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I love great fiction. My tastes fall more on the literary, non-commercial (my wife would say snobby) side; or what is normally called trade fiction. As we start the New Year, I thought I’d share with you some of my favorite novels of 2009.
Obviously, there were a lot of great novels published this year I just couldn’t get to (that pesky combination of work and family really get in the way). My apologies to Anne Tyler, Philip Roth, Paul Auster, Lorrie Moore, Dave Eggers and other great writers who wrote widely-praised novels in 2009–I’ll get to you in 2010. By the way, I’m no pseudo-literary critic; I judge novels not by deep themes, pretty prose, socio-economic impact or any other lofty criteria, but by how well the author tells a good story. Looking over this list, I noticed that all of these works are very accessible and entertaining. I’ll aspire to get back to my pretentious ways in 2010! Here were some of my favorites from 2009:
Once a Runner, John Parker
A cult classic from 1978 that was republished in 2009, and universally considered to be the best book ever written about running. The novel once had the (not entirely desirable) distinction of being the most requested out-of-print book. The descriptions of the life of a competitive runner have never been matched. Intense, well-written and serious inspiration to those looking to get their sneakers laced up for 2010.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson
So much has been written about this novel, I’m not sure I can add anything original except a glowing endorsement from a guy who doesn’t normally read mystery novels. Originally published in the late Larsson’s native Sweden in 2005, this book deserved all the attention it received. Once you get the myriad of characters sorted out in your head (this is the opposite of a 1-2-3 whodunnit) you’ll fly through this novel as the disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist and punky researcher Lisbeth Salander negotiate twists and turns to get to the bottom of an old Vanger family mystery.
That Old Cape Feeling, Richard Russo
Richard Russo is one of my favorite authors, and even a mediocre effort from him is still better than reading just about anyone else. This is certainly not his best work–that title probably goes to the Pulitzer-Prize winning Empire Falls, Nobody’s Fool (which was made into a great film with Paul Newman) or in my opinion, one of the funniest, wisest and most underrated novels ever written, Straight Man (if you haven’t read Straight Man, stop what you’re doing now and go buy it). Still, reading That Old Cape Magic you’ll find yourself in the hands of an American master. I know some people had issues with the large amounts of exposition and flashback-style narrative, but the sadness and tenderness of Jack Griffin’s story and Russo’s incredible writing makes it more than worth the trip.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, Jeff Kinney
Laugh if you want, but the fourth book in Kinney’s Wimpy Kid Series is a big home run. Without 2 daughters nearly the same age as the hilarious protagonist Greg Heffley, I would never have picked this book up–and that would have been my loss. So many children’s books are written as if children aren’t just younger, but some type of stupid sub-species, and books aimed toward them are usually filled with groaningly predictable plot twists, cloying dialogue and a contrived, patronizing ending. Kinney gets it right. This is a very fast, very funny (even for adults) story with laugh-out-loud simple drawings that capture tween angst and awkwardness perfectly.
The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis, Lydia Davis
Known as a “writer’s writer,” Lydia Davis creates very powerful, very brief short stories. Many in this collection are less than a page long, and some are just a paragraph. This collection includes her stories from her noted debut Break It Down in 1986 to the 2007 National Book Award nominee Varieties of Disturbance.
When Love Was Clean Underwear, Susan Barr-Toman
Full disclosure: Susan is a friend, but trust me, that doesn’t make her debut novel any less of a winner. Pick up Susan’s book, and you’ll meet a great character, Lucy Pescitelli, a South Philly virgin and part-time funeral worker saddled with a mother so overbearing she forces Lucy to help her commit suicide. What Barr-Toman does so well here is bring a lot of heart to Lucy’s story, and she captures the flavors of her South Philly neighborhood without resorting to the usual cliches and stereotypes. A solid, really strong first novel.
Juliet, Naked, Nick Hornby
Probably the most entertaining novel I read this year and a must for anyone who’s a “serious” music fan. I’m always envious of people who have never read Nick Hornby, because his writing is so wonderful and accessible. Hornby has no writerly pretensions; he’s just a great storyteller and his novels are funny, quick and (I think) surprisingly reflective about modern society. Hornby is also a very tactile writer; he creates vivid scenes in such simple language–which may be why so many of his novels have translated well to film (High Fidelity with John Cusack, About a Boy with Hugh Grant, Fever Pitch and he wrote the screenplay for this year’s super well-reviewed An Education). He is also a noted music critic.
In Juliet, Naked, we learn about Tucker Crowe, a Dylanesque rock star who disappears suddenly from public life after releasing his eighties masterpiece, Juliet. His fans, unabashed music snobs, refuse to let him go, and so Tucker remains vibrant on the Internet where his devotees exchange old pictures, swap bootleg tapes, trade “Tucker is working on a new album” rumors and endlessly analyze his song lyrics. Like many of Hornby’s novels Juliet, Naked exists on two levels: there is a great story, comedy and romance, but I think there’s a lot going on underneath here–like how the Internet has connected (and disconnected) us, the trappings of celebrity and what happens when we can’t separate an artist from his/her art.
Coraline, Neil Gaiman
I’ve been a fan of Gaiman for a long time. He can do anything–great adult novels (Anansi Boys, Neverwhere, Stardust) children’s books (The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish) and comics (The Sandman series, one of the most critically acclaimed comics of the last 40 years). You may be familiar with the movie (which was also great), but this quasi-kids’ graphic novel illustrated by P. Craig Russell pulls no punches. I read this to my nine-year-old in one day–and she had some problems sleeping that night, so note to parents: The graphic novel is much darker and creepier than the film version.
Generosity: An Enchantment, Richard Powers
Probably the most literary novel on my list, but a pleasure to read. Richard Powers is known for combining science and humanism into his novels. Here he asks the question: Does the happiness gene exist? What would the pharmaceutical and science community do with it should they be able to isolate and market it? Is this the logical next step for our medicated society and does this path of “genetic enhancement” we’re all going down signal the end to what it really means to be human? Russell Stone is a creative non-fiction teacher with a student who seems to have hyperthymia, a very rare trait that manifests itself in a near-constant state of euphoria. I won’t spoil any more of the plot, but in addition to being an exceptional novel that really makes you think, I believe this is the first novel I’ve read that successfully incorporates the effect of the Internet, TV and social media on our daily lives.
Okay, where did I get it wrong. Which novels did you read that didn’t make it on my list?
Author Bio:
Tony Rosato, Alstin's Vice President, Client Development, is the most well-traveled member of our team and one of the nicest guys we know. Sharing his 20 years of industry experience with prospective clients everywhere, Tony's Type A personality is powered by premium iced tea (but never chocolate). 
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