10 Most Anticpated Books In 2012

     Just a quick post of the books that I am most looking forward to in 2012. These all come out in the first 6-7 months of the year, so there are probably some exciting titles coming out later in the year that I just haven't seen any info on yet. In no particular order:

1. Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway. I loved his "The Gone-Away World"; wonderful post apocalyptic science fiction, with a touch of Douglas Adams. The new one is described by the publisher as "blistering gangster noir meets howling absurdist comedy as the forces of good square off against the forces of evil, and only an unassuming clockwork repairman and an octogenarian former superspy can save the world from total destruction." Your bit of book trivia for the day - Nick Harkaway is the son of John le Carre.

2. The Twelve by Justin Cronin. The second book of a proposed trilogy that stated with "The Passage" in 2010. Another post apocalyptic novel, this one with the few surviving humans taking on genetically mutants with many of the attributes of vampires. One of the more literary horror novels that you will read.

3. In One Person by John Irving. A new John Irving? Now if only Pat Conroy had a new one this year too. Irving can do almost no wrong in my eyes and I can't wait for this new one. This title is "an intimate and unforgettable portrait of the solitariness of a bisexual man who is dedicated to making himself “worthwhile.” Going to see John Irving speak in Dallas to promote the book this Spring. Woohoo!

4. Redshirts by John Scalzi. One of the best science fiction writers working today. His books are adventures that make you think and almost always laugh out loud. Reminiscent of Robert Heinlein, no doubt one of the things that attracts me to his writing. This one is told from the point of view of one of those poor saps on an away mission wearing a red shirt.

5. Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon. Another author whose every work I have enjoyed reading. Not a lot of info on this one, but it takes place in the title area of San Francisco and involves a record store. Good enough for me. If you haven't yet, check out Chabon's "The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay".

6. Gold by Chris Cleave. The author of "Little Bee" looks at two childhood friends that are now competitors in the Olympics. Sounds intriguing to me, and comes out right before the start of the London Games.

7. Bridge Of Clay by Marcus Zusak. The author of the amazing "The Book Thief" tells a story he describes as "about a boy building a bridge and wanting it to be perfect. He wants to achieve greatness with this bridge, and the question is whether it will survive when the river floods." He has been working on this for more then 10 years which could mean something really special or something really overwritten.

8. They Eat Puppies, Don't They? by Christopher Buckley. The son of William F. Buckley writes some of the funniest and most biting political satire out there. Two lobbyists attempting to gain support for a new weapons system, start a rumor that the Chinese are trying to assassinate the Dalai Lama. A political crisis (and I hope laughs) ensue.

9. The Red House by Mark Haddon. Haddon started out as a children's author, but both of his adult books, "The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night Time" and "A Spot of Bother" are favorites of mine. "The Red House" is the story of two connected and chaotic families sharing a vacation home."

10. Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore. One of the funniest writers around follows a young baker-painter as he joins the dapper  Henri Toulouse-Lautrec on a quest to unravel the mystery behind the supposed “suicide” of Vincent van Gogh.