BEST BOOKS
OF 2011
TOP 25 OF 2011
Stacy Alesi,
AKA the BookBitch
BEST FICTION
ONLY TIME WILL TELL by Jeffrey Archer: First book of a new
trilogy called The Clifton Chronicles, that harkens back to Archer's fine storytelling à la Kane & Abel.
This one ends with a real cliffhanger.
THE ART OF FIELDING by Chad Harbach: Beautifully written
coming of age story of a young baseball prodigy and his friends and family. Sure
to please fans of Steve Kluger's Last Days of Summer.
THE SCRAPBOOK OF FRANKIE PRATT: A Novel in Pictures by
Caroline Preston: A charming, epistolary novel about a young woman coming of
age in the 1920's. Using vintage memorabilia including postcards, magazine ads,
candy wrappers, menus and such, this is a fast read since there isn't a whole
lot of text, but nonetheless this is a rich, multilayered bit of history.
THE WEIRD SISTERS by Eleanor Brown: A charming family
saga, replete with quirky characters, fine writing and hints of the bard.
LEFT NEGLECTED by Lisa Genova: A woman suffers an accident
that leaves her with a devastating brain injury. Genova creates this world that
just draws the reader in and won't let us forget.
NIGHT ROAD by Kristin Hannah: This family story
illustrates with almost unbearable consequences the problems of teen drinking
without being the least bit preachy. Should be required reading for all
teenagers and their parents.
WHAT ALICE FORGOT by Liane Moriarty: Losing ten years of
her life changes everything in Alice Love's world, and lucky readers get to go
along for the ride.
PICTURES OF YOU by Caroline Leavitt: An intriguing,
mysterious story about two women and how their lives change in the aftermath of
a car crash.
I THINK I LOVE YOU by Allison Pearson: This memorable,
quirky story is a smart look back at teen idol David Cassidy, and sure to stir
up memories and smiles from women who grew up in the 70s.
BEST FICTION
DEBUT
THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern: Fantastical
debut about two children, both raised as magicians, who are forced into
competing at a magical circus - but they fall in love.
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BEST
THRILLERS
ROOM by Emma Donoghue: A teenage girl is kidnapped and
held captive in a room, where she has a son whom she raises in that tiny space.
A difficult, disturbing story, well told.
IRON HOUSE by John Hart: Two brothers are raised in a
terrible orphanage; one turns to a life of crime and the other is adopted by a
political family, and their stories are just mesmerizing.
FALLEN by Karin Slaughter: When Faith Mitchell's mother
and child go missing, this Georgia cop takes it personally. The pacing is just
relentless in this emotionally charged story.
THE SCENT OF RAIN AND LIGHTNING by Nancy Pickard: Jody
Linder loses her parents when she is just three years old, and twenty-five years
later their convicted murderer returns to town when his son, a lawyer, manages
to get him a new trial.
SPIRAL by Paul McEuen: Nanoscience is at the forefront of
this high tension, well written debut thriller.
LOVE YOU MORE by Lisa Gardner: D.D. Warren is back in this
twisty tale about a state trooper accused of murdering her husband. Throw their
missing child into the mix and Gardner gives us another real page turner.
TURN OF MIND by Alice LaPlante: A retired orthopedic
surgeon is suspected of murdering her best friend, but her dementia provides
little for the police to go on.
A CONFLICT OF INTEREST by Adam Mitzner: This debut legal thriller about a
big legal firm, a Wall Street wonder and a family with secrets will keep you
turning pages through the night.
THE AFFAIR by Lee Child: In the sixteenth Jack Reacher
novel, we finally learn why Jack left the army and how he started drifting. A
gift for all fans of the series. Honorable Mention to short story
"Second Son," only available as an e-book, where we meet a teenage Jack
Reacher.
THE DROP by Michael Connelly: The latest Harry Bosch book
has Harry juggling a cold case with mysterious DNA evidence, a new case that
comes from his old nemesis Irvin Irving, and being a single dad with a teenage
daughter.
BEST
THRILLER DEBUT
BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP by S.J. Watson: A woman with a
memory disorder must figure out who to trust. Simply unputdownable.
BEST
NONFICTION
BOSSYPANTS by Tina Fey: A totally engaging memoir that
is as hilarious and warm as Tina Fey appears to be.
