Nan S.
1) A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Six months later, I am still thinking about this unutterably haunting and painful book filled with such love, tenderness, and kindness. The story follows four college friends into adulthood. At its core, it is about the devastating long-term effects of childhood abuse and internalized trauma and shame. Yet it is also about the exquisite power of love and friendship.
2) Aquarium by David Vann
3) The Casualties by Nick Holdstock
4) Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
5) The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu |
Britt A.
1) The Seven Good Years by Etgar Keret
Etgar Keret's writing feels like a visit where everything goes perfectly, not because he's taking such dedicated care of you, but in a breezy way, like you both just happen to want the same things. The Seven Good Years, a memoir, takes place in the seven years between the birth of his son and the death of his father. It is very Keret, very Israeli, and very wonderful.
2) How to Be Both by Ali Smith
3) Killing and Dying by Adrian Tomine
4) I Was a Child by Bruce Eric Kaplan
5) The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante |
Carrie L.
1) The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett
Touching and emotional, this posthumously released novel is a fitting send-off to Pratchett's beloved Discworld series. The whole Discworld is thrown out of balance following the loss of a powerful figure, and Tiffany Aching, a young witch, is left to hold everything together. Terry Pratchett tackles subjects like loss, grief, and change with humor and hope.
2) Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor
3) March, Book Two by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
4) The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin
5) Beneath the Surface by John Hargrove |
Peter N.
1) Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
If you love beautifully spare writing, messy memorable characters, and flawlessly described settings, try this story of loneliness and connection, love and heartbreak. Souls inspired me to make some dramatic changes in my own life and motivated me to read Haruf's five other exquisite novels.
2) The Martian by Andy Weir
3) Missoula by Jon Krakauer
4) Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
5) Euphoria by Lily King |
Doug C.
1) Bitch Planet, Vol. 1 by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine De Landro
Kelly Sue Deconnick and Valentine De Landro take the over-the-top grindhouse women-in-prison trope to blast open the patriarchal world of now, as told in a crazy world of the future. I'd say this is The Handmaid's Tale on testosterone if that weren't wholly inappropriate. The power here is feminist power. Women pushing back against the usual expectations of being attractive to men, being well-mannered, and being submissive. Deconnick and De Landro have made "Non-Compliant" (NC) into its own movement and message. And the book is damn fun.
2) The Sudden Arrival of Violence by Malcolm Mackay
3) The Whites by Richard Price writing as Harry Brandt
4) The Usagi Yojimbo Saga, Vol. 2 by Stan Sakai
5) The Fall of Princes by Robert Goolrick |
Brandon W.
1) Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Echo is a gripping tale that will pique the interest of any middle reader by beautifully weaving together music, historical fiction, magic, fairy tale, mystery, adventure... you name it. I rarely if ever reread books, but this is one that I will surely come back to time and again, and a book I already love loaning out to friends. I will be shocked if it doesn't win the Newbery. Excellent, excellent read!
2) The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands
3) Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley
4) Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas
5) Trouble Is a Friend of Mine by Stephanie Tromly |
Aubrey W.
1) The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
How can I talk about this book without telling you that, in addition to it being my number one pick for 2015, it also now lives among my top 10 favorite books of all time. The story entails the journeys of an aging couple, two warriors, and Sir Gawain, the chivalrous knight from Arthurian legends. Their fates all meet as they make their way across Britain, at a time when ogres and other mythical creatures were said to still walk among us. We come to learn that what they think they are seeking is not quite what is drawing them, as in most lore, and that memories are really just our own personal mythologies. But it is the telling of the fable that makes it feel very much like a folktale you've been told your whole life, passed down generation after generation. That is the magic of Ishiguro, and why you must read this book.
2) Creatures of a Day by Irvin D. Yalom
3) Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
4) Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg
5) The Small Backs of Children by Lidia Yuknavitch |
Marlena W.
1) Dylan Goes Electric! by Elijah Wald
In the ever-expanding universe of "Dylanology," where entire libraries are dedicated to the recording of a single album and debates rage endlessly about the meaning of a single song, it was only a matter of time before someone decided to write a book about a single day. That book is Dylan Goes Electric by Elijah Wald, and that day is the hallowed 1965 Newport Folk Festival. Wald dispels many of the myths that surround Dylan's historic performance — Seeger's axe, the boos, the lone tear supposedly rolling down his face — without denying its radical, decade-defining significance.
2) Chelsea Girls by Eileen Myles
3) M Train by Patti Smith
4) Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
5) The Visiting Privilege by Joy Williams |
Kim S.
1) The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra
It's not the first time I've selected a book by Anthony Marra as my top pick of the year. His work always catches my attention and stands apart as some of the most beautiful, intricate, absorbing writing I've experienced. The Tsar of Love and Techno is no exception. The stories in the book are woven together in a way that reads more like a novel than a short story collection, and there are many surprising connections revealed as you move through the book.
