20 Best Books Of 2012 (2023 Update)

Geralt the witcher–revered and hated–holds the line against the monsters plaguing humanity in this collection of adventures, the first chapter in andrzej sapkowski's groundbreaking epic fantasy series that inspired the hit netflix show and the blockbuster video games. geralt is a witcher, a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless hunter. yet he is no ordinary killer. his sole purpose: to destroy the monsters that plague the world. but not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good . . . and in every fairy tale there is a grain of truth. witcher collections the last wish sword of destiny witcher novels blood of elves the time of contempt baptism of fire the tower of swallows lady of the lake season of storms hussite trilogy the tower of fools warriors of god translated from original polish by danusia stok

"from the pulitzer prize-winning author of perhaps the most bestselling and beloved literary fiction of our time comes a triumph of imagination and compassion, a soaring novel about children on the cusp of adulthood in a broken world, who find resilience, hope, and story. the heroes of cloud cuckoo land are children trying to figure out the world around them, and to survive. in the besieged city of constantinople in 1453, in a public library in lakeport, idaho, today, and on a spaceship bound for a distant exoplanet decades from now, an ancient text provides solace and the most profound human connection to characters in peril. they all learn the story of aethon, who longs to be turned into a bird so that he can fly to the paradise of cloud cuckoo land, a better world. twelve-year-old anna lives in a convent where women toil all day embroidering the robes of priests. she learns to read from an old greek tutor she encounters on her errands in the city. in an abandoned priory, she finds a stash of old books. one is aethon's story, which she reads to her sister as the walls of constantinople are bombarded by armies of saracens. anna escapes, carrying only a small sack with bread, salt fish-and the book. outside the city walls, anna meets omeir, a village boy who was conscripted, along with his beloved pair of oxen, to fight in the sultan's conquest. his oxen have died; he has deserted. in lakeport, idaho, in 2020, seymour, a young activist bent on saving the earth, sits in the public library with two homemade bombs in pressure cookers-another siege. upstairs, eighty-five-year old zeno, a former prisoner-of-war, and an amateur translator, rehearses five children in a play adaptation of aethon's adventures. on an interstellar ark called the argos, konstance is alone in a vault with sacks of nourish powder and access to all the information in the world-or so she is told. she knows aethon's story through her father, who has sequestered her to protect her. konstance, encased on a spaceship decades from now, has never lived on our beloved earth. alone in a vault with sacks of nourish powder and access to "all the information in the world," she knows aethon's storythrough her father. they through their own resilience and resourcefulness, and through story. dedicated to "the librarians then, now, and in the years to come," anthony doerr's cloud cuckoo land is about the power of story and the astonishing survival of the physical book when for thousands of years they were so rare and so feared, dying, as one character says, "in fires or floods or in the mouths of worms or at the whims of tyrants." it is a hauntingly beautiful and redemptive novel about stewardship-of the book, of the earth, of the human heart"–

A true story from raina telgemeier, the #1 new york times bestselling, multiple eisner award-winning author of smile, sisters, drama, and ghosts raina wakes up one night with a terrible upset stomach. her mom has one, too, so it's probably just a bug. raina eventually returns to school, where she's dealing with the usual highs and lows: friends, not-friends, and classmates who think the school year is just one long gross-out session. it soon becomes clear that raina's tummy trouble isn't going away… and it coincides with her worries about food, school, and changing friendships. what's going on? raina telgemeier once again brings us a thoughtful, charming, and funny true story about growing up and gathering the courage to face — and conquer — her fears.

The first book in a new epic fantasy series from the "new york times"-bestselling author who had been chosen to complete robert jordan''s the wheel of time series.

An instant new york times bestseller / an oprah's book club pick in the spirit of the known world and the underground railroad, an award-winning "miraculous debut" (washington post) about the unlikely bond between two freedmen who are brothers and the georgia farmer whose alliance will alter their lives, and his, forever in the waning days of the civil war, brothers prentiss and landry–freed by the emancipation proclamation–seek refuge on the homestead of george walker and his wife, isabelle. the walkers, wracked by the loss of their only son to the war, hire the brothers to work their farm, hoping through an unexpected friendship to stanch their grief. prentiss and landry, meanwhile, plan to save money for the journey north and a chance to reunite with their mother, who was sold away when they were boys. parallel to their story runs a forbidden romance between two confederate soldiers. the young men, recently returned from the war to the town of old ox, hold their trysts in the woods. but when their secret is discovered, the resulting chaos, including a murder, unleashes convulsive repercussions on the entire community. in the aftermath of so much turmoil, it is isabelle who emerges as an unlikely leader, proffering a healing vision for the land and for the newly free citizens of old ox. with candor and sympathy, debut novelist nathan harris creates an unforgettable cast of characters, depicting georgia in the violent crucible of reconstruction. equal parts beauty and terror, as gripping as it is moving, the sweetness of water is an epic whose grandeur locates humanity and love amid the most harrowing circumstances. one of president obama's favorite books of 2021 winner of the ernest j. gaines award for literary excellence longlisted for the man booker prize longlisted for the 2022 carnegie medal for excellence longlisted for the center for fiction first novel prize a best book of the year: oprah daily, npr, washington post, time, boston globe, smithsonian, chicago public library, bookbrowse, and the oregonian a new york times book review editors' choice a july indie next pick

