The final book in 2015’s Top Ten is:

I don’t include much nonfiction in my leisure reading because I read so much of it for work. At libraries and book stores, I browse through the latest nonfiction releases to see what kinds of history topics attract editors and publishers. I saw Kurtz’s book at the library, leafed through it, and couldn’t put it down.

Kurtz’s grandparents embarked on a European vacation in 1938, the year before the Second World War broke out. His grandfather, David, had a new movie camera with him. One of their stops was in David’s hometown in Poland, where he shot three minutes of film.

Seventy years later, Glenn Kurtz found the reel and became mesmerized by the images it captured. Realizing his grandfather had documented life in a predominantly Jewish town right before the Holocaust, Kurtz set out to discover what happened to the people in the home movie. The resulting story is a haunting, personal account of the devastation of war and genocide.

Coming in at no. 9 is:

In 1915, with the world in the grip of a global war, the Ottoman Empire began the forced relocation of Armenians from what is now Turkish territory. That deportation devolved into genocide, resulting in the deaths of one million Armenians.

Ohanesian draws from her own family history to personalize this brutal event. Told in two time frames, the story centers on Lucine and Kemal who grow up together in the early 20th century, one Armenian, one a Turk. As their childhood friendship blossoms into romance, ethnic hostilities divide them. Decades later, a Turkish man named Orhan tries to figure out why his grandfather left the family home to an Armenian woman.

This is an utterly compelling novel, beautifully written. Once you pick it up, it’s almost impossible to put down until you’ve reached the end.

Number 8 on my list is:

Private investigator V.I. Warshawski once again gets tangled up in the long reach of corrupt Illinois politicians. An old high school boyfriend, Frank Guzzo, asks her to look into the decades-old murder of his younger sister, Annie. Their mother, Stella, had been convicted of the crime, and now that she’s been released from prison, Stella is seeking exoneration.

Paretsky is a fabulous storyteller, and V.I. is one of the top fictional detectives ever. Paretsky has managed to keep the series fresh by weaving past and present through the stories, showing how actions and choices reverberate through generations.

One of the reasons I like this series so much is because of the main character. V.I. is smart and tough, plus she has a strong sense of justice and is deeply (but not foolishly) compassionate. She has close and sometimes quirky friends and family members, a satisfying love life, and loyal canine companions.

V.I. has also aged. Paretsky hasn’t shied away from dealing with that. In Brush Back, V.I. is starting to confront her physical limitations–there are only so many times a middle-aged woman can get punched, kicked, shot, and buried alive. She may have to start re-thinking how she handles cases.

The other reason this series is so strong is its sense of place. Chicago and V.I. are inseparable, each an indelible character. You can’t help wondering what will happen to them next.

Number 7 on my list is:

I’m very tempted to leave it at this.

Here’s the beautiful cover photo of an elegant novel.

Read this book.

That would be too sentimental, and not at all in keeping with Kent Haruf’s works. Although his stories delved deeply into personal relationships, they were never sentimental. Still, it’s hard not to be sentimental about a book that was written while its author was dying.

Haruf’s final novel, like his others, is set in Holt, Colorado. The story centers on two elderly people, Addie Moore and Louis Waters. Both have lost their spouses, and Addie invites Louis to share her bed, to talk to her and sleep with her. Their determination to forge a relationship forms the core of the novel.

Our Souls at Night, as well as Haruf’s previous books, reminds me of Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead trilogy–spare, elegant, incisive explorations of places and people that make you feel like you’ve found home.

Number 6 on my list is:

The large, loving Turner family has lived in the same Detroit house for 50 years. In 2008, Francis,the father has died, Viola, the mother is dying, and eldest son Cha-Cha is still haunted by an encounter he had with a ghost as a teenager.

In this debut novel, Flournoy presents a rich history of Detroit as well as rural Arkansas. She moves the story back and forth in time, exploring the lives of the family members, to finally uncover the secret behind Cha-Cha’s otherworldly experience. The complex story never flags, and the finely drawn characters will stick with you for a long time.