Today, Amazon.com released their list of the best books of 2012. By no means complete the list reflects publications released between January 2012 and June 2012.
There are twenty books on the list overall, but the release is dominated by the editors top ten recommendations (which follows below). The books included are available in physical copy or the ever more popular, Kindle editions.
Pulling from a wide variety of topics, the list is the perfect solution for readers searching for outstanding texts to help them pass the summer hours. Take advantage of their recommendations, you might discover something worth reading.
Sara Nelson, Editorial Director for Books at Amazon.com comments on the the best books of 2012:
“The variety of books on the list reflects the broad range of titles published in 2012 so far,”
“To us, ‘Behind the Beautiful Forevers’ is a masterpiece in nonfiction writing. But we rounded out the top three with a thriller and a young adult novel – there really is something for everyone on this list. Helping customers find and discover outstanding books is an important role for us at Amazon, and we look forward to discovering new and innovative ways of bringing our customers in contact with books we think they’ll love.”
The Amazon Books editors’ picks for the Top 10 Best Books of the Year So Far are:
1) “Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity” by Katherine Boo: A Pulitzer-winning author writes the true story of struggle and hope in a Mumbai slum.
2) “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn: Plot twists and revelations make this a psychological thriller of the highest order.
3) “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green: Two kids with cancer deal with the big subjects—life, love, and death—in this perfect blend of levity and heart-swelling emotion.
4) “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” by Ben Fountain: Questions of privilege, power, and heroism swirl in this debut novel about recently returned Iraq War veterans invited to attend a Cowboys football game.
5) “The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson” by Robert A. Caro: The fourth installment in Caro’s authoritative biographical series on Lyndon Baines Johnson – a masterpiece in nonfiction.
6) “The Orphan Master’s Son” by Adam Johnson: A superb novel about freedom, sacrifice and violence, set within the dark borders of North Korea.
7) “Tell the Wolves I’m Home” by Carol Rifka Brunt: A singular portrait of a girl and her family transformed during the late-80s AIDS epidemic.
8 ) “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail” by Cheryl Strayed: A memoir of a 1,100-mile journey that nearly broke the author to pieces, before she used those pieces to rebuild her life.
9) “The Age of Miracles” by Karen Thompson Walker: Speculative fiction and a girl’s coming-of-age story meet in this gripping debut.
10) “Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power” by Steve Coll: An examination of the largest, most profitable company in history by a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner.
To go along with the release of these top editor picks, Amazon is also having a contest and giving away ten Kindle Fire devices. So if you’re a reader, take a look at the list and get entered to win one of those Kindles. What could be better than a free tablet.