2011 Books of the Year...So Far

June is nearly complete, which means the time is right to reveal the Best Books I Have Read in 2011...so far.

Clive Cussler Award (Best Page Turner):
Fiction: Ghosts of Belfast by Stuart Neville - Brtual, gritty, twisted and with ample characterization, this debut novel set in Ireland was a thing of beauty. Taking on the troubled backstory of an IRA Hitman literally haunted by his mideeds, Neville weaves a twisted morality tale with no good or evil characters.
Non-Fiction: When the Game Was Ours by Jackie MacMullin - The story of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, this book does not always break new ground. Yet, it manages to bring the two larger than life 80's Rivals to life for a new generation. Covering all their Championship years, The Dream Team and their eventual abrieviated retirements this book is a quick, but informative read.

Bill Simmons Award (Best Sports)
1) The Jordan Rules by Sam Smith - Widely considered the "best book about Michael Jordan" this one lives up to the title. Smith spent the entire 1991 season with the Bulls and perfectly captures MJ, and the team's transition from a one man show to Champion.
2) The Wave by Susan Casey - Following a group of Big, big, big Wave Surfers like Laird Hamilton, Casey gets inside the "wave" itself and examines it thoroughly from all angles.

James Patterson Award (Most Disappointing Books)
3) Dispatches by Michael Herr - Supposedly "the best" book on Vietnam, this one ended up being a lot repetetive and pretty confusing. Perhaps I was not smart enough to "get it".
2) The Rocket that Fell to Earth by Jeff Pearlman - I have really enjoyed Pearlman's 3 other books. This one was too much of a stretch. Straight up just not as good as his others.
1) I'd Know her Anywhere by Laura Lippman - Nominated for an Edgar (really not sure how...) this was a book where not much happened...at all. Period. A flashback sort of explained things but not really. I would expect the wife of Wire scribe David Simon to have written a much better Edgar nominated book.

James Ellroy Award (Best Crime)
4) The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton - This one was interesting and very unique. The reigning Edgar Award Winner was not your usual crime novel. About a boxman who lost the ability to speak due to a childhood trauma, this is a well-written, well-plotted story that has everything you could want in a crime novel.
3) In the Woods / The Likeness by Tana French - One has a jaw-dropping twist, among the best I have ever read. The other detonates like a slow bomb, twisting and worming its way through your gut. Written in beautiful prose, French is an author well deserving of the hype.
2) The City and the City by China Mieville - A mystery unlike any you have ever read before, the closest comparison I can make is "Inception" crossed with a Conspiracy thriller crossed with James Ellroy. Give it a try, you will not be disappointed.
1) The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo - Nesbo, "the Norweigan Stieg Larsson" in actuality defies that simplified convention. He is, for one thing, a much better writer than Ol'Stieg (cue gasps). Rebreast proves it. Examing Norway's Nazi past (and present) this is a white knuckle ride the entire way through. Not only is there a "who done it" aspect, but it is a rip-roaring conspiracy thriller. Try putting it down.

Jon Krakauer Award (Best Adventure)
2) Blind Descent by James Tabor - Quick! Name the deepest cave on Earth. I'll wait. Pretty sure it is on Google. Tabor takes you inside the world of two of the planet's deepest points. He explores the last great terrestrial accomplishment, in discovering the deepest cave on Earth. Along the way he talks about how awful spelunking is (try climbing Mt. Everest in reverse...and then the right way, just to get out). Awesome.
1) Diving into Darkness by Philip Finch - The most descriptive book on diving I have ever read, this one was like one long nightmare. If you liked Shadow Divers, this is sort of "Shadow Divers Lite". All about Cave Diving, it features some of the most extreme scenes I have ever read.

TJ English Award (Best Non-Fiction Crime)
The Cocaine Wars by Paul Eddy - A font of information about the 1980's, Miami, the Medellin Cartel and the USA's failed attempts to stem the flow of illegal drugs - this book packs a powerful punch. Beautifully descriptive and insightful there are no punches pulled. Vital for understanding what is happening currently in the failing war on Drugs.

