Best Books of 2013 So Far: Em's Pick

Em is a bookseller at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Arizona. The Changing Hands booksellers are great readers because they live in Arizona and it's so hot there that planes aren't allowed to fly. And they have dust storms. And rattlesnakes. Really, if you lived in hell, wouldn't you love to at least have a great bookstore to frequent? There you go: Changing Hands.

Here's Em's pick:

Why is Written in Red the best book I’ve read this year? For one thing it’s Anne Bishop and urban fantasy – one of my favorite authors and favorite genres – colliding into one glorious book I read in a single sitting. Bishop has a knack for making you love her characters, and for sticking them in impossible situations they nevertheless manage to find their way out of. While this book may contain the urban fantasy standbys – clairvoyance, werewolves, vampires, etc. – Bishop makes them refreshingly different, and adds a few new things in besides (I won’t reveal too much, but expect to encounter Winter ice-skating on a lake, and trust me when I say you really don’t want to anger the elementals in this world). If you’ve never read Anne Bishop, strap yourself in and prepare for 400 pages of oh-my-god-this-is-the-best-thing-ever. If you have read her, I can promise she transitions from fantasy to urban fantasy with seamless grace.

Best Books of 2013 So Far: Stefan Merrill Block

Stefan

Stefan Merrill Block, author of The Story of Forgetting and The Storm at the Door, was unable to limit himself to one favorite book. He was also unable to limit his list to four or five. He reminds us of us, so we let him get away with it. Plus we just adore him. 

Here are some of Stefan's favorite books of 2013 so far. Get a pen out; this is a great list. 

I keep promising myself I will devote my reading time to important old books, but how can I reach for the academic-dull spines of the Stendhal and Musil on my shelf when 2013 keeps seducing me with so many wonderful offerings? 

Some of my favorites: the new Rachel Kushner novel, The Flamethrowers, was a gutsy and brilliant treat. Sarah Bruni’s The Night Gwen Stacy Died is a great and peculiar love story; it’s perfect for fans of Joy Williams and Lorrie Moore. 

The paperback release of The Middlesteins, Jami Attenberg’s addictive book about family and obesity, gave me an excuse to read it all over again. 

On a recent road trip, I listened to the audiobook of Drinking with Men, read by the author. The drive was seven unbroken hours, and when I arrived I wouldn’t get out of the car until I got to the end of the chapter. 

I’m very braggy this week because I’ve just gotten my hands on the new Donna Tartt novel, The Goldfinch. I’m only two chapters in, but that little glimpse was enough for me to clear my evenings so that I can scarf down the rest. Kate Christensen’s new memoir, Blue Plate Special, is a deeply charming, honest, funny and beautiful book; I am a good eater, but Christensen’s lush and inventive descriptions of food are even better than the actual dishes. And the book I’ve been cheerleading for most is Eric Lundgren’s surreal, dystopian, heartbreaking debut, a philosophical mystery called The Facades, out this September. 

Best Book of 2013 So Far: Liesl's Pick

Boulder Bookstore

Remember Liesl? She's the children's book buyer at Boulder Bookstore in Colorado. We interviewed her awhile back and yet she still responds to our email. Liesl has quite a few issues to address, including that she's pretty short, she reads kids books, and, well, she keeps answering our questions. Oh, and she makes a point of telling us when she goes to cool places on vacation, and that's just obnoxious. Still, we love Boulder Bookstore, so we're grudgingly featuring her pick today.

Here's Liesl Freudenstein's pick for the best book of 2013 so far:

The book I have is Life after Life, by Kate Atkinson.  It's the book I was really glad to have while I was sitting on a flight to Europe, so I didn't have to feed myself, or get my own beverage, or anything (except the potty stop, cause really you do have to do that by yourself!) except read this really stunning work.  I really didn't want it to end, either the flight or the book.  The nice thing was, there was a return trip, and the book DOESN'T really end!