Today's world leaders and those of 1,000 years ago face the world's end. the mayan "end-time codex" predicts the end of the world in 2012. a young aztec-mayan slave tells the story of its creation: gifted in math and astronomy, coyotl advises the god-king, quetzalcoatl. gathering artists, scientists, and architects, this ruler builds the great, golden city of tula but soon faces war, disastrous drought, death-cult priests who rip the hearts out of thousands of people. . . and an epic catastrophe threatening all humanity.meanwhile, thousand years later, scientists have rediscovered the end-time codex and learned that their own time mirrors tula's golden age. can they crack the 2012 code and save their world from tula's deadly fate? the countdown begins.in ancient mexico, the end-time codex–prophesizing the world's end in 2012–is entombed. a young aztec-mayan slave tells its story in this sweeping historical thriller–the first of a two-book duology. available in a tall premium edition.

"one hundred years of solitude" tells the story of the rise and fall, birth and death of the mythical town of macondo through the history of the buendia family. inventive, amusing, magnetic, sad, and alive with unforgettable men and women — brimming with truth, compassion, and a lyrical magic that strikes the soul — this novel is a masterpiece in the art of fiction.

#1 national bestseller #1 international bestsellerwhat does everyone in the modern world need to know? renowned psychologist jordan b. peterson's answer to this most difficult of questions uniquely combines the hard-won truths of ancient tradition with the stunning revelations of cutting-edge scientific research.humorous, surprising and informative, dr. peterson tells us why skateboarding boys and girls must be left alone, what terrible fate awaits those who criticize too easily, and why you should always pet a cat when you meet one on the street.what does the nervous system of the lowly lobster have to tell us about standing up straight (with our shoulders back) and about success in life? why did ancient egyptians worship the capacity to pay careful attention as the highest of gods? what dreadful paths do people tread when they become resentful, arrogant and vengeful? peterson journeys broadly, discussing discipline, freedom, adventure and responsibility, distilling the world's wisdom into 12 practical and profound rules for life. 12 rules for life shatters the modern commonplaces of science, faith and human nature, while transforming and ennobling the mind and spirit of its readers.

New york times bestseller – the true tale of the 1893 world's fair in chicago and the cunning serial killer who used the magic and majesty of the fair to lure his victims to their death.“ relentlessly fuses history and entertainment to give this nonfiction book the dramatic effect of a novel …. it doesn’t hurt that this truth is stranger than fiction.” —the new york times – combining meticulous research with nail-biting storytelling, erik larson has crafted a narrative with all the wonder of newly discovered history and the thrills of the best fiction. – two men, each handsome and unusually adept at his chosen work, embodied an element of the great dynamic that characterized america’s rush toward the twentieth century. the architect was daniel hudson burnham, the fair’s brilliant director of works and the builder of many of the country’s most important structures, including the flatiron building in new york and union station in washington, d.c. the murderer was henry h. holmes, a young doctor who, in a malign parody of the white city, built his “world’s fair hotel” just west of the fairgrounds—a torture palace complete with dissection table, gas chamber, and 3,000-degree crematorium. burnham overcame tremendous obstacles and tragedies as he organized the talents of frederick law olmsted, charles mc – kim, louis sullivan, and others to transform swampy jackson park into the white city, while holmes used the attraction of the great fair and his own satanic charms to lure scores of young women to their deaths. what makes the story all the more chilling is that holmes really lived, walking the grounds of that dream city by the lake. – the devil in the white city draws the reader into the enchantment of the guilded age, made all the more appealing by a supporting cast of real-life characters, including buffalo bill, theodore dreiser, susan b. anthony, thomas edison, archduke francis ferdinand, and others. erik larson’s gifts as a storyteller are magnificently displayed in this rich narrative of the master builder, the killer, and the great fair that obsessed them both.

