The December 6, 2009 issue of The New York Times Book Review offers 100 Notable Books of 2009. The following are just a small sample of the wonderful titles found on the list.

Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned Wells Tower FIC TOW
Nine short stories explore family relationships and the struggles of individuals whose lives have fallen apart.

Gate at the Stairs Lorrie Moore FIC MOO
Hired as a nanny to a not-yet-adopted child, a college student finds neither the job quite what she expected nor her employers what she thought they would be.

In Other Rooms, Other Wonders Daniyal Mueenuddin FIC MUE
Eight short stories focus on the members of a Pakistani farming family and their wide-reaching influence their community’s inhabitants.

Lit: A Memoir Mary Karr B KARR
A determined woman survives alcoholism and mental illness to triumph as the person she has now become.

Open: An Autobiography Andre Agassi B AGASSI 2009
Winner of eight Grand Slam singles’ tournaments and an Olympic gold medal, Agassi recounts the story of his life and how, for many years, he hated the game that made him famous.

Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work Matthew B. Crawford 306.36 C
The author, a motorcycle mechanic and philosopher, discusses how wonderful it is to make and fix things.  

Short History of Women Kate Walbert FIC WAL
A suffragette’s act of defiance has a ripple effect on her family’s descendants, influencing the course of their lives.

Zeitoun Dave Eggers 976.335 E 
When Hurricane Katrina strikes New Orleans, a businessman chooses to stay and protect his business. While helping other survivors, he mysteriously disappears.