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BEST BOOKS
OF 2008
Stacy Alesi,
AKA the BookBitch
BEST FICTION
OF 2008
THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN by Garth Stein:
Enzo's point of view about his family is center stage - and Enzo is a dog.
The best book I read this year.
THE BRASS VERDICT by Michael Connelly: This sequel
to the terrific
Lincoln Lawyer
has both Mickey Haller and Harry Bosch,
and Connelly proves once again that while I didn't think it even possible, he
gets better with every book.
L. A. OUTLAWS by T. Jefferson Parker: Loved
this saucy thriller with a realistic ending from one of the most under-valued,
under-appreciated best crime fiction writers today.
DON'T TELL A SOUL by David Rosenfelt: Stepping away
from the fabulous Andy Carpenter series, Rosenfelt proves that he has what it
takes. This terrific thriller grabs you from page one and never lets go.
AT THE CITY'S EDGE by
Marcus Sakey: Sakey was the new kid on the block just a year ago, but his
sophomore effort was just as good, if not better than the first ( The
Blade Itself.)
Looks like Sakey will be to Chicago what Connelly and
Parker are to Los Angeles.
THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE by David Wroblewsk i:
Big behemoth of a beautifully written book that is a re-invention of
Hamlet with its own unique twists and wonderful characters. An investment
of time, yet every minute, every page makes you glad that there is more to come,
and so sad to see it end.
AMERICAN WIFE by Curtis Sittenfeld: Very interesting fictionalization of
Laura Bush's life. Couldn't put it down.
CERTAIN GIRLS by Jennifer Weiner: Loved this
long-awaited sequel to
Good in Bed
- it's funny as hell, rings true to life, and I never saw the ending coming.
THE SEVEN SINS by Jon Land: Lots of action, a
bigger than life protagonist, and a great story that moves from Las Vegas to
Italy and a few places in between makes this one of the best thrillers of the
year. Can't wait for the sequel - and the movie!
THE COMMONER by John Burnham Schwartz: Completely
mesmerizing story of the young Emperor of Japan, the selection of his wife, and
her life as Empress.
JUDGMENT DAY by Sheldon Siegel: It was worth
the wait for this newest installment in the Mike Daley legal series - it's
smart, funny, well-plotted and a riveting read.
FIRST PATIENT by
Michael Palmer: Gotta love a medical thriller that puts the President
in peril and has lots of action mixed in with the medical stuff, and Palmer does
it all brilliantly.
BEST DEBUTS OF 2008
A CURE FOR NIGHT by Justin Peacock: Legal thriller
set in Brooklyn, New York with great characters, smart writing and a terrific
story. In the tradition of Scott Turow, John Grisham, David Ellis, I'm
looking for more from this gifted lawyer-turned-novelist.
CITY OF THE SUN by David
Levien: A very dark, very disturbing look at child abduction that is
well written and achingly memorable.
BEST
NONFICTION OF 2008
DEWEY: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
by Vicki Myron & Bret Witter: Pull up a box of Kleenex and settle in for
this story of an amazing animal who touched so many lives, and look for the
movie next year (?) with Meryl Streep portraying Myron, the librarian.
BEST
OLDER FICTION PUBLISHED PRIOR TO 2008
( that
I didn't get to until 2008)
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by
Sara Gruen: I came late to the party, I admit it - I just couldn't get
up the interest to read a book about a circus. But when I finally did, I
quickly realized the error of my procrastination. This is a beautiful,
compelling story that just happened to take place at a circus during the
depression. It intrigued me enough to send me packing for Sarasota and the
John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art - with a circus museum too, which I highly
recommend visiting.
NOT ME by
Michael Lavigne: A first novel about the Holocaust with a twist; an old man
with Alzheimers has a box of journals detailing his life during World War II
that his son reads, with fascinating and disturbing results.
A CALCULATED RISK by Katherine Neville:
If you enjoyed the 1999 film Entrapment starring Sean Connery and Catherine
Zeta-Jones, you will love this one. Verity (True) Banks is a 32 year old
“bankette” who specializes in bank systems security and whose career path has
just been short circuited by her bumbling jealous boss. This leads her to accept
a challenge from her former mentor, a reclusive computer genius/ Renaissance
man, Dr. Zoltan Tor. Which of them can steal $1 billion, and invest it to earn
$30 million in only three months? (Of course, the money will be returned, and no
one will be injured.) And so, the race is on. I didn’t complete this one in a
single night, only because #1 USC was playing and getting beaten by Oregon
State. I loved it.
