Readers > Adult & teen lists > Best Fiction Reads of 2008
Staff Picks—Best Fiction Reads of 2008
These titles were the best books read by Multnomah County Library staff during 2008. Find more good reads on our favorite blogs and websites.
All titles shelved in Fiction collection, except as noted: M=mystery, SF=science fiction, y=young adult, j=juvenile fiction, GN=graphic novel.
Books
- Abercrombie, Joe
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(2008)SFIn the third book of the First Law trilogy the king is dying, the peasants are revolting, the nobles scrabble in the muck for the crown and the shadow of war has fallen across the land. If I may quote the author's webpage "Epic fantasy. It's all the same, no? There's a grumpy wizard, a deadly barbarian, a jumped-up nobleman and some feisty girl, more than likely." This is and isn't all that you expect in Epic Fantasy and that's what makes him one of the best new fantasy authors in the last few years. (Heidi)
- Appelt, Kathi
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(2008)jTwo stories unfold and meet at the end. The first story follows a mother cat and her two kittens befriended by an old hound dog tied up underneath his cruel owner's house. The kittens are warned never to leave the underneath, but do not listen. The second story begins in a jar buried in the roots of a tree and its ancient contents are not benevolent. What comes from underneath, literally and figuratively as events and emotions bubble forth, will have you reading quickly to discover the fate of all involved. (Kate C.)
- Benioff, David
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(2008)This was one of my reading highlights in 2008. (Gina)
- Boling, Dave
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(2008)Guernica is a beautifully written novel by a first-time author from Tacoma. Through the eyes of a family, a town and the Basque people, it is a fictional account of a devastating moment in history, anchored by the brief appearances of some actual people such as Pablo Picasso. (Chris)
- Brewer, Heather
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(2008)yA great teen vampire series that isn't Twilight! The main character is a sweet, likeable kid with a crush on a pretty girl and a couple of bullies who pick on him for being goth. The best thing is the new twist on ye olde vampire story that is the centerpiece of the plot: Vlad's dad was a vampire and his mom was mortal (they're both dead), so he was actually born a vampire instead of made into one by being bitten. Vampire lore, meanwhile, tells of a such a vampire being born one day, rising to rule over all other vampires and enslave the entire human race. So, as you can imagine, he's got some enemies in the vampire community. And what about the mystery of his parents' death? (Christopher)
- Busiek, Kurt and Greg Ruth
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(2008)GNThis graphic novel is a collection of Busiek's meticulously researched and lovingly extrapolated stories of Robert E. Howard's archetypical barbarian. The gorgeous art is like a book of posters, and reads like watching a movie. These stories cover Conan's early formative years in Cimmeria before he left to "tread the jeweled thrones of the earth under his sandaled feet." A MUST for Conan, Busiek and Sword & Sorcery fans. (Patrick)
- Bush, Nancy
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(2007)MSpunky detective Jane Kelly investigates a man's murder on his daughter's wedding day. She also investigates nocturnal teen parties occurring across Lake Chinook (Oregon) from her friend Dwayne's house. (Lake Chinook may be a pseudonym for the author's hometown of Lake Oswego.) This series is a good pick for readers of Janet Evanovich. (Sue)
- Butcher, Jim
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(2008)SFNo one has tried to kill Harry Dresden in long time and then the queen of the Winter court of the Sidhe calls in a small favor Harry owes her. Things were going far too well to last… This is the tenth book of the Dresden files and if anything the series has only gotten better. (Heidi)
- Collins, Suzanne
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(2008)yIn the future the masses are controlled by a central city which televises an annual survival competition with competitors selected by lottery. Unlike today's TV show Survivor, this truly is about survival — last one standing wins. Sixteen-year-old Katniss volunteers to take her younger sister's place and her skills are put to the test as she fights against 23 other teens to live and to win. I couldn't put the book down. (Kate C.)
- Cornish, D.M.
