In Order:
1. Unbroken - still selling like hotcakes, Laura Hillenbrand's sophomore effort about a hero of
WWII. Beautifully researched and written.
2. Defending Jacob - crime novelist William Landay's account of a murder in suburban
Massachusetts, and its aftermath on the family of the accused
3. Catherine the Great - Robert Massie's great biography that reads like a novel
4. The Buddha in the Attic - Otsuka's sophomore effort; a unique insight into the women of
Japan who helped colonize California
5. The Art of Fielding - Chad Harbach's debut novel of baseball at fictional Westish College; captivating in its wording, not altogether well-received by the critics
6. The Drop - Michael Connelly's entertaining instalment in the Harry Bosch series; 2 cases; a
new love interest, some reflections of how Connelly will recast the series in the
future, when Harry's daughter Maddie is grown.
7. The Lost Wife - Alyson Richman; a love story set in and after the Holocaust. Difficult
passages about conditions in Terezin and Auschwitz
8. Bossypants - Tina Fey - a totally entertaining autobiography
9. Last to Fold - debut novel, David Duffy; an interesting lead character (Turbo Vlost) from
the Gulag, writing is crisp, series shows a lot of promise. Nominated for an
Edgar award.
10. The Litigators - John Grisham; his best and most entertaining in a long while - three
dimensional characters
Doubtless, had I had time to read the autobiography of Steve Jobs that I got for Christmas, it would have made the list. It goes in as a leading contender for 2012, however!
Prior years:
http://livingimperfectly.blogspot.com/2011/01/best-books-of-2010.html
http://livingimperfectly.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-best-books-of-2009.html
