Staff Favourites of 2012 - Non-fiction

Well, another year is just about done and another year of great reading is behind us. Here at The Reader we conducted our annual survey of Halifax Public Libraries staff to find out their favourite books of 2012. As always, they did not disappoint and once again proved themselves to be an enthusiastic group of eclectic readers. And what about you? What was your favourite book of 2012?

All the Birds of Nova Scotia: 
status and critical identification (M)
by Ian A. McLaren

Assholes: a theory (M)
by Aaron James

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: 
life, death and hope in a Mumbai undercity (M)
by Katherine Boo

The Eternal Law: ancient Greek 
philosophy, modern physics and ultimatereality
by John Spencer (not currently available)

Hubble's Universe: greatest discoveries and latest images
by Terence Dickinson

Let's Pretend This Never Happened: 
a mostly true memoir (M)
by Jenny Lawson

Straphanger: saving our cities and ourselves 
from the automobile (M)
by Taras Grescoe

Together: the rituals, pleasures 
and politics of cooperation (M)
by Richard Sennett

The Universe Within: 
from quantum to cosmos (M)
by Neil Turok

Staff Favourites of 2012 - Young Adult Fiction

Well, another year is just about done and another year of great reading is behind us. Here at The Reader we conducted our annual survey of Halifax Public Libraries staff to find out their favourite books of 2012. As always, they did not disappoint and once again proved themselves to be an enthusiastic group of eclectic readers. Not just adult books, they cried. We love children's and young adult books as well. So here they are, our favourite young adult and children's books of 2012. And what about you? What was your favourite book of 2012?

The Fault in Our Stars (M)

by John Green

Ask the Passengers (M)

by A.S. King

I Hunt Killers (M)

by Barry Lyga 

My Life Next Door (M)

by Huntley Fitzpatrick 

Pandemonium (M)

by Lauren Oliver 

Onyx (M)

by Jennifer Armentrout

Something Like Normal (M)

by Trish Doller

Tiger Lily (M)

by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Under the Never Sky (M)

by Veronica Rossi

Grave Mercy (M)

by Robin LaFevers

Bitterblue (M)

by Kristin Cashore

Such Wicked Intent (M)

by Kenneth Oppel

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Children's

And Then It's Spring (M)
by Julie Fogliano 

Another Brother (M)
by Matthew Cordell 

Driftwood Dragons and Other Seaside Poems (M)
by Tyne Brown 

A Gold Star for Zog (M)
by Julia Donaldson

The Mark of Athena (M)
by Rick Riordan

The One and Only (M)
by Katherine Applegate

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons (M)
by Eric Litwin 

Who Could That Be At This Hour (M)
by Lemony Snickett

Yes, Yes, Yaul (M)
by Jef Czekaj

Staff Favourites of 2012 - Fiction pt. 2

Well, another year is just about done and another year of great reading is behind us. Here at The Reader we conducted our annual survey of Halifax Public Libraries staff to find out their favourite books of 2012. As always, they did not disappoint and once again proved themselves to be an enthusiastic group of eclectic readers. And what about you? What was your favourite book of 2012?

Liminal States (M)

by Zack Parsons

NW (M)

by Zadie Smith

Other Worlds Than These: stories of parallel worlds (M)

by John Joseph Adams

Sweet Tooth (M)

by Ian McEwan

The New Republic (M)

by Lionel Shriver

People Park (M)

by Pasha Malla

Winter of the World (M)

by Ken Follett

This is How You Lose Her  (M)

by Junot Diaz

Why Men Lie (M) 

by Linden MacIntyre

Quill and Quire's Books of the Year for 2012

Best book season continues with Quill and Quire's nominations for best Canadian fiction and nonfiction of 2012. Enjoy!


Nonfiction:

Waging Heavy Peace (M)
by Neil Young

My Leaky Body: tales from the gurney (M)
by Julie Devaney

Jerusalem: chronicles from the holy city (M)
by Guy Delisle

Burma: rivers of flavor (M)
by Naomi Duguid

Out of the Blue: a memoir of workplace depression, recovery, redemption, and yes, happiness (M)
by Jan Wong

 
Fiction:

Dear Life (M)
by Alice Munro

Siege 13 (M)
by Tamas Dobozy 

Indian Horse (M)
by Richard Wagamese

Maidenhead (M)
by Tamara Faith Berger

Inside (M)
by Alix Ohlin

Amazon Best Books of 2012

The season of "best books" commences with Amazon's list of 100 best books of 2012. For your ranking pleasure they have list the best books in dozens of categories. For the full list of their editor's choices go here.

In the meantime, here are their top 10 editors' picks:

The Round House (M)
by Louise Erdrich

The Yellow Birds (M)
by Kevin Powers

Gone Girl (M)
by Gillian Flynn

The End of Your Life Book Club (M)
by Will Schwalbe

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (M)
by Ben Fountain

Behind the Beautiful Forevers (M)
by Katherine Boo

A Hologram for the King (M)
by Dave Eggers

The Middlesteins (M)
by Jami Attenberg

Mortality (M)
by Christopher Hitchens

The Fault in Our Stars (M)
by John Green