Jennette mccurdy details how she overcame harrowing struggles as a child tv star—including anorexia and bulimia, addiction, severe obsessive-compulsive disorder and a traumatic relationship with her mother. a heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by icarly and sam & cat star jennette mccurdy about her struggles as a former child actor—including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother—and how she retook control of her life. jennette mccurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. so she went along with what mom called “calorie restriction,” eating little and weighing herself five times a day. she endured extensive at-home makeovers while mom chided, “your eyelashes are invisible, okay? you think dakota fanning doesn’t tint hers?” she was even showered by mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income. in i’m glad my mom died, jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail—just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. cast in a new nickelodeon series called icarly, she is thrust into fame. though mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi (“hi gale!”), jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. these issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the icarly spinoff sam & cat alongside ariana grande, her mother dies of cancer. finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants. told with refreshing candor and dark humor, i’m glad my mom died is an inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing your own hair.

Chief inspector armand gamache returns to three pines in #1 new york times bestseller louise penny's latest spellbinding novel, the madness of crowds. – you’re a coward. – time and again, as the new year approaches, that charge is leveled against armand gamache. it starts innocently enough. while the residents of the québec village of three pines take advantage of the deep snow to ski and toboggan, to drink hot chocolate in the bistro and share meals together, the chief inspector finds his holiday with his family interrupted by a simple request. he’s asked to provide security for what promises to be a non-event. a visiting professor of statistics will be giving a lecture at the nearby university. while he is perplexed as to why the head of homicide for the sûreté du québec would be assigned this task, it sounds easy enough. that is until gamache starts looking into professor abigail robinson and discovers an agenda so repulsive he begs the university to cancel the lecture. – they refuse, citing academic freedom, and accuse gamache of censorship and intellectual cowardice. before long, professor robinson’s views start seeping into conversations. spreading and infecting. so that truth and fact, reality and delusion are so confused it’s near impossible to tell them apart. – discussions become debates, debates become arguments, which turn into fights. as sides are declared, a madness takes hold. abigail robinson promises that, if they follow her, ça va bien aller. all will be well. but not, gamache and his team know, for everyone. – when a murder is committed it falls to armand gamache, his second-in-command jean-guy beauvoir, and their team to investigate the crime as well as this extraordinary popular delusion.

Now an original series on prime video! summer love abounds in the new york times bestselling the summer i turned pretty series, now available in a paperback boxed set—and an original series now streaming on prime video! belly has always lived for the summertime, because summer means all her favorite things: swimming, the beach, and the fisher boys, conrad and jeremiah. for as long as she can remember, she’s shared her summers with the brothers at cousins beach. and for as long as she can remember, she’s been in love with conrad. then one summer it seems like he might have feelings for her too—but so does jeremiah. as the summer seasons pass, belly has to choose between two brothers who love her…and she’ll have to break one of their hearts.

History's most exciting and terrifying events come to life in these ten books in the new york times bestselling i survived series.when disaster strikes, heroes are made.a collectible box set of ten books in the bestselling i survived series from author lauren tarshis! this set includes paperback editions of these books: i survived the sinking of the titanic, 1912i survived the shark attacks of 1916i survived the attacks of september 11, 2001i survived the nazi invasion, 1944i survived the bombing of pearl harbor, 1941i survived the battle of gettysburg, 1863i survived the destruction of pompeii, ad 79i survived hurricane katrina, 2005i survived the san francisco earthquake, 1906i survived the japanese tsunami, 2011with relatable characters and riveting plotlines, the i survived books are perfect for reluctant readers or any young reader who enjoys an action packed, page turning thriller. each book also contains several pages of nonfiction content, encouraging readers to further explore the historical topic.

