The Best Of has begun

It's that time of year again, when publications, booksellers, and the rest of us start pulling together our best of lists. Amazon and Publishers Weekly have both announced their hundred best, including editors' picks for the top 10. I've read some, own some but haven't gotten to, and have some on my list to buy/read:

Amazon

Let the Great World Spin/Colum McCann

Strength in What Remains/Tracy Kidder

This is on my iPhone waiting to be read

Wolf Hall/Hilary Manel

Brooklyn/Colm Toibin

Beautiful Creatures/Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Crazy for the Storm/Norman Ollestad

Terrific read; I didn't know what to expect when I picked up the manuscript to work on this Ecco book, but found I couldn't wait to get back on the subway so I could pick it back up again. Harrowing and life affirming.

The Girl Who Played with Fire/Steig Larsson

I look forward to the final volume the way I look forward to the last season of Lost; I can't wait but am sad it will be the end.

The City & The City/China Mieville

Why oh why? I tried. I wanted to love it, I really did. I read half and had to throw the towel in.

Stitches/David Small

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind/William Kamkwamba

Another lovely book, an inspiration and a testament to what is commonly referred to as "can-do" spirit. If only there were more of us like William, the world would be a better place.

PW:

Cheever: A Life/Blake Bailey

Await Your Reply/Dan Chaon

A Fiery Peace in a Cold War/Neil Sheehan

In Other Rooms, Other Wonders/Daniyal Mueenuddin

On my nightside table, waiting to be read

Big Machine/Victor LaValle

Stitches/David Small

Shop Class as Soulcraft/Matthew B. Crawford

Jeff in Venice, Death in Varnasi/Geoff Dyer

Lost City of Z/David Grann

While I thoroughly enjoyed this romp through the jungle with a few crazy men (including the author), I didn't love love love it, but my husband did. One of the best of the year? Absolutely. One of the 10 best? Not so much.

On another note, I was pleased to see that PW chose several of Harper's books as best in Fiction, including Anna Menendez's The Last War. More on that next . . .