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This is the best work of fiction I’ve read this year. In fact, it may be the best work of fiction since Marra’s last book, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. Marra’s work is brilliant, political, funny, heartbreaking, and vitally important. He’s in a class by himself. – Ann Patchett
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By Ruth Reichl
My Kitchen Year goes like this: a tweet, a page of stark depression, and then a really cheerful, engaging recipe. Tweet, depression, recipe, 136 times, until the depression fades. It’s not a cookbook or a memoir, it’s a riveting recipe for turning your life around. I loved every word. – Ann Patchett
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By Garth Risk Hallberg
City on Fire portrays the gritty, crime-ridden, anarchic New York City of the late 70s. It is populated with punk rockers, starving artists, journalists, cops and the rich and powerful elite. From Long Island, to the Upper East Side to the East Village these characters lives overlap in surprising and suspenseful ways and the pace of the novel speeds up as the story unfolds. This is an astonishing debut. – Karen Hayes
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Kreizman juxtaposes images from popular TV with passages from classic and contemporary literature — Anna Karenina with Orange Is the New Black, for instance — picking a thread and following it from one medium into the next. Perfect for the person whose DVR is as full as her bookshelves, these pairings offer delightful and surprising proof that universal themes pervade all art. – Mary Laura Philpott |
Do you ever find yourself reading a mystery novel and think to yourself: “This is fun, but I sure wish there were more shapeshifters, angels named Erica, and subliminal references to Twin Peaks”? Me too. Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor have you covered — Welcome to Night Vale is weird and delightful. – Lindsay Lynch
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Turn of the Screw was one of those Very Important Books that I just never got into — I now realize that it’s just because David Mitchell didn’t write it. But not to fear, Mitchell has treated the world to a ghost story in the form of Slade House. With all the bizarre wit and inventive narratives we know and love from Mitchell, Slade House is sure to please fans old and new. – Lindsay Lynch
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If “bustin’ makes you feel good” and you like to watch Groundhog Day over and over again, then you totally get why this book is a must-have for Bill Murray fans. – River Jordan
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This YA novel is a relatable crossover for any adult, all about surviving the mayhem of high school bullies, cliques, and jocks along with the physical challenges of having a not-so-perfect human body. Julie Murphy absolutely nails the nuances of small town burger joints, beauty pageants, and parents who are clueless. Fortunately Murphy’s fast paced visual style allows the reader to enjoy the unfolding personal dramas of first kiss, best friends, and the angst of growing-up! – Pam Carter
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I loved this year’s collection of essays. They range from somber to gently funny, but none of them go so far as to be lighthearted, which makes this book a stellar winter read. – Tristan Charles
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It’s the High Middle Ages, only swap the humans with animals, keep the weapons, and pray the good mice of Redwall Abbey win out against Cluny the Scourge (a rat). Readers will also find common ground when the mice of yesteryear tell stories about that one time a cat roamed around destroying stuff. – Tristan Charles
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Reminiscent of Downton Abbey, this novel follows the McCosh family from the light-hearted years of the Edwardian era to the aftermath of WWI and its effects on their hopes, dreams and relationships. A long-ish novel to get swept up in, it nonetheless reads fast due to short chapters and a compelling story. I really enjoyed this one! – Kathy Schultenover
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The gritty, haunting nature of this mystery put me in mind of Tom Franklin, Larry Brown, William Gay. A quick read that will stay with you. – Kathy Schultenover
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It’s a book! It’s a robot! It’s hilarious! From the duo who brought us Dragons Love Tacos and Secret Pizza Party, this fantastic picture book is perfect for any kid who gets swept up in make-believe. -Niki Coffman
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Robinson’s slow, deliberate, astonishing mind writes against the “joyless urgency” of our time and the preoccupation with material wealth. Essays here explore awakening, fear, value, memory, limitation. She finds some hope amid the the depredation. – Margy Roark
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As a person who has always wished for a magical device I could point at baby animals that would prevent them from getting bigger so that I could have, for example, a pet baby polar bear, I immediately adored Lisa Mantchev’s tale of a boy and his pet tiny elephant. This is a wonderful story about loyalty and friendship, wrapped up with some of the cutest illustrations I’ve seen all year. I dare you to read this and not take it home with you. – Stephanie Appell
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Jennifer Smith writes books the way John Hughes made movies: They’re stories about ordinary teenagers, viewed through a lens that transforms them into something profound. Her latest is the tale of two high school seniors during the twelve hours before they leave for college and must decide whether to break up or stay together. Love, friendship, and the agony and ecstasy of growing up. Don’t you forget about me, indeed. – Stephanie Appell
