Replies

[Michelle]

Have you read any good books recently? Here's a roundup of my favorites that I read in 2008:

General fiction

The Gone-Away World



In the near future, much of the world has been rendered unhabitable, thanks to the effects of a great war and some unusual weaponry. Human society limps along in a narrow Livable Zone. Then the pipeline keeping that area stable catches on fire. Uh oh. A dark, comic, conspiracy-laden, epic debut that unfolds slowly in unexpected directions. Plenty of plot twists kept me involved in the story. Pirates? ninjas?? mimes??? It's a love-it-or-hate-it book, and I'm firmly in the love-it camp.

The Art of Racing in the Rain



Enzo, a lab-terrier mix and the narrator of this novel, is the companion of Denny, a struggling mechanic/racer. Enzo is a wise and philosophical dog who hopes to be reincarnated as a human (he saw a documentary on tv that suggested this was possible). In the meanwhile, he is a steadfast friend to Denny and Denny's family, and is witness to some of the darkest times in Denny's life. It's hard to describe this book without making it sound like a melodramatic mess, but it's an emotional, compelling look at the human--and canine--condition.

(Edit: forgot the following)

Last Night at the Lobster



Manny is the conscientious manager of a Connecticut Red Lobster. He's committed to his job and should be the envy of any corporate restaurant chain. Despite his efforts, however, he's been informed that his location is performing below expectations and will be closed. He wants to have a great last day and lock the restaurant up with some sense of dignity and accomplishment. But fate intervenes in the form of a northeastern blizzard, keeping much of his crew from coming in and making customers few and far between. This novella deals with the mundane, but provides rich characters, good dialogue, and a pitch-perfect feeling of everyday life.

[Michelle]

General Nonfiction

Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do and What It Says About Us



An engaging, readable look at an area of interest to almost all of us, traffic and driving. Vanderbilt draws upon a century of research to describe the way that technology, psychology, and social considerations intertwine, and challenges our assumptions about life on the road. Is it better to merge late or early? Are intersections safer, or roundabouts? Full of aha moments and seemingly counterintuitive conclusions, this book addresses any question you've had about driving.

The Kings of New York: A Year Among the Geeks, Oddballs, and Geniuses Who Make Up America's Top High School Chess Team



Chronicles a year in the lives of the members of the Edward R. Murrow High School chess team. While you might expect a champion chess team to be from some top-flight private prep school, this public school team is a diverse mix of low-income students and first- and second-generation Americans. An entertaining look at a subculture of talented teenagers and their achievements and struggles in competition, in school, and at home. I don't play chess, but I found this book fascinating.

The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective



Three-year-old Saville Kent is killed at his country home, and Mr. Whicher, one of England's first detectives, is sent to investigate. Suspects abound, but Mr. Whicher suspects that one of the family members is responsible. While crimes like this are common news fodder today, the allusion that a family member could be responsible for a young child's death was unthinkable at that time. The case becomes a nationwide obsession, but the evidence to make a case is elusive. More than just a true crime story, this well-researched book is a fascinating look at an earlier era, when criminal detection and scientific reasoning were brand new and the image of the detective was still being developed.