Flavorwire » The 10 Best Books of the Year (So Far) : #1 The Orphan Master’s Son , Adam Johnson (January 10) Johnson’s epic adventure takes us on a lush, terrifying journey through North Korea, the characters perfectly balanced between looming danger, sometimes of their own creation, and a deep humanity infused with hope. We follow Jun Do — a tunnel expert trained by the regime — as he transforms from childish pawn of the system to professional kidnapper to rival of Kim Jong Il, whom he opposes in order to save the love of his life. #2 Half-Blood Blues , Esi Edugyan (February 28) A 2011 Man Booker Prize finalist, those of us in the states finally got our paws on a copy of Edugyan’s brilliant second novel this year. The fiery novel chronicles the trials of the Hot-Time Swingers, a legendary multi-racial jazz ensemble caught in the mania on the eve of WWII. The story is as fascinating as they come, and Edugyan’s prose sizzles and pops like the best jazz track you’ve...