BEST GIFT BOOK FOR PARENTS OF YOUNG CHILDREN
GO THE F**K TO SLEEP by Adam Mansbach, illustrated by Ricardo
Cortés: Every parent that has ever had a tough time getting their child to
bed will appreciate this creative outlet for that frustration.
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BEST
COOKBOOK
PLENTY: VIBRANT VEGETABLE RECIPES FROM LONDON'S OTTOLENGHI by Yotam Ottolenghi:
Yummy veggies! What more do you need to know?
BEST
GRAPHIC NOVEL
ANYA'S GHOST by Vera Brosgol: This author and artist
brings the best of both worlds together in this debut graphic novel about a
teenage girl who is befriended by a ghost, but with friends like this, who needs
enemies?
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Jack Quick
TOP TEN 2011
THE CLEANER by Brett Battles: Jonathan Quinn is a professional “cleaner,”
a specialist working in the world of independent intelligence cleaning up scenes
and policing loose ends. Nicely done thriller, definitely a different
perspective, but it has all the essentials - violence, betrayal, and revenge.
THE ARRANGER by L. J. Sellers: The year is 2023 and ex-detective Lara
Evans is working as a freelance paramedic in a bleak new world. On an emergency
call she saves the life of the federal employment commissioner, although she
herself is nearly killed by the commissioner's assailant. It becomes a plot
driver in this intriguing look at a future heavy on social media and government
control.
THE COMPLAINTS by Ian Rankin: The first in Rankin's new series featuring
Malcom Fox who works for the Scottish equivalent of Internal Affairs,
"Complaints and Conduct" (aka "the Complaints"), which investigates corrupt
cops. The plot is tortuous and Fox has yet to develop the appeal of John Rebus
but I think we are off to a solid start here.
DEATH OF THE MANTIS by Michael Stanley: Stanley's third outing for
Detective David “Kubu” Bengu is multidimensional and his best yet. Underlying
the entire plot is the bigger issue of the challenges facing this part of the
world in dealing with the conflict between the ancient ways of the Bushmen and
the modern world. Outstanding.
DOMINANCE by Will Lavender: A quirky mystery evocative of Thomas Harris'
Silence of the Lambs and Katherine Neville's The Eight. If you enjoy the mystery
genre as well as more traditional literature, put this one near the top of your
must read list.
FEAST DAY OF FOOLS by James Lee Burke: The latest Sheriff Hackberry
Holland outing continues the action from Rain Gods. Sheriff Holland still mourns
the loss of his cherished wife and is locked in a perilous almost-romance with
his deputy, Pam Tibbs, a woman many decades his junior.
THE INFORMANT by Thomas Perry: The Butcher's Boy is back. Some two
decades after the retirement of the second generation most proficient hitman
ever hired by the Mafia, someone makes the mistake of trying to kill him and
claim the reward on his head.
ONCE A SPY by Keith Thomson: Charlie Clark is the son of retired
appliance salesman Drummond Clark, It turns out Clark Senior was, in fact, an
agent involved in selling faulty nuclear detonators to would-be terrorists. He
definitely knows too much and now is the target of trained CIA killers. When
lucid, Drummond can hotwire vehicles and effortlessly deal with multiple
assailants. Otherwise, he is liable to wander off in his pajamas. Off beat,
exciting, and a worthy nominee for this year’s Dilys Award.
PORTRAIT OF A SPY by Daniel Silva: Gabriel Allon is retired and trying to
enjoy life in England with wife Chiara when a suicide bomber pulls him back into
the shadow world where one misstep can mean the difference between life and
death. Suspenseful and twisty, no one captures the essence of the Middle East
conflict like Silva.
SATORI by Don Winslow (03/11): Nicholai Hel has spent the last three
years in solitary confinement after the end of World War II. Now it is the fall
of 1951 and the Korean War is raging. The Americans offer Hel freedom in
exchange for one small service: go to Beijing and kill the Soviet Union's
Commissioner to China.
Becky Lejeune
Top 15 of 2011
1.
THE POISON TREE by Erin Kelly – a UK debut and psychological thriller that’s
reminiscent of the best of Ruth Rendell and Minette Walters.
2. THE SWORN by Gail Z. Martin – this first in a new trilogy is actually
the fifth in Martin’s meticulously built Winter Kingdoms. The Sworn can be read
on its own, but readers will definitely want to go back to the previous cycle
while waiting for book two.
