St. Louis Post-Dispatch Pick of the Year

No single person can read the thousands of new books every year — let alone pick 10 best. Luckily, there are helpers who, like Santa's elves, divvy up the work.

Every December, the Post-Dispatch compiles a list of some of the best books of the year after quizzing freelance reviewers, polling a few book sellers and considering some of the books chosen by other publications or award committees.

This year, a look at other best-book lists reveals as diverse a selection as seen in a long time. Few books seem to show up on every list, unlike last year's endorsement of several heavy hitters, such as "Autobiography of Mark Twain," Jonathan Franzen's "Freedom" and Jennifer Egan's "A Visit From the Goon Squad."

And of this fall's widely reviewed novels, such as Haruki Murakami's "1Q84" and Chad Harbach's "The Art of Fielding," critics were wildly divided (our reviewers weren't wowed by either book).

In fact, Nikki Furrer, owner of Pudd'nhead Books in Webster Groves, says she was underwhelmed by fiction this year: "I call it the year of nonfiction because I was disappointed by some of the big novels and surprised by how well-written and well-told the nonfiction was. I'm not one for biographies, but I've got three on my 'Best of' list" (see sidebar).

Vicki Erwin of Main Street Books in St. Charles also says that "overall, not that much stood out." Still, even average years have plenty of appealing titles: Don't hesitate to ask the Big Elf for novels, poetry or whatever you'd like this holiday season. Next week, we'll feature big coffee-table titles and some children's books...

CRIME THRILLERS

Readers enjoyed a bumper crop of crime thrillers...

Wyoming native C.J. Box brings his home state to literate life in "Cold Wind" (Putnam), another in his series starring game warden Joe Pickett. As this tale opens, Pickett finds a murder victim in an unlikely place: chained to a vane on a big wind turbine.