By Silvana Harwood
Coquitlam Public Library

It’s the beginning of a new decade and with that come the pundits telling us what the best books of the last decade were.  So after scouring the internet for a reasonably-sized list, here’s one for those of you who want to catch up on those great books that you managed to miss.  My thanks to the editors of Amazon for posting their top 10 in the literature and fiction category, giving me a good starting point!

Life of Pi is the amazing tale of a man on a lifeboat containing a Bengal tiger, a hyena and other strange animals.  Canadian author Yann Martel won the Booker prize for this novel and I waited for a long time before reading it, mainly because it sounded so weird.  But after I picked it up, I literally could not put it down.  It’s an amazing story – truly a must read.

The Corrections is the book that caused all the brouhaha when author Jonathan Franzen rejected inclusion in Oprah’s book club.  It’s the story of the very dysfunctional Lambert family--the self-absorbed children, the demented father and the mother who survives with a little chemical assistance.  Franzen is described as a hysterical realist and although it has its very humorous aspects, the decline of the Lambert family--like most--is often painful and frustrating, which makes it all the more interesting.

Middlesex explores what can happen when an immigrant brother and sister decide to marry—and you know that can’t be good!  Jeffrey Eugenides follows the travels of a family from Greece to 1920s Detroit and on to modern day Berlin.  Along the genetic path comes Cal/Callie, first a girl and then a man.  It’s a modern Greek tragedy, with a cast of wonderful, yet flawed characters.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay is Michael Chabon’s story of two Jewish cousins, one who dreams of making it in the comic book world, and the other who, having escaped Nazi Germany, joins his cousin in a venture to create a comic book super hero.  Set in New York, this is Chabon at his best, where worlds and hearts collide.

Atonement – Ian McEwan’s books are not generally easy reads but here he crafts three stories - a mystery, a war story and a romance – into a very readable novel.  As always, his characters are described so that you feel you know them intimately.  After you read Atonement, then try Amsterdam - they aren’t happy books, but you’ll be better for having read them.

Bel Canto—Based on a true story, Anne Patchett has written a beautiful account of a Japanese businessman who falls in love with an opera singer, during of all things, a terrorist attack.  This book demonstrates that love can happen almost anywhere, and it’s definitely one of my personal favourites of the last decade.

Runaway demonstrates why Alice Munro is considered by many to be the best writer of English short stories ever.  This collection of eight stories involves women at various stages in their lives, running to and from troubling places, people and situations.  Munro’s characters are so memorable that you feel you want to know more, or at least re-read the story again.   Runaway was the winner of the 2004 Giller Prize.

Gilead chronicles the life of John Ames, a 76-year-old Iowa preacher. Ames’ book-length letter to his young son details the life and times of his family, but also opens up to describe the truths of his own life.  This very spiritual book is simply beautiful, and author Marilynne Robinson’s writing makes it very worth reading.

The Kite Runner – what more can be written about this book by Khalid Hosseini?  If you haven’t read it or seen the movie, you’ve missed something special.  It opens your eyes to what can happen in a country ravaged by conflicting political interests and how, as always, children will suffer yet find the strength to overcome almost anything.

Peace Like a River is Leif Enger’s tale of the Lands, a rural Minnesota family out to find justice for one of their own.  Reuben’s brother Davy has clearly committed murder, but his escape from prison sets off a wild chase. This amazing debut book is like an old western where family and faith are foremost, but pulled forward into the 1960s.

Whether you are interested in “high literature” or just a good story, local public libraries will steer you well into the new decade—where you can see how the next top 10 lists will shape up!  Suggestions for what to read next are freely given!