These are my favorite books for this year, in no particular order. I have my own particular standards, which include the fact that I hardly read fiction any more so these are all non fiction. Also, they may not have original publishing dates of 2008 but are all recent and I read them myself this year.

Fiction books to me seem to be all the same any more, characters thin as paper and plots dominated by political correctness and silly gimmicks. Once in a while I pick one up and am reminded of why I don’t read them. "The Human Stain" by Phillip Roth is a good example, silly racial theme, over reliance on sexual titillation, why people think he is a good writer is beyond me.

In terms of non fiction, I am not just interested in getting facts but also in a good story and frankly, I like gossip. Maybe that replaces the need for fiction, but good gossip about real people and real events can’t be beaten. People just fascinate me, and I like to hear about them.

So, with that warning to my readers about my idiosyncrasies, here goes.

"The Prince of Darkness" by Robert Novak. Novak does go to the top of this list for a reason, if you like politics at all you will find this to be a fascinating read. The thing about Novak is that he is one of these kinds of people who just can’t lie even if they try. He reacts emotionally to everything and doesn’t care what he says about anyone. Those who try to categorize him as a partisan will be in for a big surprise, a pleasant surprise, if they read this book.

It’s a great read and if you want to get the inside scoop on every President, Barry Goldwater, the Kennedys, and the whole cast of political characters for the past 50 plus years, it is all there. You will read things here that you will not see anywhere else, and he has been there in person for all of it.

" The House of Mondavi" by Julia Flynn Siler, another book that I could not put down. It is also a must read for anyone living in the Valley, to understand how Mondavi shaped Napa history and was the key player in developing our wine industry, with all the greatness involved as well as the not so great. Silar is able to capture the human elements of the Mondavi family and the section about the selling of the winery to Constellation is simply fascinating.

"The Dark Side" by Jane Mayer, tells the inside story of the torture regime fostered by Dick Cheney along with Donald Rumsfeld and the Bush administration. This is a very well written and documented story told through the eyes of the other conservative loyalists within the Bush administration. Mayer obviously has tremendous contacts within the administration and it is clear that a lot of people with intimate knowledge of what went on wanted to talk. As such, it adds an authenticity that is impossible to ignore except by the most partisan hold outs for torture.

"What Does China Think" by Mark Leonard, is a brief overview of the attitude of the Chinese toward themselves that is a very revealing and enlightening bit of information for the American audience. Leonard traces Chinese history briefly while bringing it quickly up to present day attitudes that the Chinese have toward themselves, often feeling that they are just adopting cultures and attitudes other than their own. The latest is adopting American culture and points of view, and that will surprise many American readers to hear, yet it is clear that there is great truth in Leonard’s explanation. It is a great book if you want to understand what is happening socially in China right now.

"The Conservative Soul" by Andrew Sullivan, I mention quickly because if you want to understand how the fundamentalist Christian mind set affects conservative politics, this is your book. Before you dismiss it as an attack on conservative Christians, bear in mind that Sullivan is not only a conservative himself, he is also a devout Catholic.

I’m very interested to hear others picks, and if you can say why you liked the book that is of most interest to me.