These are some of the books I loved in ’09 and why:
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout for its realism
This is Water by David Foster Wallace for helping me put things into perspective
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell because I just like the way he thinks
Bright-Sided by Barbara Ehrenreich because her unique insights and wit make me laugh
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak for talking about good and evil without preaching
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett for its uhh… passion
One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell for a charming glimpse into a true NYC neighborhood
The Sportswriter by Richard Ford for voice
The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon for amazing storytelling
The Financial Lives of the Poets by Jess Walter for its motley group of genuine characters
—Chris
Read it or Weep 
The Book Thief was a great read. This looks like a really interesting list of books. Thanks for sharing.
Wasn’t it exceptional! It was hard to talk about it in a couple of words. I’ve been meaning to read more by Zusak. Have you read anything else by him? Chris
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