A CARRION DEATH by Michael Stanley:
Michael Stanley is the pen name of the writing team of Michael Sears and Stanley
Trollop. Sears lives in South Africa and Trollop divides his time between South
Africa and Minneapolis. I include this information because there is no trace of
Minnesota in this first outing by the duo. Its strictly Africa and you can feel
the heat, smell the dank vegetation and acrid animal smell on every page. This
is home for Detective David “Kubu” Bengu of the Botswana Criminal Investigation
Department. Like the hippopotamus ("Kubu" is Setswana for "hippopotamus") that
lives in his native land Bengu conceals a deceptively dangerous streak beneath a
placid exterior. His large size is in keeping with his presence, whether it is
on the sun-baked and blood soaked plains of the Kalahrai riverbeds or the plush
and lavish offices of international conglomerates, Kubu will follow the trail to
its end. A welcome addition to the likes of Kaminsky’s Porfiry Rostnikov, Martin
Cruz Smith’s Arkady Renko, and even Ian Rankin’s John Rebus as larger than life,
imminently entertaining but also flawed detectives who can’t be bought, or
scared off. Looking forward to the next outing.
CHASING DARKNESS by Robert Crais:
Wow, what a plot. Police and fire department personnel discover the corpse of
one Lionel Byrd, an apparent suicide. In his lap is a photo album containing
crime scene photos from seven brutally murdered women, one per year for seven
years. All the evidence appears to point to Byrd’s guilt as a serial killer.
Three years ago, however, when Byrd was charged with the fifth of these seven
murders, Elvis Cole was hired by Byrd’s attorney and found an exculpatory
videotape that allowed Lionel Byrd to walk free. At the time Elvis was a hero.
But was he in fact collateral damage? Now he is being reviled and threatened
while he himself is desperate to know the truth. Was he responsible indirectly
for the deaths of two young women? Can he and Joe Pike find out the truth before
someone takes out Elvis? Start this one on a Friday since you aren’t gonna put
it down soon.
THE DAWN PATROL by Don Winslow:
A gnarly rad epic that is macking crunchy. Don’t worry, if you, like me, don’t
speak surfer. There is an on-going surfer-English dictionary embedded in the
book. Unfortunately this tends to take away from the flow of a nicely done P.I/police
procedural with some really neat characters. Boone Daniels was conceived on the
beach to surfer parents, has lived all his life where he can hear the waves, and
lives to surf. He is a key member of the Dawn Patrol, a mixed bag of aficionados
that start each day with a “run” on Pacific Beach. Some of the members have
j-o-b-s, but for Boone, all he wants is to make enough for fish tacos and
wetsuits, and to be n the water to surf. Nevertheless, this ex-cop is actually a
pretty good investigator, working primarily for a surfing lawyer bud that has
asked him to find a missing stripper the lawyer needs to testify at an upcoming
trial. When one of the stripper’s friends is murdered in a possible case of
mistaken identity, Boone becomes obsessed with solving the case, even if it
means dealing with a gorgeous, but bossy, female lawyer from Great Britain, who
thinks that anyone still remaining in the pool, must be an evolutionary reject.
All in all an excellent book that truly is macking crunchy.
THE EIGHT by Katherine Neville:
Somehow I missed this one when it was first released twenty years ago in 1988.
Katherine Neville's debut novel is a thriller with action divided between 1790
and 1972. The action centers on a chess set owned by Charlemagne which ended up
in a French monastery. Supposedly players who use it can tap into incredible
powers. As the set is dispersed during the French Revolution, a young novice
risks her life to safeguard it. Alternating with her story are the present-day
efforts of a U.S. computer expert and a Russian chess master to assemble the set
and solve its mystery. Kind of a precursor to Indiana Jones and the DaVinci
Code, the book has withstood the test of time and will probably continue to be
enjoyed for many years to come.
THE GHOST WAR by Alex Berenson:
CIA agent John Wells, the first Western intelligence officer to penetrate the
upper levels of al-Qaeda, featured in 2006's The Faithful Spy (which won an
Edgar Award for best first novel) is back. This time, Wells returns to
Afghanistan to find out what outside country is assisting the Taliban.