Looking Ahead to the rest of the Year:

1) Prague Fatale by Philip Kerr - Another October, another Bernie Gunther novel. This one set during the Heydrich assassination.
2) The Scar by China Mieville - Outside my regular reading rotation, but the "moby-dick-esque" plot hooked me.
3) The Tiger by John Valient - A tiger, hunting people in Russia? Have not got to this one yet, but definitely have to this summer.
4) The Devil's Star / The Snowman / The Leopard by Jo Nesbo - Cannot wait to tear into the rest of Nesbo's Harry Hole series over the summer. Perfect beach reads.
5) Faithful Place by Tana French - The third French book has been called the best. Cannot wait.

New Book / Authors

There are few joys as great as discovering a new author and then discovering they have three or four books you can make your way through. In the past couple of weeks - I have discovered two new authors.

The first, Tana French, came about because I realized that I had not read her acclaimed Edgar-nominated mystery In the Woods. Correcting that mistake was fantastic: French writes with a dark complexity that gives her book real depth. The story, about a haunted detective who must confront his past in order to solve a brutal slaying, is pitch perfect. Yes, it drags slightly in the middle but, then I hit the ending.

At one point I thought I had figured some of it out. Then French dropped a twist that tore the bottom completely out from under me. Staggering is the appropriate word. I eagerly await my chance to read the next two in her series: The Likeness / Faithful Places.

Additionally...I had the chance to check out a brilliant new TV series, AMC's The Killing. While reading a recap, a writer suggested trying out some of the nordic mysteries on which the show is based. His suggestion? Jo Nesbo, arguably the greatest Norweigan crime writer of all time. I picked up his first Harry Hole mystery Redbreast. Not only does this book tie together the dark past of Norway during WW2, but it has a rip-roaring, cannot put it down mystery. I look forward to tearing through the next several in Nesbo's award winning series.

Summer cannot come fast enough - I need beach reading time, ASAP.

The Mount Rushmore of Mystery

Four authors - each a titan in their collective genre. Who makes the Mount Rushmore of Crime Fiction authors? First, a few criteria to establish: 1) The author must write books set in a specific location - If they write books about multiple locations, that can also be okay. However, in order to make this list they have to be "the" mystery writer about their city (ie. Boston / NYC / LA). 2) The author must have written multiple great books in order to qualify - No, "one great book" authors need apply. 3) The author can write series fiction - Just because they write about a character multiple times does not disqualify them. 4) Character, plot, twists, and writing style all count - No generic thriller writers allowed, these must be gritty, realistic and thematic books (Step aside Michael Connelly / James Patterson / Jeffery Deaver). Without further ado - The Mount Rushmore of Crime Fiction: James Lee Burke Why: His books set in New Orleans, featuring his long suffering protagonist Dave Robicheaux are among the most complex and haunting the genre has to offer. They are not often twisty whodunnits (though he can write twists) but rather slow burning affairs that rip his characters to shreds. Best Books: 1) The Tin Roof Blowdown - Probably the best book about Hurricane Katerina. 2) Purple Cane Road - A book that perfectly sums up everything great about Lee Burke's writing, a complex, at times stomach churning ride through the dark side of humanity. 3) Dixie City Jam - One of the best antagonists in recent memory. Dennis Lehane Why: Lehane has written amazing standalone novels in addition to one of the best crime series going. His books, set in Boston, examine brutal lives of violence and the cost of living in that world. The Kenzie / Gennaro series is one of the best there is at providing incredible writing and jaw dropping twists. His standalone books such as Mystic River are wrenching and powerful. Best Books: 1) Darkness Take My Hand - As I have written many times, this is arguably the best serial killer book ever. The level of plotting and slow burning revelation of the darkness lurking at the core of the story makes it one hell of a ride. 2) Mystic River - Dark, complex and character driven. This book was a departure for Lehane - and a very welcome one. George Pelecanos Why: His DC set novels include multiple series and several stellar standalone novels. Pelecanos, like Lee Burke, does not rely on twists - you know who the bad guys are - but his level of characterization brings genuine depths to the darkest hearts in society. Brutal and relentless his novels are often like a punch to the gut. Best Books: 1) The Night Gardener - Like Mystic River, this one is a standalone story that set Pelecanos apart from rest of the mystery crowd and sticks with you long after you read the final pages. 2) The Sweet Forever - My all-time favorite Pelecanos, this book takes you inside the crack epidemic through several active participants. A spector of death looms over the entire story as the tragic tale of Len Bias is told throughout. Philip Kerr Why: A year ago Kerr would have been left off this list. Now? He headlines, thanks to his outstanding Bernie Gunther series (originally written as a trilogy, now 7 books strong). Bernie, a detective from Nazi Germany, weaves his way through history and the depths of Nazi corruption. He is a cynical voice of clarity from within a vault of injustice and pure evil. No saint himself, Bernie participates in acts that are brutal but ultimately proves himself the moral voice of reason (a dark knight) in an insane time. Best Books: 1) The One From the Other - After a 17 year absense from the character, Kerr returned with what is arguably his best book. Bernie tracks down a brutal SS killer in Munich after the war. The ramifications of his actions during the war are examined as is the morality of what he has done. The twists are jaw dropping and the ending completely bittersweet. 2) A Quiet Flame - Arguably his best book as well... (its a crazy argument!) This one takes Bernie to Argentina and brings a new level of depravity to the Peron regime that harboured Nazi fugitives. A stunning story.

