My Favorite Books of 2012

Most of the books on this list were new in 2012. However, this list is really to capture the books that I enjoyed reading the most last year.

The Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler
Many New Year's resolutions involve more healthy eating, using what we have instead of buying more and An Everlasting Meal shows you the way. What is different about this book from other food books promising to show you a better way, is that Adler makes cooking and eating exciting. While reading this book, I was excited at the richness of what she was preparing even though many of the lessons were simple, the bounty was evident.

Carry the One by Carole Anshaw
A carful of people leave a wedding and accidently kill a young girl who has wandered out of the woods. Everyone is affected by the accident and Anshaw does a wonderful job of conveying the different ways the pain changes everyone.

Arcadia by Lauren Hoff
This is set in a commune in New York state beginning in the 60s and ends in the same place in 2018. Bit is a child of two of the original members who eventually leave when the commune is overtaken by people who do not contribute and overtax their dwindling resources.

Beyond the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
I am hoping to start a non-fiction book discussion at my library and I think that this will be the first book that I choose. As nearly all reviewers (and readers) have noted, this is a book that reads like a novel. Its power is that Boo depicts the poverty and corruption in the daily lives of the people as it affects them not merely as statistics and footnotes. Of course, that the writing is masterful is another reason that this book was one of my favorites.

Wish You Were Here by Graham Swift
Jack lives with his wife managing a summer caravan park. He is informed that his brother, Jack, was killed in Iraq and he must travel to Devon for the funeral. During the trip, he thinks about his relationship with his brother and the death of his father. Quiet and thoughtful.

The Black House by Peter May
Location, location, location is a powerful draw for me in choosing my books. It is best if the location is isolated, unusual and dark. This book's setting in the Northern Hebrides and it also features an annual ritual that the men conduct on another island that is isolated and populated only by the birds that are an important part of the ritual. The policeman, now living in Glasgow is called home after many years to investigate a death that looks like one that happened when he was a youth. Moody and atmospheric with the promise of another book in the series.

Where'd You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple
Set in Seattle, this book is told via emails, text messages and FBI documents. Bernadette has moved with her family (husband and daughter) and lives in an un-Seattle-like house (not a Craftsman) that is in a remarkable state of disrepair. Bernadette has "issues" she does not leave the house, she does not cook and has some amazing encounters with her neighbors and the other parents in her daughter's school. She gets lost (and then found) in this funny, barbed yet endearing book.

Broken Harbour by Tana French
This is a novel in French's Dublin murder squad series. Set in a dying housing development outside of Dublin that is now largely empty because of the collapse of the Irish economy. The policeman knows the man and his family who are brutally killed in the murder that begins this book. But there is so much more in this book--the Irish economy, the expectations of marriage and family life and the need to keep up appearances not just for the sake of outsiders but for one's own identify and sanity. Brilliant.

Dare Me by Megan Abbott
Abbott writes noirish books featuring women and girls. Her newest is set among cheerleaders and explores friendship, relationships with adults (especially their coach) and the rivalry between the girls. How far will someone go to be the favorite? Dark, engrossing and well done.

Available Dark by Elizabeth Hand
This is a second book featuring Cassandra Neary, a photographer who mostly recently traveled to Maine to meet and interview one of her favorite photographers. This book starts almost immediate after the other as she gets a mysterious call to travel to Iceland for a job evaluating photographs. It is a weird and wonderful tale including Icelandic mythology and Iceland's current travails as well as this deeply flawed and arresting heroine.

When We Argued All Night by Alice Mattison
Set mostly in New York over a period of decades, it follows two friends as they travel from the 30s to contemporary times. Harold and Artie are friends from the neighborhood who experience Communism, the blacklist, the importance of good work and their families.

Reading and Writing

It is the most wonderful time of the year--winter-the best time to read and write about what you are reading. Snuggled under a blanket by the fire, surrounded by books--this is the time of year for it. I have kept a book journal for many years--about 20 and consistently, winter is the time of year that I read the most. This year, I will try to keep my book journal online to keep track of what I am reading and to share the best and least of what I am reading. Happy 2013 and happy reading.