Best Books of 2013 So Far: Jon Mooney's Pick

Who the heck is Jon Mooney and does he like NASCAR? Well, Jon is a sales rep for Penguin, now known as Penguin Random House and he is easily one of the finest sales reps we know. He is certainly more professional and mild mannered than us; he is in fact risking his entire reputation simply by associating himself with this blog. And yes, my lordy, yes...Jon loves NASCAR and everything car related. It's kind of adorable. 

Here's Jon's pick:

My favorite book of 2013 is LEXICON by Max Barry, a totally wild, action-packed thriller about the power of language and coercion.  At an exclusive, secret school students learn to use language to manipulate minds and use words as weapons.  The best students become “poets” and enter a shadowy organization that controls the world’s populace. A homeless teen, Emily Ruff, attracts the attention of this organization. While attending their school, she learns some of their powerful secrets but leaves before she can complete her full training.  While on the run from the organization she causes a catastrophe of unspeakable proportions. LEXICON is a riveting, powerhouse of a novel that will snare your attention from page one and question your own ideas of language, data-collection, privacy and identity.

Best Books of 2013 So Far: Keith Thomson's Pick

We love Keith Thomson. He is easily one of the most interesting people we've ever encountered. He's a former semipro baseball player in France, and for a time he was an editorial cartoonist. Whatever holiday card you sent this year, it's nothing compared to the animated card that Keith sent (and made). Oh, and he writes for the Huffington Post about the intelligence world. I think he might be the real James Bond, or at least the James Bond of Alabama. We highly recommend The Official Keith Thomson Author Page for fans of gadgets, spy thrillers, and mysteries. Best of all, Keith is an author with a terrific sense of humor. His most recent books are the spy novels Once a Spy and Twice a Spy, which follow the adventures of a former agent who's a security threat due to his Alzheimer's and the spy's hapless son. Yes, you need to read them. Also, keep an eye out for Keith's newest book coming early next year, Seven Grams of Lead, about a reporter who discovers that he has recording device implanted in his head.

Here's Keith's pick for the best book he's read thus far in 2013:

THE WAY OF THE KNIFE (Penguin, April 9, 2013). New York Times national reporter Mark Mazzetti's insider-source-intensive account of the CIA's post-9/11 transformation from an intelligence service to a worldwide killing machine was crack for spook buffs. Thanks to friends at the NSA, I got to read the book while Mazzetti was writing it.

Best Books of 2013 (So Far): Gianna's Picks

Benediction by Kent Haruf
I think I liked Benediction more than Plainsong. There, I said it. This novel about a small town is sparse, beautiful, and true. Haruf writes characters as well as anyone working today.

Thousand Pardons by Jonathan Dee
The first twenty-five pages of this really fantastic novel will knock your socks off. Ben and Helen say good-bye to their daughter as they head out to date night. Date night, it turns out, is actually their weekly appointment with a therapist. Ben feels trapped in the marriage and after weeks of not communicating in therapy he finally hits his breaking point. What he does next will set the novel in motion. What do apologies really mean?



The Fight to Save Juarez by Ricardo C. Ainslie
We have become so used to ignoring the Mexican drug war that when we finally do snap to attention, it’s mind-blowing. Nearly 60,000 people have been killed since 2007, and the government puts missing persons at about 25, 000. By 2009, Juarez was such a ground zero for drug violence and dirty officials that federal troops were sent in. That, of course, was only the beginning.

Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright
First of all, has anyone seen Larry Wright lately? I mean, we have to decide as a group to at least keep as good an eye on him as Scientologists are. While all religions are kooky in their own way (and if you’re religious and don’t think about that after reading Going Clear, you’re in denial), Scientology is extra kooky with the added benefit of celebrity nuttiness. And if you think the title is overblown…just read a little bit about the latest gal who (allegedly) flew the coop after thirty years; Leah Remini. Let’s keep an eye out for her too.



The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud
We should all be reading Claire Messud; she is an absolutely fantastic writer. Personally, I don’t read our blog, but I was told that this novel is on Liz’s list too, so I will keep this short. This is the story of Nora, a quiet woman who always plays by the rules. She then falls in love with a family.