Meanwhile, fellow CIA agent and significant other Jennifer Exley is trying to
identify the person or persons who compromised the security of Dr. Sung Kwan, a
North Korean nuclear scientist on the CIA payroll. Surprise, surprise, as their
twisting paths race to a most plausible conclusion. Berenson, a New York Times
reporter, obviously has the right stuff.
GO-GO GIRLS OF THE APOCALYPSE by Victor Gischler:
“This is how Mortimer Tate ending up killing the first three human beings he’d
laid eyes on in nearly a decade:” What an opening line. Mortimer Tate, a
recently divorced insurance salesman holes up in a cave on top of a mountain in
Tennessee to ride out the end of the world. Nine years later he emerges to a
post apocalyptic landscape covered with abandoned automobiles, where the only
source of electricity is provided by indentured servants pedaling stationary
bicycles. The only semblance of life as it was revolves around Joey Armageddon's
Sassy A-Go-Go strip clubs, where the beer is cold, the lap dancers are hot, and
the bouncers are armed with M16s. Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, Tate picks
up some needy companions – cowboy Buffalo Bill, former stripper Sheila, and
mountain man Ted. Together they journey to the lost city of Atlanta in a
desperate attempt to save what is left of mankind. James Rollins says it best in
his blurb, “Who would have guessed the book was even better than the title?” I
concur.
HIT AND RUN by Lawrence Block:
Keller is like most of us. He has a job that he works at in order to pay his
bills, feed his hobby (stamp collecting) and hopefully prepare for his eventual
retirement. The major difference is Keller's a hit man. After all these years
and many successful assignments he is now ready to begin that retirement, but
there is just one more job. Keller really doesn’t want to go to Des Moines for
the job but it has been paid for so what else can he do? After all, there are no
refunds in this business. While he is in Des Moines looking at additions to his
stamp collection, someone kills the charismatic governor of Ohio. Normally this
would have little impact on Keller – except the police have released a picture
of the alleged killer. Guess who? Now Keller is stranded in Des Moines, cut off
from his associate Dot in White Plains, New York, every cop in America's just
seen his picture, his ID and credit cards are no longer good, and he just spent
almost all of his cash on the stamps. The best Keller yet.
L.A. OUTLAWS by T. Jefferson Parker:
Another outstanding offering from Parker who always comes up with the neatest
characters. By day, Suzanne Jones is an eighth grade history teacher with three
sons in Los Angeles. By night, she dons a mask, pockets her derringer and steals
– cash from fast food places, cars, and in the instant case, almost half a
million in diamonds. You see, Suzanne aka Allison Murrieta, claims to be a
descendant of Joaquin Murrieta, a 19th-century California folklore figure who
was either a ruthless robber and killer or an Old West vigilante and Robin Hood.
Suzanne/Allison’s problem is that the diamonds are the basis of a gang
disagreement and a master criminal known as the Bull has sent Lupercio, a
ruthless assassin, to recover them. Lots of violence and hot car action with
just a touch of s-e-x makes this a fun read. One of my best of the year.
MR. CLARINET by Nick Stone:
Max Mingus spent seven years in Attica for killing three child molesters. Now
the ex-Miami cop and erstwhile PI is trying to put his life back together. He is
hired to find the missing three-year old son of a wealthy white Haitian family
in the violent mid 1990’s world of Haiti. His search for Charlie Carver leads
him from the richest to the poorest sections of the island and to powerful drug
baron Vincent Paul. Not for the faint hearted, this first effort is gritty
throughout. Hopefully we will hear more from Mr. Stone in the future.
SWAN PEAK by James Lee Burke:
The seventeenth Dave Robicheaux novel, and they just keep getting better. Dave
has accepted the offer of long-time friend Albert Hollister to come to the
Bitterroot Mountains of Western Montana to escape the post-Katrina blues. Wife
Molly and friend Cletus Purcell come along and they look forward to an entire
summer of fishing and relaxing. Unfortunately, Clete runs across a hardass who
was a driver for mobster Sally Dio, killed in a plane crash in Black Cherry
Blues, the third Robicheaux outing. The thug now works for Ridley Wellstone, a
wealthy ne’er do well who counts among his antagonists, retired English
professor Albert Hollister. The discovery of the body of a college student, shot
execution style, found not far from the body of the dead boy’s raped and
murdered girlfriend, coupled with Clete becoming enamored of Jamie Sue
Wellstone, wife of Ridley’s brother, Leslie, and throw in Jimmy Dale Greenwood,
prison escapee and Jamie Sue’s former lover, and you have the beginnings of a
mess. For good measure add in sadistic prison director Troyce Nix in pursuit of
Jimmy Dale, and the “Reverend” Sonny Click, and you know there will fists flying
and maybe bullets as well, before it all gets pulled back together. If this were
Home Run Derby, it would be no contest. Burke has hit it out of the park once
again.
from Geoffrey R. Hamlin
Lush Life – Richard Price.
