In 2012 I read 52 books. Some were great; many were not so
great. Here are my favorites:
Most Important book
of the year: The
Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Religion and Politics by
Jonathan Haidt. It changed my outlook on politics and religion.
Funniest: Where’d
You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple. Laugh-out-loud funny skewering Seattle.
Best Essays: We
Learn Nothing: Essays and Cartoons by Tim Kreider. A strange and wonderful
look at life.
Most Heartbreaking:
Defending
Jacob by William Landay. Still haunts me especially in light of the Sandy
Hook shootings.
Best Cookbook: Simple
Pleasures by Cornelia Guest. I loved the recipes and all the photos of
Cornelia Guest’s home.
Best Self-Help: Much
Ado About Loving: What our favorite novels can teach you about date
expectations, not-so-great Gatsbys, and love in the time of Internet personals
by Jack Murningham and Maura Kelly. The
title tells it all—very clever.
Best Swedish Mystery:
Some
Kind of Peace by Camilla Grebe and Asa Traff. Masterful work by a sister
team.
Best Family Story:
The
World Without You by Joshua Henkin. Great character development.
Biggest Surprise:
Gossip
by Beth Gutcheon. Looks like Chicklit. Deeply engrossing character study.
Best Presidential
Assassination: Destiny
of the Republic by Candice Millard. A whole book about an aspect of history
of which I knew nothing.
Best Disease Book:
Brain
on Fire by Susannah Cahalan. One of my most popular postings this year.
Best Spiritual: An
Unquenchable Thirst by Mary Johnson. A former nun tells about life as a
follower of Mother Teresa.
Best Immigrant book:
Into
the beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea. Very funny look at illegal
immigration.
Most Self-Serving:
Saving
Each Other by Victoria Jackson and Ali Guthy. Mom’s career or daughter’s
illness? Which is more important?
Worst Novel: Game
of Secrets by Dawn Tripp and Dancing
on Broken Glass by Ka Hancock. “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say
anything at all!”
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