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Best of 2000
Return to Fiction_L Booklists Menu
December 2000
Compiled by Natalya Fishman
of Morton Grove (IL) Public Library, from contributions by the members of Fiction_L.
(To use this list in your library, book club, etc., please include the following credit line: "Compiled by the subscribers of the Fiction_L mailing list." This list may not be used for commercial purposes.)
- Adair, Cherry Kiss and Tell
- A delicious romantic suspense novel about a Black Ops guy hiding out on a mountain, and the woman who ends up stranded with him.
- Adams, Harold Lead, so I can Follow (Mystery/detective)
- I thought it inferior to many of his earlier Carl Wilcox books, and have serious reservations about Adams' decision to marry Carl off, charming as his wife is); too bad Dexter's THE REMORSEFUL DAY was a 1999 rather than 2000 title, or that I've not yet read Janet Evanovich's HOT SIX).
- Allende, Isabel Daughter of Fortune
- Outstanding book. This book had romance, intrigue and history. Well done.
- Anderson, Laurie Halse Speak (YA)
- A high school student is date raped over the summer and when she returns to school no one will speak to her and she will speak to no one.
- Atwood, Margaret The Blind Assassin.
- Elegant writing, intriguing characters.
- Aubert, Brigitte Death from the Woods (mystery)
- Balogh, Mary More than a mistress
- If forced to choose only one book, this would be my favorite favorite! A witty, Regency-era romance that is funny and touching (sometimes on the same page) The twist at the end sent me back
to read it through a second time - not my normal reaction to a romance novel, and probably why I thought it was special.
- Barry, Dave Big Trouble.
- The funniest book I read this year, published in 1999.
- Barzun, Jacques From Dawn to Decadence (non-fiction)
- Bass, Rick Colter: The True Story of the Best Dog I Ever Had (non-fiction)
- About the special bond between a man and his dog, and so much more.
- Baxter, Charles The Feast of Love
- A strange and beautiful novel about people in Ann Arbor falling in love and about the ways their lives intersect.
- Berg, Elizabeth Open House
- She did a wonderful job showing a woman work through the depression, and then handle her divorce with humor.
- Funny and touching portrait of a woman who falls apart after her divorce and puts herself back together with help from her boarders.
- Britain, Kristen Green Rider
- A debut fantasy novel.
- Brown, Larry Fay
- Brown, Sandra The Switch
- Caudwell, Sarah The Sibyl in her Grave (Mystery/detective)
- Fourth and sadly last book of a wonderfully witty writer who wrote too little and died too soon.
- Chamberlain, Diane Breaking the Silence
- Chamberlain, Diane Summer's Child.
- Another paperback original, it's about the adoption of an abandoned baby found on the beach and the family secrets it unveils.
- Chbosky, Stephen Perks of Being a Wallflower
- A powerful novel about a young teenage boy's life in and out of school. Written for adults, suitable for YAs. One of the best books I've read all year. I would give it to an advanced YA.
- Chevalier, Tracy The Girl with a Pearl Earring
- A maid in Vermeers household becomes a model for him. Evocation of time period is excellent as is the development of the heroine's character.
- Ciresi, Rita Sometimes I Dream in Italian
- Coben, Harlan Darkest Fear
- Latest novel in his mystery series featuring sports agent Myron Bolitar. Easily the best.
- Codell, Esme Raji Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher's First Year
- I listened to this on audiotape read by the author and absolutely loved it.
- Crace, Jim Being Dead
- Beautifully written, unusual story about 2 zoologists (a married couple) found dead on the sand dunes where they first made love 30 years before.
- Crawford, Michael Parcel Arrived Safely, Tied with String: My Autobiography.
- I am a huge Phantom Phan and absolutely love Michael Crawford. His story is in turns sad and hilarious, and I loved reading about his childhood and struggle to become a respected actor.
- Crusie, Jennifer Welcome to Temptation
- Comedy romance about a country bred blueblood mayor, a fading would-be movie queen, and the "soft" porn movie they are all involved in.
