Freelance book critic Christine Thomas looked back over 2007 and chose these titles as most memorable among those she wrote about for The Advertiser.

"After Dark" by Haruki Murakami, translated by Jay Rubin; Knopf, $22

Chance meetings and bizarre encounters typical of Murakami are no less enigmatic or profound in his latest novel, where each character's nighttime worlds inextricably intertwine as reader and character both probe the merits of real connection versus observing from a distance.

"The Blood of Flowers" by Anita Amirrezvani; Little, Brown, $23.99

This stunning debut isn't just any novel, but an entrancing tale of a Persian girl's quest for independence and self-reliance in the 1600s, her daring and honest exploration of love and desire for love, and above all the profound discovery of her own worth.

"The Bad Girl" by Mario Vargas Llosa, translated by Edith Grossman; FSG, $25

Ricardo's sole recipe for happiness is living in Paris and being with the bad girl, trading pride and ambition for blind obsession. But the brilliance of this stunning story is that just when the depiction of bad girl as villain and Ricardo as caring, dedicated hero seems fixed, Llosa reverses it to create a beleaguered, bittersweet love story that evokes the wonder: Is there any other kind?

"The Bestiary" by Nicholas Christopher; Dial Press, $25

Christopher's fifth novel may have a healthy dose of whimsy, but it's no standard adventure story. It is instead a well-imagined, meticulously researched, lyrical tale not only of the mythical foundations of society but of one man's inner journey to find his place in the world.

"Break Through: From the Death of Environmentalism to the Politics of Possibility" by Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus; Houghton Mifflin, $25

This methodically researched, audacious book provides a structured atlas of the cultural and philosophical underpinnings of environmental issues, breaks down why sacrifice-based solutions such as simply reducing emissions won't succeed, and presents specific, thoroughly investigated plans centered on caring for people and investing in technological innovation. The aim here is to inspire.

"Classics for Pleasure" by Michael Dirda; Harcourt, $25

Brief plot summaries of delight-inducing classics whet appetites for undiscovered tomes and act as primer for literati cocktail parties, while the book's more critical explorations offer new points of entry for beloved works. But it's Dirda's crystalline prose and his patent love affair with literature and writers that elevates this collection of essays above a mere reference guide.

"Tree of Smoke" by Denis Johnson; FSG, $27

War, religion and myth curl the same branch inside this fiercely wrought Vietnam War-era opus, nay masterpiece, Denis Johnson's first full-length novel in nine years. Tuned to the distant soundtrack of the '60s and spanning 20 years in the lives of two young enlisted men and two CIA operatives, it's a tense, seductive hall of mirrors that transports a reader to the edge of morality and reality.

"Grotesque" by Natsuo Kirino, translated by Rebecca Copeland; Knopf, $24.95

We all have demons within us, but in Kirino's world where appearance controls all and men define traditional Japanese society, the consequences of oppression are particularly damaging. In this book, men alone are the source of each female character's decay.

"The Torrid Zone" by Alexander Frater; Knopf, $25.95

This beautifully written travelogue, punctuated with dashes of memoir framed by studied musings on changing cultures, is an intimate and affectionate exploration of the region that bears the weight of both hemispheres.

"Zig Zag" by Jose Carlos Somoza, translated by Lisa Dillman; Rayo, $24.95

In this scrupulously researched and truly terrifying scientific thriller derived from the potential horrors of our own imaginations, one-time psychiatrist Somoza rouses reservations about the consequences of discovery and provokes consideration of global responsibility in this period of enduring fear and conflict.

See more of Christine Thomas' reviews at www.literarylotus.com.

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