Best Fiction
Thomas Bernhard: Auslöschung. Ein Zerfall
Philipp Meyer: The Son
Moshin Hamid: How To Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia
Auslöschung (Extinction) is the last of Thomas Bernhard's novels. It is also his longest and one of his best. The Son is an intriguing and intricately composed novel.
Best Non-Fiction
Henry Marsh: Do No Harm. Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery
David van Reybrouck: Congo. The Epic History of a People
I know that I'm late to the party, but I can't read everything at once. Congo is indeed a magnificent book. Do No Harm is a fascinating read and the first in what may become a new genre: that of the surgeon memoir.
Most Fashionable
David Shields: Reality Hunger
Best Book About Wittgenstein That Is(n't) About Wittgenstein
Thomas Bernhard: Wittgenstein's Neffe. Eine Freundschaft
Of course, Wittgenstein's Neffe is neither about Wittgenstein nor about his cousin. And yet, if you've read Wittgenstein you'll be chuckling. Then again, I'm always chuckling when I'm reading Thomas Bernhard.
Best Photography Book
William A. Ewing: Landmark. The Fields of Landscape Photography
Andri Pol: Inside CERN. European Organization for Nuclear Research
Most Eye-Opening
Eric Schlosser: Command and Control
Command and Control is a disquieting book about the history of nuclear weapons systems in the US with a focus on what has become known as the Damascus incident.
Most Disappointing
Kazuo Ishiguro: Never Let Me Go
Andres Neuman: Talking to Ourselves
I enjoyed The Remains of the Day so I was eager to read Never Let Me Go, which is also both critically acclaimed and highly popular. I found it rather flimsy though.