& Sons by David Gilbert
You won’t find anything better than this novel to spend your money on this summer. I am including Schlitterbahn Water Park or seeing the new Spider-Man movie three times (is there a new Spider-Man movie?). This is the story of A.N. Dyer, a great but reclusive writer (think Salinger but you know…better writing). He has just delivered the eulogy at his best friend’s funeral as he begins to have a breakdown, or a breakthrough, depending on how you look at it. As Dyer desperately tries to bring his three estranged (and troubled) sons together we learn the dark side to the writer’s life. I loved this book; it’s a stunner, and check out this cool trailer 




Tenth of December by George Saunders
Saunders is one of a small handful of truly smart and original writers working today, not to mention he is a master of the short story. Much like Alice Munro or Flannery O’Connor, Saunders tackles big themes like loss, poverty, war, sex, and violence. Saunders writing stays with you, and not just because he’s hilarious and devastating within five pages, but because you’re reading a book that matters.


Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell-LaMorte (once we’re married she will take my name)
Karen Russell is the most original writer working today. She is brilliant, engaging, and takes you places you may think you don’t want to go….and then you don’t want to leave. I am going to admit something that is pretty unflattering. I buy two copies of certain books. One to keep pristine, the other to read and write in the margins, or add Post-It notes in, or occasionally to highlight passages. I have doubles of Russell’s books in my house because you can not read her without saying “holy shit” to the language, to the turn of phrase, to the thought process. She is an artist. I can’t wait until she finds out we’re getting married!


Battleborn by Claire Vaye Watkins
This collection of stories linked by place is stunning. One of my favorite stories is “The Last Thing We Need.” It’s told through letters written by a man obsessed with the objects left behind a terrible car accident he stumbles across. Another story entitled, “The Past Perfect, the Past Continuous, the Simple Past,” is about careless tourists who hike the outskirts of Las Vegas and inevitably every year someone either dies or needs rescuing. Of course there is a bigger message in this story, as well as in the entire collection. I would suggest reading these in order, maybe just one story a day. These need to marinate. By the way, Watkins won two major awards for Battleborn in one day, here is a nice NPR piece

Photojournalists On War: The Untold Stories from Iraq by Michael Kamber
My favorite book of the year so far is this is a collection of censored photographs by three-dozen top photojournalists across the globe. These are stories that must be told, no matter how difficult to hear. We must be witnesses. These are first person in depth interviews as the war unfolds and drags on. Required reading, here is a slideshow

BONUS BOOK!



These are certainly my favorite books so far this year, but there is a book that I find myself talking about quite often. Sometimes in hushed tones if I am in mixed company. It’s the absolutely fascinating memoir called Secret Sex Lives: A Year on the Fringes of American Sexuality by Suzy Spencer. While certainly a serious book about everything sex suggests (loneliness, trust, Christianity, marriage, and more loneliness) it’s also a book you will not be able to put down and you won’t be able to stop talking about.

Best Books of 2013 (So Far): Liz's Picks

(Gianna) Liz and I thought it would be fun to ask our friends in Book Land what their favorite book of the year is so far. After all, we are halfway through 2013 and July is an excellent time to reflect on all the choices you've made to arrive at this point. Everyone hated the idea. How can you pick just one book? It’s not fair! It’s not right! Well those are the rules, just one book. End of discussion.

Now having said that, Liz and I think it’s crazy to even attempt to pick a favorite book so we will list our top ten favorite books of the year.

(Liz) Please note that this project was Gianna's idea, and then she volunteered me to go first. Fine. I always allow her to pick first and I end up with her leftovers. Good luck tomorrow, Gianna. 

I'm not going to actually rank these picks, as the MLB All Star Game is on momentarily and I have some Yankees to boo. Quick and dirty, here we go:

Americanah: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a brilliant writer and I'll read anything she writes. If you liked Cutting for Stone, you'll like Americanah, the story of two Nigerian friends who leave Africa, and then return as adults to find each other again. Adichie's observations on race and class are astute but not heavy-handed.

