Top Five Books of 2012

aulsmith: A magical book about a young science fiction fan from a dysfunctional family.

flying_monkeys: It's a classic, and I have a soft spot for orphans.

flying_monkeys: The descriptions of the orchard are unforgettable, as is Talmadge, one of the best "good guys" I've ever read.

aulsmith: The best book I've read on the nature of mystical experiences and their relation to both mental illness and ordinary creativity.

flying_monkeys: Temple = awesome. Also a unique perspective in a zombie-infested world.

aulsmith: How our myths about totalitarianism get us to fill in the gaps in Hitler's biography to arrive at different conclusions. Very damning look at historiography.

flying_monkeys: A perfect ghost story in the spirit of the classics. I can still, almost three years later, remember in vivid detail this story's atmosphere.

aulsmith: A look at 12th century arts by an early 20th century aesthete. Charming and fun.

flying_monkeys: Authentic Victorian era prose, centered around an "Is it real? Or is it fake" paranormal mystery, topped off with a love story.

aulsmith: Where our current ideas about economics came from and why they aren't working.