2) The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
3) Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller
4) Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg
5) Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates |
Lisa A.
1) Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
Nicola Yoon's first novel is a young adult marvel that will give you endless butterflies. I found myself constantly blushing and saying, "Awwww," out loud because I was so overcome with the cuteness. Yoon captures perfectly what it is like to be in love and how far the heart will go to experience everything love has to offer. I cannot stop recommending this book to friends.
2) I Hate Myselfie by Shane Dawson
3) The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
4) Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson
5) Soundless by Richelle Mead |
Shannon B.
1) Uprooted by Naomi Novik
I had two books in mind for my top pick of 2015, but Uprooted ultimately won because of its excellent portrayal of friendship between women and the earthy, old-world magical system utilized by protagonist Agnieszka. Novik's writing is always a delight; I wanted to savor the world she created for as long as possible.
2) A Crown for Cold Silver by Alex Marshall
3) A Kim Jong Il Production by Paul Fischer
4) Rat Queens, Vol. 2 by Kurtis Wiebe, Roc Upchurch, and Stjepan Sejic
5) Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbott |
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Melanie D.
1) Mort(e) by Robert Repino
Fed up with the way humans are destroying the earth, the animals rise up after being granted consciousness through forced evolution. The story is told from the point of view of Mort(e), a cat who is celebrated as a great hero of the war against humans, but really only wants to find his friend. It is a stellar debut novel that left me wanting to read more from this author.
2) The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
3) Carsick by John Waters
4) Girl in a Band by Kim Gordon
5) Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge |
Zoe S.
1) George by Alex Gino
George will change your life no matter your age. The book is radiant, and it will make readers feel radiant, too. George is a novel with an important narrative, but even more than that, it is fun to read. And it's a cute story, too!
2) The Wicked and the Divine, Vol. 2 by Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, and Matt Wilson
3) Saga, Vol. 5 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
4) Ms. Marvel, Vol. 2 by G. Willow Wilson, Jacob Wyatt, and Adrian Alphona
5) Batgirl, Vol. 1 by Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher, and Babs Tarr |
Hannah B.
1) Big Hard Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky
This edition collects the first two volumes of Sex Criminals. It's witty, sarcastic, and definitely NSFW. If you want to read a graphic novel that's hilarious and also kind of heartfelt (but mostly hilarious), then you should read Sex Criminals. I mean, it's a comic about people stopping time and robbing banks after they have sex. What more could you ask for?
2) Batgirl, Vol. 1 by Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher, and Babs Tarr
3) Junji Ito's Cat Diary by Junji Ito
4) Rat Queens, Vol. 2 by Kurtis Wiebe, Roc Upchurch, and Stjepan Sejic
5) The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy by Sam Maggs |
Tracey T.
1) The Fall of Princes by Robert Goolrick
Goolrick's story is a fall from grace told with clear-eyed, gut-wrenching honesty — no pity, no remorse, but sometimes aching with sorrow and self-inflicted rage. This is the story of hard-edged men in '80s suits with their equally buffed and cut arm-candy women dressed in nearly nothing, all playing hard with the kind of ready cash few of us experience. The excesses of The Fall of Princes make for a brutally fascinating and compelling read.
2) A Modern Way to Eat by Anna Jones
3) Sofrito by Phillippe Diederich
4) Bird Box by Josh Malerman
5) The Book of Aron by Jim Shepard |
Gary L.
1) Let There Be GWAR by Bob Gorman and Roger Gastman
This incredibly comprehensive tome charts the slow, steady rise of a bunch of Virginia art school dropouts who became infamous heavy metal legends. The book is stuffed with fantastic photos, old concert flyers, comics, drawings, and lots of behind-the-scenes secrets. Let There Be GWAR was nearly 20 years in the making, and it's definitely worth the wait. All hail the Scumdogs of the Universe!
2) Wuvable Oaf by Ed Luce
3) Poorly Drawn Lines by Reza Farazmand
4) The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
5) Philippe Halsman's Jump Book by Philippe Halsman |
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Angelo R.
1) Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs
In this thrilling conclusion to the Miss Peregrine trilogy, Ransom Riggs was able to match the high standards set by the previous two books in the series. We see Jacob complete a convincing transformation from outcast reject to self-effacing lionhearted hero. The use of repurposed, found photos adds an extra mysterious element for readers to enjoy and decipher.
2) The Coloring Book by Colin Quinn
3) Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore
4) The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer
5) Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson |
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Emily D.