- Outrageous, funny, exaggerated tale of small town secrets, lies, gossip, murder and sex
- Curtis, Christopher Paul Bud, Not Buddy
- Coretta Scott King and Newbery Awards winner about a boy who is searching for his father in Depression Era America. His father is supposedly a famous jazz musician.
- Davies, Norman The Isles (non-fiction)
- Dexter, Colin The Remorseful Day.
- Even though it is the last of the Morse series, it was the first Dexter title I had read and I
enjoyed it immensely.
- Dirda, Michael Readings (non-fiction)
- Doyle, Roddy A Star Called Henry
- Not at all his usual short, modern thing -- a large, lush, poetic look at the making of an
IRA assassin in the early part of the century. First in a projected trilogy.
- Dye, Dan and Beckloff, Mark Amazing Gracie
- Amazing Gracie is the heartwarming, touching and humorous tale of a deaf, partially blind, albino Great Dane named Grace Dane. Dan Dye adopted her as a puppy, rescueing her from a breeder's idea that defective dogs should be put away. In saving Gracie's life, Dan's own life was saved, because Gracie was the inspiration for the successful chain of dog bakeries known as Three Dog Bakery. This book will have you cheering, laughing, rejoicing, and yes, crying. Even those who are not huge dog lovers will appreciate this true story.
- Earley, Pete Super Casino: Iinside the "New" Las Vegas
- This is a personal favorite and not sure anyone else will think this should be
on a "best list" but I love LV and find the inner workings of the city fascinating.
- Evanovich, Janet Hot Six
- The funniest 2000 book I read.
- Evans, Penelope First Fruits
- Faber, Michel Under the Skin
- Isserley constantly drives the roads of the Scottish Highlands to pick up hitchhikers. She is drawn to men with muscular, healthy bodies, but her obsession is not at all what the reader at first suspects. Why is she so concerned that they have few family ties? Why does she have strange scars and an oddly-shaped body? Perfectly developed suspense matched with a surprising message.
- Fleischman, Paul Whirligig
- One of the most powerful young adult novels I read this year. A drunk and suicidal teenage boy gets into his car with the intention of ending his life and takes the life of a teenage girl with a very promising future. After his parents pull some strings to keep their son out of jail,
the girl's mother requests that the boy travel to the four points of the country and build whirligigs in memory of her daughter. The boy finds redemption in the creation of the
wooden toys and also unwittingly affects the lives of others. A great book for all YA and adult readers, reluctant and voracious.
- Flint, Eric 1632 (Science Fiction)
- Wonderful time travel/alternate history book. A modern West Virginia mining town gets dropped into the middle of Germany during the 30 years war. Great characters, and an interesting look at the difference in world views between modern & medieval man.
- Ford, G.M. The Deader the better
- Another author who hasn't quite lived up to his first two novels but he has returned to form with this very funny mystery featuring Leo Waterman, low-rent Seattle detective, and his gang of "operatives", a group of "residentially challenged" men.
- Frank, Dorothea Benton Sullivan's Island
- A paperback original, which is too bad as it is a really good read along the lines of Ann Rivers Siddons but with a sense of humor. It takes place in the South Carolina Low Country and is about a woman who is newly divorced with a teen-age daughter.
- Franklin, Tom Poachers
- Gritty, dark and evocative short story collection, set in south Alabama.
- Gilbert, Elizabeth Stern Men
- A very strong first novel set among lobster fishermen in Maine; interesting characters, setting, and quirky humor made this one memorable.
- Ginsburg, Debra Waiting: The True Confessions of a Waitress (non-fiction)
- The author has supported herself and her son as a waitress for over twenty years. In her memoir, she looks closely at the profession (and it IS a profession) and reveals why some people choose to make a living waiting tables, why many people may think it's easy work (but they're not cut out for it), and all the secrets from the "front of the house" and the "back of the house." (You're right, that's not decaf or a new steak.) Very well written and moves quickly.
