Best Reads 2011

Ah, it's that time of year again.  Even though I read a number of non-fiction books this year, the top five are all fiction.  So as to recognize the good non-fiction I read, I’ll list the best one all on its own.  Also I’m going to add the best new-to-me author who might not have made the top five, but whose books I’ll be purchasing in future.  And like I’ve done in the past I won’t be including re-reads in the top five.  Those get their own award because sometimes they hold up and sometimes they don’t and I think a re-read that does ought to get some props for that.  Most books are not as good the second time around.  So without further ado -

1. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1844)
If you followed my Monte Cristo journal you won’t be surprised I’ve chosen this as the best book I’ve read all year.  It epitomizes and in many was is the progenitor for a lot of other novels yet was never boring or wholly predictable despite that.  I’m sad that it took me so long to read it.  Don't make the same mistake! (5 stars)

2. Dr. Haggard’s Disease by Patrick McGrath (1994)
I’ve been a McGrath fan since around 1990 and am embarrassed it took me so long to get around to what I think is his best book.  The pacing, the word choices, the relationships between the protagonist and his circumstances and environment - all of it embodies the best of what gothic literature can be.  The narrator may be unreliable, but McGrath delivers book after great book. (5 stars)

3. The Scapegoat by Daphne DuMaurier (1957)
If all you’ve read is Rebecca you're missing out.  Yes the premise is a stretch, but it’s only the vehicle for an insightful story that makes at least one of its characters unhappy with what he wished for.  Multi-layered and subtle, it’s not for everyone, but if you like reading between the lines and aren’t afraid to wonder what happened at the end of a novel, go and scour the used bookstores for this one. (4 1/2 stars)

4. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (2009)
Memorable not only for its cast of distinctive and intriguing characters, but for the location itself which became a character in its own right.  It’s only the second novel to make me cry, but it’s not sappy, not in the least.  Some of the medical details will make you squirm, as will the political situation of Ethiopia at the time, but overall it’s an excellent book about survival and family. (4 stars)

5. Palace Council by Stephen L. Carter (2008)
Carter goes from strength to strength with his loosely connected series of novels involving the darker nation as he puts it.  This time we’re caught up in trying to get at the heart of a decades-old conspiracy involving the highest levels of government.  Also this time, the way the story is told meshes perfectly with the character doing the telling and the story itself.  Perfect pitch, no gimmicks. (4 stars)

Best new-to-me author is Amanda Kyle Williams and her book The Stranger You Seek.  Despite a character who is (yawn) a recovering alcoholic and ex-cop with a really annoying name, I liked Keye Street.  I liked how she treads the world.  I also liked that Williams understands her audience and doesn’t drown us in details we already know from reading countless thrillers and watching zillions of episodes of NCIS.  I’ll BOLO for her next installment for sure.

Best non-fiction is Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond (1997).  Why I waited so long to read this probably has to do with its hype.  I remember an old boss using quotes from it in his presentations.  That alone put me off.  And I’d already tried to read another Diamond book and couldn’t because the writing was so awful.  This one though is better and very, very thought provoking.  It didn’t make my overall five because it was too repetitive in the end and I felt it could have gone down other avenues instead of just pounding the same old things over and over.  Still very much worth reading.

Best re-read is The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John Le Carre (1963).  It had been so long since I last read this that it was almost fresh and the novel held up very well.  There's nothing extraneous in this story; no inner monologues, no sub-plots, no flashbacks.  Everything we're shown, told and everyone we meet is important.  And there's something rhythmic about Le Carre's writing that struck me this time around that I missed the first time.  Great stuff.

Well, that's it; the best stuff I read this year.  And have no fear, a Worst Of will be coming up shortly. Muhahahahahaha!