The New York Times issued its list of the 10 best books of the year today, and if good intentions count, I have four of them covered.

Truth told, I've read only one of the 10, Joshua Ferris' Then We Came to the End. I interviewed Ferris about his debut novel earlier this year. The Times and I aren't alone in our praise for the book; it was nominated for a National Book Award this fall.

The second of the fiction books I plan to read is Denis Johnson's Tree of Smoke, which won the National Book Award for fiction this year. The book has been in my possession, but I let it go for the time being because I doubt I'll be able to carve out the time to dedicate to its 600+ pages anytime soon. Someday...

The two nonfiction books on the list that I hope to get to soon are Alex Ross' The Rest is Noise, an overview and analysis of music in the 20th century, and Little Heathens by Mildred Armstrong Kalish, a book that promises a look at the "Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression." My grandparents lived that life, and I'm curious to learn more about it.

The best-of season is now in full swing, and it will be interesting to see if any consensus is reached.

Labels: books, criticism