- Griffin, Nicholas The requiem shark
- A wonderful sea adventure...I'd just finished whipping through the Hornblower series and wanted to stay at sea a little longer. This was just the ticket. Beautiful descriptions, wonderful characters. A refreshing take on the nature of villainy, nobility and duty.
- Gutcheon, Beth More Than You Know
- A parallel story of two seemingly doomed romances 75 years apart, as told by an elderly woman recalling her 17th summer on a small New England island. A malevolent, jealous spectre, a fiery attraction and a ravishing coastal landscape.
- Hamilton, Jane Disobedience
- By reading her email messages, a teenage boy discovers that his mom is having an affair. His younger sister is a Civil War reenactor and is a fascinating secondary character.
- Hamilton, Laurell K. Obsidian Butterfly
- Latest entry in the Anita Black, Vampire Hunter series. People who like Eve Dallas (JD Robb) and/or Stephanie Plum (Janet Evanovich) may also enjoy Anita. Very graphic violence and sexual content.
- Harrison, Jamie Blue Deer Thaw
- Harstad, Donald The Big Thaw (mystery)
- Haruf, Kent Plainsong
- A pregnant teen, a h.s. teacher who is a single father, a teacher caring for her Alzheimer father and two old bachelor farmers form an extended family in a small Colorado town.
- Hayter, Sparkle What's a Girl Gotta Do?
- Another first novel in a mystery series for Robin Hudson, wise-cracking gal reporter and literary cousin to Elvis, Myron and Tres.
- Henderson, Lauren Strawberry Tattoo
- Henderson, Lauren Freeze my Margarita
- Hendrie, Laura Remember Me
- Beautifully written story of a young woman struggling to live in a hometown whose residents wish to blot out the memory of their complicity in her family's death years ago. Great characters.
- Hiaasen, Carl Sick Puppy (mystery)
- Highsmith, Patricia The Talented Mr. Ripley
- Yeah, yeah, I know this probably doesn't count because it was written in the 50s but it was
reissued in the wake of the movie. I couldn't tear myself away from this story of an amoral man who does the unthinkable and gets away with it. And, the book was much better than the movie.
- Hobb, Robin Ship of Destiny
- Third book in a trilogy that really wrapped up the series, while leaving the door open for
another series.
- Hoffman, Alice River King
- Holt, Tom Olympiad
- One of my most pleasurable discoveries this yearhas been the historical novels of Tom Holt.
Holt is more widely known for a series of humorous mythological fantasies (Flying Dutch, Djinn
Rummy) somewhat in the vein of Terry Pratchett. His books about ancient Greece: - Goatsong
(1989), The Walled Orchard (1990), Alexander at the World's End (1999) and Olympiad (2000) - are much less farcical. They are gently humorous, highly informative, disarmingly touching, refreshingly irreverent, and altogether the most delightful and ACCESSIBLE historical fiction I've ever read. And No, you can't get them here - try Amazon.co.uk or Blackwell's.
- Howard, Linda Mr. Perfect
- Howard, Linda All the Queen's Men
- Hull, Jonathan Losing Julia
- The story is about an old WWI vet who looks back on his life and the choices
he made, some with reget..like losing Julia.
- Huyler, Frank Blood of Strangers: stories from emergency medicine (non-fiction)
- The human side of the emergency room comes alive in these true vignettes. c1999
- Hyde, Catherine Ryan Pay It Forward
- I'm going to admit that I liked this bit of sentimental fluff. I thought the premise was interesting. I'd recommend it to people who like Jan Karon.
- Jin, Ha Waiting
- Jones, Diana Wynne. Year of the griffin
- Kalpakian, Laura The Deliquent Virgin and Other Stories
- Kennedy, A.L. So I am Glad
- Kingsolver, Barbara Prodigal Summer
- A lush, gorgeous book about sex and nature.
- Prodigal Summer is one of her best, because of the descriptions of the area, and also for her characters. (Yes, it was one of those books that you wish the characters were sitting at your kitchen table chatting with you.)
- Kneale, Matthew The English Passengers
- Lanchester, John Mr. Phillips
- Laugh out loud funny about a Brit made "redundant"(fired).
