the best of 2005: non-fiction

And now it's time for the next in my "Best Of 2005" series. Just a few reminders:

• Not all of these were first published in 2005, but if that's the first time I read them, then onto the list they went.
  
• I didn't even try putting these in preferential order, but I did make note of my definite favorite.
  
• My tastes can be somewhat eccentric, so your mileage may vary.
  

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1. My Friend Leonard by James Frey: I still have my doubts as to the veracity of some of the events Frey writes about, but this story of his continued recovery and the titular friend who helps him get back on his feet after rehab is still compelling stuff. I cried my freakin' ass off more than once, including in the break room of my workplace, which was embarrassing. My favorite non-fiction book of the year.

2. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls: A stellar memoir about the author's childhood with an extremely unconventional, constantly broke, nomadic family.

3. Julie & Julia by Julie Powell: The author felt stuck in a rut, so she decided to make every single one of Julia Child's recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year. This book is a feast for the senses and, at times, incredibly funny. Warning to the sensitive: the chapter where she prepares lobsters is somewhat upsetting.

4. The Lady and the Panda by Vicki Constantine Croke: The true story of the Manhattan socialite who trekked to China in the 1930's and brought back a baby panda, causing a media sensation. It's both a rollicking adventure story and an utterly heartbreaking tale of a woman's fierce maternal love for an odd little creature. If you like animals even a little bit, you'll probably mist up more than once.

5. A Cook's Tour by Anthony Bourdain: A fascinating culinary travelogue that really made me want to visit Vietnam. Cambodia, though? Not so much.

6. Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood by Koren Zailckas: Uncompromising memoir of one woman's love affair with alcohol.

7. The Dancing Girls of Lahore by Louise Brown: A fascinating peek into the lives of Pakistani prostitutes.

8. Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach: There's not a whole lot I can tell you about this book that the title doesn't already imply, but I will tell you that it's a must-read. Roach's previous book, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, is my favorite non-fiction book of all time, and this isn't quite as compelling, but it's still great, especially the jovially disgusting chapter on ectoplasm.

9. Why Do Men Have Nipples? by Mark Leyner and Billy Goldberg: A highly amusing and very informative book with answers to all the questions you’ve always had (why does poop float, is sperm fattening, etc.) but couldn’t bring yourself to ask.

10. Fat Girl by Judith Moore: Wow. I'm not even sure what to say about this memoir about a woman's struggle with her weight and her nasty mother, but it's uncompromising and occasionally blackly funny, so I would recommend it with a caution that it gets very dark between those covers.

WORST: Witness by Amber Frey. Pointless.