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(2008)yIn the world of the Half-Continent, ships powered by gastrines (muscular engines grown in boxes) sail the vinegar seas. Monsters prowl the countryside, and monster fighters known as fulgars battle them with powerful bolts of electricity generated by surgically implanted organs. In this second installment of the series, the orphan Rossamünd continues his work as a lamplighter in the Emperor's service, protecting travelers of the Wormway from monster attacks. To make matters worse, he must also contend with Threnody, a snooty girl from an all-female clan of monster hunters who has been sent to the Lamplighters for training. If you're tired of the same old fantasy books full of elves and dwarves, try the Monster Blood Tattoo series. And don't worry if you don't know your fulgars from your lahzars, or a sthenicon from a cruorpunxis: a detailed glossary along with diagrams and maps is provided! (Erika)
- Crusie, Jennifer
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(2007)From Books in Print: "Take one food writer named Cranky Agnes, add a hitman named Shane, mix them together with a Southern mob wedding, a missing necklace, two annoyed flamingos, and a dog named Rhett." You want to read it, you know you do. What do you do when an armed gunman tries to kidnap your dog, a good looking hitman crawls into your bedroom window in the middle of the night and the people around you think you have anger problems when you attack both men in self-defense? I thought it would be too chick-lit for me. It turned out to be one of the funniest books I have ever read. Laugh-out-loud-on-the-bus funny. (Luci)
- Ferraris, Zoe
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(2008)An intriguing murder mystery, set in Saudi Arabia, that gives a fascinating glimpse into domestic Saudi life and relationships among its citizens, young and old, wealthy and not. Nouf, the 16-year-old daughter of a wealthy family, is found murdered in the desert just days before her wedding. Nayir, a Palestinian family friend, is hired to solve the mystery. Especially interesting is the developing relationship between Nayir and Katya, a young female working in the medical examiner's office, who secretly assists Nayir with his investigation, and the struggle between the traditional Saudi roles for women and men vs. more contemporary ideas. (Cathy)
- Gaiman, Neil
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(2008)jI seldom read juvenile fiction, but I love his books, and this was the most satisfying, imaginative and entertaining book I read all year. (Note: The Graveyard Book won the 2008 Newbery Award for best children's book.) (Diana)
- Greenland, Seth
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(2008)Marcus Ripps' factory manager job is going to China and Marcus doesn't want to go with it. His employment problem seems to be solved when his black sheep brother dies and leaves a dry cleaning business to him. Marcus soon discovers that the dry cleaning business is a front for a high-class prostitution operation. With no other opportunities, Marcus takes it over, but doesn't lose sight of his values. He offers health care and retirement benefits. The business prospers as everyone in the family gets involved, but at every turn Marcus agonizes about the moral dilemmas brought by his new profession. (Leslie)
- Horan, Nancy
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(2007)Architect Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Borthwick Cheney, a client's wife, fall in love in Chicago in the early 1900s. Both are married and have families. Frank and Mamah eventually run off to Europe together for months, creating a scandal. This well-written novel, based on real events, focuses largely on Mamah's struggles with the difficulty of being an independent, educated woman in the early 1900s. Eventually they live together at Taliesin, Frank's latest architectural innovation, until tragedy strikes. (Cathy)
- Horvath, Polly
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(2008)jLuminous writing about a very real 12-year-old girl who longs for adventure and gets it. (Jane)
- King, Laurie R
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(2008)A thriller set in 1920s England, written by the author of the Beekeeper's Apprentice series. While fun both as a historical novel and as a mystery, it's the characters that make this novel superlative. The touchstone of the title is a man cursed with the ability to sense — with a physical pain — when people are lying, even when they are lying to themselves. He is being used by both US and UK officials to find out whether or not his former fiancé's new paramour is behind a series of bombings leading up the 1926 general strike. (Rachael)
- Kogan, Deborah Copaken
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(2008)Lizzie remembers a friend, April, from first grade, who disappeared. Upon investigation she discovers that April's mother killed her two daughters and herself. A mother now herself, Lizzie tries to answer the question of how a mother could kill her own children. Disturbing subject matter, but this first novel is riveting. (Candy)
- Kushner, Rachel
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(2008)An ambitious first novel set in the American community in Cuba during the years leading to Castro's revolution. Kushner's mother grew up in Cuba in the 1950s, in the United Fruit Company enclave where Telex from Cuba takes place. Calling on a rich trove of family letters, photos, meticulously kept journals and historical research, Kushner sets free her brilliant imagination in this profoundly resonant story of a world that was paradise for a time and for a few. (Barbara)
- Levine, Gail Carson
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(2006)yIn a land where beauty and singing are valued above all else, Aza has the vocal chops but, alas, her solid frame and short stature are not prized. Feeling huge and ugly, she somehow becomes the favorite of Ayortha's beautiful new queen, sharing a secret that could bring down a kingdom and destroy Aza's happiness. You could read the book but why would you when you can listen to the library's CD! (Lee)
- Lockhart, E.
