The time has come to list my top 10 reads of 2010 - and the process wasn't actually as hard as I thought it was going to be. I did have to cull a few books to get the list down to only 10 but I think my top reads really stood out for me this year. My list is not necessarily a list of the "best" books or what would be considered literature - but they are all books that have stayed with me long after reading them.
So, my top 10 read of 2010, in the order in which I read them:
1. Mrs Dalloway - Virginia Woolf - My first Woolf read and I was captivated by her writing style and characterisation straight away.
2. The Hours - Michael Cunningham - Following on from my new found love of Woolf and Mrs Dalloway I was excited to read this homage by Cunningham - almost as good as the original for me.
3. The World Beneath - Cate Kennedy - The only Australian novel and author on my list this year.
4. The Help - Kathryn Stockett - I had stayed away from this book for a long time because of the hype surrounding it but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the hype and praise was well deserved.
5. The Hand That First Held Mine - Maggie O'Farrell - I have yet to read a book by this author that has let me down although I think this may be my favourite of hers so far.
6. Hearts and Minds - Amanda Craig - This is probably the book that has stayed with me the most this year - a brilliant story.
7. Great House - Nicole Krauss - I was eagerly awaiting this new book by the author of The History of Love and I was not disappointed at all.
8. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert - This book opened my eyes to the importance of translation in literature - a beautiful edition of a brilliant book.
9. The Portrait of a Lady - Henry James - My first Henry James novel but definitely not my last.
10. The Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton - Another classic read that captured me this year.
Happy new year everyone - may 2011 be another fantastic year of reading!
Showing posts with label Best Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Best Books. Show all posts
December 30, 2010
January 05, 2010
A View of the Best Books of 2009
One local program about books that I try to tap into regularly is the ABC's Radio National, The Book Show. The host, Ramona Koval, has listed her best books from 2009:
The Infinities - John Banville
Truth - Peter Temple
Brooklyn - Colm Toibin (the only book from this list that I have read)
The Pattern in the Carpet - Margaret Drabble (I do love Margaret Drabble's books but I am not sure I want to read about jigsaws??)
This is How - MJ Hyland (I really enjoyed a previous book by this author, Carry Me Down, but I'm not sure if the subject matter of this book is something that I want to delve into)
How Fiction Works - James Wood (This one does sound interesting and given that I do want to do more fiction writing this year and not just reading maybe it would be a good read?)
The Anthologist - Nicholson Baker
Tom is Dead - Marie Darrieussecq
The Rest is Noise - Alex Ross
The Children's Book - A.S. Byatt (I did try to read this last year but I don't think I was in a head space to enjoy it at all - I would like to try and give it another go this year)
Ransom - David Malouf
Has anyone read any of the books on this list? Would you recommend any of them?
The Infinities - John Banville
Truth - Peter Temple
Brooklyn - Colm Toibin (the only book from this list that I have read)
The Pattern in the Carpet - Margaret Drabble (I do love Margaret Drabble's books but I am not sure I want to read about jigsaws??)
This is How - MJ Hyland (I really enjoyed a previous book by this author, Carry Me Down, but I'm not sure if the subject matter of this book is something that I want to delve into)
How Fiction Works - James Wood (This one does sound interesting and given that I do want to do more fiction writing this year and not just reading maybe it would be a good read?)
The Anthologist - Nicholson Baker
Tom is Dead - Marie Darrieussecq
The Rest is Noise - Alex Ross
The Children's Book - A.S. Byatt (I did try to read this last year but I don't think I was in a head space to enjoy it at all - I would like to try and give it another go this year)
Ransom - David Malouf
Has anyone read any of the books on this list? Would you recommend any of them?
December 31, 2008
2008 - The Best of The Best
I have managed to read 73 books in total this year - I'm pretty happy with that but admit I would like to do even more reading in 2009 if possible. I find I am having less and less time to read so I will have to look into that!
When going through my list to find my best reads of 2008 I was keeping note of quite a few books but I am going to be brutal and just list my top five reads of this year.
1. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
This book just simply blew my mind when I read it early in the year - I raved about it to everyone I met. In some ways such a simple premise (having 'death' as the narrator of the story) but the setting, characters and storyline combine to make this book incredible and moving. I rarely cry when reading books but this one had me sobbing. That's not to say it is all doom, gloom and tragedy - there is a lot of hope written throughout this story. Easily my best read of 2008.