- Landis, J.D. Longing
- Landvik, Lorna Welcome to the Great Mysterious
- I loved PATTY JANE'S HOUSE OF CURL but have been disappointed in her follow-up novels. I
did like this one about a self-centered Broadway star who returns home to Minnesota to take temporary care of her fraternal twin's 13-year old son who has Down syndrome. Break out the tissues!
- Lansdale, Joe R. The Bottoms
- Lansdale is all over the highway, writing everything from science fiction to mysteries to completing Tarzan books, but he manages to tell a good story in all those forms. Happy to add another vote for this one.
- Leib, Franklin Allen Behold a Pale Horse
- An apocalypic tale of two men whose lives cross in their youth. One later
becomes the President of the US, the other an assassin. The time span is from 1963, Dallas to 2001,involving the President, his wife and his pursuer: Cobra. Excellent thriller!
- Lent, Jeffrey In The Fall
- Powerful writing that put me in mind of "Cold Mountain".
- Lescroart, John Nothing But the Truth
- Lewis, Michael The New New Thing
- Is it about the world's largest and most automated sailboat, the wild man/entrepreneur Jim Clark (creator of Netscape), the state of technical education in India, or the volatile think tank that is Silicon Valley? You be the judge. A ripping yarn of creativity, money and sailing the North Atlantic.
- Lippman, Laura The sugar house : a Tess Monaghan mystery (mystery)
- Liss, David A conspiracy of Paper
- The pacing is measured, not breakneck, in this historical financial thriller full of rich detail about the birth of the stock market in England. As an historical fiction reader I loved
it; a thriller reader might find it too slow. I remember thinking its appeal to me was similar to that of The Alienist by Carr.
- MacLeod, Alistair No Great Mischief
- MacLeod, Ken The Sky Road
- Another parallel story of two very different, but very
human, societies separated by hundreds of years and ecological catastrophe. Kazakhstan in the 21st century has a few hidden nuclear weapons and an idealistic socialist leader, an alarming edge for a small nation surrounded by monolithic but disarmed powers. Glasgow in the 24th century is clean, lovely and noticeably low tech. But engineers there are on the verge of discovering -- or rediscovering -- secrets that might doom not just them but the entire planet.
- Mantley, John The 27th Day
- Which has always reminded ofThe Day the Earth Stood Still. The alien force stops the clocks and time everywhere, and people who are bad are croak city. If a person is only a bit bad, they might choke slightly instead of being strangled. It was another one of those, "Earth, you must straighten up and fly right" kind of books. I believe Mantley was also one of the directors of the TV western, Gunsmoke.
- Maron, Margaret Storm Track
- A fine entry in a very good mystery series.
- Massey, Sujata The Floating Girl(mystery)
- McCrumb, Sharyn The PMS Outlaws
- McDermid, Val A Place of Execution (mystery)
- Definitely my pick for mystery of the year.
- McKinley, Robin Spindle's End
- A retelling of Sleeping Beauty
- Medlicott, Joan The Ladies of Covington Send Their Love
- Good gentle read
- Monfredo, Miriam Grace Sisters of Cain
- Fascinating history, exciting action.
- Mosher, Howard Frank The Fall of the Year
- Muller, Marcia Listen to the Silence
- I always love her mysteries and have almost always put them on my best of the year list. In her latest, Sharon discovers she is adopted (this isn't a spoiler; she finds out in the first 10 pages of the book) and is compelled to track down her Native American roots.
- Naylor, Phyllis Jade Green
- An orphan is welcomed to a home in which the color green is forbidden. She ignores the request by bringing in a photo of her recently deceased mother framed in green. Unexplained occurrences ensue.
- Neely, Barbara Blanche Passes Go
- Nichols, Linda Handyman
- What to recommend for patrons who don't usually read romance.
- Nelson, Michael J. Mike Nelson's Movie Megacheese (nonfiction)
- Sarcastic demolition-job critiques of recent movies by the star of the unfortunately-defunct MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000.
