The Notable Books Council of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association, has announced its selections for the 2011 Notable Books List.

Since 1944, the goal of the Notable Books Council has been to make available to the nation's readers a list of about 25 very good, very readable and at times very important fiction, nonfiction and poetry books for the adult reader.

The 2011 winners in the fiction category are:

Nashville Chrome by Rick Bass
This lovely and unsettling account of pop trio The Browns reels you in as though the concept of rags to riches were brand new.

Room by Emma Donoghue
Five-year-old Jack vividly narrates the story of his life confined in a room with his mother in this unsettling exploration of resilience and hope.

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
A'70s punk band becomes the touchstone for a motley crew who spin their interconnected stories over time and distance.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
Two men - one black, one white - must confront the secrets surrounding their childhood friendship following the disappearance of two girls in rural Mississippi.

Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
This incisive portrait of the fractured Berglund brood captures the zeitgeist of contemporary America.

Next by James Hynes
Welcome to the worst day of Kevin Quinn's life as he battles the anxieties of the modern world in steamy Austin, Texas.

The Surrendered by Chang Rae Lee
The complex entangled lives of three people forever scarred by the Korean War are sympathetically portrayed in gorgeous prose.

Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War by Karl Marlantes
An ambitious and idealistic American Marine faces the horror, heroism, futility, and pragmatism of war in this visceral portrayal of life in-country.

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
A young clerk attempts to establish himself in the artificial and intense world of Dejima, the Dutch trading colony in 1800s Japan.

Skippy Dies by Paul Murray
Filled warmth and humor, this coming-of-age novel set in a Dublin boys schools is a sprawling homage to adolescence, string theory, donuts, and unrequited love.

The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli
The adrenaline high that danger offers infects photojournalist Helen Adams as she documents the war in Vietnam.

The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall
In this big-hearted novel, Golden Richards and his clan navigate their chaotic lives as each clamors to be noticed.

Stay tuned for the Non-Fiction picks later this month ...