'Freedom' by Jonathan Franzen

Franzen has a history of experiencing backlash for his success. In 2001, his debut novel, The Corrections, was a literary and commercial sensation that was chosen for Oprah's Book Club, but when the author expressed something less than delight at the prospect of an Oprah logo on his novel, the invitation was rescinded. In 2010, Oprah and Franzen seem to have made amends -- Freedom was chosen as her 2010 book club pick, only one in a long list of accolades the novel received. Franzen was still not without controversy. This time around, bestselling author Jodi Picoult raised a fuss after the New York Times raved about Freedom, complaining that the paper focused too much attention on white, male writers. These "scandals" make for interesting gossip, but here's the real question: are his books good? The answer: Yes. Freedom is one of the books from 2010 that should not be missed.