1) Love Me Back by Merritt Tierce
Tierce writes fiercely and openly about the emotions surrounding young women as they face the facts of motherhood and commitment, and the stresses of not being ready for these changes. She writes without hesitation or apology, and makes a spot for herself as one of the most eloquent authors this year.
2) Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman
3) #Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso
4) Asking for It by Kate Harding
5) Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty |
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Kanda M.
1) Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
This book came at a perfect time for today's commentary on racial understandings and tensions. I found it to be so compelling and relatable. The consistent fight to live equally and safely as a person of color is an important and all-so-relevant struggle that people need to continue to talk about. Coates managed to create a beautifully personal snapshot of his life within the pages of this book. The more he identified a personal definition of blackness in America, the more I did the same for myself.
2) Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
3) We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
4) The First Bad Man by Miranda July
5) Alex and Ada, Vol. 3 by Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn |
Ronnie C.
1) Girl in a Band by Kim Gordon
Little restraint and unflinching fearlessness. Unapologetic. Candid, with a hint of underlying rage.
Girl in a Band is a must-read for music lovers, fashion lovers, history buffs, women, men, and everyone in between.
2) Let Me Tell You by Shirley Jackson
3) The Sculptor by Scott McCloud
4) Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
5) Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee |
Madeline S.
1) Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
"No mourners. No funerals. Among them, it passed for 'good luck.'" With a paced, plotted heist and a dark, imaginative fantasy world, Six of Crows is a thrill to read, but what shoots it to the top of my list are the six titular thieves. A criminal mastermind, a shadowy acrobat, a sharpshooting gambler, a secretive runaway, an exiled witch, and the prisoner who once hunted her — these characters are so well fleshed out, their conflicts and collaborations so absorbing, that I would happily read about them doing something as boring as making sandwiches for 465 pages.
2) Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
3) Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
4) The Truth Is We Are Perfect by Janaka Stucky
5) Step Aside, Pops by Kate Beaton |
Shawn D.
1) Barbarian Days by William Finnegan
William Finnegan is a lifelong surfer and a long-term staff writer for the New Yorker. Through this combination of writing talent and surfing skill, he is able to explain convincingly why so many surfers become obsessed with the sport. Finnegan writes especially well about the difficulty in balancing a consuming activity with the demands of work and family. He also honestly conveys his struggles to keep his ego and competitive instincts in check as his physical ability declines with age. You don't need to be a surfer to enjoy Barbarian Days (though it may turn you into one).
2) H Is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald
3) The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra
4) Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg
5) M Train by Patti Smith |
Jeremy G.
1) Beauty Is a Wound by Eka Kurniawan
A beautiful, stirring, and powerful epic of Indonesian politics and family, Eka Kurniawan's Beauty Is a Wound is a vibrant tapestry of village life, colonial rule, political independence, and generational drama. Sweeping across decades, Kurniawan's violent, enchanted saga compels on account of its impressive breadth, storytelling verve, and traces of magical realism. Rape, incest, slaughter, massacre, brutality, war, and revenge loom heavily in the story, but Kurniawan tempers these darker elements with humor, rich history, and fantastical occurrences. Beauty Is a Wound is a lively, vigorous work, offering a gorgeous, at times harrowing, glimpse into Indonesia's tumultuous past.
2) The Story of My Teeth by Valeria Luiselli
3) The Things We Don't Do by Andrés Neuman
4) Moods by Yoel Hoffmann
5) Loquela by Carlos Labbé |
D. Lozano
1) The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante
From every book I've pulled from every shelf, I've asked a question: How loudly will you resonate within me? Like a bell, answers Elena Ferrante. Reading Ferrante (The Story of the Lost Child is the fourth and final in the Neapolitan series, and, yes, they must be read in order) was like reaching into the coffer of everything I have ever wanted from a writer and finding every piece there. Her novels are not, as some mistakenly think, "books for women" — they are masterpieces for the ages. Like a surgeon, she has dissected humanity and written us down.
2) My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem
3) A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin
4) Asking for It by Kate Harding
5) The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic by Jessica Hopper |
Gigi L.
1) People Like You by Margaret Malone
The stories in Malone's People Like You are so good — they're only-book-on-a-desert-island good. They are exactly why I read, with their sumptuous minimalism, their gorgeous, particular detail, their delicious deadpan humor, their off-kilter characters. But the main reason I'd keep this book on that island and go without warmth if it were the last piece of available kindling is that underneath all of Malone's delicately honed skill is a voice so true, so absolutely you and me, bearing witness to the traumas, triumphs, and tragedies of all the tiny moments of regular life.
2) Call Me Home by Megan Kruse
3) The Small Backs of Children by Lidia Yuknavitch
4) Baby's on Fire by Liz Prato
5) The Keepsake by Suzy Vitello |
Hobie T.
