Canada, by Richard Ford.  Clear, direct, and compelling.  It's got some Huck Finn, some Gatsby, some Denis Johnson.  Highly recommended.

All 20?

Read and enjoyed.  One of the more interesting set-ups for a conventional sci-fi story I've seen in a while.  Especially good if you like 80s stuff.

TTSS is Le Carre at his best.  Always jealous of someone reading it for the first time.  If you're thinking King, allow me to humbly suggest Salem's Lot.  My pick for the underrated, keep you up at night classic.

@avclub-1e850f6bef0bc36ca1f64e95ff1cbd2e:disqus : I love the novel Heat.  There's a great movie waiting to be made from that one.

Gunkata.  Not to be confused with gymkata.

This, I think, would have been an even more interesting topic:

Similar to the old "desert island discs" game that radio stations used to play.  In addition to some of the classics listed above:

Your first three are up there in the all time pantheon.  Just looked up the LZII Wikipedia page.  Side II goes Heartbreaker — Living Loving Maid — Ramble On — Moby Dick — Bring it on Home.  Hard to top that. 

I'm not giving up.  I'm going to convince the AV Club, and eventually Dylan, to go back and remove that damn pennywhistle from Highway 61.

This.  The sheer volume of pop music released and promoted each year means that there will always be, and has always been, tons of dreck.  Whether it's "We Built This City," "If You're Going to San Francisco," or even "Moon River" (yeah, I said it), the suck will always be with us.

Not a big TMBG fan, but Here Comes Science is top notch.  The videos that go with it are on point, too.

The Secret Race, by Tyler Hamilton and Daniel Coyle.  It's about bike racing, and Lance Armstrong, but mostly it's about the things we do to succeed, and the lies we tell ourselves to justify it.

The Secret Race, by Tyler Hamilton and Daniel Coyle.  It's about bike racing, and Lance Armstrong, but mostly it's about the things we do to succeed, and the lies we tell ourselves to justify it.

That's a pretty good year. 

That's a pretty good year. 

Savages was the best pulp thriller I read in 2012. 

Savages was the best pulp thriller I read in 2012. 

I'm late to this game, but I'd actually recommend you start with Inherent Vice.  It's the most accessible of any of his novels, and I think the most fun to read.  If you want more traditional Pynchon, go with Lot 49.

I'm late to this game, but I'd actually recommend you start with Inherent Vice.  It's the most accessible of any of his novels, and I think the most fun to read.  If you want more traditional Pynchon, go with Lot 49.