The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz

Listen, Oscar Wao is someone we have all known or have ourselves been.  Can’t get his weight down, suffers from depression, and has no luck with the ladies despite his macho Dominican blood.  Oh, and there is also that Fuku curse that has been destroying his family for generations.  We know by the title Oscar doesn’t get too far in life, but just how does it all go down along the way?  Every book has a beat, a rhythm, that keeps us ticking along.  The vibe in this book keeps banging through both hilarious, and terribly brutal events. 

Read Michiko Kakutani’s review from the NYT for much deeper insight, but if you’re looking for a great story - sad, insightful, tragic, funny, historic, you name it - this is an easy choice.  And if you don’t trust me, like I said earlier, trust the Pulitzer.