Continuing the year-end wrap-up theme, I’ll invite suggestions for the best books of the year. Since I’m so far behind on the booklog, it’s much harder for me to remember what came out in 2006, and come up with a ranking, but I have some ideas. I’d like to hear what other people think, though, so:
In your opinion, what was the best book of fiction of 2006?
“Fiction” in this case would include both novels and story collections, and also plays and poetry, I suppose, if you’d put one of those at the top of your list. There will be a separate non-fiction post, so if you’re really hot to declare The Trouble With Physics to be the book of the year, save it for that.
Against the Day by Thomas Pynchon.
I propose Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. It is a graphic autobiography, so I am not sure if it’s fiction or nonfiction. The first and possibly last time in my life that I read a book on the NYT best-of-year list.
Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl. Unfortunately I didn’t read too many books published this year, what with the thesis and all, but this was the best of the ones I can think of.
It’s weird- I really want to dislike it, mostly because it’s a an it-book by an it-author who’s also somewhat of an it-girl. I mean, my copy is the seventh print run and the year isn’t out yet. Not to mention, of course, the fact that her charmed life makes me envious. The only possible criticism is that it’s very obviously a first novel in that it’s drawn strongly from the author’s own experiences, and the main character perhaps isn’t a character as such as a projection of the author’s
But it’s smart, compelling, and the author’s constant stream of references made me feel smart. I hope her second one doesn’t suck.
I read staggeringly little fiction in the year that it comes out. Of that short list, I think I’ll have to nominate Dzur, just ’cause.
John Dies at the End, by David Wong
His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik — dragons in the Napoleonic War!
I’ve read horrifyingly few non-text books this past year. I read Dzur, and I’d have to disagree with Skwid: Given the setup at the end of Issola, Dzur was massively underwhelming. In WOT terminology, it was almost Perrin-esque. Or Elayne-esque, with that book-long bath^Wmeal. Nothing was resolved, and even little Vlad failed to appear. I think Brust just phoned it in.
The only book that stands out this past year is the Bonehunters, and it’s not the best of the series (Memories of Ice remains the best.) The Scalzi books were entertaining fluff. I have the second Scott Bakker in line next, so we’ll see. So… no nominations from me yet, I guess.
I haven’t read Against the Day yet (it’s on my desk now), but I’d have to vote for World War Z. Fantastic book when I really didn’t expect it to be.
The Android’s Dream was also quite nice.