"Don't ever apologize to an author for buying something in paperback, or taking it out from a library. Don't apologize to this author for buying books second hand, or getting them from bookcrossing or borrowing a friend's copy. What's important to me is that people read the books and enjoy them, and that, at some point in there, the book was bought by someone. And that people who like things, tell other people. The most important thing is that people read... "
-- Neil Gaiman
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What a good year for literature world 2009 is! And, well, here are some books I've read this year that leave deep impression to me -- not all books in this list is 2009 releases, but you know ,this list is about the book I HAVE READ this year, not the book released this year. I guess there are big differences in that two. Alright, enough digressing, enjoy!
1. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
Perhaps the best graphic novel I've ever read (and consider how many graphic novels I've read, I think this book is highly exceptional.)
2. White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
Funny and smart. White Tiger is culturally (ir)relevant and politically (in)correct portrayal of the daily life in India, the book also deals with such topic like economy inequality in the world, globalization, at some points the book even mocks the religious beliefs of the world, and mainly, the book is talking about OUTSOURCING. Yes, this is a book about outsourcing.
3. Rant by Chuck Palahniuk
Actually I read 3 Palahniuk books this year, Rant, Lullaby and Pygmy, but I chose to put Rant on the list simply because it is epicly strange, tasteless, ultra-violent and totally gross (and all that Palahniuk's trademarks.) If you're not familiar with Palahniuk's works, do yourself a favor: don't read this book.
4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
A book about book. Beautifully written and incredibly moving, some literature critics even dubbed it, "Harry Potter and The Holocaust" (since it took place in Germany around World War 2) and I kinda agree with those critics, because -- after all -- just like Rowling's Harry Potter series, this book really has its own magic.
5. The Time Paradox by Philip Zimbardo
Famously known as the notorious Stanford Prison Experimenter, Zimbardo is my favorite 'classic mad scientists' (in other dimension, he could be Lex Luthor -- minus the baldness.) I finished reading his 'Lucifer Effect' last year, and it is a sin to me not to read his newest.
P.S: the self-scoring Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) in this book is really a great fun.
6. Blankets by Craig Thompson
I could list Blankets as one of the greatest book I've ever read, in par on every regard with such classics like James Joyce Ulysses, Huxley's Brave New World and Steinbeck's Grape of Wrath. Seriously. Blankets proves once again that graphic novel is not only for children and under-age readers, graphic novel should be considered as serious as any other literature media.
7. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
If there's any kind of serious literature (i.e, a novel) that mention Galactus, Fantastic Four, Atari and otaku, you can bet it's on my reading list. Strange yet appealing, the book is all about Walt Whitman meets Star Wars, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez meets anime characters. Fun read for those who are familiar with both 'sophisticated, heavy' literatures and popular culture.
8. The Reasons I Won't Be Coming by Elliott Perlman
A collection of short stories by Elle's magazine writer, Elliott Perlman: some of the stories here are heartwarming, some are energetic and uplifting, some others are just depressingly suicidal, but in the whole they are all beautiful and well-written.
9. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
This book analyzes the detailed process of how society acquired info, gossips, trends and all those 'spreading-like-disease' stuff and a warning: this book is highly contagious. Actually I read 2 others Gladwell's books this year: Blink and Outliers, but still, my hat goes off for Tipping Point simply because it is the most fun to read.
10. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Actually this is a 2008 book, but I've just managed to read it around this year's January, and yup, Gaiman recrowned himself as the world's best storyteller, his magic still works effectively and charms all the readers.
11. On Beauty by Zadie Smith
A descendant of past female authors like Austen, Rand or Woolf, Zadie Smith (and the above, Marjane Satrapi) is now the leading female author in literature world, their writings aren't the usual 'chick-lit' or sappy romance like Stephenie Meyer's Twilight, and for that -- I bet my money for it -- I think Smith would still be heavily talked for years to come.
12. Lowboy - John Wray
A paranoid, delusional teenager thinks he got only 10 hours to save the world, so he escapes his asylum and all of his heavy medication, to get on board the train in New York subway. Imaginative and inspirational, at the end of the book you'll ask yourself: "what is normal?" and you'll probably think that 'normalcy' is just a social consensus.
Happy 2010.
Keep on reading.
Keep on reading.
