[As each year comes to a close, we ask our contributors to give us their picks of the best books that came out in the previous 12 months--and we let a few older ones slip in as honorable mentions. You can follow the entries through the rest of the year here, and check out the picks from 2009 and 2010 while you're at it.]
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My Picks for the Best Books of 2011
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The Prague Cemetery, by Umberto Eco
I was pretty late to the Eco party; this is just my second of his novels. It is excellent. He is one of the smartest and most talented novelists alive right now, and this book really demonstrates that. He combs recent (anti-Semitic) European history for real-life characters and then uses them to help build his imperfect everyman, ultimately telling a more humanitarian story than you realize until the final pages. Read my review here.
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The Outlaw Album, by Daniel Woodrell
None of Woodrell’s stories are particularly great, but the consistent, harrowing tone he manages to conjure and maintain in this collection of semi-linked stories is quite a feat. Definitely an author worth a look for short story fans. Read my review here.
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Guadalajara, by Quim Monzó
This short collection of quirky post-modernist stories really took me by surprise. This Catalan has got some serious writing chops–reminded me quite a bit of Barthelme–and these stories can hang with the best of them. Read my review here.
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The Map of Time, by Felix J. Palma
A time traveling steampunk romp with H.G. Wells front and center? This book just sounds awesome. In the end, it’s nothing like you think it’s going to be–and that’s in part why it’s such a great novel. Read my review here.
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Open-eyed Sneeze, by Jess Martin
Martin’s candor and wit mix together brilliantly in this satisfying little memoir. I’m not kidding when I say this is one of the, if not the, best self-published books I’ve ever read. Read my review here.
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Honorable Mentions
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Skippy Dies, by Paul Murray
This 2010 novel is my favorite book of the last few years. It’s the perfect mix of smart and entertaining, and it turns out to have a lot to say. Think A Separate Peace meets The Goonies. It’s not a particularly difficult read, so most all readers will find something to like. Read my review here.
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1Q84, by Haruki Murakami
I’m not actually done with this book yet. So far it’s pretty good. Weird, but not in the way Murakami usually is. Still got six or seven hundred pages left, so I’ll save the verdict for now.
