Best Books of 2009

2009 was a fantastic year in books. Was it possible publishers pulled out all the stops in getting all the big players to the table? It often felt that way.

Holiday Gift Guide

The gift of a book can be extremely intimate, demonstrating your love and affection with your choice. Or it can be the most generic present in the pile -- a beautiful coffee table book that says: “I don’t know much about you, but I like you well enough to get you something good.”

Excerpt
The Michael Jackson Tapes by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach

In 2000–2001, Michael Jackson sat down with his close friend and spiritual guide to record what turned out to be the most intimate and revealing conversations of his life. January has the excerpt.

Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton
Horse Soldiers is the dramatic account of a small band of Special Forces soldiers who secretly entered Afghanistan following 9/11 and rode to war on horses against the Taliban.

Palos Verdes Blue by John Shannon
Palos Verdes Blue is the 11th novel to feature Jack Liffey, an aerospace technician turned “finder of lost children,” whose investigations send him deep into Los Angeles’ racial and class divides.

The Fearless Fish Out of Water by Robin Fisher Roffer
The Fearless Fish Out of Water helps readers use the tools they already have to find everything they want in their careers -- without sacrificing their souls. January has the excerpt.

Death Was in the Picture by Linda L. Richards
January Magazine editor Linda L. Richards’ second Depression-era novel takes place against a backdrop of censorship... and murder. January has the excerpt.

Best Books of 2008
Though times were tough, 2008 produced some fantastic books. We’ve checked the stacks to compile our annual lists: here are the books that our editors and contributors like best throughout the year.

Holiday Gift Guide 2008
The editors of January Magazine have checked the stacks to come up with a list of books that we think are some of the best choices for gift-giving this holiday season.

The Muslim Next Door by Sumbul Ali-Karamali
The Muslim Next Door should be required reading in the West at this time. Ali-Karamali clearly knows her subject both on a personal and professional level. January has the excerpt.

A Voyage Long and Strange by Tony Horwitz
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tony Horwitz takes us through America’s first contact. January has the excerpt.

Lust in Translation by Pamela Druckerman
A journey around the world to examine how and why people cheat on their spouses. January has the excerpt.

Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself by Alan Alda
Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself is another superb Alan Alda performance, as inspiring and entertaining as the man himself. January has the excerpt.

The Last Summer (of You & Me) by Ann Brashares
The author of all those books featuring traveling pants pens her first novel intended for adults. January has the excerpt.

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