The Pantheon

What is the Pantheon? The best ever. Period.

In Basketball the Pantheon is probably five men: Jordan, Russell, Wilt, Magic, Bird.

Hockey has even less: Gretzky, Lemieux, Howe, Orr.

There is no set number for any given Pantheon - greatness dicates who or what belongs. If something is Pantheon worthy, you will definitely know it.

How then, does one go about putting together The Pantheon for books? Not just any good book can get in, there has to be no doubt whatsoever of pantheon-worthiness. Additionally, the Pantheon is never a large group - but, things can enter or exit depending on the emergence of new worthy additions (think Lebron to the NBA pantheon one day, or Crosby to the NHL one). There must is a strict criteria each book must meet and exceed in order to be considered Pantheon worthy.

1) Incredible from start to finish - A book in the pantheon must be able to draw you in from the opening page and keep you wanting more when you conclude. Upon finishing a Pantheon worthy book, you may feel an incredible desire to open it again and skim through the best parts in the following days.

2) Re-readability - Pantheon books can be read and re-read at least a dozen times and yet must never be boring at any time. Each time you read the book, you must discover something new - or simply marvel at the author's accomplishment.

3) Big Ideas - The books must be more than just the words on the page. They need to be thought provoking but, have to balance the line between "too much info" and "not enough".

4) The "I have to tell everyone I know" conundrum - This happens when the book is so good that you tell everyone you know about it and insist they read it. However, you loved this book so much you are loath to loan them your copy for fear of any damage to the book.

5) An Impact on your reading habits - A pantheon level book will leave you desperate for more - either from the author or on the same subject. Each successive book will be more and more disappointing, eventually leading to the re-reading of the original and the declaration that it is "The Book on that particular subject / genre".

6) Could easily have been longer - Have you ever finished a really good book, and even if it is already a thousand pages felt like you would have kept reading even if it was longer? Or, perhaps you wished that it could continue to go on? Some books are like that. You enjoy every single page and would read 10,000 pages by the author if it was necessary.

Therefore, without further ado, here is my Pantheon:

The Book of Basketball by Bill Simmons - This book reignited a dormant love of Sports books. Simmon's outrageous history of the NBA is a well-written, incredibly detailed dive into the world of professional basketball and everything (literally) that goes along with it. I have re-read sections frequently and counted the days until the paperback was released with "new material". The most comprehensive and illuminating sports book I have ever read. Can he do one for every sport?

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurty - The best western novel ever written. Despite being 900 pages, could easily have been another, oh, 10,000.

Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson - The Dwight Gooden 1985 of Non-Fiction books. What do I mean? Gooden's 1985 campaign was the most dominant statistical season in the history of professional baseball...but it came out of nowhere. Yes, he was a good player before and after the season, but never again reached the same level as '85. Kurson came out of magazine journalism to write what may be the best non-fiction account of all time - he will never top his first effort as long as he writes.

American Tabloid by James Ellroy - Everything about this book is Pantheon-worthy. From the signature style to the gripping, conspiracy filled ride through the history of the Kennedy years - this whole package is a tantalizing read.

