Today, the books of 2007.
While yesterday I wasn't feeling arrogant enough to proclaim my favorite TV shows the Best of 2007, (A good thing too--I forgot both The White Rapper Show and Celebrity Fit Club! Forgive me, O VH1 reality producers!) today my arrogance is in full effect, as we'll see shortly, and I'm happy to proclaim my selections
The Best Books of 2007
After extensive consideration, I've concluded that only two books this year merit the title of Best Books of 2007.
1. Dear Catastrophe Waitress, by Brendan Halpin. Now, I'll admit this isn't normally the type of book I pick up, but the music angle hooked me. It's a love story about two people who had breakup songs written about them, but, more than that, it's about how two people damaged by life don't have to be miserable forever and can find love not in spite of the horrible things that have happened to them, but because of them. For all that, it's a fun, quick read. Another thing that really sets this novel apart from so many others is that the sex scene is actually hot instead of just cringe-inducing.
2. How Ya Like Me Now, by Brendan Halpin. What a remarkable year this guy had! Not only did he write the best novel for adults, he wrote the best novel for young adults too! It's the story of Eddie, a kid from the suburbs whose mom just went into rehab, going to live with his cousin Alex in the city. It's also a quick, fun read with pitch-perfect dialogue. What's really refreshing about this book is not just that it's entertaining, but that it's a book about urban kids that's neither Manhattan prep school shenanigans nor drive-by shootings. The vast majority of urban high school students are not drug dealers or thugs, and they spend most of their time thinking about what most high school students think about: who likes who. This is the only book I know of that tells the neglected story of regular kids in the city, and for that reason it's not just entertaining; it might just be important as well.
So there you have it, the Best Books of 2007. Honorable Mentions go to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which was fantastic, Charlie Huston's No Dominion, which was both the best crime novel and the best vampire novel of the year. I am currently reading China Mieville's Un Lun Dun, which is kicking my ass all over the place and will probably make the list, but I'm only about 2/3 of the way through it, so I can't give it a place on the list just yet.
Books not released in 2007 that I enjoyed in 2007 include Carolyn Parkhurst's Lost and Found, Scott Smith's The Ruins, Joe Meno's Hairstyles of the Damned, Phillip Pullman's The Ruby in the Smoke, Lisa Yee's Millicent Min Girl Genius, and probably some more I can't remember right now.
