September Voting!

Hey Litwits! Here’s the list of nominees for September! I decided to go with a graphic novels theme and hope y’all like the selections. I tried to give a pretty good variety of choices – everything from memoir to classic comic book characters. Please feel free to share your opinions in the comments. If you don’t receive the voting link via survey monkey, you may also leave your vote here as well. Just be careful not to vote twice!!!! And as an added bonus, we’ll be reading both the winner and runner-up since graphic novels tend to be far less time consuming!

Batman: Year One by Frank Miller

A deluxe trade paperback edition of one of the most important and critically acclaimed Batman adventures ever, written by Frank Miller, author of THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS! In addition to telling the entire dramatic story of Batman’s first year fighting crime, this collection includes reproductions of original pencils, promotional art, script pages, unseen David Mazzucchelli Batman art and more.

American Born Chinese by Gene Yang

A tour-de-force by rising indy comics star Gene Yang, American Born Chinese tells the story of three apparently unrelated characters: Jin Wang, who moves to a new neighborhood with his family only to discover that he’s the only Chinese-American student at his new school; the powerful Monkey King, subject of one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables; and Chin-Kee, a personification of the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, who is ruining his cousin Danny’s life with his yearly visits. Their lives and stories come together with an unexpected twist in this action-packed modern fable. American Born Chinese is an amazing ride, all the way up to the astonishing climax.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Wise, funny, and heartbreaking, Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi’s memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah’s regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. The intelligent and outspoken only child of committed Marxists and the great-granddaughter of one of Iran’s last emperors, Marjane bears witness to a childhood uniquely entwined with the history of her country. Persepolis paints an unforgettable portrait of daily life in Iran and of the bewildering contradictions between home life and public life. Marjane’s child’s-eye view of dethroned emperors, state-sanctioned whippings, and heroes of the revolution allows us to learn as she does the history of this fascinating country and of her own extraordinary family. Intensely personal, profoundly political, and wholly original, Persepolis is at once a story of growing up and a reminder of the human cost of war and political repression. It shows how we carry on, with laughter and tears, in the face of absurdity. And, finally, it introduces us to an irresistible little girl with whom we cannot help but fall in love.

The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman

Combined for the first time here are Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale and Maus II – the complete story of Vladek Spiegelman and his wife, living and surviving in Hitler’s Europe. By addressing the horror of the Holocaust through cartoons, the author captures the everyday reality of fear and is able to explore the guilt, relief and extraordinary sensation of survival – and how the children of survivors are in their own way affected by the trials of their parents. A contemporary classic of immeasurable significance.

 

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February Book Selections

Since I already have the February books randomly selected from our master list, why not go ahead and get the voting out of the way?  This way anyone who loves to do a whole lot of holiday reading will have some book club selections to choose from over the break and we get all the business stuff over before the holidays!

The Secret History by Donna Tartt: Richard Papen arrived at Hampden College in New England and was quickly seduced by an elite group of five students, all Greek scholars, all worldly, self-assured, and, at first glance, all highly unapproachable. As Richard is drawn into their inner circle, he learns a terrifying secret that binds them to one another…a secret about an incident in the woods in the dead of night where an ancient rite was brought to brutal life…and led to a gruesome death. And that was just the beginning….

Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann: Sex and drugs and shlock and more — Jacqueline Susann’s addictively entertaining trash classic about three showbiz girls clawing their way to the top and hitting bottom in New York City has it all. Though it’s inspired by Susann’s experience as a mid-century Broadway starlet who came heartbreakingly close to making it, but did not, and despite its reputation as THE roman á clef of the go-go 1960s, the novel turned out to be weirdly predictive of 1990s post-punk, post-feminist, post “riot grrrl” culture. Jackie Susann may not be a writer for the ages, but — alas! — she’s still a writer for our times.

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey: Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead, and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart–he breaking under the weight of the work of the farm; she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the season’s first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone–but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees. This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side, skims lightly across the snow, and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they come to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform all of them.