- Nolan, Christopher The Banyan Tree
- The life story of Minnie O'Brien is told with expressive and unusual language. Set in Ireland, the book's vivid descriptions make Minnie's farm come to life and create unforgettable characters out of this old woman who talks to herself, her priest-turned-bishop son, her daughter stuck in an unloving marriage, and her son Frankie who left at 17 and has never come back. A book to savor.
- Nye, Robert Mrs. Shakespeare: the complete works
- Unforgettable character study of whiny, ill-used Anne Hathaway (Mrs. Shakespeare) Fanciful and poignant - I suspect this book will forever alter the way I view Shakespearean plays or sonnets. Read Nye's The late Mr. Shakespeare (U.S. 1999) before you tackle this one, though, for the full effect.
- Oates, Joyce Carol Blonde
- O'Dell, Tawni Back Roads
- A seventeen year old boy must raise his sisters after his mother is convicted of murdering his father.
- Olson, Shannon Welcome to My Planet: Where English Is Sometimes Spoken
- A young woman in the Twin Cities tries to figure out what she wants to do
with her life. Laugh-out-loud funny.
- Parker, Robert B. Hugger Mugger
- Pelecanos, George Shame the Devil
- Another dark and gritty book,this one set in Washington D.C.
- Perdue, Lewis Daughter of God
- Hard-to-put-down thriller that also examines issues of faith and the nature of God.
- This is a thriller of the first order. The book explores the existence of a
second Messiah---a female named Sophia; and there is written documentation as well as a painting.
- Perry, Thomas Blood Money
- Latest entry in the Jane Whitefield series. I should have added Jane to Anita's company above.
- Peters, Elizabeth He Shall Thunder in the Sky (mystery)
- Phillips, Susan Elizabeth First Lady
- Picardie, Ruth Before I Say Goodbye: Recollections and Observations from One Woman's
- Final Year (non-fiction)
This collection of newspaper columns and emails by British writer Picardie, who died of cancer in her early thirties, is stunning and unforgettable -- put it up there with Tuesdays With Morrie and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
- Picoult, Jodi Plain Truth
- Pilcher, Rosamunde Winter Solstice
- Just a very good read
- Pratchett, Terry The Truth
- Not one of his better Discworld books, I think, but even second tier Pratchett is a stone joy to me. (SF/fantasy)
- Prose, Francine Blue Angel
- Pullman, Philip The Amber Spyglass
- Putney, Mary Jo The China Bridge
- Pyper, Andrew Lost Girls (mystery)
- Rankin, Ian Set in Darkness
- Not a reader of series by and large, I don't miss a chance at a new Rebus book, and this is one of the best.
- Ray, Jeanne Julie and Romeo
- Just a fun romance, but it features characters in their 60s, and I can give it to any of my patrons.
- Rhiordan, Rick Big Red Tequila
- The first in a mystery series featuring lapsed literary scholar/apprentice detective Tres Navarre. He's in the same vein as Myron Bolitar and Elvis Cole. The other two books in the series are Widower's Two-Step and Last King of Texas. All are set in San Antonio.
- Rivers, Francine Unveiled
- This is the first of five novellas in her "Lineage of Grace" series detailing the
lives of five women from the bible in the lineage of Christ. Each novella includes a bible study at the end that will make these books perfect for reading groups.
- Robards, Karen Paradise County
- Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- No explanation necessary.
- Russell, Mary Doria The Sparrow
- Not a 2000 copyright; in fact, it was because of the comments of those voting it their favorite of 1999 that I read it. Thought-provoking
- Salzman, Mark Lying Awake
- Sister John is a nun in a monastery in Los Angeles. After a long period of spiritual dryness, she begins experiencing visions and feelings of closeness to God. However, along with the visions, she also experiences headaches that grow progressively worse. When she finds out that she has a type of epilepsy that causes visions, she must decide whether or not to have the surgery that will cure her, but may also take away her visions. Short, but powerful.
