Best first reads of 2010

Ah, choosing the best and the worst of the year is upon me. This year wasn’t too tough and these are the ones that stuck with me -

The Human Stain - my Philip Roth epiphany. Seriously. I couldn’t believe this was the same guy who wrote Sabbath’s Theater which I tried 3 times to read and couldn’t get past the first chapter or two. Perfectly woven, it is a tale of tangents told with such deliberation and thought that I was in awe of how it came together. Human insights abound in this story, but is devoid of that judgmental tone authors can get. Neither did he overly flatter his subject, but presented him as a human worthy of both scorn and compassion. Roth is a master for all the right reasons. (5 stars)

The Earth Abides - post-apocalyptic literature these days tends to be shrill, overly dramatic and devoid of thought (and largely originality) and makes this book all the more valuable. Told with introspection, it does not go out of its way to shock and awe the reader, but to make her think about the true nature of humanity and what is really important. (4 1/2 stars)

The Angle of Repose - another quiet novel of decades past, this one tells of a man in search of his roots; specifically his grandmother. During her lifetime she was an illustrator of some note as well as a woman of nearly-infinite sense, backbone and loyalty. She and her husband were what we now think of as western pioneers and because of her isolation in various mining camps over the years, the letters she sends and receives are her lifeline. Much is revealed and much is hidden, but in the end the portrait of western life and a proud woman’s individual contribution is uplifting despite not always being especially happy. No wonder it won the Pulitzer. (4 1/2 stars)

The Greatest Show on Earth - I didn’t read this to be convinced that evolution is a fact and I’m not sure how many “history deniers” will be converted by reading it either, but it is a well-presented book. Despite his tendency to be smug and superior, Dawkins knows how to get stay on target and stick to his points. Many examples of why natural selection works and governs all life are given, from the microscopic to entire ecosystems and one would really have to be dense to continue disbelief. Yeah, maybe it is preaching to the converted, but I liked it enough to maybe even read another one. (4 stars)

Dark Star - while this book was just about perfect in its execution, I don’t know if I’ll read another. Mainly it’s because I know how things end. WWII isn’t exactly mysterious and so it makes reading about the private anguish and actions of a single spy agonizingly futile. I mean, it wasn’t as if the plot would set the course of the war onto a different path; nothing this man could do would change a single thing. His initial involvement with the government that controlled him was reasonably benign, but then he was put in impossible situations and left out in the cold. The portrayals were terrific though, understated, but intense just the same. If you like espionage you can’t do much better. (4 1/2 stars)

Runners Up -

Augustus - an excellent portrait of Augustus (nee Octavian) that only occasionally slips into hero worship mode. Reading this changed my overall impression of the man from one of action to one of resignation. Not the best introduction to Imperial Rome since many of the supporting cast members go without much explanation of who and what they are in the grand scheme of things, but there is enough to make the situation understandable. Of course most of the book is devoted to his early life and rise to power, while regrettably his 50 year reign is given much less space. I’d like to have had more context regarding his policies and laws; how they persisted into the future far beyond his lifetime. (4 stars)

Sea of Poppies - a multi-perspective novel of the early Indian trade in opium. Lots of characters and unusual situations made even the quotidian interesting. Unlike many other authors who do multi-perspective stories, Ghosh gave remarkable detail into the person’s background and current situation. This served to really make the reader care about each segment of the story. Also the way each person’s situation came together with the others in the end was very well done and I’m looking forward to the next installment. (4 stars)

Well that’s it for this part. Next will be the best re-reads and the worst of 2010. I don’t think there as many turkeys as last year, but there’s definitely some dreck in there.