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 Will There Be Good News? - Kate Atkinson

I think the discovery of Kate Atkinson has been one of my greatest reading discoveries this year. When Will There Be Good News? was my third book of hers read this year and I loved it just as much as the other 2 books in the Jackson Brodie "series".

The description of the book from the author's website:

In rural Devon, six-year-old Joanna Mason witnesses an appalling crime. Thirty years later the man convicted of the crime is released from prison. In Edinburgh, sixteen-year-old Reggie works as a nanny for a G.P. But Dr Hunter has gone missing and Reggie seems to be the only person who is worried.Across town, Detective Chief Inspector Louise Monroe is also looking for a missing person, unaware that hurtling towards her is an old friend -- Jackson Brodie -- himself on a journey that becomes fatally interrupted.

I am not usually a crime reading type of gal - this is an area I am now working in to some degree so I like to take my reading for fun away from this subject - but I am loving Kate Atkinson's novels. Her writing is funny, sharp and sarcastic (all traits I possibly see in myself at times!). For whatever reason I find myself connecting with the characters and the story lines. I'm only hoping there is more Jackson Brodie to come...

The Hour I First Believed - Wally Lamb

The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb is simply an amazing book - my best read of 2008 without a doubt. I read (i.e. devoured) the 740 page novel within a week and after finishing it I immediately wanted to go back to the beginning and start all over again!

Wally Lamb is am amazing story teller - the level of empathy he creates in and demonstrates through his characters is at such an incredible level that I am expecting to run into these characters in my local street - they feel that real and alive.

The Hour I First Believed covers some huge social and political events in American (and indeed, global) history and contemporary society, the American Civil War, the Korean War, the Columbine High School shootings, 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina to name a few.

The principle character in the novel is school teacher Caelum Quirk - an engaging and humanely flawed character dealing with not only his own personal and family history but also with the direct, immediate and long term impacts of the Columbine High School shootings on himself and his wife Maureen. Whilst Caelum was not present at the school on the day of the shootings Maureen (the school nurse) was and she was a direct witness to the violence inflicted on her students and colleagues. Whilst Caelum and Maureen are fictional characters Lamb does also write about real life people who were involved in this tragedy and names the students and teacher who were injured or killed.

The story follows the short and long term impact of this violent event on both Maureen and Caelum - how they deal with it as individuals and as a couple. As a social worker who has worked with and supported people following involvement in a violent or traumatic incident I was greatly impressed by the construction of trauma presented by Lamb and the holistic way in which it can impact on individuals, couples, families and communities, long after the trauma has occured.

The novel contains much more than just this main storyline - Caelum's family history takes on a much more central role in the second part of the book and it provides a view into how hidden trauma can impact on an individual's identity.

The novel is full of unique symbolism and metaphor - the role of butterflies and the praying mantis in particular - but to fully appreciate Lamb's techniques I will need to read this one again - the story had me too captivated the first time around!

If I am being completely honest and unbiased I would have to say that the second half of the novel probably didn't flow as well as the first half, but having said that, once I had finished the book I could see where the overlap and connections lay.

A brilliant read!

Suggestions Anyone?

I am searching for the perfect read - not the perfect book (if one of those even exists) but just the perfect read for me right now. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

As I have written earlier, I have struggled a little since finishing American Wife which I thought was brilliant - it's been a while since a book made me stay up way past my bedtime to finish it like that.

I'm looking for a book with strong characterisation - don't really care about plot all that much - and it has to be a real page turner with some depth to it - something to draw me in and keep me there.

Ideas anyone??

Nice to Come Home To - Rebecca Flowers

This week has been pretty full on work wise so I needed a book to get me through that wouldn't take up too much energy or brain power - Nice to Come Home To provided just that.

I guess this is what you would call "Chick Lit" although I hate using that term - sounds so derogatory and trivial when in fact, some of the best books I have ever read would have been classified in this genre (Marian Keyes earlier books come to mind).

Nice to Come Home To is really all about 36 year old Pru Whistler and the drama that has become her work and love life. When the book opens she has just lost her job and her boyfriend (not that I think this last loss is particularly tragic given the boyfriend in question) and Pru is now doing the whole "Where is my life going" reflection.

I have to admit I really didn't like Pru to begin with - I found her whiny and annoying - but I am glad I persisted with her story - she grew on me after a while.

Not an amazing work of fiction in my view but a great quick, fun story to get you through a busy week.

The Wishing Year - Noelle Oxenhandler

I'm not really sure what made me pick up The Wishing Year but whatever it was - I wish I hadn't listened to it!

The book outlines a year in the life of the author where she is actively wishing for certain things/feelings to come into her life, namely, a boyfriend/lover, a healed soul and a house of her own.

Now I can get on board with these wishes - they all sound quite reasonable and realistic to me - but I now know I really don't need to hear all about this wishing process from another person - mainly because it is boring and self-absorbing. I guess I should have expected this in this type of book but for some reason I expected so much more.

