Top Reads of 2009

Well, here it is January 2, so it's high time that we start posting our top 10 lists! As we did last year, I'm including only books I read during the calendar year 2009, in no particular order. Since we all review books on Goodreads, there are no particular surprises, but I always enjoy going back through a year's worth of reading to decide which were real standouts and which, in retrospect, didn't stay with me as much. Here goes!

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Jamie Ford
We see the events following Pearl Harbor through the eyes of Henry Lee, whose parents are determined that their son learn English, but still conform to Chinese tradition. When Keiko, a second-generation Japanese girl, transfers to his school, they are thrown together as the only non-whites. Then Japanese-Americans start being rounded up, and Henry is torn between his affection for Keiko and his compulsion to be a dutiful son.

People of the Book, Geraldine Brooks
A 500-year-old haggadah has resurfaced in Sarajevo after the Bosnian war. The narrative interleaves the modern-day restoration of the codex with sections about its history. Each vignette is peopled by vivid characters living at times of unrest and danger; the thread that links them all is the unique haggadah, and the sacrifices that individuals made when they crossed religious lines to save it.

Un Lun Dun, China Mieville
This is a wonderfully imaginative book. Its structure is a familiar one: odd things happen, and suddenly Zanna finds herself with her friend, Deeba, in unLondon, an alternate world that is threatened by a malevolent force which she is expected to conquer. However, Mieville starts deconstructing the “chosen one” storyline partway through the book in entertaining and unexpected ways.

Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague, Geraldine Brooks
When the bubonic plague breaks out in a small English village in 1665, they make a surprising decision: to avoid spreading the disease, they voluntarily shut off commerce with neighboring towns. Brooks focuses on Anna Frith, an uneducated miner’s widow, during this year of anguish and some surprising opportunities.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, David Wroblewski
For 3 generations, the Sawtelles have raised dogs that are famed for their training. Edgar is born mute, but he has an uncanny ability communicate with the dogs. When Edgar’s father dies and his uncle takes his place, Edgar withdraws more and more from human contact. The parallels with Hamlet are unmistakeable, and yet this is enough of its own story that I often felt surprised by the plot as it unfolded.

The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman
Gaiman’s Newbery Award-winning book begins with the murder of a family, leaving a toddler who finds safety amongst ghosts in a nearby graveyard. After the grim beginning, the story switches to the story of the boy growing up within the confines of the graveyard. Gaiman mixes up the grim and the humorous, and he avoids easy, neat answers to complicated questions.

Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins
The world that Collins imagines is so real and so disturbing. The previous Hunger Games have provoked several districts to rebel, and the totalitarian government is cracking down harder than ever.

The Last Olympian, Rick Riordan
Percy and his fellow half-bloods have a final showdown with the Titan Kronos and his assorted monsters. There are a lot of funny lines and irreverent takes on myth, along with some monumental battles (including one based on the Iliad) and a satisfying conclusion to the series.

The Magicians, Lev Grossman
Quentin Coldwater is constantly disappointed by life. Even when he is offered admission into a school of magic, meets a great girl there, and finds out that the fantasy world in his favorite Narnia-like books is real, he sinks into disinterest and dissatisfaction. I really liked this dark side of the typical “magic-is-real” plot.

When You Reach Me, Rebecca Stead
This slim novel, told in short chapters, beautifully narrates the mundane details of 12-year-old Miranda’s life in New York City, 1978. It is a wonderful combination of realism with time-travel fantasy, using A Wrinkle in Time as a touchstone.

Honorable Mentions:
The Immortal Fire, Anne Ursu
Sorcery and Cecelia, Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer
Tender Morsels, Margo Lanagan
The Latehomecomer, Kao Kalia Yang
Atonement, Ian McEwan