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown: The Andreas family is one of readers. Their father, a renowned Shakespeare professor who speaks almost entirely in verse, has named his three daughters after famous Shakespearean women. When the sisters return to their childhood home, ostensibly to care for their ailing mother, but really to lick their wounds and bury their secrets, they are horrified to find the others there. See, we love each other. We just don’t happen to like each other very much. But the sisters soon discover that everything they’ve been running from-one another, their small hometown, and themselves-might offer more than they ever expected.

January Voting Selections

It’s that time again, Litwits!  January is only two months away (can you believe it?) so we need to get down to business and make our monthly book selection.  Bianca has selected this month’s options and she decided to make it a Jodi Picoult month!  I’m super excited to finally read something by Ms. Picoult and hope y’all are too.  Should generate some awesome discussion.  You’ll be receiving the voting link later Thursday night or early Friday morning, but here’s a little preview of the books:

House Rules: Jacob Hunt is a teen with Asperger’s syndrome. He’s hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, though he is brilliant in many ways. But he has a special focus on one subject- forensic analysis. A police scanner in his room clues him in to crime scenes, and he’s always showing up and telling the cops what to do. And he’s usually right. But when Jacob’s small hometown is rocked by a terrible murder, law enforcement comes to him. Jacob’s behaviors are hallmark Asperger’s but they look a lot like guilt to the local police. Suddenly the Hunt family, who only want to fit in, are directly in the spotlight. For Jacob’s mother, Emma, its a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it’s another indication why nothing is normal because of Jacob. And over this small family, the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?

Sing You Home: In the aftermath of a series of personal tragedies, Zoe throws herself into her career as a music therapist. When an unexpected friendship slowly blossoms into love, she makes plans for a new life, but to her shock and inevitable rage, some people- even those she loves and trusts most- don’t want that to happen. Sing You Home explores the delicate boundaries of identity, love, marriage and parenthood. What happens when the outside world brutally calls into question the very thing closest to our hearts: family? Once again, Jodi Picoult gracefully brings the hidden tensions of life sharply into focus in this poignantly honest novel.

Mercy: The police chief of a small Massachusetts town, Cameron McDonald, makes the toughest arrest of his life when his own cousin Jamie comes to him and confesses outright that he has killed his terminally ill wife out of mercy. Now, a heated murder trial plunges the town into upheaval and drives a wedge into a contented marriage: Cameron, aiding the prosecution in its case against Jamie, is suddenly at odds with his devoted wife, Allie, seduced by the idea of a man so in love with his wife that he’d grant all her wishes, even her wish to end her life. And when an inexplicable attraction leads to a shocking betrayal, Allie faces the hardest questions of the heart: When does love cross the line of moral obligation? And what does it mean to truly love another?

Handle With Care: Every expectant parent will tell you that they don’t want a perfect baby, just a healthy one. Charlotte and Sean O’Keefe would have asked for a healthy baby, too, if they’d been given the choice. Instead, their lives are consumed by sleepless nights, mounting bills, the pitying stares of “luckier” parents, and maybe worst of all, the what-ifs. What if their child had been born healthy? But it’s all worth it because Willow is, well, funny as it seems, perfect. She’s smart as a whip, on her way to being as pretty as her mother, kind, brave, and for a five-year-old an unexpectedly deep source of wisdom. Willow is Willow, in sickness and in health. Everything changes, though, after a series of events forces Charlotte and her husband to confront the most serious what-ifs of all. What if Charlotte should have known earlier of Willow’s illness? What if things could have been different? What if their beloved Willow had never been born? To do Willow justice, Charlotte must ask herself these questions and one more. What constitutes a valuable life?

And the October, November, and December Winners Are…

The Litwits’ voices have been heard and our final three book selections for the year have been decided!  Without further ado, here they are:

October –

 

November –

 

December –

 

I hope y’all are as excited as I am!  Happy Reading!

October Voting!

Here’s what the Litwits are voting on for their October read:

Arcadia by Lauren Groff:  In the fields and forests of western New York State in the late 1960s, several dozen idealists set out to live off the land, founding what becomes a famous commune centered on the grounds of a decaying mansion called Arcadia House. Arcadia follows this lyrical, rollicking, tragic, and exquisite utopian dream from its hopeful start through its heyday and after. The story is told from the point of view of Bit, a fascinating character and the first child born in Arcadia.

