World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

I don't know what I was expecting from a post-apocalyptic zombie story written by the SNL staff writer, son of Mel Brooks, and author of the tongue-in-cheek Zombie Survial Guide. But it sure wasn't this. I've never been a fan of zombie stories, or any horror genres, really. I can't figure out what possessed me to pick this up in the first place, aside from seeing it on bookshelves everywhere. Still, I'm so grateful I did. It's hard to explain how a post-apocalyptic story of the end of the world can be a breath of fresh air, but there it is. I loved every single second, and am very sorry to have it be over. I want more. Now. Each section gives glimpses into a thousand other stories in this universe that he could have told. Events are referenced in one place and explained a teeny bit more later, but I always had the feeling we were just scratching the surface of a rich universe of stories waiting to be told. The narrative is gorgeously structured. I can only imagine the volume of notes Brooks made to keep it all straight and tie it all together. In short, this is a brilliant story and I can't wait for more from this author.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

I have been in actual, unexpected mourning since finishing HP7. It came out of nowhere. Since the series never really grabbed me like it has so many others, I had no idea I'd feel such intense sadness at the series close. What better way to deal with grief than a big wallowing re-read? This is unquestionably my favorite book in the series. It's so light and funny and whimsical, heavy on world-building and lean on plot, which means she was playing to her strengths. She's not trying to conquer the planet or achieve world peace - just to tell a funny little story about a boarding school for wizards. The contrast between the characters and the wizard world at the beginning vs. where they end up was striking. As each major character entered the arena, I teared up a little at how wee and innocent they were. Yes, even the grown-ups. Even the plot was well-done, better than later books. Quirrell was lame (as was the whole Voldemort-in-my-head-literally thing), but the challenges to reach him were aces and at least there wasn't 600 page of build-up before reaching Quirrell and going "whuh, that's all there is?" His stuff was as big as it needed to be, in other words. I was also struck by how many characters we meet at the outset and promptly forget, only to see them back again years and books in the future. I wonder how much of that is happenstance and how much she really fleshed out characters in her mind so early in the series. Snape is just delightful here. He never really did much for me the first time through the series, but I'm loving him now. I wish the rest of the books were as lean and tight as this one.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

It's hard to know what to say about a book that's been so widely read but so completely off my radar at the same time. I'm almost too embarrased to make any observations at all. Do other people understand why Scout and Jem call their father by his first name? Is this horribly distracting to other people, or does it have a higher literary purpose? Am I the only one who thinks the title is too obtuse? I'm not sure why I was never exposed to this in high school. I have a feeling that my class read The Grapes of Wrath while the general sections tackled this one. I'm not even sure what inspired me to put it on my list this year, other than it's considered a classic and I couldn't have told you the first thing about it. I had no idea where the book was going, which made the journey that much better. I learned from the back cover that it was supposed to be about race relations in the South during the great depression, and a great court case (though I think I remember enough Gregory Peck clips to remember that bit all on my own), but for the first half I couldn't imagine how we were going to get there from here. It seemed like a nice, gentle, southern yarn but nothing particularly remarkable. When things diverge sharply in the second half, and all that seemingly-wasted time spent setting the tone at the beginning is completely necessary to understanding what happens next. It's such a compact, tight novel. The storytelling economy is one of the most impressive features. I'm amazed she says so much with so few words. It's interesting to note that my two favorite books this year (the other being The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) have both featured narrators that report events without actually understanding them. This seems like something that would be really hard to do as an author, but in both cases the device works and is really powerful. I love Scout so much. She reminds me so much of my mother - or rather, of stories of my mother at her age. Opinionated, brash, un-ladylike, prone to temper. What's not to like? I'm distracted by the Demi Moore / Bruce Willis connection, but am amused by how it suddenly seems to me to be the best name ever for a little girl. Like with Jane Eyre last year, I want now to go out and read some of the presumably-excellent scholarship about this book, and about Harper Lee and why she never wrote anything else (not to mention her relationship with Truman Capote). I am fascinated by all of it.

Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay

I was really worried about this one. Guy Gavriel Kay has been my #1 favorite author for years, but I couldn't even finish his last novel. Even worse, this one is set in modern times rather than fictionalizing and fantasizing an historical world as only Kay can do. These are two big strikes in my world. If I'd known there would be a big connection to my least-favorite Kay works (The Fionavar Tapestry trilogy), that would have been three strikes and I'm not sure I would have been brave enough to attempt the book. Thank goodness for ignorance. Kay has used a young person to tell his stories before (Devin in Tigana, for example), and he is successful here as well. Ned's a great protagonist - funny, struggling to keep pace with events, likable - but is unmistakably a kid. It's been a while since I wished so fervently for a book to be longer. There was so much more I wanted to know about this world, these characters, these events. A book the size of Tigana or even one of the Sarantine Mosaic titles wouldn't have been unwelcome.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

I'd been slightly drawn to this book every time I saw it on the store shelves in the past couple of years, but it was the strong recommendation of a colleague that finally made me pick it up. I'm so glad I did. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this unique book. The distinguishing characteristic of autism as 100% self-focus was brilliantly brought to life here. I know it's terribly naive of me, but I feel like I came to understand autism in a way for the first time. Or at least, I hadn't realized I didn't understand it until now. I really loved the narrator, and the glimpses he gave us into the inner lives of those around him, despite not understanding it himself. The author manages to evoke the right emotions, even while the narrator remains aloof. There's no heartwarming adorableness of the special-needs kid, nor does the novel ever descend into movie-of-the-week sentimentality. It feels honest and true every moment. This is a great achievement in storytelling, and one of my favorite reads in a while. I look forward to the author's next book.

The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure (The 'Good Parts' Version)by William Goldman

I had initially hoped that this special 25th Anniversary Edition was the one with the red text differentiating between Goldman's writing and "Morgenstern's". Alas, it isn't. Still, it's good to at last have a hardbound copy of one of my favorite all-time books, and 23-pages of backstory leading up to the "Buttercup's Baby" section is worth the price of admission.