Choosing any “best-of” list is always a monumental undertaking, a task guaranteed to involve plenty of discussion, heated debate and perhaps even controversy. This year proved no less difficult, mainly due to the remarkable number of outstanding books published in 2011. Of course, you won’t hear any complaints from me—exposure to such important literature is the most rewarding part of my job.
In addition to a selection of dynamic new voices, 2011 brought impressive new work from a cadre of heavy hitters—David McCullough, Joan Didion, Stephen Greenblatt, Claire Tomalin, Erik Larson, Candice Millard, Jonathan Lethem and many others. I personally believe each of the books on this list is significant, and I hope you agree.
There are 63 books in 5 categories, alphabetized by title.