Best crime novel of the year. Superb dialogue, pitch-perfect descriptions of the
lower East Side of New York City and a great story to boot.
Soldier’s Heart – Elizabeth Samet .
The author, armed with he r Yale PhD in English Literature, took a position
teaching English at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. As fine and
thoughtful an analysis of military education, the military mind and the
importance of literature for everyone as I have ever read.
Brass Verdict – Michael Connelly .
Mickey Haller and Harry Bosch finally in the same book. The first page should be
mandatory reading for any would-be trial lawyers. Probably would-be crime
novelists, too. Connelly just gets better and better.
The White Tiger – Aravind Ardiga .
The story of Balram, a poor Indian boy, and his rise to success against all odds
of class and education. Balram’s sarcastic take on life in the New India goes
beyond entertaining to expose the limits on upward mobility for the great masses
still living in “the Darkness.” And it should remind us of our own “Rooster
Coops” in this country. Winner of the Man Booker prize.
The Great Derangement – Matt Taibbi.
Taibbi evokes Hunter S. Thompson’s gonzo journalistic style as he examines a
Congress which he regards as wholly unresponsive to the citizens or their needs,
the evangelical Christian movement and the 9/11 Truth Firsters. His conclusion
is that Americans do know that their government is broken, but in deranged
fashion pursue answers which are equally without a basis in reality. Think Fear
and Loathing in America.
Blackout – Luis Alfonzo Garcia-Roza .
Garcia-Roza’s Inspector Espinosa is the Lt. Columbo of Rio De Janiero. More
bookish, but wholly incorruptible. This whole series is a wonderfully human
depiction of life in a city that, despite its glamorous reputation, is less than
paradise.
The Eleventh Man – Ivan Doig .
Doig, the chronicler par excellence of all things Montana, has written a
compelling story about the eleven members of an undefeated college football team
serving in combat roles during World War II.
If By Sea – George Daughan .
Professor Daughan has written a scholarly, yet readable, history of the creation
of what came to be the U.S. Navy from the time of the Revolution through the War
of 1812. While his discussion of the pros and cons of a formal Navy put forth by
our founding fathers is the meat of the book, early in his narrative he offers
the intriguing suggestion that the success of early guerilla maritime efforts by
the colonists might have had a more significant impact if they had been
duplicated more widely.
Dawn Patrol – Don Winslow.
The Elmore Leonard of the beach community, Mr. Winslow has written another fine
and funny story, this time involving a group of surfers. In so doing, he reminds
us of the importan ce of knowing that “everything is better on a tortilla.” I am
not going to argue with that.
Boots on the Ground by Dusk - Mary Tillman .
Pat Tillman’s mother tells of their family’s struggle to get the truth from the
United States government about their son’s death from friendly fire in
Afghanistan. The sad part about all this is that, in service and out, Pat
Tillman was a hero who needed no embellishing to serve as a role model.
Ice
Trap by Kitty Sewell
– An amazing debut mystery that will keep you guessing all the way to the end. I
can’t wait for Sewell’s next one!
Obedience by Will
Lavender – A class assignment ends
in a surprising revelation. Absolutely amazing ending and a brilliant debut!
City of the Sun by
David Levien – A child kidnapping
leads a PI and the kid’s father to a disturbing discovery. Another fantastic
debut and author to watch.
Curse of the Spellmans
by Lisa Lutz – Second in the
hilarious Izzy Spellman series. Watch out Evanovich!
Rogue by Rachel
Vincent – Second in the wonderfully
original urban fantasy/paranormal mystery series about werecats.
Ritual by Mo Hayder
– Gruesome and shocking as always. Read it as a stand-alone or as part of a
series, either way works. Hayder proves she is still one of the best in the
business.
