While selecting this year’s best fiction, Kirkus’ reviewers and I engaged in a lot of arm wrestling, chair hurling and booze swilling. Not really. Though I may have just nailed the key elements of an Ernest Hemingway novel. The process was more cheery than all that: we singled out the books we loved reading most, the ones we would recommend to friends. And that’s where you come in. Whether you like mysteries, thrillers, science fiction, good ole’ fashioned literary novels—we have something for you.
There are 90 books to choose from, in 8 categories (best debut fiction, best story collections, etc.). Each book is a standout, and selections are listed in alphabetical order.
For those who like their books to double as bricks, 2011 was your year. Fine (and long) novels from Stephen King, Haruki Murakami, Neal Stephenson and John Sayles are among the picks. This year we also saw a lot of Nordic crime fiction vying for attention. Those who miss Stieg Larsson can take solace in thrillers from two other masters of the form: Henning Mankell and Jo Nesbφ. And there’s more, much more. As a bonus you can read interviews with some of the featured authors: Tom Perrotta, Anne Patchett, Marcia Clark. Have fun!
