Top 10s: Books

2008 was not "The Year of the Book," that's for sure. I enjoyed about half the books I read this year, with the other half feeling much more like a chore than anything else. That said, here are the top 7 of the year - an odd number indeed (prime, in fact!), but the only ones worth highlighting.

7. Stoner by John Williams --- Of all the short books I made it through this year, "Stoner" was one of the few that really came to life. Brief, spare and beautiful.

6. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollen --- My personal philosophy, articulated clearly, succinctly and engagingly.

5. On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan --- Another stunning book by McEwan. Short, but still thought-provoking. McEwan's writing is masterful, and in this book he was able to discuss marriage, naivety, anger, love, passion and all of life's most profound emotions with great insight and skill.

4. Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri --- Always a winner, Jhumpa's new book of short stories was worth the wait.

3. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz --- Despite all I had heard about this book, I was still surprised by how much I enjoyed it! The narrative voice was funny and compelling, the characters rich and relatable.

2. War & Peace by Leo Tolstoy --- Just for sheer length of time I remained committed to this book, it had to make my list. Tolstoy is definitely my favorite Russian author, and while "War & Peace" was no "Anna Karinnina," it was still amazing. I loved the arch of this book, the way we grow up with characters. When this book begins, we're with the main characters in their childhood. When it ends, they are in late adulthood. We see how they change, mature, grow. Not until I finished the book was I able to appreciate how much I had grown to love these characters, and that's what makes "War & Peace" worth the effort.

1. The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver --- I feel somewhat ridiculous for calling this the best book of 2008 (especially considering the other award-winners I read this year), "The Post-Birthday World" was just that! This was a literary version of the Gweneth Paltrow movie "Sliding Doors." Early in the novel, the main character has to make a decision - whether or not to cheat on her long-term boyfriend and kiss another man. The book splinters into two parallel stories based on each outcome - in one universe she's kissed him, and in the other she hasn't. Shriver crafts two beautiful, if at times terribly painful, realities and her craftsmanship is absolutely stunning. Perhaps this was just the right book at the right time, but I found it utterly engaging and thought-provoking. The main character is a woman who almost always believes, "the grass is greener on the other side." But what the book highlights is how it isn't - that everyone struggles, that there is joy in every existence. I loved it.