The Best of 2007
Jan. 25th, 2008 07:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stoutfellowTo clarify, if it's necessary, these are the books that I read for the first time in 2007 that I enjoyed the most, or got the most out of. I don't think any of them were actually published in '07.
FICTION
Most of the fiction that I read in 2007 was... enjoyable, but not all that memorable. There were four that stood out, though.
The Amulet of Samarkand, Jonathan Stroud. I read this one after seeing it described in Unshelved; it's a steampunkish fantasy, set in a gritty world of politics and international intrigue. Most of the story is seen through the eyes of a demon called Bartimaeus, whose decidedly unreliable narration provides much of the entertainment value. (This is the first volume of The Bartimaeus Trilogy, from which title I presume we'll see more of our narrator. I'm looking forward to getting and reading the other two volumes.)
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch. Another fantasy, again launching a series. This wouldn't be to all tastes; the language, especially in the early going, is pretty foul, and the storyline is decidedly bloody. Some find the title character repellent, and - especially in the flashback scenes to his youth that dot the narrative - I can understand that. Still, I found the story entertainingly complicated, and I also enjoyed the relationship between Locke and his friend Jean.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Betty Smith. I don't read that much mainstream fiction, especially 20th century USAn, but I do take a look from time to time. This one, I enjoyed a lot. (Before reading it, my only knowledge of the book was as the punchline to a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Don't ask.) It's the story of a young woman, growing up on the poor side of town in the early 20th century; it's richly detailed, and I found it absorbing.
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee. It's odd; of the 20th century USAn mainstream authors I actually like, most seem to be Southerners - Flannery O'Connor, Walker Percy, William Faulkner, one or two more that I'm forgetting. Harper Lee belongs in that company. Of course this one's a classic, and I'm looking forward to watching the movie. (Of course Gregory Peck plays Atticus; just from reading the book, I can see that this is a Peck role.)
NONFICTION
Nonfiction made up only a quarter of my 2007 reading, but gets two-thirds of the Best Of list.
The Politics Presidents Make, Stephen Skowronek. I already reviewed this one; I found it intriguing, especially in its implications for the current election season. I'm pleased to report that the book has also attracted the attention of the legal hotshots at Balkinization. (Pleased with myself, that is, in having my high opinion of the book validated by people who actually study this stuff.)
Power and Profit, Peter Spufford. I also already reviewed this study of medieval economics. Very dense and requiring close attention, but worth it, if this sort of thing floats your boat.
The Fall of the Asante Empire, Robert B. Edgerton. The title is self-explanatory: it covers the nineteenth-century history of the empire, with some spillover on either end. Again, a review.
The Anatomy of Fascism, Robert O. Paxton. This is, apparently, becoming the standard text on the subject. I read Hannah Arendt's The Origins of Totalitarianism years ago and learned a lot from it; this book takes into account much more recent scholarship and offers some useful corrections. Good, wide-ranging and careful analysis.
The World of Biblical Literature, Robert Alter. This is, I think, a good introduction to "the Bible as literature"; Alter presents what he believes to be the key ingredients of such a study, with some very thought-provoking examples. He's come out with a new translation of the Pentateuch, with extensive commentary, which I intend to acquire and read one of these days.
Empires of the Word, Nicholas Ostler. This is a historical overview of the growth and decline of imperial languages throughout history; I think it's pretty accessible even to those without any special knowledge of linguistics. My review is here.
Evolution of Fossil Ecosystems, Paul Selden & John Nudds. This is a fairly slim volume, but there's a lot packed into it. It reviews a number of rich fossil sites and the ecosystems that have been reconstructed from them, from Ediacara down to La Brea. Again, my review.
Analytic Theory of Polynomials, Rahman & Schmeisser. I have to include this one, even if it would only be accessible to professional mathematicians. It covers, in great (and sometimes excruciating) detail, an entire branch of mathematics whose existence I had been unaware of. I don't particularly want to study it myself, but I enjoyed seeing what has been discovered.
FICTION
Most of the fiction that I read in 2007 was... enjoyable, but not all that memorable. There were four that stood out, though.
The Amulet of Samarkand, Jonathan Stroud. I read this one after seeing it described in Unshelved; it's a steampunkish fantasy, set in a gritty world of politics and international intrigue. Most of the story is seen through the eyes of a demon called Bartimaeus, whose decidedly unreliable narration provides much of the entertainment value. (This is the first volume of The Bartimaeus Trilogy, from which title I presume we'll see more of our narrator. I'm looking forward to getting and reading the other two volumes.)
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch. Another fantasy, again launching a series. This wouldn't be to all tastes; the language, especially in the early going, is pretty foul, and the storyline is decidedly bloody. Some find the title character repellent, and - especially in the flashback scenes to his youth that dot the narrative - I can understand that. Still, I found the story entertainingly complicated, and I also enjoyed the relationship between Locke and his friend Jean.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Betty Smith. I don't read that much mainstream fiction, especially 20th century USAn, but I do take a look from time to time. This one, I enjoyed a lot. (Before reading it, my only knowledge of the book was as the punchline to a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Don't ask.) It's the story of a young woman, growing up on the poor side of town in the early 20th century; it's richly detailed, and I found it absorbing.
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee. It's odd; of the 20th century USAn mainstream authors I actually like, most seem to be Southerners - Flannery O'Connor, Walker Percy, William Faulkner, one or two more that I'm forgetting. Harper Lee belongs in that company. Of course this one's a classic, and I'm looking forward to watching the movie. (Of course Gregory Peck plays Atticus; just from reading the book, I can see that this is a Peck role.)
NONFICTION
Nonfiction made up only a quarter of my 2007 reading, but gets two-thirds of the Best Of list.
The Politics Presidents Make, Stephen Skowronek. I already reviewed this one; I found it intriguing, especially in its implications for the current election season. I'm pleased to report that the book has also attracted the attention of the legal hotshots at Balkinization. (Pleased with myself, that is, in having my high opinion of the book validated by people who actually study this stuff.)
Power and Profit, Peter Spufford. I also already reviewed this study of medieval economics. Very dense and requiring close attention, but worth it, if this sort of thing floats your boat.
The Fall of the Asante Empire, Robert B. Edgerton. The title is self-explanatory: it covers the nineteenth-century history of the empire, with some spillover on either end. Again, a review.
The Anatomy of Fascism, Robert O. Paxton. This is, apparently, becoming the standard text on the subject. I read Hannah Arendt's The Origins of Totalitarianism years ago and learned a lot from it; this book takes into account much more recent scholarship and offers some useful corrections. Good, wide-ranging and careful analysis.
The World of Biblical Literature, Robert Alter. This is, I think, a good introduction to "the Bible as literature"; Alter presents what he believes to be the key ingredients of such a study, with some very thought-provoking examples. He's come out with a new translation of the Pentateuch, with extensive commentary, which I intend to acquire and read one of these days.
Empires of the Word, Nicholas Ostler. This is a historical overview of the growth and decline of imperial languages throughout history; I think it's pretty accessible even to those without any special knowledge of linguistics. My review is here.
Evolution of Fossil Ecosystems, Paul Selden & John Nudds. This is a fairly slim volume, but there's a lot packed into it. It reviews a number of rich fossil sites and the ecosystems that have been reconstructed from them, from Ediacara down to La Brea. Again, my review.
Analytic Theory of Polynomials, Rahman & Schmeisser. I have to include this one, even if it would only be accessible to professional mathematicians. It covers, in great (and sometimes excruciating) detail, an entire branch of mathematics whose existence I had been unaware of. I don't particularly want to study it myself, but I enjoyed seeing what has been discovered.