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(2008)yFrankie is a sophomore at the formerly all-male Alabaster Prep, and what a difference a year makes! At 15, she's got a knockout figure and a hot senior boyfriend. But Matthew won't let Frankie in on the activities of the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, whose traditions and pranks go back to her father's days at the school. So Frankie decides to take secret control of the Loyal Order with surprising results. Frankie is one smart, delightful heroine and her adventures are crafty, funny and utterly enjoyable. (Lee)I loved this book for the fun plot, clever language and awesome protagonist! (Ruth)
- Marche, Stephen
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(2007)Marche creates an imaginary island, its culture, its history and its persons, and then invites us to explore by reading an anthology of its literary work. (Caleb)
- McLarty, Ron
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(2008)McClarty creates a Milagro Beanfield War in the Rocky Mountains in this funny and heartwarming novel about a down-on-his-luck New York writer offered a position as playwright-in-residence in rural southern Colorado. (Jayne)
- Miles, Jonathan
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(2008)Stranded at Chicago's O'Hare airport on the way to his daughter's wedding, Bernie Ford begins a scathing letter of complaint that becomes a reflection on a lifetime of regrets. The late Spalding Gray would have found lots of material here for one of his compelling monologues. (Jayne)
- Ness, Patrick
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(2008)yTodd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men — a town infected with the Noise germ, where everyone can hear what everyone else is thinking. When Todd turns 13, he will become a man as well and learn Prentisstown's terrible secret. Yet one day, exploring with his dog (whose thoughts he can hear as well), Todd discovers a patch of silence that starts him on a frightening journey for his life. An exciting adventure that starts with the shock of silence and never lets up. (Lee)
- Novik, Naomi
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(2008)yA Temeraire series novel. This one somehow seemed even tighter and more dramatic than the last. The author excellently blends varying kinds of drama — family disapproval, internal moral struggle, the choice between following orders or doing what is right. On top of that, there's the strategic and tactical military fun of Napoleonic Era battles with the added feature of a dragon air force! Pure fun; I wish I could make them last longer. (Patrick)
- O'Farrell, Maggie
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(2006)Out of the blue, Iris Lockhart learns that her great aunt Esme is being released after being locked away in a psychiatric hospital for over 60 years. But Iris never heard of Esme: her grandmother always said she was an only child. Iris takes in Esme and as they get to know each other, it turns out that Esme is not as crazy as she seems. Or is she? (Leslie)
- Owen, James A.
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(2006)yAdventures in the lands of imagination, aboard dragonships, meeting people and creatures from legend, history and fiction... dragons, the Ark, Prydain, Dickens, elves, the hook-handed Winter King, all in the quest to either protect or destroy the map-book of it all, the Imaginarium Geographica. This is absolutely stuffed full of wonder. I loved this book. (Patrick)
- Parker, Robert B.
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(2008)WIn this sequel to Appaloosa, Everett Hitch makes his way to the little town of Resolution and takes a security job at the saloon. Virgil Cole follows him there. They find themselves in the middle of a war between the greedy saloon owner, who wants to own the whole town and surroundings, and the local ranchers. For fans of Westerns, this is short but just about perfect! (Candy)
- Parzybok, Benjamin
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(2008)A bizarre-o metaphor about the search for the meaning of life? A well-traveled hippie's idea of fun? Maybe both. This was an original, well written story of three guys who decide to do something pretty strange (it seems like it might be important for someone else somewhere else) for no apparent reason. A lot of the story takes place in Portland, off Highway 30 and on the northern Oregon coast. Good stuff. (Hesther)
- Patterson, James
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(2008)Alex Cross' newest case takes him from Washington DC to Nigeria. He tracks a band of thrill-kill teenagers and their leader the Tiger. Along the way he is thrown in a Nigerian prison, beaten by several people (including the police) and almost gunned down by the Janjaweed armed gunmen while helping women gather sticks for fire. While this might be one of his more violent books, the mystery is that much more intriguing and serpentine. (Luci)
- Robinson, Marilynne
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(2008)I needed several evenings to get through the emotion-packed ending of Marilynne Robinson's sequel to Gilead. This one is called simply Home. Glory, youngest sister in a large pastoral family, has come home to care for her dying father. Someone joins her: Robert, the ne'r-do-well older brother, who didn't make it home for his mother's funeral 20 years ago, grows close to his baby sister and reveals some of his difficult life to her. Lots of heartbreak and family angst, just what one needs for a good cleansing cry. (Carol Z.)
- Russell, Mark
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(2007)ZINEIn comic books, movies, and television shows, you only get the highlights of a character's life. The Superman Stories fills in the blanks with things you never knew you wanted to know about Superman's real life. What does he do when Lois sends his cape to the dry cleaner? Why do Superman and Jesus have so much trouble working together? This little gem is definitely on my list of the 10 funniest zines ever. (Christopher)
- Shaffer, Mary Ann
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(2008)Set in post-war Britain, this novel follows the adventures of writer Juliet Ashton as she befriends the war-shocked inhabitants of an island off the coast of Normandy. Written in the form of letters, chock full of literary allusions, and rich with unforgettable characters — this is an ideal book to curl up with on a lazy afternoon. (Nancy P.)
- Sittenfeld, Curtis
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(2008)Sittenfeld makes it almost understandable how a serious children's librarian (loosely modeled on Laura Bush) could love a wise-cracking fraternity boy who ultimately becomes president (modeled after you know who). (Leslie)
- Stein, Garth
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(2008)The narrator is Enzo, a dog, but it's a story about people. Despite large amounts of grief and grim family drama, the book was about hope, and the wisdom found in (of all places) auto racing is exactly the amount of inspiration I enjoy. The lives of these folks seemed very real to me, and the story rang true. I loved the canine perspective on things and recommend this book to nearly every adult. (Patrick)
Blogs and Websites
- Bookdwarf
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http://www.bookdwarf.com/Bookdwarf is written by a Boston-area bookstore buyer who's as obsessed with books and reading as I am. Her blog is part reading journal, part book and author news, reviews, and reviews of other reviewers, spanning a truly wide array of topics and genres. (Christopher)
- Book Patrol, A Haven for Book Culture
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http://www.bookpatrol.net/My favorite blog, more for book arts and culture than for forthcoming titles. (Eric)
- Christopher's Reading Journal
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http://christophersreading.blogspot.com/Bordering on the blue, Christopher's intellect shines through his writing. His steady trickle of honest postings keeps me coming back for more. With such a wide variety of reading interests, this blog will keep you entertained, and should not be missed. (Steve R.)
- Covers
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http://covers.fwis.com/We aren't supposed to judge books by their covers, but there is nothing wrong with judging the covers themselves. This blog discusses contemporary book and book cover design. Some of the best entries have to do with the relationships between the covers, the contents inside and the publishing industry around them. (Caleb)
- Duck Duck Book
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http://duckduckbook.wordpress.com/Written by a librarian, this blog is loaded with intelligent, thoughtful, well-researched reviews of mostly nonfiction books. I almost don't want to read it sometimes, because I know that I'll wind up adding a lot of titles to my "to-read" list. (Christopher)
- The Guardian Books
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/booksCalling all Anglophiles: this newspaper website offers RSS to keep you up to date and in the know about books published across the pond. (You'll find more than just Brit books, but they're the reason I'm paying attention.) I also recommend the "digested read" feature, in which entire books are boiled down to about 600 words — and then that distillation gets refined even further into one sentence, sometimes a single word. (Christopher)
- Kids Lit
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http://kidslit.menashalibrary.org/From the director of the Menasha (Wisconsin) Public Library, formerly a children's librarian. Great reviews of new books for kids and teens. She usually posts a few times each week. (Kate C.)
- Not a Journal
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http://lcrw.net/wordpress/These people love books. Small Beer Press is an independent publisher in Massachusetts and this is their blog. It is a great place to find new books, new-to-me authors who write in-between the genres, and to laugh out loud (or just inside your head). (Caleb)
- The PlanetEsme Plan: The Best New Children's Books from Esme's Shelf
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http://planetesme.blogspot.com/Esme Raji Codell is an author, former teacher and "professional readiologist." She reviews children's books, usually on a theme, posting perhaps once a week. She reviews primarily picture books and books for elementary age readers. (Kate C.)
- Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
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http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com/index.phpIf you are like me, you don't read romance novels, and you won't go to SBTB find new titles or authors. I read it because its fresh perspective on reading, writing and sex. But maybe you aren't like me. (Caleb)
