening and asking questions before making book recommendations. They really care about good books and give the book buying experience a personal touch, which is rare these days. And they let my book club meet there and gracefully tolerate our quirky book orders, so thanks to the Blue Elephant.
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