SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amazon.ca today announced their annual Best Books of the Year So Far list (http://www.amazon.ca/BestBooks2011). This list represents the top ten best books released in Canada in the first six months of 2011. Customers looking for books to read this summer will find a bevy of book genres that cover everything from historical fiction to biographies to fictional black comedies. In addition, this list includes an array of both Canadian and international authors, including writers from the U.S., Serbia and South Korea.
“With so many incredible book releases in 2011, we couldn’t wait until the end of the year to highlight our favourites,” said John Nemeth, director of Amazon.ca. “We really wanted to stop mid-year and celebrate these special works and we hope our customers enjoy this in-depth cross section of titles as much as we have.”
These lists of titles are hand-picked by Amazon.ca Books editors and are chosen from the following seven categories: Mysteries & Thrillers, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Literature & Fiction, Teens, Biographies & Memoirs, Business & Investing, and Nonfiction.
The Top 10 books of the year so far:
- “The Sisters Brothers” by Patrick deWitt: Charlie and Eli Sisters are two hired guns who always get their man, but while Charlie is an old hand at killing, melancholic Eli yearns for a different life. Patrick deWitt takes the classic Western and transforms it into a comic tour-de-force with a generous amount of heart. *Note: Canadian author.
- “Bossypants” by Tina Fey: Like the author herself, Fey's autobiography is short, messy and impossibly funny.
- “Blood, Bones, & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef” by Gabrielle Hamilton: A delectable memoir, tinged with adrenaline and too-little sleep--Hamilton recounts the unexpected dissolution of her idyllic family, her move to New York City at sixteen and her simmering passion for cooking.
- “Alone in the Classroom” by Elizabeth Hay: Giller Prize-winning author, Elizabeth Hay, delivers a richly conceived novel, set in Saskatchewan and the Ottawa Valley, that delves into the complexity of human relationships, the nature of learning and memory, and a disturbing act that reverberates across generations. *Note: Canadian author.
- “Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything” by Joshua Foer: Foer learned the tricks of the masters as he went from journalist covering the U.S. Memory Championship to actual participant.
- “In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin” by Erik Larson: In recounting the experiences of America's first ambassador to Hitler's regime and the Ambassador's scandalously carefree daughter, Larson crafts a gripping, intimate narrative with a climax like the best political thrillers.
- “The Tiger's Wife” by Téa Obreht: Set during the war that tore apart Yugoslavia, Obreht's astounding debut follows a young doctor in search of answers about her grandfather's death. Readers will swoon as they are transported to the crossroads of narrative, myth, memory, and something even deeper.
- “Please Look After Mom” by Kyung-Sook Shin: Kyung-Sook Shin's elegantly spare prose is a joy to read as she uses multiple voices to relate the moving story of a mother and her family's search for her after she goes missing in a crowded train station.
- “Before I Go to Sleep” by S.J. Watson: In this gem of a debut thriller, Christine has developed a rare form of amnesia as a result of a mysterious accident. Each morning she relies on her husband Ben to explain their life together--until one day when Christine discovers a note in her journal: "Don't trust Ben.”
- “Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II” by Mitchell Zuckoff: Three survivors of an airplane crash are stranded deep in an impenetrable New Guinea jungle notorious for its cannibalistic tribes. A riveting story of deliverance under the most unlikely of circumstances, it deserves its place among the greatest survival stories of World War II.
Amazon.ca editors also chose their ten favourite Canadian titles of the year so far:
- “The Free World” by David Bezmozgis
- “The Sisters Brothers” by Patrick deWitt
- “The Water Rat of Wanchai” by Ian Hamilton
- “Alone in the Classroom” by Elizabeth Hay
- “The Witch of Babylon” by D.J. McIntosh
- “The Guilty Plea” by Robert Rotenberg
- “Wonder” by Robert J. Sawyer
- “Dogs at the Perimeter” by Madeleine Thien
- “The Divinity Gene” by Matthew J. Trafford
- “The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary” by Andrew Westoll
To see the complete list of the best books of the year so far, go to: http://www.amazon.ca/BestBooks2011
About Amazon.ca
Amazon.ca (www.amazon.ca ) is part of the global family of Amazon Web sites that have become known for great prices, selection, and convenience. Amazon.ca customers can find and discover millions of English and French books, CDs, videos, sports and outdoors products, DVDs and electronics, watches, home and garden products, as well as a vast array of software, video games, and consoles--all at everyday low prices. Amazon.ca also offers FREE Super Saver Shipping, available on orders of $25 CAD or more delivered to a single Canadian address. Amazon.ca sources products directly from Canadian publishers and distributors, ensuring a rich offering of Canadian titles and content. Features such as original editorial reviews in English and French and product recommendations help Amazon.ca customers find the right products for them among the site's broad selection. Through Amazon Marketplace, Amazon.ca customers can conveniently buy and sell used, new, and collectible merchandise on the same pages where Amazon.ca sells those items new.
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