The Cat’s Table by Michael Ondaatje:  In the early 1950s, an eleven-year-old boy in Colombo boards a ship bound for England. At mealtimes he is seated at the “cat’s table”—as far from the Captain’s Table as can be—with a ragtag group of “insignificant” adults and two other boys, Cassius and Ramadhin. As the ship crosses the Indian Ocean, the boys tumble from one adventure to another, bursting all over the place like freed mercury. But there are other diversions as well: they are first exposed to the magical worlds of jazz, women, and literature by their eccentric fellow travelers, and together they spy on a shackled prisoner, his crime and fate a galvanizing mystery that will haunt them forever. By turns poignant and electrifying, The Cat’s Table is a spellbinding story about the magical, often forbidden, discoveries of childhood, and a lifelong journey that begins unexpectedly with a spectacular sea voyage.

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver:  In her most accomplished novel, Barbara Kingsolver takes us on an epic journey from the Mexico City of artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo to the America of Pearl Harbor, FDR, and J. Edgar Hoover. The Lacuna is a poignant story of a man pulled between two nations as they invent their modern identities.

Born in the United States, reared in a series of provisional households in Mexico—from a coastal island jungle to 1930s Mexico City—Harrison Shepherd finds precarious shelter but no sense of home on his thrilling odyssey. Life is whatever he learns from housekeepers who put him to work in the kitchen, errands he runs in the streets, and one fateful day, by mixing plaster for famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. He discovers a passion for Aztec history and meets the exotic, imperious artist Frida Kahlo, who will become his lifelong friend. When he goes to work for Lev Trotsky, an exiled political leader fighting for his life, Shepherd inadvertently casts his lot with art and revolution, newspaper headlines and howling gossip, and a risk of terrible violence.

Meanwhile, to the north, the United States will soon be caught up in the internationalist goodwill of World War II. There in the land of his birth, Shepherd believes he might remake himself in America’s hopeful image and claim a voice of his own. He finds support from an unlikely kindred soul, his stenographer, Mrs. Brown, who will be far more valuable to her employer than he could ever know. Through darkening years, political winds continue to toss him between north and south in a plot that turns many times on the unspeakable breach—the lacuna—between truth and public presumption.

With deeply compelling characters, a vivid sense of place, and a clear grasp of how history and public opinion can shape a life, Barbara Kingsolver has created an unforgettable portrait of the artist—and of art itself. The Lacuna is a rich and daring work of literature, establishing its author as one of the most provocative and important of her time.

A Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar by Suzanne Joinson:  It is 1923. Evangeline (Eva) English and her sister Lizzie are missionaries heading for the ancient Silk Road city of Kashgar. Though Lizzie is on fire with her religious calling, Eva’s motives are not quite as noble, but with her green bicycle and a commission from a publisher to write A Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar, she is ready for adventure.

In present day London, a young woman, Frieda, returns from a long trip abroad to find a man sleeping outside her front door. She gives him a blanket and a pillow, and in the morning finds the bedding neatly folded and an exquisite drawing of a bird with a long feathery tail, some delicate Arabic writing, and a boat made out of a flock of seagulls on her wall. Tayeb, in flight from his Yemeni homeland, befriends Frieda and, when she learns she has inherited the contents of an apartment belonging to a dead woman she has never heard of, they embark on an unexpected journey together.

A Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar explores the fault lines that appear when traditions from different parts of an increasingly globalized world crash into one other. Beautifully written, and peopled by a cast of unforgettable characters, the novel interweaves the stories of Frieda and Eva, gradually revealing the links between them and the ways in which they each challenge and negotiate the restrictions of their societies as they make their hard-won way toward home. A Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar marks the debut of a wonderfully talented new writer.

Attention Litwits: May Voting!

