So many books, so little time. That’s my motto.
2013 was a great year for anyone that likes to read—spectacular books from just about every genre filled the bookshelves. There truly is something for everyone this year.
The holidays are upon us, and if you find yourself lucky enough to have a few spare moments, pick up one of these great books. I promise you won’t be sorry!
Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls
David Sedaris
If you’ve never read one of Sedaris’ self-deprecating essays, I don’t want to know you. He is a master of dry wit and will have you laughing out loud. This collection has a somewhat bittersweet flavor to it, but remains enormously entertaining.
Nine Inches: Stories
Tom Perrotta
A superb collection of short stories that detail so much that is the human condition. Perrotta is in his element writing about frailty and dysfunction in personal interaction, to the point you feel the characters more than you read about them.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Neil Gaiman
Dark and magical at the same time, Gaiman knocks this tale out of the ballpark. It’s the spectre of death that lingers over two worlds for the book’s main character, as he revisits his youth and the mystical characters that remain.
Life After Life
Kate Atkinson
If only we could have a do-over. And another. And another still. Atkinson’s tale of a girl reliving her life over and over until she accomplishes her mission is intriguing—and a crazy good read.
Where’d You Go, Bernadette
Maria Semple
A wild ride, indeed. Join Bee Branch as she tries to uncover just what made her mother, Bernadette—a once promising architect—go crazy, and then just go away. It’s an engrossing, funny and heartbreaking page-turner.
After Visiting Friends: A Son’s Story
Michael Hainey
Sometimes, the truth is better than fiction—in particular, when it involves your family history. Former Chicagoan Michael Hainey retraces his long-dead father’s steps in the years, months and weeks leading up to his passing. It’s a fantastic memoir.
Dante’s Wood
Lynne Raimondo
Another local author makes good in her debut—a top-notch mystery that follows sleuth Mark Angelotti as he tries to save the wrong man from a lifetime in jail. Well-rounded characters, plus a variety of plot twists and turns, will keep you up reading all night.
Motherland
Amy Sohn
The mother of crazy when it came to this year’s books. You will gasp out loud at the antics played out by the mothers of Park Slope in NYC. This read is perfect for an escapist weekend or as an antidote for the book that had everyone in your book club snoozing.
