Top Books of 2008

by the editors -- Críticas, 12/15/2008

As always, selecting the top titles of the year is a challenge. This year we have decided to do it a little differently: rather than publish a comprehensive list of wide-ranging adult titles recommended for purchase, we have narrowed down the list to 12 titles published in 2008—and reviewed in Críticas—that we feel should be on every library and bookstore shelf. Our selection comprises prize-winning novels, including a couple of translations from English; as well as a collection of essays, an excellent work of journalism; and other nonfiction works important for Hispanics in the United States. This list is recommended as a reference guide for librarians and booksellers aiming to keep their Spanish-language collections up to date and in high demand. The reviews are abridged and listed alphabetically by author; to read the full review, click on the title.

Look for the Best Children’s Books of 2008 in the January issue.

FICTION

El infinito en la palma de la mano.
(Infinity in the Palm of Her Hand)
Belli, Gioconda.
U.S.: Rayo: HaperCollins & Planeta. 2008. 240p. ISBN 978-84-322-1249-9. pap. $17.95. FICTION

Nicaraguan-born poet, novelist, and activist Belli revisits the story of Adam and Eve and delivers a refreshing, intimate, and moving version of the events in Genesis. Winner of the 2008 Biblioteca Breve Award and, more recently, of the Sor Juana Prize, El infinito will captivate readers interested in magical realism. [Críticas 5/15/08; starred]

La breve y maravillosa vida de Óscar Wao.
(The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao)
Díaz, Junot.
U.S.: Vintage en Español: Random House. 2008. 347p. ISBN 978-0-679-77669-7. pap. $14. FICTION

Díaz’s long-awaited novel went on to win the Pulitzer Prize, making him only the second Latino to win the prize. Obejas’s translation—which was equally highly anticipated—is superb and on point and has already garnered Díaz much praise in the international Spanish-language literary world. [Críticas 9/1/08; starred]

Sombras, nada más….
(Shadows, Nothing Else…)
Di Benedetto, Antonio.
Argentina: Adriana Hidalgo Editora. 2008. 305p. ISBN 978-987-1156-80-1. pap. $28.95. FICTION

This is the last novel by the prestigious Di Benedetto, who died a year after its publication and is considered one of Argentina’s best contemporary writers. [This] story is outstanding for the way it is presented, deftly blending dreams with reality. The complexity of his character explains why Di Benedetto’s works have gained so much prestige. [Críticas 7/15/08; starred]

Sol, piedra y sombras: Veinte cuentistas mexicanos de la primera mitad del siglo XX.
(Sun, Stone and Shadows: Twenty Great Mexican Short Stories)
Hernández, Jorge F., ed.
Mexico/U.S.: Fondo de Cultura Económica. 2008. 240 p. ISBN 978-968-16-8592-8. pap. $22. STORIES

This compilation of 20 short stories by Mexican writers of the first half of the 20th century is a true literary jewel. The featured texts are as varied in style and subject as Mexico itself, and the only common thread is that every single one of these stories is a masterpiece. [Críticas 9/1/08; starred]

Balas de plata.
(Silver Bullets)
Mendoza, Élmer.
Spain: Tusquets, dist. by Urano Pub. 2008. 254p. ISBN 978-84-8383-057-4. pap. $26. SUSPENSE

A fast-moving detective novel from the hardworking Mexican author Mendoza, whose stripped-down narrative technique fuels the velocity of the story: his dialog challenges the reader to keep the characters straight as their words run together, with the speaker seldom directly identified. This work won the 2007 Tusquets Prize. [Críticas, 6/15/08]

Una novela real.
(A Real Novel)
Mizumura, Minae.
tr. by Mónica Kogiso. Argentina: Adriana Hidalgo Editora. 2008. 607p. ISBN 978-987-1156-764. pap. $38.95. FICTION

