Book reviews, excerpts, reading guides and more of BookBrowse 2002 Favorites by Established Authors

2002 Favorites by Established Authors

Recommended books found: 10

Each year, BookBrowse subscribers rate their favorite books of the year to choose our Top 20 Best of Year titles. More about how the books are selected.

The Age of Gold

The California Gold Rush and the New American Dream

by H.W. Brands

Hardcover: Aug 2002 | Paperback: Oct 2003

Critics' Consensus:

Tells the stories of the great fortunes made and of great fortunes lost by hundreds now forgotten by history; and reveals the profound effect of the Gold Rush on the way Americans viewed their destinies, as the Puritan ethic of hard work and the ...

The Crimson Petal and The White

by Michel Faber

Hardcover: Sep 2002 | Paperback: Sep 2003

Critics' Consensus:

'Faber's mastery of character, evocative descriptions of Victorian England, and rich dialogue, together with his weaving of enduring themes throughout a complex plot, creates a remarkable novel.'

Saffy's Angel

by Hilary McKay

Hardcover: May 2002 | Paperback: Sep 2003

Critics' Consensus:

Unforgettable characters come alive in often deeply humorous and always absorbing events to make a book to be treasured for a long, long time. Reading age approx 10 yrs+.

Blue Latitudes

by Tony Horwitz

Hardcover: Oct 2002 | Paperback: Aug 2003

Critics' Consensus:

'Thoroughly enjoyable. No writer has better captured the heroic enigma that was Captain James Cook than Tony Horwitz in this amiable and enthralling excursion around the Pacific.'

Loser

by Jerry Spinelli

Hardcover: May 2002 | Paperback: Aug 2003

Critics' Consensus:

A touching book about the human spirit, the importance of failure, and how any name can someday be replaced with "hero." Reading age approx 9 yrs+.

The Trouser People

A Story of Burma in the Shadow of the Empire

by Andrew Marshall

Hardcover: Mar 2002 | Paperback: Jul 2003

Critics' Consensus:

An offbeat and thrilling journey through a lost colonial heritage--and a powerful expose of Burma's modern tragedy.

Desirable Daughters

A Novel

by Bharati Mukherjee

Hardcover: Feb 2002 | Paperback: Feb 2003

Critics' Consensus:

A stirring novel of three women, two continents, and a perilous journey from the old world to the new - weaves together fascinating stories of the sisters' ancestors, their childhood memories, and dramatic scenes from India's history.

Atonement

by Ian McEwan

Hardcover: Mar 2002 | Paperback: Feb 2003

Critics' Consensus:

Brilliant and utterly enthralling in its depiction of childhood, love and war, England and class. At its center this is a profound–and profoundly moving–exploration of shame, forgiveness and the difficulty of absolution.

Salt

A World History

by Mark Kurlansky

Hardcover: Jan 2002 | Paperback: Feb 2003

Critics' Consensus:

Deftly leading readers around the world and across cultures and centuries, Kurlansky takes an inexpensive, mundane item and shows how it has influenced and affected wars, cultures, governments, religions, societies, economies & food. An entertaining,...

Vine of Desire

by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Hardcover: Jan 2002 | Paperback: Feb 2003

Critics' Consensus:

A moving and satisfying sequel to Sister of My Heart, The Vine of Desire stands on its own as a novel of extraordinary depth and sensitivity.

The reviewer of each book decides which categories it belongs in - but we're only human, mistakes happen. If you see a book that you think is in the wrong place, tell us!

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