Best Books of 2008: The Five Greatest Books of the Year

Every newspaper and bookseller has a list of their choices for the year's best books in December, some of them with up to 100 entries. Many of them center around the best seller lists, or the winners of various literary awards. This list is short, just five books. But all of them are personal choices. These are the books I loved most during 2008, and I recommend these earnestly. There is a little something out there for everyone.

The Gargoyle

By Andrew Davidson

Doubleday

In his first novel, Andrew Davidson presented not one but several unlikely love stories set in medieval and modern worlds. In a classic literary tradition these stories unfold slowly around the two central characters - the unnamed narrator and the enigmatic sculptress Marianne Engel. My expectations for this book were misguided. I thought it would be something bordering on horror. Instead it was fantastical, much like the gargoyles Engel sculpts throughout the novel. Davidson does a remarkable job of creating a fairly unsympathetic narrator whose story draws us unwillingly into his heart and mind.This book is complex, and slowly pushes the reader into a leap of faith in the midst of doubt.

One More Year: Stories

By Sana Krasikov

Spiegal & Grau

This debut collection of short stories brings to life lonely men and women, mostly Slavic and mostly despairing. In each story a vivid vignette springs to life. Gifted with details, Krasikov shows us the beating hearts of lives going on under the surface, of lives waiting to begin even after twenty or thirty years. From Moscow to New York their lives stretch from choice to choice. Krasikov writes as if she were a ghost, hovering in these apartments and houses. Her muted prose reflects a sense of kinship and compassion for her characters. This is a book to be savored over long nights.

Tales of Pain and Wonder, 4th Ed.

By Caitlin R. Kiernan

Subterranean Press

Many of these stories were originally published in 2000, introducing Kiernan's voice to the world. This particular collection has undergone several metamorphoses to this special edition published by Subterranean Press. One of my favorite stories in this collection is "In The Waterworks," in which an ordinary tunnel project stumbles into something infinitely old and dark. The story serves as prelude to Kiernan's second novel Threshhold. Everything in Tales of Pain and Wonder is worth reading, from Louisiana graveyards to empty houses to girls with silver eyes and desolate homes by the sea. She has an excellent sense of Lovecraftian horror built on spare but vivid prose. Her greatest gift is in the astute and clear depiction of her characters' psychological state.

The Graveyard Book

by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean

HarperCollins

What's not to love about a boy named Nobody Owens? Gaiman weaves a dark fantasy that works equally well for children and adults. It is layered with his humor, his literary references and a fine sense of the unique magic of childhood. It is a delightful book, and the loving care put into the story is evident on every page. As with so many of Gaiman's stories, all things black and white can change or become grey and all choices come with a price. He also infuses it with a whimsy and delight for readers of all ages.

Hello Cupcake! Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make

by Alan Richardson and Karen Tack

Houghton Mifflin Co.

Cupcakes continue to be the most popular thing on the block. In this book, Richardson and Tack create incredible fancy cupcakes with just the bare essentials. It is the perfect book for the home baker. Nothing special is required in tools or skills. It's more of an instruction book, as it goes into great detail and shows step by step how to creature tiny masterpieces. A few cupcake recipes are included in the back of the book for quick reference. The main point though is to show home bakers how to whip up some fancy cupcakes even without all of Martha's tools or pastry chef training. Practicing and refining the tricks shown in Hello Cupcake seems like a sweet exercise. I'm a great baker, but hopeless at being artistic. This book has shown me a lot of ways I can make my food "pretty" and fanciful without having to be a genius.