Notable Books List for Adults

Notable Books for Adults

Since 1944, the Notable Books Council has annually selected a list of 25
very good, very readable and at times very important fiction, nonfiction and poetry books for the adult reader.
Books may be selected because they possess exceptional literary merit; expand the horizons of human knowledge;
make a specialized body of knowledge accessible to the non-specialist; have the potential to contribute significantly
to the solution of a contemporary problem; and/or present a unique concept.
The Notable Books Council is part of the Reference and User Services Association, a division of the American Library Association.

2012 List:

Fiction

Banks, Russell. Lost Memory of Skin
A surprisingly sympathetic exploration of the lives and treatment of sex offenders and how this reflects on our society. (Fic Banks)

Barnes, Julian. The Sense of an Ending
A 60-something retiree living near London searches through his memories to discern what role, if any, he may have played in a decades-old tragedy. (Fic Barnes)

deWitt, Patrick. The Sisters Brothers
A darkly comic and quixotic quest western tale about two brothers whose divergent world views are presented in sparkling prose and originality. (Fic W deWitt)

Goldman, Francisco. Say Her Name
Poetic novelization of the author’s struggle to cope with his young wife’s accidental death. (Fic Goldman)

Harbach, Chad. The Art of Fielding
One man’s failure to attain perfection on the baseball field reveals the pain and beauty that life offers in this psychologically astute novel.

MacLeod, Alexander. LIGHT LIFTING
Seven fearless short stories explore the limits of physical and emotional endurance in muscular prose.

Obreht, Téa. The Tiger’s Wife
After the death of her beloved grandfather, a young doctor navigates family history, folklore and love across ethnic barriers in a war-torn country. (Fic Obreht)

Ondaatje, Michael. The Cat’s Table
An adventurous 21-day ocean voyage filled with a rich assortment of characters and escapades resonates through a boy’s life on his way to a new life. (Fic Ondaatje)

Phillips, Arthur. The Tragedy of Arthur
In an adulthood marred by family dysfunction, an author who dislikes Shakespeare reluctantly finds himself in possession of the Bard’s lost gem. Or does he? (Fic Phillips)

Russell, Karen. Swamplandia!
An inventive story set in an alligator theme-park navigates boundaries between childhood and adulthood, imagination and reality, in an American landscape both familiar and surreal. (Fic Russell)

Torres, Justin. We the Animals
Searing portrait of a troubled, mixed-race working class family centers on the youngest son as he struggles to find his identity amid affection and abuse. (Fic Torres)

Trevor, William. Selected Stories
These finely sculpted and timeless stories provide a greater appreciation for finding beauty in the minutiae of daily life. (Fic Trevor)

Nonfiction

Adams, Mark. RIGHT TURN AT MACHU PICCHU: REDISCOVERING THE LOST CITY ONE STEP AT A TIME
In this humorous travelogue, the author sprinkles historical anecdote with investigative reporting as he retraces the steps of early explorers into ancient Peru.

Bartók, Mira. The Memory Palace
Beautifully wrought memoir chronicles the 17-year estrangement of the author and her homeless, schizophrenic mother, and the painful reunion that brings them together. (921 B2851AAm)

Gleick, James. The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood
This comprehensive study, a melodious interplay between science and literature, documents the transmission of human knowledge from the talking drums to the Internet. (303.4833 G481i)

Greenblatt, Stephen. The Swerve: How the World Became Modern
Meditation on the power of literature, examining how a medieval book hunter’s serendipitous discovery of an ancient prose poem provides a theoretical bridge to the Renaissance. (940.21 G829s)

Hillenbrand, Laura. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
An Olympic runner’s physical and inner-strength is tested by the experience and aftermath of a plane crash, 42 days at sea, and Japanese imprisonment. (940.5472 H557u)

Hitchens, Christopher. Arguably: Essays
Polymath and public intellectual displays his considerable range and biting wit in these thoughtful, incisive pieces that provoke and challenge. (814.54 H636a)

Homans, Jennifer. APOLLO'S ANGELS: A HISTORY OF BALLET
Elegant, authoritative work traces the evolution of classical dance from the 16th century to today, highlighting social and cultural dimensions of this traditional art form.

Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow
Entertaining look at the complexities and oddities that characterize our mental processes from the only psychologist ever to have won the Nobel Prize for Economics. (153.42 K122t)

Marable, Manning. Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention
Definitive work on his life and transformation from petty thief to charismatic leader of during the turbulent civil rights era. (921 L725m)

Millard, Candace. Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President
Era of great corruption and change in U.S. history is illuminated through the tragic story of two men – one destined for greatness, the other a madman. (973.84 M611d)

Mukherjee, Siddhartha. Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
The history of these diseases and their treatment is examined through the stories of those seeking to discover a cure and the individuals affected. (616.994 M896e)

Reitman, Janet. Inside Scientology: The Story of America’s Most Secretive Religion
An investigation of the origins, personalities, and controversies of this uniquely American religious movement. (299.936 R278i)

Poetry

Rimbaud, Arthur. ILLUMINATIONS
A vigorous new translation of the French prodigy’s last poems as rendered by one of America’s finest contemporary poets.