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Jack’s new foster brother, Joseph, is 14 years old. Joseph’s past includes time in juvie, and an abusive father. He’s obsessed with making a future with Jupiter, his infant daughter he’s never met, and Jack is determined to help him. This YA novel is full of joy and heartbreak. It is a story about the families we’re born in and the families we create. – Rae Ann Parker
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Poppy wants to be a verrrry famous writer when she grows up. But most of Poppy’s time is spent on other activities instead of writing. Then Poppy writes the paper “How To Get In Trouble,” and she earns the read-aloud award from her teacher. This fun story told by Nashville author Susan Eaddy, paired with the illustrations of Poppy’s adventures by Rosalinde Bonnet, make a delightful combination. – Rae Ann Parker
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The final book in the Apothecary trilogy, The After-Room whisked me back again to the 1950s with Janie, Benjamin, and Jin Lo. Meloy’s sophisticated writing style lifts a series meant for children and teens to the level of a class adults can admire as well. – Sissy Gardner
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My child is getting this book for Christmas! He loves numbers and random facts, so it’s the perfect gift. If you know a kid like that, check this out. – Ginger Nalley
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Dan Marshall, self-described as spoiled and entitled, has his world turned upside down when his dad is diagnosed with ALS. It doesn’t help that his family is crazy. If you enjoy the humor of Chelsea Handler and want a real life Series of Unfortunate Events — but with more alcohol and swearing — then you need this book. – Catherine Bock
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This is an entertaining book on a difficult topic. I found myself putting statistics from different chapters together and considering, for example, that US Presidents have, on average, a slightly higher level of narcissism than reality TV stars, but a slightly lower level than death row inmates. As sobering as such a detail is, this book ends on a sympathetic note. Plus, you can take the NPI and discover your own score— if you dare. – Nathan Spoon
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A non-fiction title for those who loved All the Light We Cannot See, Reading Claudius is not only an enthralling history and a poignant family memoir but also a testament to the vital nature of literature even in our darkest moments. – Grace Wright
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Every time I see this book on my shelf, I want to read it again. And then again. And maybe one more time. If you think you know dystopia, give Vivian a chance and I promise this fierce heroine will rock your world and challenge your idea of true bravery. – Grace Wright
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While sailing around the coast of England, Raban thinks about parallels between his own life and what Britain has become. His writing captures the rigors and joys of piloting a 32-foot ketch with just a chart and a hand-bearing compass, as he beautifully brings to life the characters and places he encounters along the way. Written during the Falkland conflict, it’s a keen observation on where he thinks his country is heading with Margaret Thatcher at the helm. (His meeting with Paul Theroux alone makes it worth the read.) – Andy Brennan
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Former foreign correspondent for Sky News Television Tim Marshall demonstrates how geography is a key factor in determining relations among nations. Here he gives us 10 maps of Russia, China, the United States, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Western Europe, Japan and Korea, and Greenland and explains what they show us about the the strengths and vulnerabilities of the countries therein. Often, the motives and actions of nations are predetermined by their geography — a factor all to often ignored by pundits, not to mention policy makers. Marshall does an excellent job illustrating this. – Andy Brennan
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The Tsar of Love and Techno: Stories 
My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life
City on Fire 
Slaughterhouse 90210
Welcome to Night Vale
Slade House 
The Big Bad Book of Bill Murray: A Critical Appreciation of the World’s Finest Actor
Dumplin’ 
The Best American Essays 2015 
Redwall 
The Dust That Falls from Dreams
The Maid’s Version
Robo-Sauce
The Givenness of Things: Essays
Strictly No Elephants 
Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between
Orbiting Jupiter
Poppy’s Best Paper
The After-Room
The Wacky & Wonderful World Through Numbers: Over 2,000 Figures and Facts
Home Is Burning: A Memoir
The Narcissist Next Door: Understanding the Monster in Your Family, in Your Office, in Your Bed-In Your World
Reading Claudius: A Memoir in Two Parts
Vivian Apple at the End of the World 
Coasting: A Private Voyage
Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything about the World
The Secret Chord 
The Lies about Truth
Want more? Catch our monthly Bookmark column in Nashville Arts Magazine each month. And don’t miss the return of the literary interview show, A WORD ON WORDS, on Nashville Public Television — co-hosted by Nashville’s own JT Ellison and Mary Laura Philpott. The first episode features acclaimed authors David Arnold (Mosquitoland) and Adam Silvera (More Happy Than Not), both of whose books were ParnassusNext selections this year. Lots of other great guests are scheduled for upcoming episodes!
Musing 