1) Black Science, Vol. 2 by Rick Remender, Dean White, and Matteo Scalera
Black Science is one of my favorite graphic novels of all time. The art and story are both unique. I love the idea of a dimensionaut and the terrible consequences of science. My life hasn't been the same since I studied this Black Science.
2) Black Science, Vol. 3 by Rick Remender and Matteo Scalera
3) Hawkeye, Vol. 4 by Matt Fraction, Francesco Francavilla, David Aja, and Annie Wu
4) Cibola Burn by James S. A. Corey
5) Bitch Planet, Vol. 1 by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine De Landro |
Dianah H.
1) A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
In an alternate universe, A Little Life would be the love-child of Hanya Yanagihara and Donna Tartt, and this is a beautiful thing. The story setup is reminiscent of The Secret History, but the language and themes are all Yanagihara. Spanning five decades, this is a hefty novel at 700 pages, but one that you will wish would never end. Focusing on a quartet of friends who move to New York together after college, A Little Life explores themes of love, coming of age, rewarding work, passion, family, and, of course, friendship: the good, the bad, and the ugly. The tortured Jude is the main character, who has lived through hell and back, in the way that only Yanagihara can depict hell. This book conveys such deep sorrow, pain, and hopelessness, but Yanagihara somehow makes you love those things. I am begging everyone to read this book. It broke my heart into a million tiny jagged pieces, but I loved every excruciating minute of it.
2) Call Me Home by Megan Kruse
3) Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
4) The Small Backs of Children by Lidia Yuknavitch
5) Landfall by Ellen Urbani
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Mina M.
1) In Defense of a Liberal Education by Fareed Zakaria
I commend Zakaria for tackling a topic that has yielded much polarity. Zakaria illustrates how the innate human desire for a compendium relies heavily on the access to a liberal education. "Because of the times we live in, all of us, young and old, do not spend enough time and effort thinking about the meaning of life. We do not look inside of ourselves enough to understand our strengths and weaknesses...to ask the deepest and broadest questions. The solution surely is that, even now, we could all use a little bit more of a liberal education."
2) The Food Lab by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
3) The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
4) Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling
5) Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert |
Eva F.
1) In the Country by Mia Alvar
What's it like to be a stranger? This idea is explored in Alvar's excellent debut collection of stories. The characters move to, travel to, and work in Bahrain, the Philippines, New York City, and Boston; sometimes they return home only to find it no less alien. Their isolation and subsequent self-examination is inspected in beautiful and sometimes funny prose; their attempts to build community and make connections told of with sympathy and grace. Through these stories, Alvar lets us glimpse what it means to be transformed by a change in geography.
2) Night at the Fiestas by Kirstin Valdez Quade
3) The Bloody Chamber: 75th-Anniversary Edition by Angela Carter
4) Crow Fair by Thomas McGuane
5) Young Skins by Colin Barrett |
Nikayla B.
1) Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
I love this book. I love the idea that in a post-apocalyptic world where a flu has devastated the world's population, people are surviving and comforting themselves with art and remembrance. It's really a beautiful novel. It's less a book of the apocalypse and more a story of the ingenuity of human beings.
2) Dead Wake by Erik Larson
3) Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson
4) All the Wild That Remains by David Gessner
5) Fables, Vol. 22 by Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham |
Peter H.
1) The Martian by Andy Weir
The Martian is my top pick because it stands head and shoulders above many other books in several aspects. It's a first-person story, which makes it different. There is a lot of science, but it's presented in an accessible way. You really empathize with the character and his near-impossible survival situation, being totally alone on Mars. This is a great read for the more casual reader of science fiction. I will definitely read any future books by Andy Weir.
2) The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
3) Skin Game by Jim Butcher
4) The Autumn Republic by Brian McClellan
5) Dark Intelligence by Neal Asher |
Emily L.
1) The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
Blending theory with personal "momoir," Nelson recounts love and relationships, pregnancy, and queer family making. Through anecdote, Nelson contextualizes theorists like Barthes, Sontag, and Lacan. I'm a big fan of Nelson's work, but this book managed to shift a lot of my personal views on family making and parenting in general. Plus her prose is nice to read and look at.
2) Hollywood Notebook by Wendy C. Ortiz
3) Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
4) Tender Data by Monica McClure
5) The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic by Jessica Hopper |
McKenzie W.
1) When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare
When Maddie panics at her looming London Season, she invents a handsome, fierce, passionate... fictional suitor. Logan MacKenzie, a brawny Scottish soldier, lives only in her letters until — to Maddie's very great surprise — an angry Logan shows up on her doorstep demanding marriage. Blackmail, lobster sex, and more kilts than you can shake a bannock at, not to mention witty banter and maximal romance, make Tessa Dare's When a Scot Ties the Knot my favorite romance of the year!