Monster by Sanyika Shakur - This book changed my life. It made me want to read better books and to better myself. The story is horrifying, violent and downright naueseating at times but shows the flip side of a world few of us understand. The first real account of gang life in Los Angeles.

That's it. Five books. I debated again and again as to the worthiness of other books but decided, for now, to keep it small. What books just missed out?

The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow - Great but not Pantheon-worthy.

Darkness Take My Hand by Dennis Lehane - Powerful, dark and the best serial killer novel ever, but...the awesome twist at the end takes away the re-readability.

A Quiet Flame / The One From the Other by Philip Kerr - Again, either could be Pantheon worthy...but just miss.

The Stand by Stephen King - A worldwide pandemic? Makes for great story-telling, and this is probably the closest of all books to entering the pantheon - maybe after a re-read.

Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer - Fantastic book, great re-read but just not quite as good as Shadow Divers / Monster.

The Winds of War / War and Rememberance by Herman Wouk - Pantheon-worthy for sure, maybe on the next pass (Are you getting the fact that the pantheon is ridiculously tough to crack?!).

Sahara by Clive Cussler - The best Cussler is still a book by Clive Cussler. Sure it has more depth than a lot of novels but it does not reach the same scope as other books. Very high on the re-readability scale however.

Books of the Year - 2010

Amazon.com has once again released their list of The Best Books of 2010 so it seems more than appropriate to release my 2010 list. Like last year, this list will contain the good and the bad and will be expanded with a whole plethora of new catergories.

Now, without further ado - the 2010 Books of the Year

The Clive Cussler Award (Best Page Turner)

Fiction: The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly - As I just recently wrote, this book got me through a weekend on the couch when I was sick. More complex and twisty than Connelly's usual offerings you will be put it down and pick it up a minute later.

Non-Fiction: Boys Will Be Boys by Jeff Pearlman - An examination of the 1990's Cowboys Dynasty, this book gets into the deep and the dirty secrets of the one of the best football teams of all time. Pearlman draws you into the characters who experience ridiculous highs and crashing lows before finding, in the most unlikely of times, redemption.

The James Patterson Award (Most Disappointing Books)

3. Dark Matter by Philip Kerr - The only time I have branched off and read a book by Kerr other than his phenomenal Bernie Gunther series. It will also be the last time. I understand what Kerr was trying to do; turn Isaac Newton into Sherlock Holmes, but the execution is off. Boring is a word I never figured I would associate with Kerr's writing but there you go.

2. Iron River by T Jefferson Parker - I really enjoyed the first book is his Charlie Parker trilogy and the second was a decent read. In this novel, however, Parker tried to be James Lee Burke. The main problem? No one can be Lee Burke but Lee Burke. This one had so much promise but ultimately fell apart under metaphysical circumstances that made no sense.

1. The Bodies Left Behind by Jefferey Deaver - Deaver's books are good for one thing: the jaw dropping twists and turns they take. In this one though, (which, admittedly I read after watching Inception) the "patented" twists were so telegraphed I had figured out the entire plot four pages in. Terrible, sloppy work from someone who has done much better.

Bill Simmons Award (Best Sports Book)

2. Bringing the Heat by Mark Bowden - A great portrait of the 1992 Philly Eagles, Bowden gets inside the world of Pro Football and his work is illuminating, well written and touching.

1. The Book of Basketball / Now I Can Die in Peace by Bill Simmons - Two of the best books I read this year.

Jon Krakauer Award (Best Non-fiction)

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson - As advertised; I learned more from this book (and I had the illustrated version) than I did in 12 years of school. The best part? It is a page-turner.

Gary Smith Award (Best Article)

"Bleed Through" by Charles Bowden GQ September 2010 - One of the first articles to examine the impact of the Mexican Cartel Wars on Texas, this article is chilling, haunting and a very terrifying reading experience.

David Simon Award (Smartest Book)

The Glass Rainbow by James Lee Burke - A potential series swan song? Burke certainly throws all of his skills into one of the best final chapters of his career.

