Best Books I Read in 2011

It's that time of year again: time for year's-end "best of" lists. I'm going to start with the books I enjoyed most during the year. As it happens, they're all books from my library's reading groups: Brown Bag and a Book, and Murder by the Book. I like genre fiction better than literary fiction, so most of them come from the mystery group. Here, ordered by the author's last name, is the list:

• Songs My Mother Never Taught Me by Selçuk Altun - Set in contemporary Istanbul, this is more literary fiction than genre, but nonetheless very enjoyable. Keep in mind I have very idiosyncratic tastes.
• Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo - Extremely violent mystery set in Ohio Amish country. I loved it, and hated myself for it. The group liked it so well, we're doing another of Castillo's books in 2012.
• Andean Express by Juan de Recacoechea - Again, more literary than genre, this is the one our mystery group is discussing next week. Short, but with lot's of depth. It'll be interesting to see how other group members react to it.
• Mapping Human History: Genes, Race, and Our Common Origins by Steve Olson - Nonfiction, about DNA relationships between various groups of people. My degree is in sociology, so it was right up my alley.
• Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin - I like a good inspirational story every now and then, and this book, set in post-war Rwanda, was really wonderful.
• Dog On It by Spencer Quinn - Yes, I'm one of those animal mystery people. Usually cats, but dogs are entertaining, too. This one, told from the dog's perspective was lots of fun.
• The Gigolo Murder by Mehmet Murat Somer - Back to Istanbul again, this was probably the most quirky book I read all year. With a hero who's a computer security expert by day and a drag club owner by might, it's definitely on my list of all-time favorites.
• Nox Dormienda by Kelli Stanley - "Roman Noir." A hard-boiled detective story set in Roman-ruled London, this is another favorite.
• The Blood Detective by Don Waddell - Another London setting, this time contemporary. A genealogist is called in by the police to help solve a series of murders. This story really worked well for me.
• The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner - A fascinating global tour of happy places. Disney it ain't!

So there you have it: my list of most enjoyed books of 2011. I can't wait to see what 2012 has in store!