Instant new york times bestseller a dramatically new understanding of human history, challenging our most fundamental assumptions about social evolution—from the development of agriculture and cities to the origins of the state, democracy, and inequality—and revealing new possibilities for human emancipation. – for generations, our remote ancestors have been cast as primitive and childlike—either free and equal innocents, or thuggish and warlike. david graeber and david wengrow show how such theories first emerged in the eighteenth century as a conservative reaction to powerful critiques of european society posed by indigenous observers and intellectuals. if humans did not spend 95 percent of their evolutionary past in tiny bands of hunter-gatherers, what were they doing all that time? if agriculture, and cities, did not mean a plunge into hierarchy and domination, then what kinds of social and economic organization did they lead to? – the dawn of everything fundamentally transforms our understanding of the human past and offers a path toward imagining new forms of freedom, new ways of organizing society. this is a monumental book of formidable intellectual range, animated by curiosity, moral vision, and a faith in the power of direct action. – includes black-and-white illustrations

From #1 new york times bestselling author danielle steel, a powerful story about fighting for a chance at happiness—whatever the cost. – charles vincent seems to have it all—a beautiful wife, two successful children, and a well-paying career. yet happiness remains out of reach. he is trapped in a loveless marriage and his job is simply a paycheck. but his life changes forever one night as he drives along the normandy coast, heading to their lavish château for the weekend. in one terrifying moment, charles falls asleep at the wheel and veers off the road, plunging thirty feet down the face of a rocky cliff. – miraculously, charles survives. after gathering the courage to climb to safety, he starts to walk—bruised, bloody, and desperate for help. in the dark of night, he happens upon a cabin where he meets the kind and beautiful aude saint-martin. they have an instant connection, and as she nurses him back to health, charles begins to discover the passion he’s been missing for so many years. – in the aftermath of the crash, charles has a startling realization: he doesn’t have to go back. he could simply choose to disappear, to walk away from his old life. when his car is discovered, he’ll be presumed dead, washed away at sea. if he stays with aude, he has a chance at a fuller, happier life that he didn’t know was possible. it all seems too good to resist. but aude has secrets of her own, and before long their pasts catch up to them, threatening everything they have fought to build. – what would happen if you were given a chance to walk away from everything in your life and start over with a blank slate, and you had a split second to decide? in without a trace, danielle steel tells an irresistible story of the risks two people are willing to take in exchange for a chance at the life they’ve always wanted.

Jacqueline woodson and rafael lópez's highly anticipated companion to their #1 new york times bestseller the day you begin illuminates the power in each of us to face challenges with confidence.on a dreary, stuck-inside kind of day, a brother and sister heed their grandmother’s advice: “use those beautiful and brilliant minds of yours. lift your arms, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and believe in a thing. somebody somewhere at some point was just as bored you are now.” and before they know it, their imaginations lift them up and out of their boredom. then, on a day full of quarrels, it’s time for a trip outside their minds again, and they are able to leave their anger behind. this precious skill, their grandmother tells them, harkens back to the days long before they were born, when their ancestors showed the world the strength and resilience of their beautiful and brilliant minds. jacqueline woodson’s lyrical text and rafael lopez’s dazzling art celebrate the extraordinary ability to lift ourselves up and imagine a better world.

December 21, 2012, may be one of the most watched dates in history. every 26,000 years, earth lines up with the exact center of our galaxy. but what will actually happen? the end of the world? a new age for mankind? nothing? the last time this happened, cro-magnon man suddenly began creating great art in the caves of southern france, which to this day remains one of the most inexplicable changes in human history. now whitley strieber explores 2012 in a towering work of fiction that will astound readers with its truly new insights and a riveting roller-coaster ride of a story. a mysterious alien presence unexpectedly bursts out of sacred sites all over the world and begins to rip human souls from their bodies, plunging the world into chaos it has never before known. courage meets cowardice, loyalty meets betrayal as an entire world struggles to survive this incredible end-all war. heroes emerge, villains reveal themselves, and in the end something completely new and unexpected happens that at once lifts the fictional characters into a new life, and sounds a haunting real-world warning for the future.

The year is 2012. americas global war on terror is at a fateful crossroads. the rise of laskar-e-muhammad, the most audacious and sophisticated terrorist network the world has ever seen, imperils americas national survival. as president middlefield and top deputy jim constance rally america to confront the threat, worldwide criticism hampers their efforts, many detractors arguing for a policy of appeasement. dr. jane crandall offman, high profile professor and social commentator, joins islams

Second in the annual series of the best plays that have had a premier in a regional theater, but no nyc premier.

“best european fiction is an exhilarating read.”—timenow in its third year, the best european fiction series has become a mainstay in the literary landscape, each year featuring new voices from throughout europe alongside more established names such as hilary mantel, jean-philippe toussaint, ingo schulze, george konrad, victor pelevin, and enrique vila-matas. for 2012, aleksandar hemon introduces a whole new cross-section of european fiction, and there are a few editorial changes as well. for the first time, the preface will be by an american—nicole krauss—and the stories, one per country/language, will be arranged within themes (love, art, war, the body), to facilitate book club and reading group discussions.