Best Books 2008

I did manage to finish 35 books this year, but don't be too impressed, I had a pretty high proportion of re-reads and girlie fluff. I don't really think they even warrant a top 10 list, but here were the highlights:

• Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid - You probably already know what a big Bill Bryson fan I am, and this one takes the cake. It's a memoir about growing up in the 50s, and I found it hugely entertaining. As a bonus, Bryson actually grew up in the same neighborhood and years that my mother did, in Des Moines, Iowa, so the landmarks were fun to hear about.
• Helen of Troy - Ok, this is embarrassing. I have a degree in Art History, but I really don't know much mythology. At all. So this was an interesting novel, told from the perspective of Helen of Troy, and her influence on the Trojan War.
• Life of Pi - I've been meaning to read this for years, and despite Dave's lukewarm review, I gave it a shot, and I'm so glad I did! I thought it was absolutely fascinating and original. It's about a boy who is stranded on a life boat with a collection of zoo animals, including a Bengal tiger, and how he manages. The story was approached from such a practical perspective that it seemed like a chapter from Worst Case Scenario.
  
• Undomestic Goddess - Another favorite author, Sophie Kinsella. It's a comedy about a successful attorney that gets fired, and accidentally accepts a job as a housekeeper. A book so nice I read it twice.
• Peace Like A River - Usually a creative writing style puts me off, I am all about the plot, but this book is one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read. It's a great big gorgeous poem, and the story about a Midwestern family in the sixties is wonderful too.
• Born Standing Up - Memoir by Steve Martin about his roots in stand up comedy. Why anyone would choose this for a career is beyond me, it must be in the genes. And he is another great writer, if you haven't read Shop Girl you're missing out.
• Breaking Dawn - I read the entire Twilight series, and the last book struck me as the most complex, and therefore the most fun. (The first couple are VERY light reading.) It's a teenage vampire theme. Maybe the mythology thing isn't quite as embarrassing after all.