Books of the Year

5B. The Red Riding Quartet by David Peace - A dark, extreme noir ride through the years 1974 - 1983 in Yorkshire. Centered around the infamous "Yorkshire Ripper" Case, the books are a deep expose of police corruption and the impact of violence. A towering literary achievement and the final pages of voulme four will leave the reader completely staggered. Powerful stuff.

5A. The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John LeCarre - The best spy novel of all time. Less is more for LeCarre and here is a taut, minimalist masterpiece about a deeply conflicted spy who desperately wants out.

4. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson - So full of interesting information your head may explode when you read it. My favourite part? Calling "Darwin's singular notion" the greatest idea anyone has ever had in the history of the world.

3A. LA Confidential by James Ellroy - The plot is so brilliantly convoluted that it makes the movie look like about as complex as the Lion King. When the villain is finally revealed, the punch is so powerful you may drop the book.

3. Now I Can Die in Peace by Bill Simmons - A look at the Boston Red Sox and their ultimate title journey through the microcosm of the movie The Shawshank Redemption. The most-apt comparison? 1986 was like the two years Andy spent being abused by "the sisters". Absolutely hilarious and rightly deserving of the accolade: the "Moby Dick of Red Sox books".

2. The Passage by Justin Cronin - Long, sprawling and at times there are wasted words. However, Cronin's dystopian future is so poignent and harrowing that it makes up for the slight (100 page) drag in the middle. A page-turner that means so much more then the words on the page, this is a book that will stick with you for some time.

1. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurty - This is a Pantheon-level book (one of the best ever) and as a novel is absolutely stone brilliant. McMurty's characters are so beautifully drawn that their long (900+ page) journey could easily have been 900 pages longer. A singular achievement.

Author of the Year: Bill Simmons

Between his books The Book of Basketball, Now I Can Die in Peace and his columns and his podcasts, no one kept me better entertained this year. Truly, no other author was even really in contention once I read his incredible and hilarious book on the history of the NBA. He reignited a long dormant love of Sports books and is without a doubt my author of the year.

Looking Ahead - 2011's Most Anticipated Books

World War Z by Max Brooks - Supposedly the best zombie novel around, combining the best of horror and social commentary.

Fall of Giants by Ken Follett - Always a solid author, this one starts a new trilogy.

The Tiger by John Valient - A book about a tiger, hunting men in Siberia? I am in.

The Underground Empire by James Mills - Discovered in a used bookstore, this is a book from the 80's that tried to examine the full scope of the Drug Empires that have taken control of our world.

The Breaks of the Game by David Halberstam - Widely considered the best sports book of all time.

In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson - His best book The Devil in the White City and its follow up Thunderstruck were great. No reason this one, set in Nazi Germany should be any different.

The Lincoln Lawyer

Michael Connelly is best known for his Harry Bosch mysteries but The Lincoln Lawyer was the first book he has written that I have truly enjoyed. Other books in his continuing series tend to be "slightly preposterous" and not dark or gritty enough for my tastes. I read The Lincoln Lawyer while I was sick and it got me through two days of not wanting to get off the couch. This book is nearly impossible to put down and was perfectly plotted with genuinely surprising twists and turns. The characters are not stock standard or easy to pin down and protagonist Mickey Haller is a moral mess of a defense attorney who only fears defending a "truly" innocent client.

A great read, fast paced and complex enough to satisfy even the snobbiest of readers looking for something light.

Other news:

Watch for my Books of the Year column in the next couple of weeks. I have read more than 60 books this year and the list will be a compendium of The Best, The Worst and will include my choice for Author of the Year.

Lonesome Dove

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurty is everything it is purported to be: tense, beautiful, haunting, epic, powerful and among the best novels ever written. The story is simple and many writers would struggle to provide depth with such a premise, yet McMurty never faulters. Two cowboys and former Texas Rangers decide to leave a comfortable life in Texas to lead a cattle drive to the uncharted lands of Montana. Along the way their rag tag group of misfits and outlaws encounter all kinds of danger and adventure. Some, like young Newt, grow up and become men. Others, like Jake, meet a fate for which their entire lives have primed them. All of the characters resonate deeply in this book, even the mysterious and brutal Blue Duck whose reign of terror dominates the plains.

There is only one real complaint with this book: it could easily have been a thousand pages longer.