Read this post to see what this is all about. For more favorites, see here.
Robert Crais, author of Chasing Darkness
- Eric Powell - The Goon. My find of the year is The Goon, a series of graphic novels/comic collections about a mob enforcer known only as The Goon, his boy Frankie (picture a psychopathic Little Orphan Annie with a penchant for shivs), and their Dante'-esque underworld comprised of the lost, the lonely, mutant fish, and, well, zombies. And all of this is brought to you by a mad genius named Eric Powell. I started with Nothin' But Misery, then put my life into a four-wheel skid to devour Wicked Inclinations, My Murderous Childhood, Rough Stuff, and the entire backlist of Powell's brilliant work.
- Barry Glassner - The Culture of Fear. Ever late to the party, I only this past year discovered Glassner's book, which was original published in 1999. A thoughtful, well-written, fascinating book about why and how Americans are being programmed to fear. The sky isn't falling. Really.
- Nell Casey - Unholy Ghost: Writers on Depression. Another oldie-but-goodie, as it was originally published in 2001. Essays on depression by twenty-three writers, including the likes of Larry McMurtry, William Styron, Ann Beattie, and Russell Banks. Ostensibly on the subject of depression, this book is a treasure chest of human insight and a clinic on characterization. Writers interested in creating characters of more complexity and depth would do well to read this book.
- Larry McMurtry - Lonesome Dove. My fourth time through, and I've still yet to read a book I like more.
- Richard Price - Lush Life. I love Price's voice, and I was hooked from the beginning by the intriguing non-story stories.
- I'm torn between hard and soft. What? Sean Chercover's Trigger City was even better than his debut (which is saying a lot). Garth Stein's The Art of Racing in the Rain is melodramatic, sappy, and completely got to me on a deeply personal level.
- I must add an Honorable Mention for Ross Thomas' classic Chinaman's Chance, my most fun read of the year. Thanks to the suave, balding, erudite raconteur who turned me on to it.
None of these are new books, perhaps not even recent. What can I say? I'm probably a decade behind in my to-be-read pile...
- Michelle de Kretser - The Hamilton Case
- Charles R. Saunders - Imaro
- Betty MacDonald - Anybody Can Do Anything
- Michael Chabon - The Yiddish Policeman's Union
- Ed Lin - Waylaid
- Abraham Rodriguez, South by South Bronx
- Tom Rob Smith - Child 44
- Thomas H. Cook - Master of the Delta
- Michael Connelly - The Brass Verdict
The Goon is fucking awesome.
Posted by: Cameron Hughes | December 30, 2008 at 12:26 AM