best of 2007

Not science fiction, science. Edge.org is annoyed that the NY Times Notable Books and other lists don't include a single science book, so they came up with their own list. Presented alphabetically, naturally, rather than trying to quantify a subjective ordering.

Bookgasm's Ryun Patterson lists his top five SF novels of 2007. Taking number one was Ian McDonald's Brasyl, which explores quantum reality in three different time periods. Completing the list were Jon Courtenay Grimwood's 9Tail Fox, Richard Morgan's Thirteen, Rudy Rucker's Postsingular, Joel Shepherd's Breakaway and Killswitch. All on my wish list now.

Can you tell I'm obsessed with end of the year lists? This is the worst of the year list from Entertainment Weekly. "Making" the grade are If I Did It, The Almost Moon, and Rosie O'Donnell's Celebrity Detox.

Violet Blue offers her list of the best sex books of 2007--from the New Erotic Photography to the Internet Escort's Handbook to the Best Lesbian Bondage Erotica. She also plugs the nine (nine!) books she published in 2007.

For those wishing to delve into genre fiction, here are some recommendations on fantasy for the year.

I'm throwing this one out there because, as the blog Three Percent put it, this one is useless. Twenty-eight (28) pages of books, at about five per page. I didn't count all of them, but my guess is it's around 140 books. Uncategorized, so even if you want to drill down in one category for the best of 2007, you won't find it. This is how not to do a list.

Arnold Kling of TCS Daily opines that 2007 had a bumper crop of good economics books. His top recommendations include Discover Your Inner Economist, Myth of the Rational Voter, and A Farewell to Alms.

"And so we at The Millions are very pleased to bring you our 2007 Year in Reading, in which we offer just that. For the month of December, enjoy hearing about what a number of notable readers read (and loved) this year... As we post their contributions, their names will turn into links." Rather than best published, it's best read. I prefer the latter as well; it's what I did on my blog.

Continuing the tradition of picking the "best of" well before the end of the year, Amazon lists their best 100 books of 2007, as well as top picks in various categories. Best Book (& Best Fiction): A Thousand Splendid Suns. Best Biography: Einstein His Life and Universe. Best SF/F: The Terror.

Some think it's a bit early, but Publisher's Weekly has released it's best of 2007 lists. Frankly, I think they missed the boat with the Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror category. They have some good fantasy, but only one SF book in the lot.