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
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