The end of 2011 is nigh. We’ve put up with lists and recommendations. But the annual book of revelations is not complete without a flurry of links, starting with the fifth (!) wave of the decline and fall of the American empire. Perhaps saving the Classics will save us all.  Umberto Eco is back, much to the Smart Set’s chagrin. Lapham’s explores the Rime of the Ancient Father. I leave you with Tolstoy: imperfections and all.

About a week ago I got jealous of everyone’s lists, and I wanted a list I could call my own, so I asked the Dark Sky team for suggestions on great books that they read this year (only the books had to come out in 2011), and what follows is that list of books. They are listed alphabetically by title.

A Mouth in California, Graham Foust

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A Visit From the Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan

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Abbott Awaits, Chris Bachelder

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Coeur de Lion, Ariana Reines

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Freight, Mel Bosworth

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From this Wicked Patch of Dust, Sergio Troncoso

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If I Falter at the Gallows, Edward Mullany

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The Angel in the Dream of our Hangover, Mark Leidner

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The Devil all the Time, Donald Ray Pollock

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The Mimic’s Own Voice, Tom Williams

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The Sin Eater: A Breviary, Thomas Lynch

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The Sisters Brothers, Patrick deWitt

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The Trees The Trees, Heather Christle

Without exactly knowing what day was approaching, I decided to revisit an old favorite. Perhaps it was the fact that I bought a new green cap a few days before, or that I found myself wearing my red flannel shirt more often. It is most likely that finding my copy of the book was what led me to open the cover and start feverishly reading.

Today is the birthday of the late John Kennedy Toole, author of A Confederacy of Dunces. Thankfully, only a few years after his unfortunate suicide in 1969 at the age of 31, his mother found the manuscript in a box hidden on top of a cedar armoire and sent the solitary wrinkled and stained copy to publisher after publisher. Thankfully, I found my bent and stained copy.

To only add to the Kennedy Toole coincidence, I came across Joe Sanford’s documentary film on the artist, his complicated relationship with his mother, and how this masterful comedic satire came to be.

You can watch the full film here: John Kennedy Toole – The Omega Point

Like pine straw on the ground, links are scattered everywhere today. Over at Bookforum, Norman Mailer timelessly guides us over and under Marilyn Monroe. Meanwhile, Geoff Dyer remembers the art of the Penguin Modern Classics. Democracy examines Alfred Kazin’s leftward dedication. James Wood and the artful essay is brought to you by the New Yorker. And finish your reading with a tour of the New York Public Library in the age of budget cuts.

About the Author: Matty Byloos

About the Book: Don’t Smell the Floss