Life of Pi
by Yann Martel
Harcourt, 336 pages. $17.50 (all prices from Amazon.com)
Falling into that always interesting category of books-you-can’t-quite-figure-out, Life of Pi is a book that doesn’t seem to have any clear cut bottom line. With this work, the meaning is in the searching, making it one of the most thoughtful and thought-provoking books of the year. Pi, a 16 year old kid raised in India, finds himself shipwrecked at sea for 227 days with a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker for company. Difficult to imagine what would be going through some guy’s mind for 336 pages in that situation, but Martel’s prose is effortless and engrossing.
Everything is Illuminated: A Novel
by Jonathan Safran Foer
Houghton Mifflin, 288 pages. $16.80
During finals time, when everyone is working through finals and exams and there’s no end in sight, it’s easy to scoff at this title as a big fat lie. Although Foer’s first work is definitely on the the confusing side with its dual narration and magical realism, Everything lives up to its title in this touching work about a young man’s search for a figure from his past. One of the best novels of the year from an promising author.
Step Across This Line: Collected Non-Fiction 1992-2002
by Salman Rushdie
Random House, 320 pages. $18.17
Perhaps the most appropriately named work of the year, Rushdie’s second collection of nonfiction writing is in-your-face and unapologetic, as the wit and intelligence of his fiction finds itself at home in a diverse collection of essays. About a fourth of the book consists of essays all about the fatwa business, but Rushdie also writes about everything from one of his passions, rock music, to his favorite story, The Wizard of Oz. Great for seasoned Rushdie readers and rookies alike.
Slander: Liberal Lies About the American Right
by Ann H. Coulter
Crown Publishing, 240 pages. $18.17
This book wins points for being interesting, well-written, and about a very difficult subject. Dealing with political stereotypes is never an easy task, but Coulter seems to enjoy it. While she supports her claim that conservatives have been slandered and abused, she also throws in zingers like, “The good part of being a Democrat is that you can commit crimes, sell out your base, bomb foreigners, and rape women, and the Democratic faithful will still think you’re the greatest.” An unforgettable work, to say the least.
Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science
by Atul Gawande
Metropolitan Books, 288 pages. $14.40
This one’s for all the pre-meds to ponder over break, although its readability should have anyone who gives a darn about medical care perusing its pages. His stories about doctors, patients, and the overall state of the health care system are engaging, while his ideas concerning the medical profession and suggestions for improvement challenge convention. Complications reveals how medicine is always changing, and Gawande’s emphasis on the resulting excitement and anxieties is well done.