Child 44 by Tom Rob
Smith – A debut mystery based in
Stalinist Russia. How does one unmask a serial killer when the government
insists one cannot exist? Don’t miss this one!
The Host by Stephenie
Meyer – The first adult novel from
the bestselling author of the Twilight series proves not only that Meyer
can handle multiple projects at once (two HUGE books in one year) but also that
she can excite an adult audience as much as teens.
Stalking Susan by
Julie Kramer – A cold case mystery
with a truly memorable heroine and a gripping plot.
Duma Key by Stephen
King – From
beginning to end, this latest from the King of horror is a true adventure.
You’ll never guess where it’s going!
Most Intrepid Science Writing:
Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach
Most Simultaneously Nerdy and Hardcore:
Anathem by Neal Stephenson
Series That Made Me Believe in Mysteries Again:
Julia Spencer-Fleming’s Clare Ferguson series &
Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher series
Book That I Liked in Spite of Myself:
Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos
Best Novel About Organizing a Large Project:
Remainder by Tom McCarthy
Most Amazing Older Novel:
The Last Samurai by Helen DeWitt
(and no, it’s not related to the Tom Cruise movie)
THE FRIDAY NIGHT KNITTING CLUB by Kate Jacobs:
When I picked up this book, I thought it was going to be one of those happy,
lovey, chick lit type books. But it's so much more than that. I grew to love the
characters, they became a part of my life.
TWENTY WISHES by Debbie Macomber:
This was my first "Blossom Street" book and I absolutely loved it. Macomber's
characters come alive and I feel like they are a part of my life. Finishing the
book, I felt a sense of loss, but I have plans to pick up the rest of the
"Blossom Street" books and continue on with these truly amazing women!
THE DEPARTMENT OF LOST AND FOUND by Allison Winn Scott:
This book was amazing. The journal entries allow the reader to witness the
evolution Natalie goes through during this self-discovery. Rather than being a
downer, this book was incredibly uplifting. It realistically portrayed the
frightening truth behind cancer and its victims but still provided hope.
THE WOLFMAN by Nicholas Pekearo:
Pekearo did a wonderful job with this amazing thriller/horror novel. The
descriptions of the Wolf's actions were downright gory and added to the
intensity of this book. This is definitely a book that would attract readers
from several different genres, ranging from paranormal thrillers to true crime.
The Wolfman was Pekearo's first and only published work. Pekearo was a volunteer
for the NYPD Auxiliary Police Officer and was killed in the line of duty in
2007.
SISTERS OF MISERY by Megan Kelly Hall:
While
Sisters of Misery is categorized as a YA book, audiences of all ages will be
pulled into the gothic style writing of Megan Kelly Hall. I'm impatiently
looking forward to more from this amazing debut author.
THE RICHEST SEASON by Maryann McFadden:
McFadden wrote a wonderful account of a woman's struggle for independence. The
reader experiences the story from three viewpoints: Joanna, her husband Paul,
and Grace. The lessons learned by each character during their journey of self
discovery are very valuable, and for this reason I envision this book generating
a lot of discussion in book clubs nationwide.
THE WHITE MARY by Mira Salak:
The White Mary is an incredibly powerful and empowering tale about one woman's
dedication to her career. While the scenes detailing the atrocities that are
occurring clear across the world are difficult to read at times, the end result
gives you an appreciation for all that we have as inhabitants of the "civilized"
world.
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson:
The storyline was a little slow at first, but it quickly reveals itself to be an
amazing story that any fan of mystery would love. The characters are powerful
and the story line, once it picked up, was faced paced and thrilling.
SWEETHEART by Chelsea Cain:
The storyline is fast paced and powerful. The various sub plots slowly weave
together, and the ending appears with the reader begging for more. I sincerely
hope Cain has another Archie Sheridan book up her sleeves. The demand definitely
exists!
AGAINST MEDICAL ADVICE by James Patterson & Hal Friedman:
I can't say enough about how amazing this book is. I believe that this tale of
perseverance, dedication, and love, would be beneficial to any family undergoing
any sort of medical or behavioral problem.
I recently enjoyed MOTEL LIFE by Willy Vlautin.
It's a few years old but really well-written. He's got that Flannery O'connor/Larry
Brown/Harry Crews thing going on. I've been digging southern gothic weirdness
and all that goes with it.
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