I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions. I tend to celebrate my ‘new year feelings’ on July 4th anyway, which is when I get all introspective and moody on the previous year, and give myself either a thumbs up or down.
But, to celebrate the ‘official’ New Years, I’m making a not-really-resolution to read (and write) more good books. (Hey, I was totally going to do that anyway!) By my best count, I’ve read 110 books this year, and when I go through the list, I can single out 11 of those as being truly good books. The sort of books that, months later, when I see their titles written down, they give me that tingle of happy memory. Here they are (in no particular order of goodness):
Black Juice, by Margo Lanagan. This is a collection of short stories, and while I don’t remember most of the stories in it, one does stand out as being one of the top five short stories I’ve read in my entire life: Singing My Sister Down. I still get chills, thinking of it!
Tesla: Man out of Time, by Margaret Cheney. This non-fiction book about America’s true genius will completely change your view of history.
Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater. Wonderful and haunting.
Way of Shadows, by Brent Weeks. The first of a fantasy trilogy, and the others are equally good. Deep, shocking, and twisty!
Mimus, by Jeffrey Masson. Thoughtful and thought-provoking, this is character-driven fantasy at its very best.
Bess of Hardwick, by Mary Lovell. Non-fiction about an incredible Elizabethan woman. And my ancestor!
In the Woods, by Tara French. Beautifully written study of character, masquerading as a mystery.
Warbreaker, by Brandon Sanderson. If you’ve been reading this blog for long, you already know the strong adoration I have for Sanderson’s writing. He’s brilliant.
Common Sense, by Glenn Beck. Non-fiction about the trouble we’ve sunk America into and how to save ourselves. This should be required reading for every American.
The Little Stranger, by Sarah Waters. One of the absolute best accounts by an unreliable narrator I’ve ever seen. Twisty, chilling, and mesmerizing.
Project X, by Jim Shepard. I can’t stop reading this book. I’ve read it cover to cover three times, and every now and then I dip at random into it, just for the pleasure it gives me. So true, and so perfect, this one has a forever place in my Top Five Books.
And that’s the 2009 Eleven Books I Loved. When I was writing out this list, however, I was disappointed that several books I could have sworn I read in 2009 just missed making this list, having been read in late-ish 2008. Since I can’t bear to leave their titles unspoken, I made a second list, of the Thirteen Books I Loved in 2008. Again, in no particular order, I give you:
Coraline, by Neil Gaiman. Grown-ups who don’t read “children’s books” are missing out. This one is more eerie than Stephen King and more delightful.
American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. So. Bloody. Good.
Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman. The man’s a master of words, and this is a true treasure.
Hero of Ages, by Brandon Sanderson. This is the last book in a trilogy, and while I read all three with massive amounts of enjoyment, I chose the final book for my list, because this is where everything you think you know about his world and characters flips upside down, and you are left with your mouth hanging open in shock and your heart racing.
Time Traveler’s Wife, byAudrey Niffenegger. Brilliant story, brilliantly told.
Tender Morsels, by Margo Lanagan. Bears and girls and twisted fairy tales, oh my.
Traffic, by Tom Vanderbilt. If you drive a car, ride in a car, or walk near a car, you should read this non-fiction book. It could very well save your life. And it’s fascinating!
Passage, by Connie Willis. It sucks you in and won’t let you go. Brain science and the Titanic, flawlessly mingled into a totally original work of fiction.
The Ghost Writer, by John Harwood. Okay, I will admit that the ending was flawed. But the rest of the story more than made up for it. Chilling and twisty.
Shadow Man, by Cody McFadyen. Gory, riveting thriller. Unlike some of those other guys (coughpattersoncough) McFadyen can write. Lyrical and lovely even at its most disturbing, it doesn’t skimp on the thrills or plot.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clarke. Massive tome, massive but quiet story that lulls you with its delightful language and whimsy, only to creep up on you and half throttle you with nail-biting suspense in the last half. Not to be missed. There really is absolutely NOTHING else remotely like it in the literary world.
The Unthinkable – Who Survives When Disaster Strikes and Why, by Amanda Ripley. Here’s another book that could be life-saving, and it makes for fascinating reading as well.
Boy’s Life, by Robert McCammon. This is a undescribable and brilliant work of fiction. Part coming of age, part fantasy, part mystery, part thriller, it brings me to tears every time I read it. It’s one of those perfect works of fiction that touches you no matter how many times you’ve read it before. I make a practice of reading it every few years. Another Top Five Forever.
And there you have it, Alisa’s Year(s) in Books. If you want to see the other books that didn’t make my lists, you can check me and my book reviews out on goodreads.com.
Out of Eden 
Oh how I love Neil Gaiman! He is abfab, and my second favorite writer (first is Stephen King, third is John Connolly). Have you read Neverwhere? It will blow your mind. But, you know, in a good way.
Speaking of Robert McCammon, have you read Swan Song? Everyone and their brother keeps telling me I need to read it, but I like my post-apocalyptic stories to be movies, not necessarily books.
And last, Into the Woods? *wrings hands* Hated that book SO. MUCH. The ending made me both punchy and stabby.
Swan Song is really good. Similar to The Stand, but, you know, different. 🙂 Totally worth reading. I liked Neverwhere too, but I wouldn’t rate it my favorite Gaiman book. I think American Gods holds that position!
And Into the Woods? Yeah, (covers face in shame) I know you hated it. You hated it so much and with such a special and devoted hatred that I just HAD to read it, just to see if it was really THAT horrible. And perhaps because I warned about the ending, I was able to enjoy it for what it was. I’m still hoping, though, that she’ll eventually solve that mystery of the missing kids in a future book. She’s still writing in that world, and with those characters…so maybe? If I ever find out, I’ll email you and let you know! 🙂
I wonder, how do you choose books to read? 🙂
Choosing books is the easy part; finding time to read them all is the problem! 🙂 I work at a library, so I see all the new books that come in, and get recommendations from friends and library patrons. I also belong to a cool website called “Goodreads.com”. Plus, Amazon.com has me pretty well pegged by now! I also browse used bookstores and thrift stores.