Zeitoun

It isn't cool to admit, I know, but I love lists. And as this is the last day of the decade there are lots of lists out there to enjoy. Of course, some grumble that the decade doesn't end until next year (remember the same argument in 1999?). And there is no consensus on what to call the decade (the Noughts? the Oughts? the Zeros? the Noughties?). There is some consensus among the lists about some of the decade's best books. Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections (2001) and Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (2000) show up on many lists.

For my year and decade-ending St. Albert Gazette book picks I chose two books from a writer who I think really represents the decade: Dave Eggers. From the Gazette:

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius   In 2000, the decade began with the debut of an exciting young writer and his groundbreaking memoir. Taking the ironic tone of 1990s postmodernism and blending it with a new sincerity, Eggers told the stunning story of his life — his mother and father dying of cancer within a month of each other, and his struggle to raise his little brother alone.

Zeitoun The decade ends as it began, with an excellent book from Dave Eggers. Here Eggers uses narrative non-fiction to tell the moving, true story of one New Orleans family during and after hurricane Katrina. Adulrahman Zeitoun remained in New Orleans during the storm, helping other victims, but disappeared a week later.

Happy New Year all!

My thanks to Calgary Public Library Signal Hill branch for the wifi that enabled this post!