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Top books of 2010, and an intention
Jan. 3rd, 2011 12:23 amNow that the holidays are over and my presents are given, here's my list of the best.
Science fiction
Pump Six and Other Stories by Paolo Bacigalupi -- debut collection of VERY dark short stories from a new science fiction writer. Paolo thinks of any number of ways the future can go wrong, then tells it dark and gritty from the point of view of the (nearly) helpless. The extreme originality of the stories makes it worthwhile.
Flood and Ark by Stephen Baxter -- I do so love when the world as we know it comes to an end. If you agree, then watch the earth slowly drown in this moody paean to inevitability. Flood comes first and covers a span of around 40 years; Ark, the sequel which is really more of a parallel, starts just a few years later and covers a longer span. Both deliver a true dose of gravitas.
Blindsight by Peter Watts -- people, this novel is so smart. I was told it was not very like Starfish, which I have to dispute because hey, look, a small group of crazies stuck together in a closed environment! And in this case he seems to reach a little bit in making his crazies as distinct as possible, and yet... so smart. This book will have you questioning whether consciousness itself is a good thing, and how many books can you say that about?
Generic fiction
Let the Great World Spin by Collum McCann -- it doesn't focus on the moments when Philippe Petit tightroped across a rope between the World Trade Center towers, but it does use them as a lens to explore... you know. Life, Death, the City and Everything. This is the multiple points of view novel done right, with stories crisscrossing exquisitely.
The Anthologist -- this intense, seriously playful novel of words is about a poet and how he is failing to write the prologue for an anthology of poetry, while missing the woman who moved out because he couldn't write it. I know, it sounds terrible -- but it's not. You'll get a very pleasurable course in scansion, get introduced to new poets and find yourself remembering old favorites as you root for the guy to get his girlfriend back. The author has some lovely turns of phrase, including my new favorite "these do such-and-such like nobody's tomorrow."
Fantasy
The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden -- did I say "stories crisscrossing exquisitely" above? I should have saved it for this book. Here you have characters who tell stories, in which are told stories about people telling stories that... well, after a while you'll stop trying to mentally hold the stack in your head and start enjoying the way minor characters come back as major ones. Beautiful, and has a sequel coming out.
Nonfiction
Less: Accomplishing More by Doing Less -- a lovely and small book that explores... doing less... in a kind tone of voice that makes you feel you're in the presence of a Zen master (which, wait, you are). Discusses the roadblocks to productivity including distractions, fear, assumptions, and resistance, and ultimately leaves one feeling hopeful. "Less striving, less trying, less racing, less pushing can lead to surprisingly better results." I read this once and did only some of the suggested exercises; I intend to read it again, probably multiple times.
Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things -- this impossibly entertaining book got a whole writeup on my public blog already. Voyeuristic fun -- reading about people whose rooms are entirely full of stuff, people who see importance in every scrap of paper they own -- leads smoothly to some really interesting insights on, well, the meaning of physical objects in our lives. Not just for minimalists, although it might provide the final nudge you need to get rid of that pile of stuff you've been meaning to.
Now, the above was good. I like writing for LJ, I like coming out of the closet on some of these that I was keeping secret so I could give copies away. But I also wonder if it's wasteful of effort, considering that I could be writing real reviews on Amazon. I rely so heavily on other people's that it's a shame I don't give back by writing my own; and the same goes for Yelp and local businesses. I have a few intentions for how I want to live in the new condo and the new neighborhood, and one thing I want to do is, well, participate. I've joined Yelp, and this morning I wrote a review on ServiceMagic for the guy who worked on our floors over there.
Science fiction
Pump Six and Other Stories by Paolo Bacigalupi -- debut collection of VERY dark short stories from a new science fiction writer. Paolo thinks of any number of ways the future can go wrong, then tells it dark and gritty from the point of view of the (nearly) helpless. The extreme originality of the stories makes it worthwhile.
Flood and Ark by Stephen Baxter -- I do so love when the world as we know it comes to an end. If you agree, then watch the earth slowly drown in this moody paean to inevitability. Flood comes first and covers a span of around 40 years; Ark, the sequel which is really more of a parallel, starts just a few years later and covers a longer span. Both deliver a true dose of gravitas.
Blindsight by Peter Watts -- people, this novel is so smart. I was told it was not very like Starfish, which I have to dispute because hey, look, a small group of crazies stuck together in a closed environment! And in this case he seems to reach a little bit in making his crazies as distinct as possible, and yet... so smart. This book will have you questioning whether consciousness itself is a good thing, and how many books can you say that about?
Generic fiction
Let the Great World Spin by Collum McCann -- it doesn't focus on the moments when Philippe Petit tightroped across a rope between the World Trade Center towers, but it does use them as a lens to explore... you know. Life, Death, the City and Everything. This is the multiple points of view novel done right, with stories crisscrossing exquisitely.
The Anthologist -- this intense, seriously playful novel of words is about a poet and how he is failing to write the prologue for an anthology of poetry, while missing the woman who moved out because he couldn't write it. I know, it sounds terrible -- but it's not. You'll get a very pleasurable course in scansion, get introduced to new poets and find yourself remembering old favorites as you root for the guy to get his girlfriend back. The author has some lovely turns of phrase, including my new favorite "these do such-and-such like nobody's tomorrow."
Fantasy
The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden -- did I say "stories crisscrossing exquisitely" above? I should have saved it for this book. Here you have characters who tell stories, in which are told stories about people telling stories that... well, after a while you'll stop trying to mentally hold the stack in your head and start enjoying the way minor characters come back as major ones. Beautiful, and has a sequel coming out.
Nonfiction
Less: Accomplishing More by Doing Less -- a lovely and small book that explores... doing less... in a kind tone of voice that makes you feel you're in the presence of a Zen master (which, wait, you are). Discusses the roadblocks to productivity including distractions, fear, assumptions, and resistance, and ultimately leaves one feeling hopeful. "Less striving, less trying, less racing, less pushing can lead to surprisingly better results." I read this once and did only some of the suggested exercises; I intend to read it again, probably multiple times.
Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things -- this impossibly entertaining book got a whole writeup on my public blog already. Voyeuristic fun -- reading about people whose rooms are entirely full of stuff, people who see importance in every scrap of paper they own -- leads smoothly to some really interesting insights on, well, the meaning of physical objects in our lives. Not just for minimalists, although it might provide the final nudge you need to get rid of that pile of stuff you've been meaning to.
Now, the above was good. I like writing for LJ, I like coming out of the closet on some of these that I was keeping secret so I could give copies away. But I also wonder if it's wasteful of effort, considering that I could be writing real reviews on Amazon. I rely so heavily on other people's that it's a shame I don't give back by writing my own; and the same goes for Yelp and local businesses. I have a few intentions for how I want to live in the new condo and the new neighborhood, and one thing I want to do is, well, participate. I've joined Yelp, and this morning I wrote a review on ServiceMagic for the guy who worked on our floors over there.
