LA Times' Best Fiction And Nonfiction Of 2009

The Los Angeles Times has joined the ever-growing crowd with its own "Best of 2009" lists -- separate for fiction and non-fiction, 25 books each. The lists range from the obvious choices such as Orhan Pamuk's "The Museum of Innocence" and Blake Bailey's Cheever biography, to the lesser known offerings of the year. Here are some of their choices. What do you think of them?

Fiction

"The Angel's Game" by Carlos Ruiz Zafón A struggling young writer in 1920s Barcelona accepts a lucrative, diabolical assignment commissioned by a shadowy client.

"The Anthologist" by Nicholson Baker
Meet Paul Chowder, a poet, editor and procrastinator whose character sheds autobiographical light on his creator.

"The Book of Genesis Illustrated" by R. Crumb
An honest, powerful and violent rendering of Genesis by the artist.

"Asterios Polyp" by David Mazzuchelli
An intriguing hybrid graphic novel about a paper architect "whose reputation rested on his designs, rather than on the buildings constructed from them."

"Both Ways is the Only Way I Want It" by Maile Meloy
Explorations of the lives of ranchers, farmers and others in the American West in a collection of diamond-hard stories.

Non-fiction

"The Battle for America 2008: The Story of an Extraordinary Election" by Dan Balz and Haynes Johnson A richly reported, closely observed account of the clash of ideals and gallery of historic candidates leading up to the election of a lifetime.

"The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire That Saved America" by Timothy Egan
The complex, tragic story of the biggest forest fire in American history, reconstructed at the grass-roots level.

"A Bright and Guilty Place: Murder, Corruption, and L.A.'s Scandalous Coming of Age" by Richard Rayner
How the noir genre drew from devilish scandals in the City of Angels, written by a regular contributor to Book Review.

"Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays" by Zadie Smith
The British writer reflects on Greta Garbo, literary trends, Oscar parties and more in a lively, unself-conscious, rigorous, erudite collection.

"Cheever: A Life" by Blake Bailey
A beautifully woven, deeply researched look at John Cheever's life (and it is a wild ride) and contributions to American letters.