Bartlett, Jennifer, Sheila Black, and Michael, Northen. BEAUTY IS A VERB: THE NEW POETRY OF DISABILITY.
Collection of poems and essays that provides insight into the lives of the estimated 50 million Americans with disabilities.

Previous Notable Books lists

Fiction
	Banks, Russell. Lost Memory of Skin A surprisingly sympathetic exploration of the lives and treatment of sex offenders and how this reflects on our society. (Fic Banks)
	Barnes, Julian. The Sense of an Ending A 60-something retiree living near London searches through his memories to discern what role, if any, he may have played in a decades-old tragedy. (Fic Barnes)
	deWitt, Patrick. The Sisters Brothers A darkly comic and quixotic quest western tale about two brothers whose divergent world views are presented in sparkling prose and originality. (Fic W deWitt)
	Goldman, Francisco. Say Her Name Poetic novelization of the author’s struggle to cope with his young wife’s accidental death. (Fic Goldman)
	Harbach, Chad. The Art of Fielding One man’s failure to attain perfection on the baseball field reveals the pain and beauty that life offers in this psychologically astute novel.
	MacLeod, Alexander. LIGHT LIFTING Seven fearless short stories explore the limits of physical and emotional endurance in muscular prose.
	Obreht, Téa. The Tiger’s Wife After the death of her beloved grandfather, a young doctor navigates family history, folklore and love across ethnic barriers in a war-torn country. (Fic Obreht)
	Ondaatje, Michael. The Cat’s Table An adventurous 21-day ocean voyage filled with a rich assortment of characters and escapades resonates through a boy’s life on his way to a new life. (Fic Ondaatje)
	Phillips, Arthur. The Tragedy of Arthur In an adulthood marred by family dysfunction, an author who dislikes Shakespeare reluctantly finds himself in possession of the Bard’s lost gem. Or does he? (Fic Phillips)
	Russell, Karen. Swamplandia! An inventive story set in an alligator theme-park navigates boundaries between childhood and adulthood, imagination and reality, in an American landscape both familiar and surreal. (Fic Russell)
	Torres, Justin. We the Animals Searing portrait of a troubled, mixed-race working class family centers on the youngest son as he struggles to find his identity amid affection and abuse. (Fic Torres)
	Trevor, William. Selected Stories These finely sculpted and timeless stories provide a greater appreciation for finding beauty in the minutiae of daily life. (Fic Trevor)
Nonfiction
	Adams, Mark. RIGHT TURN AT MACHU PICCHU: REDISCOVERING THE LOST CITY ONE STEP AT A TIME In this humorous travelogue, the author sprinkles historical anecdote with investigative reporting as he retraces the steps of early explorers into ancient Peru.
	Bartók, Mira. The Memory Palace Beautifully wrought memoir chronicles the 17-year estrangement of the author and her homeless, schizophrenic mother, and the painful reunion that brings them together. (921 B2851AAm)
	Gleick, James. The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood This comprehensive study, a melodious interplay between science and literature, documents the transmission of human knowledge from the talking drums to the Internet. (303.4833 G481i)
	Greenblatt, Stephen. The Swerve: How the World Became Modern Meditation on the power of literature, examining how a medieval book hunter’s serendipitous discovery of an ancient prose poem provides a theoretical bridge to the Renaissance. (940.21 G829s)
	Hillenbrand, Laura. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption An Olympic runner’s physical and inner-strength is tested by the experience and aftermath of a plane crash, 42 days at sea, and Japanese imprisonment. (940.5472 H557u)
	Hitchens, Christopher. Arguably: Essays Polymath and public intellectual displays his considerable range and biting wit in these thoughtful, incisive pieces that provoke and challenge. (814.54 H636a)
	Homans, Jennifer. APOLLO'S ANGELS: A HISTORY OF BALLET Elegant, authoritative work traces the evolution of classical dance from the 16th century to today, highlighting social and cultural dimensions of this traditional art form.
	Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow Entertaining look at the complexities and oddities that characterize our mental processes from the only psychologist ever to have won the Nobel Prize for Economics. (153.42 K122t)
	Marable, Manning. Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention Definitive work on his life and transformation from petty thief to charismatic leader of during the turbulent civil rights era. (921 L725m)
	Millard, Candace. Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President Era of great corruption and change in U.S. history is illuminated through the tragic story of two men – one destined for greatness, the other a madman. (973.84 M611d)
	Mukherjee, Siddhartha. Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer The history of these diseases and their treatment is examined through the stories of those seeking to discover a cure and the individuals affected. (616.994 M896e)
	Reitman, Janet. Inside Scientology: The Story of America’s Most Secretive Religion An investigation of the origins, personalities, and controversies of this uniquely American religious movement. (299.936 R278i)
Poetry
	Rimbaud, Arthur. ILLUMINATIONS A vigorous new translation of the French prodigy’s last poems as rendered by one of America’s finest contemporary poets.
	Bartlett, Jennifer, Sheila Black, and Michael, Northen. BEAUTY IS A VERB: THE NEW POETRY OF DISABILITY. Collection of poems and essays that provides insight into the lives of the estimated 50 million Americans with disabilities.

8/17/12 Duluth Public Library, 520 W. Superior St., Duluth, MN 55802

8/17/12
Duluth Public Library, 520 W. Superior St., Duluth, MN 55802