33. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep--Philip K. Dick

I am not normally a reader of science fiction, but a good friend has recommended Philip K. Dick numerous times, and I decided to give him a try. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is a perplexing novel that raises many questions and, frustratingly, answers none. So, here's what I got from the book, it is probably wildly incorrect mind you, but here goes. We as humans have methods of differentiating ourselves from each other, inter alia, by appearance, by association, by intellect, and we have developed a complex set of justifications for unequal treatment based on these perceived differences. We use religion as part of the justification, which makes religion false, but necessary. Both the presence and absence of nature remind us of our manufactured criteria, and alienate us from our true selves. As a result, we trust nothing and no one. Pretty bleak, I know, but I have yet to read of a post-apocalyptic utopia. This is heady stuff, and if you are prone to searching for deeper meaning, this book could send you into a tailspin. Read it with caution.

32. The Man of My Dreams--Curtis Sittenfeld

The Man of My Dreams tells the story of Hannah Gavener, the child of an ugly marriage, as she matures and sets out to meet the title man of her dreams. Hannah's family issues, low self-esteem, and misjudgment of others lead to ups and downs in her romantic life.

I loved Prep, Curtis Sittenfeld's debut novel that met with much critical success, including being named by the New York Times as one of the 10 best books of 2005. So, I was looking forward to reading The Man of My Dreams, despite its chick lit title. Although I wasn't disappointed in TMoMD, part of what made Prep so wonderful to me was missing from TMoMD. Both novels were told from the perspective of sensitive, introspective young women, but Prep, set at a tony boarding school, and told by a middle-class outsider, provided a great deal of social commentary on wealth and privilege that had broader implications than the limited setting. Sittenfeld is brilliant at internal dialogue and she's one to watch out for in the future. But, if you're looking to read something from her, I definitely recommend Prep over this one.

31. The Namesake--Jhumpa Lahiri

Gogol Ganguli begins life without a name. In Bengali tradition, he was to be named by his great grandmother, who sent a letter bearing his name from Calcutta to his parents in Boston, but the letter never arrived. The hospital wouldn't allow baby boy Ganguli to leave without a name, so his parents gave him the informal name Gogol, after the author whose works had great meaning for his father. Before he starts school, his parents finally pick a formal name for him, Nikhil, but his kindergarten teacher insists on calling him Gogol, and the name sticks, despite his parents wishes. As he matures, the ambivalence he feels about his unusual and distinctly non-Indian name reflects his complex, mercurial feelings toward his family and heritage.

The Namesake is primarily a story of a child of immigrants trying to find his place within American society, but more broadly, it is a universal story of personal independence in the face of family expectations. Lahiri, winner of the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for fiction for her short story collection, The Interpreter of Maladies, has a gentle and distinctive literary voice. All in all, an enjoyable read.

30. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire--J.K. Rowling

The first three books of the series are, for the most part, light-hearted and sweet, but it's getting darker in the wizard world. Forces are aligning. Serious things are happening to Harry. He's growing up and is starting to realize his power. What evil lurks around the next corner?

29. This Book Will Save Your Life--A.M. Homes

This Book Will Save Your Life begins with Richard Novak, a wealthy Los Angeleno, having a health scare that sends him to the emergency room. The trauma causes Richard to look at the world and his outward success differently and he begins to make connections with the people he encounters--the man who sells him donuts, a woman he sees crying in the produce section, a neighbor he had never talked to--and with the people that he has spent a great deal of his adult life trying to avoid--his parents, his brother, his ex-wife, and the son he abandoned. By trying to pay just a bit more attention to what is going on around him, Richard's life changes dramatically.

I loved this book--one of my favorites of this year so far. It's quirky, has a weird title, but is unexpectedly uplifting. It makes you believe that small changes of perception can lead to big experiences. My highest recommendation.