Between Man and Beast: Normally I avoid the monkeys, but I can't resist good exploration history. In this case Monte Reel brings to life the world of Paul Du Chaillu, a Victorian era explorer who was the first to bring back proof of gorillas to the western world. From the African jungles to Broadway to the Royal Geographical Society, Between Man and Beast brings to live this story that ultimately inspired the King Kong tales.

Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish: A Novel: The literary world lost a gem when David Rakoff, hilarious essayist and frequent contributor to NPR's This American Life, succumbed to cancer. Knowing he was dying, though, and with the help of close friends, Rakoff left us with one last book. Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish is a novel in verse, warm and comedic and tragic and an extraordinary accomplishment. Think of it as Rakoff's love song to America.

One Thousand and One Nights: I'm a sucker for a beautiful book, and I was already a fan of Hanan Al-Shaykh. In her retelling of One Thousand and One Nights, Lebanese writer Al-Shaykh brings to woman's perspective to the magic carpets and thieves and genies of the Arabian Nights. Mary Gaitskill writes the intro and the book itself should win design awards for the stunning package.

Instructions for a Heatwave: Instructions for a Heatwave was a huge discovery for me. I'd heard of but never read Maggie O'Farrell, and now I regret that I missed her earlier novels. I'm working to remedy that mistake. O'Farrell is every bit as skilled a writer as Jonathan Franzen, and like Franzen her subject is family interactions. In Heatwave she proves you can't go home again when three adult children rendezvous at their mother's house to search for their missing father. They have their own lives, regrets, secrets, and joys, but they are also adults who were once the bickering siblings growing up together. You know how you turn into your bratty 12 year old self when you're around your brother and sister? You'll get this book.

The Woman Upstairs: Damn. Claire Messud. She's got to be one of the ten or so best writers in the country. The Woman Upstairs tells the story of Nora, a quietly seething teacher who gave up her dreams of being an artist. When a family moves to Cambridge and into her life, though, she discovers new dimensions in her life and rediscovers her dreams. The son is the compassionate new kid in her third grade class. The mother is an artist on the brink of wild success, with whom Nora shares a studio. The father is a brilliant visiting professor at Harvard who awakens Nora's intellectual and physical passion. Claire Messud reveals through Nora a woman on the brink. I love this book.

The Antagonist: As far as I'm concerned, Lynn Coady's The Antagonist should be required reading. It's surprising, funny, angry, wise, and simply incredible. Here's a novel written as a series of drunken emails from a man wronged by an old college friend. Gordon Rankin Jr is a former hockey prodigy plagued by a hilariously awful father, and when his friend uses Rank's life as the basis for his bestselling novel, Rank takes to email to set the story straight. Have you read it? You need to read it. I'm looking at you.

Vampires in the Lemon Grove: We have already heaped praise upon Karen Russell and her short story collection Vampires in the Lemon Grove. I love KR, I love these sometimes creepy, sometimes funny, all terrific stories. 

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena: A major literary debut, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is the book that the Random House sales force buzzed about for many months before it went on sale. It's set in Chechnya, Anthony Marra creates a multifaceted story of a village terrorized by war and a hospital desperately trying to keep going in the worst circumstances. Don't think of it as a war book, though (or just a war book). This is a character driven novel about betrayed friendships, an orphan hunted by an army, and two doctors just trying to survive.

Benediction: Allow me to conclude my list with Benediction. Few books have meant as much to me as this novel from Kent Haruf, the author of Plainsong. Benediction is set in a small town on the Colorado plain. The owner of the local hardware store is slowly dying of cancer, but summoning his adult son is fraught with problems. They are estranged and they have no address for him. Even as they wait, and hope, the town people gather and swirl around this man. Having grown up in a small town, and having a dad who runs the local hardware store, and having lost my mother to cancer, I related personally to Benediction. Having said that, though, I think this is a novel for everyone. It's full of humanity and the communities we hope will sustain us throughout our lives.