3. MIDNIGHT RIOT by Ben Aaronovitch – urban fantasy fans should not miss
this new series from Aaronovitch (a former Doctor Who writer). The UK author
brings to life a great fictional England incorporating actual history into the
series.
4. SUMMER OF NIGHT by Dan Simmons – originally published in 1991,
Simmons’s classic coming-of-age horror was re-released this year, hopefully to
be discovered by a whole new audience.
5. THE RESTORER by Amanda Stevens –first in a new series featuring a
cemetery restorer who can see the dead. Excellent creepy imagery and the
well-built atmosphere!
6. HANGING HILL by Mo Hayder – Hayder is not for the faint-hearted. This
latest is a stand-alone thriller with a truly twisted ending.
7. DON’T BREATHE A WORD by Jennifer McMahon – McMahon is an author I
appreciate for her tight plots and unpredictable twists. Don’t Breathe a Word
was no exception.
8. GRAVEMINDER by Melissa Marr – this adult debut from Marr is a highly
original urban fantasy/paranormal with Southern gothic roots. Fabulous in every
way – wonderful characters, careful world-building, and the first in a series,
so more to come!
9. THE WHITE DEVIL by Justin Evans – a dark literary thriller/horror.
Evans very smoothly introduces multiple plots without missing a beat.
10. ROBOPOCALYPSE by Daniel H. Wilson – Not only is Robopocalypse an
addicting futuristic apocalypse tale, Wilson’s approach to the story (presented
as a series of documented events in the war) made this book that much more of a
stand out.
11. MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN by Ransom Riggs – quite
possibly the most original book I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading! Riggs’s
collection of vintage images inspired and accompanies the story. Even better, a
second book is in the works.
12. THE DEMON TRAPPER’S DAUGHTER by Jana Oliver – this first in Oliver’s
teen urban fantasy series is set in a near future world very similar to ours,
but is also packed full of demons. I fell in love with her setting and her
characters and can’t wait to see what comes next.
13. KEEPER OF LOST CAUSES by Jussi Adler-Olsen – this is just the first
in what I hope will be a long-running series. An import from overseas,
Adler-Olsen’s mystery features a captivating cast of characters and an intensely
paced plot.
14. DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor – Taylor’s world and
characters are so beautifully brought to life. This is a teen urban fantasy read
with great appeal for adults.
15. 11/22/63 by Stephen King – time travel per Stephen King. He’s always
one of my favorite storytellers and this 800+ page beast was incredibly easy to
fall into.
2011 Favorites
Paul Lane
MONEY TO BURN by James Grippando: Stand alone novel by Grippando who is
great on fleshing out characters and bringing in the reader to the book and the
plot.
THE DARK TIDE by Andrew Gross: Gross's second novel after breaking away
from James Patterson. A very original plot involving a planned scheme to get
away with a lot of money via a faked suicide.
CHILDREN OF PARANOIA by Trevor Shane: One of the most unusual novels I've
had the pleasure of reading. The plot is so unusual that it keeps the reader
thinking could this scenario have any basis in reality. Shane is planning a
sequel and it is a book I can't wait to read.
RED FLAGS by Juris Jurjevics: Extremely well written book about the war
in Vietnam by a veteran of the conflict. The book depicts the reality of a war
that was in all likelihood a grave mistake on the US government's part and
indicates the profits made by people playing both ends of the combatants against
the other.
THE BATTLE OF THE CRATER by Newt Gingrich and William Forstchen: A very
well researched book by the politician Newt Gingrich and historian Forstchen,
about a little known battle in the Civil war that if fought as originally
planned could have won the war for the north months before Sherman marched into
Atlanta. Style is almost like a novel, albeit a very well constructed novel that
I found myself completely wrapped up in. Suffice to say that Gingrich was a
history teacher, and there is also no emphasis on present day politics.
TRACKERS by Deon Meyer: A stand alone book by a south African writer who
has entered the US fiction market with several interesting novels about a South
African policeman. Meyer sets up three distinctly different plots and weaves
them skillfully together into a fascinating ending involving a supposed plot by
Al Queda. A truly fascinating read, and one that begs for more by Meyer.
THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES by Marcus Sakey: Sakey has published
several books, all of them engrossing and keeping the reader turning pages well
into the night. The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes is by far and away his
best book with a plot that defies description in it's originality.