Hi Ladies!  In celebration of Leap Year, I’m sending out the voting links early!  Our May books were randomly selected from the master list.  The selection is quite diverse and I’m sure you’ll see something to your liking.  As always, vote via the surveymonkey link that will arrive in your inbox shortly!  If you don’t receive an email (but please check your spam filter), feel free to leave your vote in the comments.  Voting closes on Sunday!

Green River Killer: A True Detective Story by Jeff Jensen:  Throughout the 1980s, the highest priority of Seattle-area police was the apprehension of the Green River Killer, the man responsible for the murders of dozens of women. But in 1990, with the body count numbering at least forty-eight, the case was put in the hands of a single detective, Tom Jensen. After twenty years, when the killer was finally captured with the help of DNA technology, Jensen and fellow detectives spent 188 days interviewing Gary Leon Ridgway in an effort to learn his most closely held secrets-an epic confrontation with evil that proved as disturbing and surreal as can be imagined. Written by Jensen’s own son, acclaimed entertainment journalist Jeff Jensen, Green River Killer: A True Detective Story presents the ultimate insider’s account of America’s most prolific serial killer. Green River Killer is bound to become a well-recognized member of the crime-genre graphic novel family, including titles like Darwyn Cooke’s The Hunter and Alan Moore’s From Hell.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand:  On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood.  Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared.  It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane’s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard.  So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War. The lieutenant’s name was Louis Zamperini.  In boyhood, he’d been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails.  As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile.  But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown. Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater.  Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion.  His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will. In her long-awaited new book, Laura Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in Seabiscuit.  Telling an unforgettable story of a man’s journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit.

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan: A novel of remarkable depth and poignancy from one of the most acclaimed writers of our time. It is July 1962. Florence is a talented musician who dreams of a career on the concert stage and of the perfect life she will create with Edward, an earnest young history student at University College of London, who unexpectedly wooed and won her heart. Newly married that morning, both virgins, Edward and Florence arrive at a hotel on the Dorset coast. At dinner in their rooms they struggle to suppress their worries about the wedding night to come. Edward, eager for rapture, frets over Florence’s response to his advances and nurses a private fear of failure, while Florence’s anxieties run deeper: she is overcome by sheer disgust at the idea of physical contact, but dreads disappointing her husband when they finally lie down together in the honeymoon suite. Ian McEwan has caught with understanding and compassion the innocence of Edward and Florence at a time when marriage was presumed to be the outward sign of maturity and independence. On Chesil Beach is another masterwork from McEwan—a story of lives transformed by a gesture not made or a word not spoken.

The Creation of Eve by Lynn Cullen: The largely unknown story of female Renaissance painter Sofonisba Anguissola (c. 1532–1625) is beautifully imagined here in YA novelist Cullen’s sparkling adult debut. In a page-turning tale that brings to life the undercurrent of political, romantic, and interfamily rivalries in the court of Spanish King Felipe II, the author shines a light on Sofonisba, who is brought under the tutelage of Michelangelo and later appointed as a lady-in-waiting for the king’s 14-year-old wife, Elisabeth, to whom she becomes a close confidante. The author offers an intriguing vision of what life was like for women of different economic and political stations at that time, and she also takes care to not short-shrift the specifics of Sofonisba’s art and methods. Cullen has found a winning subject in Sofonisba, whose broken heart as a young woman colors her perceptions and judgment about the queen and her imperious husband, as well as the young Elizabeth’s attraction to the king’s brother, and Elizabeth’s odd relationship with the king’s son from his first marriage. Ongoing references to the Spanish Inquisition and the life of the controversial Michelangelo add depth to this rich story.

April Voting!

Hey Litwits – it’s that time again!  This month Jennifer chose our four novels.  See her explanations below and check your emails for the voting link.  For any new members who don’t receive the link, feel free to vote for your favorite in the comments and then send me your email address so that I can add it to our voting list.  Also, voting will end on Sunday!

For the month of April, I chose four books that I have read before, loved, and haven’t had the opportunity to discuss. April is when I’ll be buried in schoolwork, so this provides me an opportunity to have already read the book, and share some of my favorites with others! There’s kind of a theme of realism/memoir, which I have recently realized is my favorite genre.

1. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky / This is the story of what it’s like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie’s letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

Why I chose this book: The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of my all-time favorite books. Chbosky does a fantastic job of portraying the point of view of an introvert, something of which I can relate with.

2. Scar Tissue, by Anthony Kiedis / Whether he’s recollecting the influence of the beautiful, strong women who have been his muses, or retracing a journey that has included appearances as diverse as a performance before half a million people at Woodstock or an audience of one at the humble compound of the exiled Dalai Lama, Kiedis shares a compelling story about the price of success and excess. Scar Tissue is a story of dedication and debauchery, of intrigue and integrity, of recklessness and redemption — a story that could only have come out of the world of rock.

Why I chose this book: I LOVE IT! Kiedis’ life was a wild rollercoaster ride, going from drugs in the slums, recording albums in hawaii, and back and forth. The book reads very easily and Kiedis really draws the reader in.

3. The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls / What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.

Why I chose this book: Walls story is so astounding. When I read the book description, I didn’t think much of it, but after I found the book on sale I figured I would give it a shot. I was drawn in by the third page and finished by the end of that night. Walls is an excellent storyteller and has a lot to share.

4. Look Me In the Eye: My Life With Asperger’s, by John Elder Robison. Ever since he was young, John Robison longed to connect with other people, but by the time he was a teenager, his odd habits—an inclination to blurt out non sequiturs, avoid eye contact, dismantle radios, and dig five-foot holes (and stick his younger brother, Augusten Burroughs, in them)—had earned him the label “social deviant.” It was not until he was forty that he was diagnosed with a form of autism called Asperger’s syndrome. That understanding transformed the way he saw himself—and the world. A born storyteller, Robison has written a moving, darkly funny memoir about a life that has taken him from developing exploding guitars for KISS to building a family of his own. It’s a strange, sly, indelible account—sometimes alien yet always deeply human.

Why I chose this book: While the book does read a lot like how an Aspergian would think (which can be a little hard to follow!), I really loved having that insight to a point-of-view that I do not experience. Robison’s life is quite interesting of a read, but what I really got from the book was a better perspective about people in general.

March Voting

It’s that time again, Litwits!  You’ll be receiving the voting link soon (if not, please email me or comment here) for our March selection.  This time around Jessica did the choosing and here’s her reasoning behind her fantastic selections:

I joined Litwits to change my reading habits: I love to read, but as a magazine editor, that’s what I do all day! When I come home after work, sometimes it’s just easier to reread a favorite than to put my energy into a new book. So when Brooke offered me the opportunity to choose this month’s selections, I knew I had to pick books I had never read. And since my husband and I are saving for a house, the books had to be on my bookshelf or readily available from the library. Those criteria still resulted in a pretty long list, but these are the titles that most spoke to me.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, by Tom Franklin. This book has been on my list for a year—ever since I read the first few pages on Amazon and was annoyed that the excerpt ended with a cliffhanger! The effusive reviews from Amazon readers added to my enthusiasm. The story of a mystery that spans decades and takes place in a small Southern town reminds me of one of my favorite Southern authors, Ron Rash. (Having grown up in the country, I’m a sucker for books that are set in the rural South.)

A Beautiful Place to Die, by Malla Nunn. I picked this book from a Borders bargain rack last year, and it jumps out at me every time I pass my bookshelf; I don’t know why I haven’t read it yet. Like Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, it’s a mystery, but this one’s set in South Africa. My favorite college class was on the history of Africa—it was my only 8 a.m. class in four years, which should tell you how good it was. Some of the best nonfiction I’ve ever read came from those assignments. But I’ve yet to find a novel that compares, so I’m hoping this will be it!

Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. My introduction to Garcia Marquez was The Autumn of the Patriarch—not the best choice, since it consists of about ten sentences spread over 200 pages. A friend assures me that his other books are much easier to read and are worth the effort, and I’ve been meaning to give him another chance. This one’s her favorite, so it made my 2012 reading list.

