Last year, I just listed five books of whatever category that rocked my world in 2008. I decided to split up this year's selections into a few categories, partly to be just a little more organized and partly as an excuse to post more books. These aren't necessarily books that came out in 2009, and in fact most are probably a few years old. I just happened to have read them in 2009! I also tried to limit myself to 2 or 3 in each category.
Fiction
City and the City by China Mieville
I liked Perdido Street Station and its sequel, The Scar, but City and the City is easily Mieville's best book so far. Its storytelling is tighter than in Perdido and Mieville's talent for creating and developing an interesting, fully-formed world does not weaken in this book in the least. I'm looking forward to his other new book, Kraken.
The Love We Share Without Knowing by Christopher Barzak
I've blogged about this one before, and I still stand by my claim that it is a truly superb book.
The Orphan's Tales: City of Coin and Spice by Catherynne Valente
This is the sequel volume to The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden, which made my best-of list last year. Valente's use of various (uncommon) mythologies and her creative narrative structure make this volume an excellent follow-up and a fantastic read.
Non-Fiction
Science Fiction by Adam Roberts
This is another book I've already blogged about. Go figure.
Anthologies
Wastelands edited by John Jacob Adams
Not only do nearly all of the stories in this anthology rock, but the editor pieced together a handy bibliographic list of must-read apocalyptic literature. It's not a conclusive list by any means, but it makes for the perfect finishing touch on an anthology that already would have had my vote for this list.
Paper Cities edited by Ekaterina Sedia
This book took the 2009 World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology, and against some stiff competition, too. And, what's more is that this book deserved to win against such competition. It's worth reading just to take a close look at urban fantasy (though I think Hal Duncan's contribution for Nova Scotia would have been just as at home here as the story Sedia selected.)
Nova Scotia edited by Neil Williamson
Amazon claims this book doesn't exist, but I have a copy so I know they lie. Perhaps on the U.K. version of the site...anyway, there's not a flop in this anthology. There were definitely a few I liked more than others, but overall this may be one of the most solid anthologies I've ever read.
Young Adult/Children's
Vintage: A Ghost Story by Steve Berman
I've already written more about this book here, and just as with Barzak's book I stand by my recommendation.
The Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess
Gaiman and Vess make my favorite team in book writing and illustration. McKean is cool and all, but I've always preferred Vess's work. This is a very simple storybook, but it has a fantastic message and beautiful art, and I can't wait to give this book to my niece when she starts reading.
