My Top 10 Books for 2009
This year I read 78 books, which is exactly the same amount of books I read last year. Go figure.
Anywho, here are my stand-out novels for 2010. Each one comes with a must buy now on pain of death recommendation. What I'm trying to say is, if you haven't read these 10 books then your life isn't complete. A few of these I've reviewed on this LJ and a few of them I've haven't but either way I'll keep the comments to the minimum and let the books and their covers speaks for themselves
(1) Love Songs for the Shy and Cynical by Robert Shearman. Easily the stand-out book for 2009. The good news is that the paperback will be coming out around April this year so there should be no excuse for those of you haven't bought this stunning follow up to Tiny Deaths.
(2) The Given Day by Dennis Lehane. Set in Boston circa 1919, this book has got civil strife, Babe Ruth, Irish cops and unions about to go on strike. It's about a father and a son and a family and so much more. Lehane is always worth reading and this is one of his best books.
(3) The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. You wouldn't think that Dominican history and the story of a sci-fi nerd would mix. But Diaz pulls it off brilliantly. I cried more then once.
(4) No Dominion by Charlie Huston. What do you mean you haven't picked up any Charlie Huston? No Dominion is Book Two of the Joe Pitt series. I've also read Book Three which is also great.
(5) The Guards by Ken Bruen. Noir fiction doesn't get more darker, more alcoholic or more sparser than this.
(6) Last Days by Brian Evenson. OK, maybe noir fiction does get darker. Last Days is a punch in the guts, with a protagonist you'll hate and a story that's a mixture of weird, crazy and relentless. Oh and violent. Jeff Vandermeer made a big deal of Evenson earlier in 2009, so you know it's good.
(7) The Love we Share Without Knowing by Christopher Barzak. Just for a bit of light relief... har de har. This book is gorgeously written and takes a magic realist look at Japanese culture, which is bloody boring description of such a great novel.
(8/9) Camp Concentration and On Wings of Song by Thomas Disch. Considering how much of his stuff I read in 2009, it's no surprise that T. Disch features on this list. Camp Concentration and On Wings of Song are my two favourites.
(10) City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff Vandermeer. This guy writes slipstream/weird fantasy like no other. Can't wait to read both Shriek and Finch this year.
And so there's my top ten I'd be interested to hear what you guys think.
EDITED TO ADD: Sorry for destroying people's bandwidths, there now under a cut.
Anywho, here are my stand-out novels for 2010. Each one comes with a must buy now on pain of death recommendation. What I'm trying to say is, if you haven't read these 10 books then your life isn't complete. A few of these I've reviewed on this LJ and a few of them I've haven't but either way I'll keep the comments to the minimum and let the books and their covers speaks for themselves
(1) Love Songs for the Shy and Cynical by Robert Shearman. Easily the stand-out book for 2009. The good news is that the paperback will be coming out around April this year so there should be no excuse for those of you haven't bought this stunning follow up to Tiny Deaths.
(2) The Given Day by Dennis Lehane. Set in Boston circa 1919, this book has got civil strife, Babe Ruth, Irish cops and unions about to go on strike. It's about a father and a son and a family and so much more. Lehane is always worth reading and this is one of his best books.
(3) The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. You wouldn't think that Dominican history and the story of a sci-fi nerd would mix. But Diaz pulls it off brilliantly. I cried more then once.
(4) No Dominion by Charlie Huston. What do you mean you haven't picked up any Charlie Huston? No Dominion is Book Two of the Joe Pitt series. I've also read Book Three which is also great.
(5) The Guards by Ken Bruen. Noir fiction doesn't get more darker, more alcoholic or more sparser than this.
(6) Last Days by Brian Evenson. OK, maybe noir fiction does get darker. Last Days is a punch in the guts, with a protagonist you'll hate and a story that's a mixture of weird, crazy and relentless. Oh and violent. Jeff Vandermeer made a big deal of Evenson earlier in 2009, so you know it's good.
(7) The Love we Share Without Knowing by Christopher Barzak. Just for a bit of light relief... har de har. This book is gorgeously written and takes a magic realist look at Japanese culture, which is bloody boring description of such a great novel.
(8/9) Camp Concentration and On Wings of Song by Thomas Disch. Considering how much of his stuff I read in 2009, it's no surprise that T. Disch features on this list. Camp Concentration and On Wings of Song are my two favourites.
(10) City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff Vandermeer. This guy writes slipstream/weird fantasy like no other. Can't wait to read both Shriek and Finch this year.
And so there's my top ten I'd be interested to hear what you guys think.
EDITED TO ADD: Sorry for destroying people's bandwidths, there now under a cut.