Like Time Magazine, The New York Times also has its 100 Best Books list, though unlike the former, the latter's list is for the year 2005. And unlike the former, the latter also includes non-fiction.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/04/books/review/notable-books2005.html

There are familiar names and titles such as Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore and Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go (the first chapters of which I downloaded, read and promptly forgotten). Titles that garnered my curiosity include Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Memories of My Melancholy Whores (any surprise there?) and Ian McEwan's Saturday (since I am a big fan of Amsterdam but I have yet to read the supposedly more fashionable Atonement).

Incidentally, GGM has a son named Rodrigo Garcia who is a director and who just finished the film Nine Lives. As apparent in the title, it tells the nine stories of nine women at various stages in their lives, but the interesting fact about this film is that each story was shot in one take (think Elton John's video for I Want Love featuring the puppy-dog face of Robert Downey Jr).

Five Wishes
(Comes with a one-year expiry) Eat really good paella. But as with paella, it's best eaten if shared, especially since the rice can really, really 'expand' in your tummy.

(This could have a ten-year expiry, depending on my travelling capacity) Finally get to see U2 before they disband (which is highly unlikely, one of them would probably have to croak, then that way they stop touring by default) or before they become icky like the Rolling Stones.

(Three-year expiry, with crossed fingers) Get to visit the girls in NYC and finally, finally visit MoMA.

(Probably until Christmas) A pair of shoes from Thornby, since I can't get the designs and the colors out of my mind.

(This one's technically not a wish but the wish is in the when - will it reach me this Christmas?) A Barnes and Noble Great Writers mug (featuring among many others Virginia Woolf) from durga. All I'm missing is a chimney with good-enough fire, hot chocolate, a stormy night and a good book.

Not to be missed: Angels in America on HBO (at long last). Three episodes per night, December 1 and 2. No dinner dates, no papers to check, no curling up in bed with a good book.