Prize-winning Japanese American author Mizumura has until this excellent translation by Kogiso remained unknown to the Spanish reading public. Deftly weaving descriptions of the beauty of the Japanese countryside into her tale, Mizumura adds unique layers to a story of unrequited and unhappy love while examining a nation that went from rags to riches and, in doing so, relinquished some of its uniqueness and nobility. [Críticas, 6/15/08; starred]

Chiquita.
(Little One)
Rodríguez, Antonio Orlando.
Spain/U.S.: Alfaguara: Santillana. 2008. 547p. ISBN 978-970-58-0389-5. pap. $19.99.FICTION

Winner of the prestigious Alfaguara Prize, Chiquita novelizes the life of Espiridiona “Chiquita” Cenda (1869–1939), a Cuban vaudeville artist of tiny proportions (only 26 inches high) who became internationally famous around 1900. [Críticas 5/15/08]

El juego del ángel.
(The Angel’s Game)
Ruiz Zafón, Carlos.

U.S.: Vintage en Español. 2008. 667p. ISBN 978-0-307-45537-6. pap. $ 17.95.
This much-awaited prequel to Carlos Ruiz-Zafón’s best seller, La sombra del viento (The Shadow of the Wind), sends us back to the foggy cobble-stoned streets of Barcelona. With the sharp and luminous prose that has charmed millions of readers across the globe, Ruiz Zafón keeps the reader hanging at every page. A superbly crafted novel. [Críticas 7/15/08]

NONFICTION

Menopausia. Una etapa vital.
(Menopuase: A Vital Stage)
Blasco, Sonia, M.D.
U.S.: Aguilar: Santillana USA. 2008. 277p.illus. ISBN 978-1-59820-882-5. pap. $17.99. HEALTH

Blasco, a physician, psychoanalyst, and sexologist, explains the physiological changes that take place during menopause and discusses the pros and cons of hormone replacement therapy. Nutrition, health issues, exercise, meditation…are thoroughly covered. [Críticas 8/15/2008]

De inmigrante a ciudadano: Cómo obtener o cambiar su estatus migratorio en Estados Unidos.
(From Immigrant to Citizen: How To Obtain or Change Your Migratory Status in the United States)
Cortés, Rev. Luis, Jr.

U.S.: Atria Español: S&S. 2008. 160p. ISBN 978-0-7-432-9450-8. $7.99. pap. REF
Cortés, president and executive director of Esperanza USA, writes that his aim is mainly to help others better understand and navigate the complicated system of U.S. immigration law. He collaborated with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center to come up with much of this material and offer well-grounded pointers. Matters revolving around obtaining a green card are examined in detail, as are other important facts about the green card once obtained. A final section deals with deportation and detention. [Críticas 11/01/08]

Las llaves de la ciudad. Un mosaico de México.
(The Keys of a City: A Mosaic of Mexico City)
Lida, David.

Mexico: Sexto Piso, dist. by B&T. 195p. 2008. ISBN 978-84-96867-24-6. pap. ESSAY 
Previously published in several Mexican newspapers, the chronicles collected here present the stories of 29 people living in one of the most populous cities in the world. [A] mosaic of compelling and intimate narratives that describe different aspects of everyday life in the city. Through real stories, Lida offers what countless literary works cannot supply through fiction: a key into the depths of Mexico City. [Críticas 5/15/08]

Enciclopedia del español en los Estados Unidos.
(Encyclopedia of the Spanish Language in the United States)
López Morales, Humberto (coord.)
Spain/U.S.: Santillana & Instituto Cervantes. 2008. 1196p. ISBN 978-84-934772-1-9. $49.99. REFERENCE

This monumental work is probably the most comprehensive study ever compiled on the 500 year-old Hispanic presence in U.S. territory. Most of the book is about the present, with a strong focus on the demographics of the Latin American migration. Many pages are devoted to the real status of the language nationwide, from an assessment of the actual fluency of the over 40 million so-called Spanish-speakers to the explosion of students of Spanish in recent years and the individual characteristics of each community’s parlance. [E]very library in America should stock a few copies. [Críticas 12/15/08; starred]