I have read surprisingly little adult fiction this year - I'm not sure how that happened but some years do end up like that. I have not read most of the books that have been selected as the year's best - but I usually run a year or two behind on these kinds of things anyway. Here are some new and old books that I did read this year and really found worthwhile.

Soul Kitchen by Poppy Z. Brite. I reviewed Soul and Brite's upcoming novella D*U*C*K last month at Voices. I really like this series - the evolving relationship between Rickey & G-man, their friendships, their restaurant and their love for New Orleans. Sometimes there is a mystery, but it is never a huge part of the plot. Mostly these books are about living, loving and cooking in NOLA. Brite's next book, Dead Shrimp Blues, will end with Katrina. From there, the guys will be stuck in reality, along with the rest of us. For now, I highly recommend reading about the city that Brite loves so much. (And do read all the books: The Value of X, Liquor, Prime and then Soul Kitchen.)

The Fat Man's Daughter by Caroline Petit. I reviewed this one as part of my Summer Reading feature at Bookslut and was pleasantly surprised. I was drawn in by the pre-WWII setting in Hong Kong and China but Petit made me fall madly in love with her protagonist, Leah Kolbe. I also learned quite a bit about the Japanese invasion of Manchuria and the puppet Emperor that was installed there (and his love for insects), the antique trade, the Russian expats who fled to Asia and well....running for your life in a boat with an army on your tail. It's a smart thriller, an evocative piece of historical fiction and an abrupt coming-of-age story (for a 19 year old). Beautiful (And love the cover!)

I've written about Kate Moses' Wintering already at this site (more than once) and I'm still thinking about this book. I first heard about it in Writers on the Air and I was very intrigued. I had never read much about Sylvia Plath and nothing by her, but Moses sounded so fascinating in her interview that I sought out the book. It was a revelation - just wonderful reading and very compelling. Because of this book I also bought The Bell Jar and read it (another revelation and something I really needed to read when I was 20) and have now sought out other biographies of Plath and her poetry. Kate Moses opened up a whole new world for me with Wintering, but honestly - you don't need to care one bit about Syliva Plath to love this story. It is about a creative woman torn apart by the needs of motherhood and her craft. It's sad - so sad, but also very very timely. Sylvia was not a victim or even a hero, she was a woman of her time. And no - I don't hate her husband. I just wish he had been a bit more aware of how hard motherhood was for her.

Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers. Okay - it's a big huge mystery/comedy of manners that only the British can do well. Harriet Vane is the kind of independent woman we all want to be and Lord Peter is so damn appealing - well you understand why she can't resist the guy. The mysery is set in a girl's college, the professors are different degrees of madcap, bizarre and appropriately studious and the whole thing meanders along at this delightful pace that makes you want to sit around, drink tea and watch episodes of As Time Goes By (one of my all time favorite tv shows). This is the book for the one who likes the idea of classics, but hates the reality of Wuthering Heights (do you see me with my arm raised?). It's a wonder, get it and then next year buy all the others.

The River King by Alice Hoffman. This probably should go on my "surreal" shelf, but it ended up with literature at some point and there it remains. There is a ghost but the ghost never seem to be the truly major part of this story to me. The slowly revealing truth, the nightmare behavior of teenagers (oh but isn't high school grand?) and the wonderful relationship between policeman Abel Grey and new teacher Betsey Chase are what hold it all together. I fell for all the mystical elements in this story but I recognized so much of it for what could happen - what might already be happening somewhere at this very moment. It seemed sharply real to me for all that it is fantasy. Fall into this one - it is different and odd and maybe even weird. But that's the point - you shouldn't hold that sort of thing against a book or a person.

There will be other literature mentioned as we go along in other areas (lit for the goth crowd, lit for natural history lovers, lit for armchair explorers, etc.) But do keep in mind the wonderful illustrated novels of Barbara Hodgson - one of my absolute favorite authors and someone that everyone should read. (Here's my review of her latest, The Lives of Shadows.)

And also, I just received today the latest issue of Slightly Foxed, my favorite magazine of all things literary. I wrote about it at Bookslut ages ago and I've mentioned it here at Chasing Ray (I even have a link to it down on my sidebar) and I am always dazzled by each new issue. Do spend a moment over at their site and see just how unique this elegant little quarterly is. Yes, it is spendy but as a gift for a reader it is truly extraordinary. It's arrival makes me slow down, at least for a little while. In its pages I learn all over again just how wonderful the world of books can be.