Not my cup of tea. I have heard this book compared to Eat, Pray, Love which I have listed to read in one of my challenges - can people tell me what they think if they have read either of these. I might have to bump Eat, Pray, Love off my challenge list.

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.

The Other Hand - Chris Cleave

I have just finished The Other Hand By Chris Cleave after starting it less than 24 hours ago - an indication of just how much it grabbed me.The blurb on the backcover of this book, the place where we would normally go to be told what to expect, doesn't really give a lot - if anything away. We are told it is a "truly special story and we don't want to spoil it". I'm so glad it didn't. Which also makes it hard to review this book as the reader is told "once you have read it , you'll want to tell your friends about it. When you do, please don't tell them what happens either. The magic is in how it unfolds". It really does sound like a clever marketing ploy - telling someone not to talk about something is usually a sure fire way to ensure that's exactly what they do but I have to agree with the ploy in this case. I think this is a story you have to read, experience and feel for yourself.I don't think it is giving too much away to say that the story really revolves around two stories - one involving a young African refugee and another involving a privleged yet grasping English family. The novel tells the story of their coming together.I loved this book - beautiful phrasing, language and metaphor. It has made me think a lot about the world in which we live and the impact we can have if we take the chance. I have not read Chris Cleave's other book but I will be looking out for it now.

Reading Inspiration

In spite of a threat I made to myself a month or so ago I just can't keep away from new books! Buying or borrowing - I just can't stop and I clearly have a problem - could be worse I suppose. In my defence I haven't actually bought or borrowed these latest desires - I have just been coveting them as I read various blogs and reviews.

The first is the novel The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent which I first read about over at Caribousmom. The novel is an account of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 - a time in history that I am very interested in - and the novel looks stunning.

The other book is a non-fiction book about journalling called Note to Self: On Keeping a Journal and Other Dangerous Pursuits By Samara O'Shea which I saw over at BookGirl's Nightstand. I used to be a big journaller in my younger days but I have let the practice fall by the wayside a little. It is something I would like to get back into and this book looks like a great inspiration.

Something Dangerous - Penny Vincenzi

Something Dangerous is the sequel to No Angel and the second book in the Spoils Of Time trilogy by Penny Vincenzi.

Something Dangerous continues the story of the wealthy London based Lytton family and their various associates in Europe and America through the 1930's and World War 2.

I was completely engaged in the story and the characters in the first book of the trilogy, No Angel, but my enthusiasm and interest dropped off a little in this book. I felt the story and character movement in Something Dangerous was boring and predictable. Any character that was proving diffcult to the author's story line was conveniently killed off or injured in the war!

Still an enjoyable, quick read but I am left wondering if I should finish off the series and read the third and final book?

The Flirt - Kathleen Tessaro

I knew I was going to love The Flirt by about page 10. I also knew it was a perfect holiday read which I should put down and save until I was actually on holidays - but I couldn't help myself. I kept right on reading. Maybe it was a book oasis in the middle of a long year - a much needed break from serious academic reading - in other words, just what I needed!

I have read both of Kathleen Tessaro's earlier novels, Elegance and Innocence. I loved Elegance and jumped to buy Innocence when it first came out but I was a little disappointed and felt it didn't quite live up to her first novel. So, I was a little hesitant when it came to The Flirt - once bitten twice shy so to speak. I'm glad I eventually gave in though.

The Flirt covers the lives, or at least moments in the lives of, quite a few characters and there are interwoven moments and exchanges between a lot of them as the story moves along. The main characters however are a charming, love struck young man by the name of Hughie Venables-Smythe (don't you just love the English names!), tough love-dismissive Leticia Vane and wealthy but extremely unhappy and lonely Olivia Bourgalt du Coudray.

Hughie is a little down on his luck and out of cash when he applies for a job asking for "an attractive, well-mannered, morally flexible young man" - with that description the possibilities could be endless but the job turns out to be Flirting (as a profession) with women across the city who are feeling neglected, disappointed, rejected or lonely.

Olivia is one of Hughie's "clients" and Leticia is a woman he has been involved with but must now end their relationship in order to take up the position with the flirting agency.

I know the premise sounds a little dubious but I really felt it worked - you just have to suspend your belief about the world for a moment and step into the world of the flirt - romantic and hopeful. What a nice idea!

No Angel - Penny Vincenzi

No Angel was just what I was looking for in my reading this week - pure soap opera joy! Is this book brilliant literary fiction? Well, no - but it is an addictive enjoyable read - a story and characters you can lose yourself in and not worry too much about the literary merit of what you are consuming.

No Angel is the first book in The Spoils of Time trilogy focussing on the English publishing family - the Lytton's, and all of their associates, lovers, connections, friends and foes.

The central character is Lady Celia Lytton - quite a selfish, self-absorbed woman but she gets the job done! This first book is set in the period from 1904 until the early 1920's, including the time of WW1. This is the reason I was drawn to reading this book in the first place. I would not normally have been attracted to Penny Vincenzi's books but Danielle at A Work in Progress suggested No Angel as a good read for those interested in books set around the WW1 period so I have to say thank you to her for leading me in this direction.

