Best Books of 2009

As book-loving librarians, well, let's just say that we read a lot this year. Here are a few of our favorites--not necessarily bestsellers, but those that hit the right note at the right time...

We sifted and sorted through the hundreds of books we read this year...

And our top picks for 2009 are:

Carol's Picks

The Help by Kathryn Stockett--explores the relationships between young, white housewives and their black maids in pre-civil rights movement Mississippi (EXCELLENT on audio). Better, even, than The Secret Life of Bees.

Labor Day by Joyce Maynard--poignant tale seen through the eyes of a teenage boy, and the man he later becomes with a look back to an encounter that began one life-altering weekend.

Impostor's Daughter by Laurie Sandell--proof positive that graphic novels are literature & an endearingly bizzare true story to boot.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova--traces the descent of a once brilliant academic to that of a woman whose brain is ravaged by early onset Alzheimer's. Realism coupled with a sense of intimate immediacy grants the novel a memoir-like voice. A more sensitive portrait of degenerating mind is impossible to imagine.

The Cradle by Patrick Somerville--this multifacted familial tale has the cadence of a lullaby and was written by one of Wisconsin's very own.

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall--full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration.

Liz's Picks

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen--a memoir full of sassy
humor and self-deprecating honesty.

Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell--Part medical thriller, part mafioso, and with a pacing that (happily) sets the teeth on edge, it's"House" meets "The Sopranos" all the way!

Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon--three separate narratives about relationships and identity that come together in a surprise twist.

Little Bee by Chris Cleave--heartbreaking story told from the perspective of a Nigerian orphan.

The Magicians: A Novel by Lev Grossman--a truly adult read for the Harry Potter lover in you.

Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist by Michael J. Fox--Michael J. Fox's emotional, psychological, intellectual, and spiritual outlook on his struggle with Parkinson's disease.

Anna's Picks

Somewhere Towards the End by Diana Athill--a beautiful, if patrician love letter that celebrates the writer's life, while likewise reminding reader's of words capacity to enrapture.

A Bad Day for Sorry by Sophie Littlefield--Ever feel frustrated enough to bite the heads off kittens? Me neither, but oh, what a line! Vigilante or female avenger? You decide--and enjoy the ride!

Bad Things Happen by Harry Dolan--real who-done-it's be rare, this is one. A literary mystery in every sense of the word, it's truly a gem.

Short Girls: A Novel by Bich Minh Nguyen--Finally! Affirmation for the vertically challenged amongst us! Also, an immediately digestible tale spiced with Vietnemese-American history & cultural antedotes; the occasional expected woes of assimilation; the power of sisterhood, famililal strife, and yes, forays of food.

The Leisure Seeker: A Novel by Michael Zadoorian--an ailing elderly couple embarks on one final road trip in order to celebrate a life well lived (& end a life well lived on their own terms). Always poignant and amazingly uplifting despite the content.

I'm Sorry You Feel That Way: The Astonishing but True Story of a Daughter, Sister, Slut, Wife, Mother, and Friend to Both Man and Dog by Diana Joseph--Absolutely delightful! And, the title says it all.

Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals by Temple Grandin--Written by world renowned animal behaviorist & notable autism expert (she herself is diagnosed), this cautionary work is for anyone and everyone who loves animals & has animals who love them.

Ravens by George Dawes Green--Not sure what's so great. The colorful cast of characters? The pacing? Or, perhaps the sheer audacity of it all? No matter, for I simply couldn't put it down.

Graphic Novels

Did you know Sun Prairie Public Library has an Adult Graphic Novel Collection? It is located in front of the Renk Reading Room (fireplace!), next to the audiobooks.

Graphic novels are growing in popularity, and the best ones are always checked out, just like other bestsellers. In fact, The New York Times recently introduced three separate lists of the best-selling graphic books in the country: hardcover, softcover, and manga.

So, cozy up to a quick read! If the fireplace is not lit, just ask and we can add instant atmosphere (and warmth) to your reading experience.

Here’s what people are excited about:

Stitches: A Memoir.

David Small. (921 Small)

A radiologist father subjects his son to x-rays in this poignant coming-of-age memoir.

A Drifting Life.

Yoshihiro Tatsumi.

(921 Tatsumi)
A monumental memoir eleven years in the making. It begins with childhood in Osaka, Japan, and the aftermath of World War II.

A.D. New Orleans After the Deluge.

Josh Neufeld. (976.335 Neu)
Horrific true stories from seven New Orleans survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

Dark Entries.

Ian Rankin. (F Rankin)
When contestants on a reality TV show are murdered, occult detective John Constantine investigates.

Tamara Drewe.

Posy Simmonds. (F Simmonds)
Captures the frumpiness of a British writer’s retreat, a mid-life crisis, and the chaotic upheavals a young journalist unleashes upon arriving.

Tonoharu: Part One.

Lars Martinson (F Martinso)
Experience alienation, homesickness, and culture shock first-hand when a romantic confronts reality by becoming an English teacher in Japan.

The Photographer.

Emmanuel Guibert.

(958.1045 Gui)
Into war-torn Afghanistan with Doctors Without Borders.

You’ll Never Know: A Graphic Memoir.

Carol Tyler. (921 Tyler)

The author explores her fathers unspoken experiences as a GI during World War II.

BookPage

Thanks to the Friends of the Sun Prairie Library, you can now pick up a free copy of BookPage each month. BookPage is a monthly publication brimming with reviews of bestsellers, hot new fiction, nonfiction, children's books, and teen reading. It's a great way to discover hidden gems and get a jump on the hold list for forthcoming books. Can't make it to the library? BookPage can also be access electronically on our website. Located in the display stand on the rear side of the new book shelves. Be sure to pick up your copy early in the month - they go fast!