2) Truth or Beard by Penny Reid
3) Uprooted by Naomi Novik
4) Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
5) Bring on the Dusk by M. L. Buchman |
Jordan S.
1) All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
This isn't a young adult novel about something as black and white as cancer. All the Bright Places lives in a world of gray. Being mentally unwell — whether it's depression, bipolar disorder, or grief — is difficult for other people to really understand, and it's the difficulty Violet and Finch face each day. Love won't solve anything; it isn't that simple. But to have experienced it, at least, is nice. A fantastic new YA voice who doesn't make you feel something — you just do.
2) The Marvels by Brian Selznick
3) Templeton Gets His Wish by Greg Pizzoli
4) Pool by Jihyeon Lee
5) A Year without Mom by Dasha Tolstikova |
Greg L.
1) Get It While You Can by Nick Jaina
Nick Jaina is a talented guy. He's a singer/songwriter with five records under his belt, he's a composer of film scores and musical works for modern dance, and he's had numerous stories and essays published. I discovered him through his soundtrack work on the film Hiding Blame and enjoyed his music so much that I picked up Get It While You Can, which is his first book, to see what his writing was like. So glad I did. I found a wonderful memoir and meditation on the uncertainties and vulnerabilities of love, devotion, failure, and success.
2) The Moral Arc by Michael Shermer
3) A History of Loneliness by John Boyne
4) Don't Suck, Don't Die by Kristin Hersh
5) Slade House by David Mitchell |
Tove H.
1) Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
Some of the books I enjoyed most this year I also found the most challenging, and might hesitate to recommend to just anyone, for reasons of subject matter, page count, how long it took me to recover... But when I finished Our Souls at Night, I wanted to recommend it to everyone — friends, coworkers, unsuspecting bystanders. How Haruf managed to fit such a marvelous love story into such a tiny package is baffling, but he did so masterfully, and if you'll set aside just a few hours to read it, I have no doubt you'll love it, too.
2) A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
3) The Book of Aron by Jim Shepard
4) M Train by Patti Smith
5) Quicksand by Steve Toltz
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Sandy M.
1) A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin
Lucia Berlin is the greatest short story writer you've never read. Her writing style is conversational and real, yet poetic at the same time. Her protagonists are mostly working-class women who are unlucky in life, and Berlin writes about them with great insight, compassion, and, occasionally, humor. What left me totally gobsmacked, though, was Ms. Berlin's way with language. I found myself rereading sentences just to try and figure out how she managed to so-nimbly dance with her words. Lucia Berlin's stories sit easily with the work of Alice Munro, Raymond Carver, and John Cheever.
2) M Train by Patti Smith
3) Voracious by Cara Nicoletti
4) Spinster by Kate Bolick
5) On the Move by Oliver Sacks |
Jill O.
1) Ongoingness by Sarah Manguso
This slim volume contains poetic multitudes about time, mortality, motherhood, and writing. (Though very different, it's an interesting intellectual companion to Maggie Nelson's The Argonauts.) Ongoingness is a beautiful, meditative examination of life, beauty, aesthetics, and our (generally false) sense of continuity of identity.
2) Cries for Help, Various by Padgett Powell
3) Don't Suck, Don't Die by Kristin Hersh
4) Vegetarian India by Madhur Jaffrey
5) The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery |
Richard C.
1) Symphony for the City of the Dead by M. T. Anderson
An important, true tale of the power of music and the inspiring hope it can give to the starving, besieged citizens of Leningrad, Symphony for the City of the Dead tells the story of the creative genius composer Dmitri Shostakovich, a complex man who is sometimes a hero and sometimes a coward, along with two brutal dictators — Stalin and Hitler — pitting themselves and their nations against each other. Anderson has written a book filled with unspeakable horror and beauty that poses relevant questions for us all to consider today.
2) Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
3) The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
4) The Thing about Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin
5) Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty |
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Robin F.
1) Preserving the Japanese Way by Nancy Singleton Hachisu
Preserving the Japanese Way is a fascinating, beautiful, and approachable look at Japanese pickling methods. Over the past year, I've become obsessed with all things fermentation, and this book quickly became one of my all-time favorites. Nancy Singleton Hachisu provides great background on a variety of preservation methods, beautiful photographs, and wonderful recipes that are approachable and delicious.
2) Jacques Pépin: Heart and Soul in the Kitchen by Jacques Pépin
3) The Picnic by Marnie Hanel, Andrea Slonecker, and Jen Stevenson
4) Back in the Day Bakery Made with Love by Cheryl Day and Griffith Day
5) Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream by Laura O'Neill, Ben Van Leeuwen, and Peter Van Leeuwen |
Rachel G.