- Schwarz, Christine Drowning Ruth
- I'm not usually enamored with Oprah's choices but read this before it became her pick of the month. It's a suspenseful, almost gothic novel about a nurse who takes over the care of her sister's daughter, Ruth, whose mother was drowned in the frozen lake.
- Sears, Richard First Born
- A real millenium page-turner regarding ESP, life-healing, espionage; all
centered around the birth of a baby boy born in Colorado Springs.
- Sedaris, David Me Talk Pretty One Day
- It wasn't quite as good as his past novels, but it was still one of the best
of 2000.
- Self, Will How the Dead Live
- Shand, Rosa The Gravity of Sunlight
- A first novel set in Uganda during the sixties. Sensuous writing.
- Shetterly, Will Chimera
- Shreve, Anita Fortune's Rocks
- Simpson, Mona Off Keck Road
- Smith, Peter Moore Raveling
- Pilot Airie has been hospitalized for a psychotic episode that kept him catatonic in the woods for three days. As he begins to get better, he seems to remember that his neurosurgeon brother killed their sister many years before, though her disappearance is unsolved. Pilot seems to be omniscient, leading to an unusual combination of first and third person perspectives. Truly unusual literary psychological suspense.
- Smith, Richard Can't You Hear Me Callin': The Life of Bill Monroe (non-fiction)
- Smith, Sarah A Citizen of the Country
- Smith, Zadie White Teeth
- Spinelli, Jerry Stargirl (YA)
- Which had a lotta hype but was actually a great story about a new, sweet, quirky girl in
school, who rises to popularity, but then her classmates quickly turn on her.
- Steinbach, Alice Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman (non-fiction)
- A journalist takes a year off to live in Europe. Beautifully formatted book!
- Stevens, Rosemary Death on a Silver Tray
- A regency mystery, with a cat, featuring Beau Brummell.
- Stewart, Chris Driving Over Lemons (non-fiction)
- Stewart, a sort of befuddled English sheep shearer, bought an isolated farmhouse in the mountains outside of Granada, Spain. The farmhouse was without electricity, running water, or a decent road in which to make a hasty retreat. Stewart seemed to take most of it in stride (and with a caustic sense of humor), learning from the locals how to channel water, prevent his sheep from wandering off, and provide food for his family.
- Todd, Charles Legacy of the Dead
- Latest in the Ian Rutledge mysteries featuring a shell-shocked WWI survivor trying to hold together after returning to his life as a Scotland Yard inspector.
- Tremain, Rose Music and Silence
- Trigiani, Adriana Big Stone Gap
- Very appealing first novel, including a sexy bookmobile librarian. Highly recommended.
- Updike, John Licks of Love
- Contains the novella "Rabbit Remembered" which is a must read for all fans of Updike's Rabbit books.
- Water, Sarah Affinity
- Watson, Larry Laura
- Weber, David Ashes of Victory
- The latest Honor Harrington science fiction novel.
- Welch, James Heartsong of Charging Elk
- An Oglala Sioux with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show gets left behind in Marseilles. Wonderful exploration of the clash of cultures.
- Williamson, Penn Mortal Sins
- Wolfe, Gene In Green's Jungles (SF/fantasy)
- Second volume of a trilogy which is itself a sequel to a four volume series which had loose
connections to an earlier four, five, or six-depending-on-you-count series; as a fan of stand-alone novels, you know this has be good to overcome all of those obstacles in my mind.
- Yorke, Christy Wishing Garden
- Fanciful novel about a woman who reads tarot cards, her daughter who can see auras and the men who fall in love with them.
- Yoshikawa, Mako One Hundred and One Ways
- An engrossing, lyrically written tale of 3 generations of women, their lost
loves and how each came to terms with their loss so as to face their future.
- Zabytko, Irene The Sky Unwashed
- An unsung, moving story of Chernobyl's aftermath.
- Zadoorian, Michael Second Hand
- If you frequent flea markets, this story of the owner of a second-hand store called Satori Junk should interest you. Maybe the "sweetest" book of the year--even if you normally gag on syrup.
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