Up-Dated December 2011: Here is a link to the New York Times' 100 Notable Books of 2011 and the Times' Ten Best Books of 2011.
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This weekend Janet Maslin at the New York Times produces a nifty list of summer beach books. Why do I like Ms. Maslin's list? To begin, she states up-front that "[i]t's time to find new favorites." Yes. That is exactly the information we want from someone employed as a book critic for a major news outlet.
Next, Ms. Maslin leads by recommending a parody, The Girl with the Sturgeon Tattoo, something that sounds perfect for casual reading. This suggestion also gives her readers props for possessing some wit and for being sufficiently well-read to have delved into the Steig Larsson / Scandinavian book scene.
And for those who want more of that scene, Maslin transitions into recommendations for new Scandinavian crime-writing authors and then it's off to the races: Recommendations range from those offering suspense (Before I Go to Sleep), to spite (Gone with a Handsomer Man), and sports (Those Guys Have All the Fun). She has even gone through the avalanche of books that arrive each summer by well-established authors and recommends three.
Will you and I like all of these books? Who knows! What we do know is that Janet Maslin uses her professional judgment to produce a fine column that digs out new authors, books with fresh stories, and the best of the rest. Great work. I have already placed a bunch of her recommended books on my "to read" list.
For the complete story and list of books, check out the link.
Also, check out my all my recommended books at this link - lots of good reading recommendations there.
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