1) Get in Trouble by Kelly Link
Kelly Link is the best short story writer ever. There, I said it. With a jab of surreal, a dash of magic, and so much emotional pull, Get in Trouble is a book I'd recommend to most anyone.
2) A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
3) The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
4) The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough
5) Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson |
Paul J.
1) H Is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald
This book is a beautifully conceived memoir that revolves around a woman and her attempt at softening the devastation of her father's death by training a goshawk. With poetic writing, MacDonald eloquently portrays her ever-changing emotions in the presence of this hawk. From the bestial dance of the hunt to the philosophical questioning of the brutality of its consummation, MacDonald examines the frailty of our minds as well as our flesh. Anyone who has lost a close family member and/or trained an animal can relate to MacDonald's train of thought as she reflects on various aspects of man's relationship with humanity and the surrounding world.
2) The Givenness of Things by Marilynne Robinson
3) The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
4) Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
5) The Dead Mountaineer's Inn by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky |
Jeff J.
1) Purity by Jonathan Franzen
There's a short list of the best living authors, and Franzen is easily on it. Purity stands even taller than The Corrections, Freedom, and the underrated Strong Motion. His newest novel gives the reader characters to laugh with and at while also creating excellent and academic conversations about today's society. Purity is a thick, engrossing, and twisting novel peppered with chilling macabre scenes that ends perfectly. Its beauty and reflection on humanity helped me appreciate living in the United States in 2015.
2) Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein
3) Dead Wake by Erik Larson
4) In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides
5) The Beer Bible by Jeff Alworth |
Tim B.
1) Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Between the World and Me manages to be so many things in one slim volume: a heartfelt letter from father to son, delivered in a time of pain and uncertainty, about how to live as a black man in America; an unflinching assessment of the price of generations of slavery, discrimination, and injustice toward America's black citizens; an indictment of the indifference of what Coates calls "the Dreamers," white people who refuse to face their complicity in the plunder and degradation of black bodies; and a celebration of "the beautiful struggle," even if that struggle seems hopeless in the face of insurmountable odds. Everyone in America should read this book.
2) A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
3) Multiply/Divide by Wendy S. Walters
4) The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
5) The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra
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Lou H.
1) NeuroTribes by Steve Silberman
Engaging and easy to understand, NeuroTribes is a comprehensive and much-needed accounting of the history of autism. Silberman busts through myths and refuses to gloss over painful details, all the while writing with a refreshing compassion for autistic people. This book will discomfit you in all the right ways and make you smile when you least expect it. Definitely a must-read for autistics and allies alike.
2) Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta
3) Zeroes by Chuck Wendig
4) Uniquely Human by Barry M. Prizant
5) Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor |
Adam P.
1) A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
While A Little Life is perhaps the saddest book I've ever read, I was buoyed by the portrayal of the emotional lives of the four main characters. Rarely has friendship between men been more closely examined than the relationships between Willem, Jude, JB, and Malcolm. Yanagihara shows an alternate way of forming family — not through blood or marriage, but through lifelong friendship. In an interview I saw with Hanya Yanagihara, she described herself as "the Dian Fossey of sexually confused middle-aged men." Her close observation has paid off, and given us an incredibly moving, important book.
2) Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
3) The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
4) The Private Eye by Brian K. Vaughan, Marcos Martin, and Muntsa Vicente
5) Purity by Jonathan Franzen
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Miranda G.
1) The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton
I laughed until I cried! Kate Beaton's cheeky brand of humor comes to life in an adorable tale about Princess Pinecone, a warrior-princess who only wants a great warhorse to ride into the upcoming big battle. But when she gets a fat little pony who farts too much, does our heroine mope? No! The training begins!
2) Lumberjanes, Vol. 1 by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, and Brooke Allen
3) Little Tree by Loren Long
4) Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
5) Harriet the Invincible by Ursula Vernon |
Mark S.
1) The Folded Clock by Heidi Julavits
The Folded Clock is a series of diary entries presented out of chronological order, full of deviations and diversions, doubt and wonder, things happening and not happening, tiny vanities and small victories. This book is a reminder that the epic and the banal can be close cousins, and that the biggest excitements in a day can present themselves at any time. It's bloody funny, too.
2) The Island: London Mapped by Stephen Walter
3) The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
4) I'll Never Write My Memoirs by Grace Jones
5) The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr |
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Jason W.
1) California's Wild Edge by Tom Killion and Gary Snyder
This book is many things, but above all it is simply beautiful. Killion's incredible woodcuts burst with vibrant color, weather, season, and mood, and combine the best of Hiroshige with a modern West Coast landscape and sensibility. They accompany gorgeous essays on art and history, and poetry from regional poets such as Jack Spicer, Gary Snyder, Robinson Jeffers, and Jaime de Angulo. You don't need to know California's coast to be transported by this liminal masterpiece.
2) All the Wild That Remains by David Gessner
3) I Refuse by Per Petterson
4) Phish's A Live One by Walter Holland
5) Wintergreen by Robert Michael Pyle |
Keith M.
1) Dreamland by Sam Quinones
Dreamland explores America's opiate crisis from a multitude of angles: the afflicted, the pushers, and the enablers. The book describes the societal forces and the institutions at play in a way that will be very familiar to fans of HBO's The Wire. Quniones's incredibly thorough telling draws on history, social science, and extensive reportage. This is a very impressive and important book.
2) Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
3) The Quartet by Joseph J. Ellis
4) The Country House by Donald Margulies
5) Injection, Vol. 1 by Warren Ellis, Declan Shalvey, and Jordie Bellaire |
Jen H.
1) The Sunlit Night by Rebecca Dinerstein
This wonderful, quirky novel explores love and loneliness against the backdrop of the Norwegian Sea, 95 miles north of the Arctic Circle. The constant sunlight creates an enchanting environment for the characters to find themselves and form connections with others whose circumstances have brought them to the top of the world.
2) Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
3) Little Robot by Ben Hatke
4) Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
5) The Only Child by Guojing |
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April C.
1) The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler
I was charmed by the Watson family, peopled by an unemployed librarian and a tarot-card-reading circus mermaid. Simon Watson has lost a lot in his young life — his parents, his job, and soon his house will fall over the cliff it is perched atop and land in the sound below. Even with all that, what Simon is racing against is losing his sister, Enola. She's been rarely heard from for years, off traveling with a carnival, but now she's home. Enola is increasingly in a world of her own, constantly fiddling with her mother's tarot cards which are always in her pocket. An antiquarian book delivered to Simon's doorstep may hold the key to his family's strange, and possibly cursed, history, if only he can figure it out in time to help his sister.
2) The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton
3) Sex Is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth
4) F*ck Feelings by Michael Bennett and Sarah Bennett
5) The Hands-On Home by Erica Strauss |
Jess K.
1) The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
In The Argonauts, Nelson mixes memoir and theory while she details her relationship with her non-binary partner, Harry, and the ways she does so make the book quite unlike anything else I've ever read. I have a feverish adoration for Nelson's writing, and The Argonauts' gorgeous matter-of-factness far surpassed even my mega-high expectations. I couldn't put it down even after I finished it, as if, just maybe, I could absorb her expert prose through my skin.
2) The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic by Jessica Hopper
3) A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
4) Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
5) Dryland by Sara Jaffe
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Nathan W.
1) A Kim Jong Il Production by Paul Fischer
The unbelievable true story of how Kim Jong Il — before he was dictator of North Korea and he ran the Ministry of Propaganda and its film studios — orchestrated and carried out a kidnapping of South Korea's most famous movie star and film director. Held captive and "re-educated," the couple would make seven films during their time in North Korea before making their thrilling escape through the streets of Vienna. This incredible book not only retells this amazing tale, but also gives incredible insight into Korean history and a peek behind the veil of secrecy that surrounds North Korea. A must-read!
2) Studies in the Horror Film: Stanley Kubrick's The Shining by Danel Olson
3) The True American by Anand Giridharadas
4) Consumed by David Cronenberg
5) Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari |
Sheila N.
1) The Meursault Investigation by Kamel Daoud
This thoroughly mesmerizing read is a retelling/reimagining of Camus' The Outsider, where Meursault, Camus' anti-hero, murders an unnamed Arab merely because the sun gets in his eye. Daoud's debut novel is narrated by the nameless Arab's younger brother. The winner of the Goncourt first novel prize, The Meursault Investigation is a thorough indictment of colonialism as well as post-colonialism.
2) Dynasty by Tom Holland
3) The Looting Machine by Tom Burgis
4) S.P.Q.R. by Mary Beard
5) A House in St. John's Wood by Matthew Spender |
Monica D.
1) Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie
The theme of Ann Leckie's conclusion to the Imperial Radch trilogy can be distilled from this one line: "There are two parts to reacting, aren't there? How you feel and what you do. And it's the thing you do that is the important one." This book touches on the fragility of life through an AI who was once a ship, now occupying a human body: Breq. Vengeful yet compassionate, Breq is driven to obtain revenge on the one responsible for her destruction: Anaander Mianaai, the Lord of Radch — a tyrant at war with herself and taking the empire with her.
2) Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
3) You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day
4) A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
5) Voyage of the Basilisk by Marie Brennan |
Mary Jo S.
1) All the Things We Never Knew by Sheila Hamilton
Six weeks after Sheila Hamilton's husband was diagnosed as bipolar, he committed suicide. The distress of watching a loved one in crisis and the chaos that mental illness often brings is very clearly portrayed. This is a searing and heartfelt memoir that whitewashes nothing. Mental illness is so prevalent in our society, yet too often those who suffer receive inadequate/misguided treatment, or no help at all.
2) Empire Ascendant by Kameron Hurley
3) The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson
4) Out on the Wire by Jessica Abel
5) A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara |
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Gin E.
1) The Cartel by Don Winslow
The Cartel isn't just the best book that I read in 2015... it's also one of the best books I've encountered in the whole of my reading lifetime. This is an epic tragedy, really, spanning decades (set in motion in Winslow's previous book, The Power of the Dog), that shines a light into every kind of human darkness. What's more, The Cartel has at its heart a profound, shattering message which lays bare one of the defining issues of our times. This is a brilliant, genre-defying novel that will, if you're anything like me, make you cry.
2) A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin
3) All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews
4) Saga, Vol. 5 by Fiona Staples and Brian K. Vaughan
5) Working Stiff by Judy Melinek and T. J. Mitchell |
Tiffany R.
1) The Grownup by Gillian Flynn
Anyone who has read Gone Girl, Dark Places, or Sharp Objects knows that Gillian Flynn has a tendency to play cat-and-mouse with her readers. The Grownup, which originally appeared as "What Do You Do?" in George R. R. Martin's Rogues anthology, is a must-read for any Flynn fan. This 62-page story really embodies Flynn's unmistakable dark and quirky humor. It's a quick mystery that will hold you until the end.
2) Wayward, Book 1 by Jim Zub, Steve Cummings, Tamra Bonvillain, and John Rauch
3) The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
4) A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
5) Brunch at Bobby's by Bobby Flay |
Anna B.
1) A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Spanning decades, A Little Life follows four friends just out of college into their adult lives, sharing their growth, their art, their (sometimes) mysterious pasts, and their deep love for one another. Impressive in scope at just over 700 pages, this story is achingly honest, beautifully overwritten, and intensely traumatic. Not for the faint of heart, but worth every page if you're looking for something to add to your list of saddest books ever read. I laughed, I cried, I almost fainted, and I did not want to put it down.
2) Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
3) Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
4) Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
5) The Girl with All the Gifts by M. R. Carey
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Kathy H.
1) The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow
The book begins with a prologue from Talis, an artificial intelligence, explaining how our world ended: "...and of course people started shooting, because that's what passes for problem-solving among humans. See, guys, this is why you can't have nice things." I mean, how can you resist reading more? Talis puts an end to wars by taking the children of all the rulers hostage. If a country declares war, its ruler's child is killed. It has worked well so far, but now there's a problem...
2) Stand-Off by Andrew Smith
3) Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
4) Dumplin' by Julie Murphy
5) I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios |
Kevin S.
1) Cult of Loretta by Kevin Maloney
This is one funny — and sometimes disturbing — short novel. Cult of Loretta combines a likable sad-sack narrative with early '90s Portland grunge-drug culture and the pain of romantic hearts that can't be tamed or understood. I loved all the Portland references throughout, which made it feel like a strangely historical read. If I were to ever make a list of best books set in Portland (especially books that truly capture the oddness of our city), this would be near the top.
2) Savage Park by Amy Fusselman
3) At Night by Lisa Ciccarello
4) This Must Be the Place by Sean H. Doyle
5) Painting Their Portraits in Winter by Myriam Gurba |
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Lori M.
1) Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Ta-Nehisi Coates did not write this book for me. Which made reading it all the more powerful and educational. Coates doesn't couch his phrases; he doesn't make his thoughts more palpable; he doesn't care if a white person thinks he's an angry black man. He's writing for his son. And at times, being a naïve white person, I wanted to leap in and shield his son from what felt like hopelessness. But it's too late to shield his son and Coates knows it. In order to keep him safe — to keep his black body safe in this world — Ta-Nehisi Coates gives his son knowledge. Knowledge and honesty. What we all need.
2) The Mare by Mary Gaitskill
3) Disclaimer by Renée Knight
4) The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld
5) Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
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Renee P.
1) The Visiting Privilege by Joy Williams
For proof that Joy Williams is one of the best short fiction writers alive today, turn to any story in The Visiting Privilege. Her quietly unsettling tales take on a life of their own within a matter of paragraphs, and each is its own beguiling creature, closing in on some unseen prey. This definitive collection, containing stories from three decades of Williams's writing plus 13 new pieces, marvelously showcases her wit, her awe-inspiring prose, and her talent for demonstrating cause and effect in the subtlest of ways.
2) Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
3) The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
4) Voices in the Night by Steven Millhauser
5) The Folded Clock by Heidi Julavits |