Best of The top 10 books.docx

Best of The top 10 books.docx

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BestofThetop10books

10.MaryCoinbyMarisaSilver

"DoyoumindifItakeyourpicture?

"In1936photographerDorotheaLangefocusedherlensontheexhaustedfaceofamigrantwoman,amotherofsevendisplacedbytheDustBowlandcaughtinthedownwardspiraloftheGreatDepression.Inthisiconicimage,caughtinaquicksilvermoment,usinganewtechnology,twowomen-photographerandsubject-werelinkedforever.

That'stheset-upforSilver'selegantlywrittenthirdnovel.ShebraidstogetherthestoriesofUSgovernmentphotographerVeraDare（aproxyforLange）,hersubjectMaryCoin-theOklahoma-bornmothershespottedworkinginaCaliforniapicker'scamp-andBerkeleyculturalhistorianWalkerDodge,whofindsunexpectedconnectionstothemboth.

Silverunleashesakaleidoscopeofimages,thenslowsdownlongenoughforustoabsorbtheemotionalresonanceofeach.MostsurprisingisMaryCoin'slate-liferecognitionofwhattheportrait-"frozenintoanindeliblepastlikeaninsultyoucannevertakeback"-meanstotheworldoutsideherown.（BlueRiderPress）

9.TheWomanWhoLostHerSoulbyBobShacochis

TheWomanWhoLostHerSoulstartsasasimplethrillerwithasimpleguidingintrigue:

WhokilledJackieScott?

ButShacochishashissightssethigh.HerangesfromNazi-occupiedCroatia,whereayoungboywatcheshisfatherbeheaded,toColdWarIstanbulin1986,whenthatboy,nowaUSdiplomat,trainshisowndaughterintradecraft.SheshowsupinHaitiafterthedisastrous1996USinvasion,callingherselfJackieScott,seekingaVodoupriesttohelprecoverhersoul.

"WhenAmericanspray,theyprayfirstthathistorywillstepasideandleavethemalone,"Shacochiswrites."Buthistorywalksonallofus,lashedbytime,andsometimeswefeelitsbootonourbacksandsometimesweareoblivioustoitspassing."Thisspectacularnovelisaglobe-spanninghalf-centuryprequeltotheterroristattacksof11September2001.ItmeasuresuptothedarkestworkofJohnleCarréandGrahamGreene.（AtlanticMonthlyPress）

8.TenthofDecemberbyGeorgeSaunders

SaundersisanAmericanoriginal.Hisshortstoriescapturelikenooneelsetheinteriorflowofdailyexperience,withitsjoltinginterruptionsandcontinualself-prompts.Nomatterhowweirdandwacko,howsavagehissatire,hisinventedworldsfeelfamiliar.

Inhisfourthcollection,Saunders'darksensibilityisunderlitbycompassion.TenthofDecemberincludesabsurdisttales,likeEscapefromSpiderhead,inwhichayoungmaleinmatedosedwithanexperimentaldrugcalledDarkenfloxxTM（"Imaginetheworstyouhaveeverfelt,timesten"）findsanescape.

SaundersraisesthepossibilityofredemptioninVictoryLap,astoryinwhicharomanticteenagegirlisthreatenedwithviolence,andthetitlestory,inwhichasuicidalcancerpatientfindshimselfunexpectedlyrestoredtojoy,ormorepreciselyto"thatfeelingofbeingacceptedbackagainandagain,ofsomeone'saffectionforyouexpandingtoencompasswhatevernewflawedthinghadjustmanifestedinyou."（Bloomsbury）

7.SpartabyRoxanaRobinson

Robinson'sharrowingaccountofaUSMarine'sreturnfromRamadiandHadithatothehomefrontisthisgeneration'sversionofHemingway'sSoldier'sHome.Conrad,26,signedupfordutyafterstudyingclassicsincollege."Theclassicalwriterslovewar,"hetellshisparents."Beingasoldierwasthewholedeal,thecentralexperience.Sparta,thePeloponnesianWar,theIliad.Thucydides,Homer,Tacitus."

Robinsonexploresthedisconnectbetweencivilians,whoaren'tfacedwithquestionsofsurvival,honourandloyaltyonadailybasis,and'normallife'inIraq.InConrad'scombatoutpost,dubbedSparta,soldiersareinacontinualstateoffear,exhaustionandboredom,withdeathaconstantpresence.Oncehome,theyfaceadevastatingtightropewalk,rehabbingfromwoundsorbattlingsymptomsofpost-traumaticstressandtheinfuriatingbureaucraticsnarloftheUSVeteransAffairssystem.Intheyearmarkingthe10thdecadesincetheinvasionofIraq,Robinsonmakesthisongoingtragedypalpable.（SarahCrichtonBooks）

6.TheSonbyPhilippMeyer

AnornateWesternthatspansthreegenerationsinTexas,TheSonissprawling,yes,butcarefullystructuredasthreealternatingnarrativesbeginninginthe1830s.

ColonelEliMcCulloch,thefamilypatriarch,whowasknownasTiehtetiafterhewascapturedbytheKotsotekaComanche,was"thefirstchildofthenewrepublic",bornon2March1836,thedaytheRepublicofTexaswascreated,havingdeclaredindependencefromMexico.Then,inthediariesofPeterMcCulloch,thesonthecolonelcallsthe"seedofmydestruction",Meyertracestheguiltofthesonimplicatedinhisfather'smurderousschemes.

