I asked a bunch of writerly people what book they loved the most this year — no matter when it was published. A great list for anyone who likes to read.
Katie Notopoulos, senior editor, BuzzFeed: My favorite book was It's So Easy, by Duff McKagan. My favorite guilty-pleasure genre is '80s hair-metal band autobiographies, and thankfully there are a LOT of them. Duff McKagan is the third member of Guns 'N Roses to write one, so at this point it's like Rashomon, where you can hear the same story of the band imploding from different angles. If Axl ever writes his own book, I will camp out overnight in front of the Amazon warehouse.
Katie Heaney, contributing editor, BuzzFeed FWD: Big Machine, by Victor LaValle. Books I read in 2012 were mostly underwhelming! Big Machine was the first in a long time that was so good, I felt the need to hug it to my face afterward. I think it had everything I want: darkness but not desolation, humor, mystery, the supernatural. And a very sweet love.