2008 favorites thus far

The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

This book was like nothing else I've ever read, and it captivated me completely. It's a glorious mix of fiction, with multiple narrators (Oscar was my favorite, if only for his assorted Dungeons and Dragons references), some magic realism (which, truth be told, I usually can't stand), some interwoven facts, often in the form of footnotes,about the history of the Dominican Republic (I learned a lot)and an omniscient narrator in the form of Junot Diaz, who every so often interjects something perfect. The language in this book is stunning-- the kind of sentences and descriptions that I am still mulling over in my head, four months after reading it. There are twists and turns and sadness and heartbreak and hilarity. I'm not doing it justice. You really, really should read it. Viva Oscar (and hooray for this book winning the Pulitzer Prize for fiction!)



A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews

I had this book on my 'to read' list but couldn't remember where I got the recommendation. Then I saw it listed as a favorite of John Sampson from the band The Weakerthans AND it was a pick for One Book, One Canada, so I knew I needed to read it soon. This is the story of Nomi Nickel, a 16 year old in Manitoba who is struggling a lot of things: her mother and sister leaving the family and now living alone with her father, her Mennonite upbringing, the small town she lives in, and the general angst of being sixteen.
Her character is funny and heartbreaking and I enjoyed the glimpse into the Mennonite world.


Drop City by TC Boyle

Kudos to my friend David for recommending this book-- WOW. Set in 1970, this is the story of a commune (Drop City) and the complications that ensue when they move their base camp from California to Alaska. Boyle manages to take two disparate groups of people-- the commune members from CA and the people they meet in Alaska-- and really make them both come alive. The latter scenes in Alaska were my favorite. This review says it better than I can:

"What is surprising is how soulful Drop City frequently is, and how much human complexity Boyle manages to smuggle in....Boyle [provides] one of the funniest, and at the same time most subtle, novels we've had about the hippie era's slow fade to black." Dwight Garner, The New York Times Book Review

Other books I've liked a lot this year (not quite 'favorite' status):

Born Standing Up by Steve Martin
Brother I'm Dying by Edwidge Danticat
In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
Project X by Jim Shepard
The Inner Circle by TC Boyle

Books that disappointed me greatly because I've loved other things by these authors:

Almost Moon by Alice Sebold
Ellington Boulevard by Adam Langer
Soul Thief by Charles Baxter

Peanuts

Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography by David Michaelis

I checked out this book on a whim-- it beckoned to me from the new books shelf at the library and I thought 'why not?' (oh, the beauty of the library and the freedom it offers...) What an excellent and pleasant surprise this book turned out to be! It's one of the best biographies I've read in a long time. The fact that I'm only a casual fan of Peanuts and yet was completely captivated by this book is a testament to how well written and researched it is. Schulz (who went by the nickname "Sparky" for most of his life. Sparky Schulz? I could never get used to reading this) is a compelling character, and I think that the author does a good job of exploring all of his complexities and delivering an even handed portrait. This book also provides an interesting look at the early days of comics. They were a phenomenon, and I enjoyed learning about the history and evolution of their popularity.
There are actual Peanuts comic strips scattered throughout the book, and I loved this touch! They're not all grouped together in one section, and they're not even always in the same place on a page. It was wonderful to read about a particular story line or technique that Schulz was working on, and then see a relevant comic strip.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes a good biography, and/or who has even a passing interest in Peanuts or comics in general.

The Rest of 2007

Here are some other books I read and enjoyed immensely in the pre book blog days of 2007:

One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson
Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child
What is the What by Dave Eggers
The Dissident by Nell Freudenberger
Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott