Best Books and Other Stuff, 2007

OK, here’s my two cents on various 2007 bests.

First things first are books—this time I’m focusing on the kind that you read, not the kind you listen to…

Best Books of 2007
10. An Absolute Gentleman by RM Kinder
Shameless plug: I edited this literary thriller. So rather than telling you why I think it’s fabulous, I’ll throw in a quote from Entertainment Weekly instead: “Kinder’s prose adroitly plumbs the inner life of an intellectual sociopath who brings equal precision to writing and killing.” A must read, of course!
9. I Love You, Beth Cooper by Larry Doyle
If Superbad marked the triumphant return of the raunchy teen comedy in 2007, then this book is the literary equivalent. Encompassing one hijinx-filled night in the life of a dorky Lloyd Dobler type, I Love You, Beth Cooper is crying out for a film adaptation. Pure fun, featuring clever illustrations, nimble word play, and–of course–a killer soundtrack.
8. Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose
I’ve never possessed much desire to write my own magnus opus, but Prose’s lucid, loving study of great writing is inspiring. This book changed the way I read (less skimming, more savoring!) and the way I edit. Aspiring writers and bibliophiles of any sort, take note. (The hardcover came out in 2006, but the paperback edition was new to me in 2007.)
7. Sin in the Second City by Karen Abbott
History that reads like a novel, a la Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City. Baudy, bubbly and bright, Sin in the Second City offers a colorful depiction of a notorious Chicago brothel at the turn of the 20th century.
6. No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July
I remember sobbing through a good deal of Miranda July’s film, Me and You and Everyone We Know, while the rest of the audience was cracking up. July’s stories hit me in a similar way. Awkward, funny, sweet, but also quietly devastating. The story “This Person” is a standout.
5. Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris
Yancey may beg to differ, but this buzz book of ‘07 made a big impression on me. Yes, the device of writing in the first person plural (that’s “we,” for you grammar-phobes) may feel gimmicky at times, but Ferris ultimately succeeds in endowing his cast of office co-workers with lots of heart and a sort of collective humanity.
4. The Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat
A devastating memoir by an Iranian woman who was imprisoned and sentenced to death at the age of 16. Her crime? Protesting the disappearance of math from her school curriculum at the beginning of the Islamic revolution. The atrocities endured by the author will shock you, but Nemat manages to divulge her harrowing story of survival with dignity and grace.
3. Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson
I lugged this thing around with me for weeks, and at times it hurt my brain as much as it did my back. But the effort was well worth it. Yes, this epic Vietnam novel is disorienting in language and structure (as mentioned in the Washington Post review). But once you manage to acclimate to Johnson’s writing style, clarity will follow and you will be changed.
2. The Folded World by Amity Gaige
An overlooked gem of a novel about a young married couple. I won’t bore you with any further plot details because they’re just about irrelevant. Focus on the exquisite writing and you will surely get swept away by the everyday beauty that Gaige unravels so flawlessly.
1. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
Believe the hype. Read the book.

Honorable mentions: What You Have Left by Will Allison, Foreskin’s Lament by Shalom Auslander, the first half of The Bad Girl by Mario Vargas Llosa
Still to read: Fieldwork by Mischa Berlanski, Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks, The Gathering by Anne Enright

Film
A quick thought on movies. For me, 2007 was the year of Philip Seymour Hoffman and musicals. And really, what more do you need?
PSH
1. Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
2. The Savages
3. Charlie Wilson’s War
Musicals
1. Once
2. La Vie En Rose
3. Sweeney Todd

As for music, I’ll let Yancey, Joe and Todd have at it. Me, I feel like my indie rock tastes are fairly well represented by the eMusic users poll (The National, Okkervil, Andrew Bird, etc). So, instead, I thought I’d hit you with some of my top new karaoke picks of 2007. Perhaps they’re not the most thrilling songs of the year, but try telling me that when I’m in a private room at Karaoke One Seven after a vodka soda or two.

Top Newly Added Karaoke Jams of 2007
1. The Gossip, “Jealous Girls” (no clue why a 2005 release just went up now, but I love it!)
2. Alicia Keys, “No One”
3. Amy Winehouse, “Back to Black”
4. The Killers, “When You Were Young” (also a good Rock Band song)
5. Paramore, “Misery Business”
6. Nelly Furtado, “Say It Right”
7. The Kaiser Chiefs, “Ruby”
8. Lily Allen, “Smile”
9. Sean Kingston, “Beautiful Girls”
10. Concrete Blonde, “Joey” (OK, not an 07 addition, but new to my repertoire anyway)