Meyer'sfinalthread,beginningin2011,followsJeanneMcCulloch,thewomanwhohasinheritedtheland,themoneyandtheghosts.Inasagathatcapturesthebloodylegacyofgreedandtheft,Meyerbringsnewresonancetohistoricalfiction.（Ecco）

5.TheWomanUpstairsbyClaireMessud

Inanovelthathasbecomealitmustestforgendertensions,Messudtakesherreaderintotheferocioussensibilityofawomanspurned."HowangryamI?

Youdon'twanttoknow,"shewritesinheropeninglines.Therealstoryisintheflashback,asNora,asingle43-year-oldCambridge,Massachusetts,teacherdescribesherinfatuationwiththeParis-basedShahidfamily.TheiryearinCambridgeinitiatesherjarringmidlifecrisis.

RezaShahid,eightyearsoldandanewchildinNora'sclass,arousesmaternalyearnings.Beirut-bornSkandar,aHarvardfellow,challengesherlibidoandherintellect.AndSirena,whoseinstallationshavedrawninternationalattention,revivesherartisticambitions.

Ina"manicunfolding",Norabeginsaseriesofminiaturedioramas,beginningwithEmilyDickinson.TheradiantcenterofMessud'snovelisherportraitoftwoartists-Nora,withherAmerican"goodgirl"inhibitions,andfearlessSirena,whoteachesherthatanartistis,bydefinition,ruthless.（Knopf）

4.TheFlamethrowersbyRachelKushner

KushnergivesusthemostadrenalisedopeninginanynovelthisyearasReno,heryoungnarrator,screamsacrossUtah'sBonnevilleSaltFlatsat148mphonamotorcycle."Ifeltalerttoeachgranuleoftime,"theheroinesays.Granted,shedoesn'twanttobreakalandspeedrecord.Shewantstophotographthetracksshehasleftbehindonthehardsaltcrust.Itisthe1970s.Shewantstobeanartist.Shebarelysurvives.

Freshfromcollege,RenodivesintoNewYork'sflamboyantandelectricdowntownartscene.ShestumblesintoanaffairwithSandroValera,aminimalistwhohasfledhiswealthyItaliantireandmotorcyclemanufacturingfamily.Hisclanistargetedforkidnappingbyleft-wingradicals.Renocomestoknowthemwell.

TheFlamethrowersisanintenseandmemorableportraitoftheexplosive70s-art,politics,revolutionanddanger.（Scribner）

3.TheBookofMyLivesbyAleksandarHemon

TheSarajevo-bornfictionwriter,whoseadoptedhometownisChicago,hasoneofthemostdistinctivevoicesinliterature.Theessaysinhisfirstbookofnonfictionaresardonicandknowing,trustworthyyettart.

Hewritesofthedisruptionthatcamewithhisyoungersister'sbirthin1969andofhisfanaticalpassionforsoccer.（OneessayistitledIfGodExistedHe'dBeaSolidMiddlefielder.）HewritesofbeingstrandedinChicagoashisfamilyfledSarajevo,andofreturningtothattransformedcityin1997.Heexplainshisdevotiontohisnewhometown:

"ThewaypeopleinthewinterhuddletogetherunderthewarminglightsoftheGranvilleElstop,muchlikeyoungchickensunderalightbulb."

InthesearingandunforgettableTheAquarium,hedocumentswithunflinchingclaritythe"darkuniverseofpain"heexperiencesashisbabydaughterdiesfromararebraincancer.Theessaysareprofoundlypersonal,butsomehowuniversal.（Farrar,Straus&Giroux）

2.TheGoodNursebyCharlesGraeber

Graeber'sbookisaninstanttrue-crimeclassic-gripping,preciselydocumented,andaseloquentlywrittenasTrumanCapote'sjournalisticmasterworkInColdBlood.

WhenCharlieCullenwasarrestedinNewJerseyin2003,heconfessedtoendingthelivesofatleast40patients-thoughhemayhavekilledtentimesasmany-underhiscareasaregisterednurse.Hisweapon:

IVdripsspikedwithdangerousdosesoflife-savingdrugssuchasinsulinanddigoxin.Cullenhadshiftedfromonehospitaltothenext,movingonwhendeathsduringhisshiftsarousedsuspicion.

TheGoodNurseisbasedonexclusiveinterviewswiththeconvictedkiller,thetwodetectiveswhobroughthimtotrialandtheirsecretkeywitness,afellownursewhoonceconsideredCullenafriend.GraeberrevealsinchillingdetailthepsychicevilbehindCullen's"emotionallyabsent"gaze.Equallyshocking,heunveilstheadministrativecover-upsthatleftCullenfreetomurderatwillduringa16-yearkillingspree.（TwelveBooks）

1.AmericanahbyChimamandaNgoziAdichie

ChimamandaAdichieissupremelysmart.ShehaswontheCommonwealthWriters'Prize（forPurpleHibiscus）,theOrangeBroadbandaward（forHalfofaYellowSun）,andaMacArthur'genius'grant.WithAmericanah,astar-crossedlovestorythatspansthreecontinents,sheprovessheisalsosupremelyfunny.

IfemeluleavesherboyfriendbehindinNigeriatostudyintheUS.Afterherinitialdisorientingdaysasanimmigrantandastringofhumiliatingjobs,shefindsanoutletinasatiricblog."DearNon-AmericanBlack,whenyoumakethechoicetocometoAmerica,youbecomeblack,"shewrites.ShebecomesaPrincetonfellowanddatesaYaleprofessor.After13yearsherheartbringsherbacktoLagos,wheresheisnot'black'.She'sIgbo.AndAmericanah.

Adichieisfearlesswhenw