2. Unaccustomed Earth - Jhumpa Lahiri
When I read this book in August I claimed that I had found a new favourite author and I'm going to stand by that claim now. I was not a short story reader at all before discovering Lahiri's work but I sure am now. These stories are so simple and yet amazing at the same time. If you haven't read this one I suggest you do!
3. A Room With A View - E.M. Forster
I read this book for the Classics Challenge (which I unfortunately didn't finish in time but that's another story!). I had seen movie versions of the book before but this was my first time actually reading the story - and I absolutely loved it. I am an E.M. Forster convert now and am currently reading Howards End.
4. The Hour I First Believed - Wally Lamb
It had been a long wait for a new Wally Lamb book so, the truth be told, I was probably going to have this on my list no matter what it was like! Having said that though, this book was an epic, fantastic read.
5. Case Histories - Kate Atkinson
The book that brought me back to the crime genre - an area I hadn't really read in since my high school days. Kate Atkinson's writing is so absorbing - I found myself not being able to put this one down until I had reached the end - and then I just wanted more!
So, there it is - my top 5 reads of 2008. I keep looking over my list and seeing so many wonderful books that have missed out - maybe I should have done a top 10...
When going through my list to find my best reads of 2008 I was keeping note of quite a few books but I am going to be brutal and just list my top five reads of this year.
1. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
This book just simply blew my mind when I read it early in the year - I raved about it to everyone I met. In some ways such a simple premise (having 'death' as the narrator of the story) but the setting, characters and storyline combine to make this book incredible and moving. I rarely cry when reading books but this one had me sobbing. That's not to say it is all doom, gloom and tragedy - there is a lot of hope written throughout this story. Easily my best read of 2008.
2. Unaccustomed Earth - Jhumpa Lahiri
When I read this book in August I claimed that I had found a new favourite author and I'm going to stand by that claim now. I was not a short story reader at all before discovering Lahiri's work but I sure am now. These stories are so simple and yet amazing at the same time. If you haven't read this one I suggest you do!
3. A Room With A View - E.M. Forster
I read this book for the Classics Challenge (which I unfortunately didn't finish in time but that's another story!). I had seen movie versions of the book before but this was my first time actually reading the story - and I absolutely loved it. I am an E.M. Forster convert now and am currently reading Howards End.
4. The Hour I First Believed - Wally Lamb
It had been a long wait for a new Wally Lamb book so, the truth be told, I was probably going to have this on my list no matter what it was like! Having said that though, this book was an epic, fantastic read.
5. Case Histories - Kate Atkinson
The book that brought me back to the crime genre - an area I hadn't really read in since my high school days. Kate Atkinson's writing is so absorbing - I found myself not being able to put this one down until I had reached the end - and then I just wanted more!
So, there it is - my top 5 reads of 2008. I keep looking over my list and seeing so many wonderful books that have missed out - maybe I should have done a top 10...
October 07, 2008
The Heretic's Daughter - Kathleen Kent
The Heretic's Daughter will have to be rated one of my best reads of 2008 - it probably would have been number one if I had not read The Book Thief this year also.
This book just had me mesmerised and hooked from the very beginning. The writing is simply stunning - what I would give for a gift like this! And although the story is captivating it never feels like the telling is being rushed - you arrive at the ending just when you need to get there and not a moment before.
The Heretic's Daughter tells the story of the Salem witch hunts of the 1690's from the perspective of the Carrier family and in particular the eldest daughter of the family, Sarah. The author is actually a descendent of this particular family and she grew up hearing the stories of her strong female relatives who were persecuted by the intolerant, fearful and ignorant religious community of the time. This family connection might possibly be what helps this story come to life - you certainly feel as though the author has a stake in the telling of this story.
The voice of Sarah is extremely strong and, to me, rings very true - you feel for this young girl, her passions, her weaknesses and her fears. I think this is what makes the book and the narrative so strong - for me at least - you want to hear what Sarah has to say about her and her family's experiences.
An absolutely stunning book - I can't recommend it highly enough.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)