10. Darth Vader and Son, Jeffrey Brown
Children's books are getting more and more fun now that they're aimed just as much as the parents as the kids. That's one reason why we loved Darth Vader and Son, a heartwarming reimagining of Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker's relationship. It's the perfect warm-up for raising a child that has an appropriate love of Star Wars.
9. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy Kaling
It's been a big year for The Office writer and actress Mindy Kaling, from debuting her first comedy show, The Mindy Project, to the success of her book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns). Kaling's mix of self-glamorization with hilarious confessionals is bound to make her brand of comedy explode in 2013.
8. No Easy Day, Mark Owen
This non-fiction tale, subtitled The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama Bin Laden, became a bookend for America's long hunt for closure that began the moment the Twin Towers fell. Rarely does a book provide people with the opportunity to know just what kind of effort goes into such a grim task, making this book one of the most resonant of the year.
7. America Again, Stephen Colbert
Comedy Central's most bear-hating TV pundit showcases the literary power of the double negative with his newest book America Again: Re-Becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't. With 3-D glasses and plenty of footnotes, it became America's favorite coffee table book criticizing America.
6. How Music Works, David Byrne
Talking Heads' mastermind David Byrne can do more than write songs—he can write books too. This year he proved he can also write books about music itself, giving the world a personalized tour through the music industry with How Music Works. Anyone who likes reading about whale calls and Fatboy Slim in the same beat found the book they never knew they were looking for.
5. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn
Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl describes itself as "unputdownable," which means this thriller about a marriage gone wrong is exciting enough to generate brand new words in the English language. A character study centered on a missing wife and a husband suspected of foul play, this book explored even darker shades of romance than Fifty Shades.
4. Telegraph Avenue, Michael Chabon
While lady writers dominated the fiction realm this year, Michael Chabon repped for the guys by stepping in with yet another critically acclaimed novel, Telegraph Avenue. Set in 2004, it shows how the downfall of an industry—in this case that of buying music—can add intensity and irony to the lives of two families. Luckily for Chabon, people still seem to be buying books.
3. Wild, Cheryl Strayed
In 2006, Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love proved that women everywhere have a thirst for memoirs featuring Julia Roberts-types finding themselves through travel. This year, Oprah's Book Club gifted them with the suggestion of Wild: From Lost to Found on The Specific Crest Trail. Author Cheryl Strayed's choice to head into the belly of nature to recover after her mother's death (and a messy divorce sprinkled with drug use) scandalized, frightened and inspired its way to the top.
2. The Casual Vacancy, J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling proved she can write more than just wizarding novels this year by releasing her first novel aimed at grown-ups, The Casual Vacancy. Among the subjects that Rowling dives into are heroin abuse, abusive dads, cutting, the British welfare system and sudden brain aneurisms. A dark turn for the author who has spoken about her own history of depression and near-poverty, but then again Harry Potter rowed some dark waters himself too.
1. Fifty Shades of Grey, E.L. James
What began as self-published Twilight fanfic rocked ladies' Kindles across the nation with tales of not-so-vanilla sex. Unlike the series of novels that inspired it, Fifty Shades wasn't about glittery vampires and well-muscled werewolves, but about getting straight down to business with a guy who sends you MacBooks against your will. Whether you loved it or hated it, this book probably at least caused you to have an awkward conversation about sex with an aunt or a hairdresser.