The end of the year is approaching. Have you made your “Best of” lists yet? Geraldine Brooks was working on hers early this year, as the editor of Best American Short Stories 2011. Here’s what she told me about assembling the collection, which she was working on when I interviewed her in April about her novel Caleb’s Crossing.
“I’ve made my choices! Which was excruciatingly difficult in the end. And now I’m writing the essay—that was what I was doing when I picked up the phone actually. I’ve got them all scattered at my feet now and I’m looking down and remembering what the very specific pleasures of each one was. It was a wonderful exercise, because I started it with a high heart and finished it in a complete state of moral collapse!”
Brooks chose 20 out of about 120 stories submitted for her review by the committee, including works from Jennifer Egan, Tom Bissell, Elizabeth McCracken and more.
You can win a copy of this book—and two others from the Best American collection, The Best American Sports Writing 2011 and the Best American Essays—by entering this survey and telling us what your favorite book of 2011 was. (The book you choose must have been published in 2011, so please don’t tell us it was The Help!) We’ll be using your answers to compile a reader’s top 20 books of 2011 list, like we did last year. Go forth and enter!
(By the way, though you have to fill out this survey to enter the contest, feel free to chat amongst yourselves in the comments about your favorite book of 2011—we love reading what you have to say!)
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ETA: Congratulations to our winner, Jennifer! Her favorite book of 2011 was The Night Circus!
Thank you to all who entered! Contest is now closed.
My favorite book of 2011 is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. It was beyond magical; it was hypnotic.
Just read , i think i love you(allison pearson)and it was such a cute book,made me go back in time….ah,I remember !!!!
Am currently reading All Our Worldly Goods by Irene Nemirovsky,and it is a great book,kinda slow moving at first,this is a hit,I know
“Started Early, Took My Dog”. Love the adventures of Jackson Brodie!
did you catch the series on Masterpiece theater recently?
Loved it! I always pictured Jackson Brodie as an older, somewhat different looking man, but I got used to this actor very quickly.
discovery of witches – am anxiously awaiting part 2
I’m reading The Night Circus right now, and loving it. I also really enjoyed The Magician King (not surprising, since I loved The Magicians). My pick for the year goes to Among Others by Jo Walton, however, which was sadly somewhat overlooked but really a fantastic book about magic and the power of books to sustain us.
Now that I look over those three, I realize I was on quite the fantasy kick this year, at least in the realm of 2011-releases. Looking forward to seeing your full list!
My favorite book so far this year is State of Wonder by Anna Patchett.
The Discovery Of Witches by Deoborah Harkness, Forever -Wolves at Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater (plus the other two in the series) and The Game Of Thrones – The Song Of Ice And Fire by George R. R. Martin (plus the other three in the series).
Turn of Mind Alice laplante