True Grit, by Charles Portis. I added the Jeff Bridges movie to my Netflix queue and thought, I wonder if that’s based on a book? And it was! As a child, I did my homework in the living room while my father watched Westerns (well, those and horror movies), so the genre is very special to me. But I’ve only read Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove) and would like to try something different.  Amazon describes Portis as “one of America’s foremost comic writers,” and Western plus comedy seems like an ideal pairing—not to mention, the John Wayne version of True Grit is one of those movies I watched during homework time.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful 2012 so far and don’t forget to vote!  Voting will end one week from today!

Time to Vote!

With December’s meetup quickly approaching and January’s novel already selected, we’re now ready to vote for our February book!  This month our feature member making the selections is….ME!  In case you’ve forgotten, each member who was present at the very first meetup back in September 2010 gets to choose a month in 2012 and choose the books we vote on!  February is the perfect month for me since I was born on a cold February morning nearly 28 years ago.  You’ll be receiving your voting emails shortly, but I thought I’d augment the simple synopsis provided by enlightening everyone on why I made the selections I did.

I really thought this would be a simple task, but didn’t turn out that way at all.  I made numerous lists of books I love or would love to read.  I emailed Victoria my selections to get her opinion and had my final list approved and ready to go!  But then I got to thinking – which is always dangerous.  Three of the four books I had selected were typical Brooke reads – all living comfortably inside my comfort zone which generally means written long ago.  So I slashed the list and tried to come up with a theme that challenged me – or at least took me out of my reading rut.  Only one of the four novels was something I wouldn’t normally read – contemporary fiction.  I run screaming from bestseller lists and firmly keep my face planted in 19th century literature or wacky sci-fi/fantasy stuff.  Don’t know why – perhaps it’s the hype/buzz that frightens me.  I prefer a book that has stood the test of time.  Anyway, my four selections challenge that notion – all have been major bestsellers, award winners, critically acclaimed novels from the the past 5 years.

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese was published in January 2010.  It’s a novel written by a doctor and partially takes place in Ethiopia – so definitely something a bit different than I’ve ever read.  I mainly selected this novel because in the world of book blogging and word-of-mouth book praising, this story always garners high praise.  Even other readers as jaded with book critics as myself love this lovely little paperback!  Another plus, it’s probably the only book on my list that will be available in paperback.  I think I just scored it several economically driven votes.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer is both a novel and author I’ve been meaning to read for some time – and it’s in paperback as well (I feel bad for getting Cutting the Stone’s hopes up).  Published in 2006, there’s a movie version coming out starring Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock which seems intriguing.  This particular novel was the only original selection to survive off my first list – why?  I have a weird obsession with post-9/11 fiction that actually deals with that day.  There’s very little literature written yet about those tragic events so when a book pops up proclaiming to offer some sort of insight, theory, or just humanized depiction I need to read it.  Plus, I think many Americans are still trying to figure out what that day means to us – a great discussion could easily be born.

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach is brand spanking new and still all hard and shiny.  Touted by many people who claim to know these things as one of the top 10 books of 2011.  Amazon.com named the book it’s number 1 novel of 2011 – high praise, indeed.  I have a special place in my heart for baseball and many other team sports (Go Dawgs!!).  To me, team sports connect people from all different walks of life, teach valuable lessons to the young and old, and promote a sense of community so often lacking in today’s society.  In my head, I’m fairly certain this is a novel about baseball like Friday Night Lights was a television show about football – which means mostly not at all.  It’s a book about one sport, one event, one central current bringing together people in the same way that the most mundane objects and events can bring us together in a sweetly profound way.  I sure hope I’m right!

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline made it’s sparkly debut in August to the cries and cheers of critics worldwide.  I selected this one for myriad reasons – namely it’s sci-fi which I love.  For those haters out there, science fiction provides such a creative outlet for commentaries on the world we live in today and the world we hope to live in tomorrow.  I’ll also be honest and tell you that the catchphrases ‘nerdy romance’ and ’80s nostalgia’ kind of made me love the book’s description in an almost embarrassing way.  Definitely my more light-hearted selection.

Okay – go forth and vote, Litwits!  Or comment to tell me my selections suck.