Top Ten Books of 2012
Another year, another 100
books down. I welshed on my rules this year of authors I’ve read and haven’t,
but this list is a pretty accurate representation of what I like this year. As
Stephen King says, you could do worse:
10. The Passage by Justin Cronin- Leave it to
an unknown writer to inject the tired vampire mythos with a breath of fresh air
that recalls The Stand in scope, quality and richness of character. The first
in a proposed trilogy, whose second volume, The Twelve came out this
year. And while that falls into the trap of simply being a bridge between
books, the promise of The City of Mirrors in 2014 is still there, and
this could be a defining trilogy of our time.
9. The Way Home by George Pelecanos- A writer who is slowly
becoming a provider for some of my most cherished reading experiences produces
his best work with this intimate, yet enthralling tale of second chances and
the perils that they entail. It combines the intensity of The Turnaround
with the melancholic nostalgia of The Night Gardener to give the reader
a work of beauty within the crime genre.
8. The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall- A big novel about a
polygamist’s harrowing journey toward understanding and familial love that
recalls John Irving in scope and meaning. It shows, through humor and
heartbreak, the importance of sometimes letting go of happiness and control for
the sake of the greater good. It is harsh sometimes, but it is also very
truthful and nurturing.
7. Sonny Liston Was a Friend of Mine by Thom Jones- While I
found Cold Snap to be utterly disappointing, this book, along with The
Pugilist at Rest show why I feel Jones is the best short story writer since
Raymond Carver. Stories like the title story and “I Love You, Sophie Western”
shows Jones is capable of being brutally honest while maintaining a quality of
gentleness and understanding.
6. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami- My favorite writers long
anticipated magnum opus delivered and then some, so much so that I am afraid of
where he goes next after this outing. The retelling of Orwell’s novel is every
thing I like about Murakami heightened over 925 pages and there may be no place
else to go from here. But at least this book is as great as it is.
5. I’ll Steal You Away by Niccolo Ammaniti- Of the three
Ammanitit books I read this year, this one is the best, and may be his best
book out of all the ones translated into English. It combines the thriller like
qualities of I’m Not Scared and As God Commands, with possibly
his saddest story, thereby teaching a harsh lesson about a brutal world, yet
doing so with an empathy that seems lost to everyone else in the story.
4. The Given Day by Dennis Lehane- This year, Lehane became my
new literary idol, and partly due to this sprawling historical epic that takes
place during the Boston police riots. Lehane brings the qualities he is known
for through his crime novels and puts them within a historical setting that is
on the brink of destruction, making for a 700-page novel you wish were twice
that size.
3. The Invisible Bridge- by Julie Orringer- While I find books
about the Holocaust to be very unoriginal, this one is anything but, and proved
to be the most narrative fun I had all year. Through the story of an art
student sent to Hungary before Nazi occupation, we get the full effect of
history’s pendulum swing that can affect anyone at anytime, and by the end of
the novel, you feel like you have been on a journey, which is what books this
size should do.
2. The Death of Sweet Mister by Daniel Woodrell- This slim
novel may be the saddest and most affecting book I have read, and made anything
else I read by Woodrell seem cheap in comparison. We see the emotional and spiritual
death of Sug Adkins, from an innocent boy to what is implied by the last,
harrowing line of the book, leaving the reader drained, yet not soon to forget
this great novel.
1. 2666 by Roberto Bolano- I feel like a tool for putting the
second book I read this year on top of my list, but it actually changed the way
I look at reading, however corny that sounds. This novel about a Mexican border
town I NEVER want to find myself in pushes the boundaries of the novel form,
yet it never sacrifices its entertainment merit in the process. It is a challenging,
and sometimes maddening book to finish, but if you do, you will be rewarded thoroughly,
since this is one of those timeless classics that deserves to become immortal.
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