And finally, we come to this, the end of a much-despised year and the final seven books I consumed during those notorious 12 months. At least my reading list ended well ...

"What Are You Looking At?"
I used to be an art major, and huge chunks of modern art still mystify me. Will Gompertz has a clear understanding of the topic, though, and he manages to share his knowledge and enthusiasm with no small amount of wry humor and genuine appreciation. (This isn't one of those books that claims "My kid could do that!") Pretty much every movement of the modern era is covered, and if you wonder why Monet (or Picasso or Jeff Koons or Jackson Pollock or whoever) is such a big deal, you'll get your answers here. 
"Low Life"
Luc Santa descends into the depth of Manhattan, circa pre-Civil War to early 20th century, and emerges with tales of rampaging gangs, corrupt political dynasties, lethal watering holes and terrifying children. It's all fascinating, of course, and an antidote to anyone bemoaning the passing of the good ol' days. The detail gets a little overwhelming at times, but if you're looking for the book on how bad things used to be, this is the definitive volume.

"The Rescue Artist"
How easy is it to steal one of the world's most famous paintings? If you're talking about Edvard Munch's "The Scream," it's surprisingly easy, requiring only a ladder, a getaway car and the urge to do so. That's the mystery that confronted "rescue artist" Charley Hill, who specialized in finding -- and safely returning -- stolen masterpieces. In this book, Dolnick tells the story of the hunt for the missing Munch as well as Hill's story, and the story of art theft in general. It's a fun, fast-paced read, and it might even leave you wondering if that "Mona Lisa" hanging in the Louvre today is the genuine article. (Actually, it probably is. Never mind.)
"Pastoralia"I always enjoy George Saunders' collections of warped shorts stories and novella,s but I can only read them so often because, as well-written and entertaining as they are, they're almost always jaw-droppingly bleak. This collection is no exception, with sharp little tales of sad little people trapped in sad little lives, whether it's a guy portraying a caveman in some sort of theme park (the title story), a male stripper trying to earn a buck or a barber trying to find love. Good stuff, but not exactly life-affirming. 
"The Skies Belong to Us"
The 1970s really were a crazy time in many ways, not the least of which was that not only was skyjacking a surprisingly common occurrence, it was so common that, after a while, people just sort of took it in stride and didn't get too worried when it happened to their flight. This book tells the entire history of the phenomenon, but focuses on Catherine Kerkow and Roger Holder, who seized a flight and weren't quite sure what to do with it when they got it. Fascinating, strange stuff. (Reminds me a bit of Bryan Burrough's "Days of Rage," another book about how the world (and American in particular) seemed to go a little mad in the swingin' seventies.)

"A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear"When libertarians from all over the country descended on Grafton, N.H., figuring it would be the perfect place to prove that libertarianism was the ideal political system, they didn't count on the actual logistics of civic government. They also didn't count on the bears. Those bears wandered into town and scavenged garbage, and when the funding to keep them out was cut, the wandered in a lot further and a lot more frequently. Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling tells the whole sordid (and funny and tragic) story -- and delivers plenty of bear-related knowledge to boot.
"Made Men: The Story of Goodfellas"
Ever since I heard Glenn Kenny was working on this book, I saved a spot on my shelf for a copy. "Goodfellas" is one of my favorite movies, and paging through this book was like watching a great documentary and listening to the best-possible commentary track. The centerpiece of the book is a scene-by-scene (sometimes shot-by-shot) walk-through of the entire film, with interviews, anecdotes, trivia and analysis threaded throughout. It's great fun, and a fascinating look at how a movie -- a movie masterpiece, to boot -- gets made. After reading this, all I want to do is watch the movie again.