Friday, November 6, 2009

The 20 Best Books of the Decade (2000-2009)

This according to Paste Magazine. I. Freaking. Love. Lists. Especially lists involving books, except that they usually make me feel like a slacker. For Paste's commentary, go here. Otherwise, you are about to be subjected to my thoughts:

klosterman.jpg20. Chuck Klosterman: Killing Yourself to Live: 85% of a True Story [Scribner] (2005)

Might add this to my list.



gladwell.jpg19. Malcolm Gladwell: The Tipping Point [Little Brown] (2000)

Sounds very interesting.



blue.jpg18. Donald Miller: Blue Like Jazz [Thomas Nelson] (2003)

Not on my list.



carlwilson.jpg17. Carl Wilson: Let’s Talk About Love (A Journey To The End Of Taste) [Continuum] (2007)

Really?? A book about Celine Dion?? Pass.


Netherland cover.jpg16. Joseph O’Neill: Netherland [Vintage] (2008)

Haven't heard of it. Boo for me.




ffnation.jpg15. Eric Schlosser: Fast Food Nation [Houghton Mifflin] (2001)

Not yet. Might be too scared to learn too much.



potter2.jpg14. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter [Bloomsbury] (1998-2007)

I aspire to read these little ditties someday. But the list before them is entirely too vast right now.



atonement.jpg13. Ian McEwan: Atonement [Nan A. Talese] (2002)

Had this one as an audiobook from the library. Tried to listen a few times, but kept drifting off. Then when my iPod decided to erase all my music, etc., I lost it. Will probably try again someday though.


Slavery by Another Name.jpg12. Doug Blackmon: Slavery By Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II [Doubleday] (2008)

Not really the kind of book I usually read.

MeTalkPrettyOneDay-DavidSedaris.jpg11. David Sedaris: Me Talk Pretty One Day [Little, Brown and Company] (2000)

Hilarious. Loved it. Think about it all the time.



Consider The Lobster cover.jpg10. David Foster Wallace: Consider The Lobster And Other Essays [Little, Brown and Company] (2005)

I guess Last Night at the Lobster doesn't count, huh?!



everything is illuminated cover.jpg9. Jonathan Safran Foer: Everything Is Illuminated [Harper Perennial] (2002)

Don't know it.



THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING cover.jpg8. Joan Didlon: The Year of Magical Thinking [Knopf] (2005)

Sounds really good. Totally my type.



blankets.jpg7. Craig Thompson: Blankets [Top Shelf Productions] (2003)

Possible future list item.




Book Thief cover.jpg6. Markus Zusak: The Book Thief [Knopf] (2005)

I've had my fill of Young Adult novels this year, thank you very much.



Middlesex cover.jpg5. Jeffrey Eugenides: Middlesex [Picador] (2002)

Funny, touching and fabulous!!



gilead cover.jpg4. Marilynne Robinson: Gilead [Farrar, Straus and Giroux] (2004)

Haven't heard of this one either.



The Road cover.jpg3. Cormac McCarthy: The Road [Knopf] (2006)

Faithful readers of Read My Mind! know that I am obsessed with this book. It's also the hardest I ever cried while reading a novel.



heartbreak cover.jpg2. Dave Eggers: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius [Simon & Schuster] (2000)

List. Added. You're welcome.



Kavalier & Clay cover.jpg1. Michael Chabon: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay [Random House] (2000)

Do I have to read this just because it's #1??



So there you have it. Three. Lame. But I can make myself feel slightly better because these books span all genres and subject matter. Are there any that I haven't read that I simply must? Please weigh in.

3 comments:

  1. EdNovember 09, 2009

    Thanks for sharing this list Amy. I can't get enough of book lists either. I did pretty well and have read 9, but I would only put two of them -- Middlesex, The Road -- of the top of my head as best of the decade material.

    For the record the others were: Netherland (probably best of year list), Fast Food (excellent expose, but not sure about best of material), Atonement (liked it but think some other McEwan is better), Me Talk Pretty (good, but a bit over Sedaris), Everything is Illuminated (the so-so-iest of the last), Year of Magical Thinking (good, just not totally my cup of tea), and Heartbreaking Work (parts greater than whole, like other Eggers better(.

    I've owned Kavalier & Clay as soon as it came out in paperback (so 2001-2002-sh??) and STILL have not read it (though did read another by Chabon which I thought was quite good).

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  2. AnonymousNovember 12, 2009

    I say that if YOU haven't heard of it, it's not worth reading . . . ;-) You last several posts have been great.

    MO

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  3. lauraNovember 12, 2009

    fun post!
    i agree with ed...middlesex and the road for my list. but you’re right...its hard when the books on the list are so varied. as much as i try, i just don’t get into non-fiction the same way. and then there is kavalier and clay...jim gave it to me to read. i had it FOREVER. just didn’t get into it. i don’t know why. it seemed to have everything i look for on the back cover. weird.

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