My 2009 in books

Seems as good a time as any. I'm currently in the middle of Anna Karenina but let's face it, that's not getting finished before 2010. I read quickly but my attention span and initiative are poor. I'm not able to sit around for a whole afternoon and knock out 400 pages like others are, but here we go. Here are the highlights of what I read this year.

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Ignore the Oprah Book Club sticker on the front. Transgender/intersexed literature is fairly rare, so it's a good thing that the work is pretty good. Our narrator gets a little overblown at times, but that may work in your favor if you like, for example, references to Greek mythology. The family saga portion is entertaining enough and our main character's struggle may be hard to relate to but is still compellingly written.

City of Thieves by David Benioff
A very good piece of WWII-related fiction involving two Russians who will be released from prison (one is in for stealing food, the other is a soldier who tried desertion) if they undertake a very peculiar mission. A fun read with hints of that morbid "war sucks" theme. Reads like it would make a thrilling film.

Dune by Frank Herbert
So I finally went and read what many see as required reading for sci-fi/fantasy fans. I'm not sure I see it. Maybe it's because I know full well what Frank's son does to the series with Kevin J. Anderson later on, but I didn't think it was terribly amazing. Good and worth a read, but not amazing. The setting is cool enough though.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
This is excellent stuff if you have the patience to memorize family trees. It's written in such a way that makes you feel as if you're in the middle of a dream and is basically a very tolerable postmodern work. Fascinating characters and a great sort of magic permeate the novel. Called a classic of world literature for a reason.

The Steel Remains by Richard K. Morgan
Unremarkable as far as fantasy goes. Worth a read, but I don't think I'll be returning to the series. Also, the author sees fit to continue reminding you of how gay his protagonist is. Is he ever gay, I mean just look at him go, making out with men and everything, he is soooooo gaaaayyyy.

The Sandman by Neil Gaiman
OMG I <3 Neil Gaiman. I finally got around to reading what many consider to be his magnum opus and it did not disappoint. This is the ultimate in graphic novels, even for (I might say especially for) those who don't read graphic novels. Brilliant characters and fascinating use of mythology and theology ensure that all ten volumes will be on my bookshelf for a very long time to come.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Loved it while I was reading it, but opinion has kind of soured slightly. Still an excellent read but it gets kind of melodramatic and could probably have used an editor.

Hard-boiled Wonderland and the Edge of the World by Haruki Murakami
Probably the weakest of Murakami's novels that I've read so far, not that that's saying much. A little on the obtuse side, it gets to be a real slog towards the middle. But it has its moments.

The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Copy and paste thoughts on Shadow of the Wind. I would probably preferred it if there won't so many blatant references to Shadow - it should have been more distanced from its predecessor.

Snow by Orhan Pamuk
A very thick book, but worth the read. It's one of those novels that almost makes the setting itself a character, in this case it's Istanbul. Excellent if that's a region that interests you.

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
Probably the girliest thing I read all year, but her stuff is pretty good and this one is no exception. Definitely read if you have an interest in the time period.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
It's a very good piece of fantasy but I can't get over the fact that our main character is just so awesome. Kvothe borders on Mary Sue-dom and the school setting feels like a rehash of Harry Potter. Still, it's written pretty well and there are hints at both a much more interesting narrative below the surface and the idea that maybe our main character isn't being entirely truthful with us.

The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano
This is a good one but it's a bit dense. There are a lot of wacky Spanish names to remember, but the way it portrays the two main characters (two vaguely-Quixotic guys founding a literary movement) through accounts made by various side characters is fun to read and piece together in your head. It's a look at the seedy underbelly of poetry that you never knew existed. Also, the title would make a great name for a rock band.

Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie
Kill Bill meets Lord of the Rings with a touch of The Count of Monte Cristo. A very entertaining read, but not terribly deep. Eat popcorn while you read it.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Easily the best book to involve a giant squid corpse as a minor plot point released all year. (Runner-up: The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood)

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
Oh Virginia Woolf. You're a wacky one and To the Lighthouse is probably one of your best. It's also the only one I've read. But I liked it.

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman
A great non-fiction read. I wrote about it earlier but I'm too lazy to link it.

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
I'm a sucker for these clashing immigrant stories and The Namesake is one of the best. It managed to make me in turns depressed and happy so it's a fairly emotional read. Would probably be my favorite of the year were it not for...

White Teeth by Zadie Smith
I don't know if I mentioned it before, but I love Zadie Smith. Her writing and characters have a way of pulling you in to the story and she can force you to snorting laughter and then to tears within ten pages. She nails this whole "hysterical realism" thing and her story of the clash between generations of an immigrant family and their neighbors, friends, and co-workers is brilliant stuff.

A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh
Making fun of English high society? Definitely something I can get behind. Pervaded by a dark humor and satire, it can be a depressing read but there still continues to be the impression that Evelyn Waugh was smirking to himself as he wrote out the main character's final tragedy.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Hm. It was pretty good, but I think overrated. Some unrealistic characters and situations, but the approach to Heaven is an interesting one. I'm not quite willing to heap praise on Sebold just yet.

Star Wars novels in general
While the Fate of the Jedi series shows some potential, it's been pretty unremarkable so far. I cannot fathom making Admiral Daala, best known for multiple attempted genocides, into the Chief of State of the Galactic Republic. However, Luke and Ben's journey is probably the strongest part of the series so far and I'm very interested to see where the "Lost Sith" plotline goes.

Deathtroopers was a lot better than a book where Han Solo fights zombies has any right to be.

Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor is easily the best Star Wars novel released this year. A brilliant character study, the book is the closest to the pulpy Star Wars adventures of old. It's surprisingly deep for a Star Wars novel, analyzing things like morality and narrative structure.


That is all.