I will definitely be looking out for the 2nd and 3rd books in this series.

New Purchases

So, I went to Sydney for work today and as predicted (by myself!) I visited some bookshops and made some purchases.

I actually didn't have a lot of time to browse today or the damage done could have been a lot worse!

I ended up buying:

1. No Angel - Penny Vincenzi; I have seen her books before but thought they always looked a bit light and fluffy - not that there's anything wrong with that - just not usually my cup of tea. But based on Danielle's excellent recommendation I'm going to give this one a go. I already started it on the train on the way home and it's one of the first times I can remember wanting a train journey to take longer! A good sign of things to come.

2. My other purchase was Selected Stories - Alice Munro; this is a book I have listed to read for the New Classics Challange and my local library does not seem to carry a copy so I think the purchase was well justified. Besides, from all I have heard of Alice Munro I am thinking I will want to have a copy of this one for myself.

Reading and Pondering Possible Promises...

I am still going with Twilight and although I am enjoying it to a degree I keep wanting to yell "get on with it!" to the author. The very tedious descriptive passages of looks and feelings are starting to get to me a bit. And yet, I'm still reading it so there must be something there. My motto is "Life's too short to read crappy books" and by crappy I mean books that I am just not enjoying or interested in - not just those that I feel are badly written. I'm not sure how other people operate but I have no problems with just putting a book aside if I am not enjoying it, never to return to it. My father can't stand this trait in me - he will read a book to the end once he has started it no matter what.

In light of an earlier post about my reading/book collection/to be read pile and list getting a little out of control I am thinking about (and it is just a thought at the moment!) not purchasing or borrowing another book to add to the pile until I have gone through all the current options. This is something I have thought about before but I have never actually followed through - will I this time?

I'm making a trip to Sydney tomorrow and will no doubt be "forced" to browse through one of my favourite bookshops there - so not sure if I will enact the promise just yet...

Unaccustomed Earth - Jhumpa Lahiri

I have a new favourite author. A big call I know but Unaccustomed Earth has literally amazed me - I want to go back and read it again straight away, I want to tell all my friends about it, I want to work out how I can weave it into my teaching and research (although, on second thoughts I might keep this book purely for pleasure!).

As I have mentioned before I am not a big short story reader. I bought this book to take with me on a work trip to Melbourne a few weeks ago and I knew as soon as I started the first story I would be in love with it. The main characters in each of the stories are of Bengali heritage - they move between worlds and lives set in India and America. They are primarily upper middle class, educated, literate people experiencing the daily moments of most lives - school, family, love, relationships, work, decisions.

The book is structured in two parts with the second part being my favourite. This section contains 3 stories which interlink the lives of two characters, Hema and Kaushik, over the course of their lives from birth through to middle age. I was literally holding my breath as I was reading the final story in this section - the ending was spectacular. I can't say anymore for fear of giving too much away.

All I can say is read this book. I am on the search for Jhumpa Lahiri's other work now.

Rediscovering the Library

I went on an excursion and re-discovered my local library today. I am ashamed to say that it had been so long since I had been to and borrowed from my library my card/membership had expired and they had to "re-invent" me on the system.

I'm not sure why I haven't been there in so long. I think once I started earning "proper" money I really wanted to buy my books and have my own copies of them. My partner and I have been re-evaluating our finances in light of other financial goals (i.e. overseas travel) and we realised that book buying was possibly one area in which we could reduce our spending.

So, off to the library I went. We actually have a pretty good library system in our local area. There are about 7 or so different library sites and you can borrow from all of them with the one membership card. You can also request/put hold on particular books and have them delivered to your local library for collection - this is a system I like!

The photo shows my collection for today:

1. The Crimson Portrait by Jody Shields - this book was suggested to me by Danielle after I asked for some recommendations on WW1 and WW2 fiction. Check out Danielle's post for some other great ideas in this genre.

2. Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro - As I have mentioned before I am not a big short story reader but I have heard that Alice Munro is a goddess in this category so I thought I would give them a go.

3. The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde - I started reading this series about character Thursday Next a few months ago and immediately loved the character, setting and writing. This book is the third in the series.

4. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen - a book that has been on my "to read" list for quite a while now and one of the books I have selected to read for the New Classics Challenge.

Weekend Reading

I have been feeling a little all over the place with my reading of late. I have books everywhere - not unusual for me but it is starting to feel a little chaotic and out of control! What to do??

The two books I have been spending time on this weekend are Twilight by Stephanie Meyer and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

Yes, I decided to go for it and read Twilight - I'm only about 100 pages in and enjoying it so far. I must admit I thought I wasn't going to like it when I first started. Not really sure why - just thought the Edward character was a little false - I know, I know - he's a vampire and extremely mysterious - but still! Anyway, I'm on board with the story at the moment.

My Wuthering Heights reading is going much better than I expected - absolutely loving it! I'm not sure why I couldn't get into this classic the first time I tried it but those reasons seem to have been banished now.

Sepulchre - Kate Mosse

I have put off reading Sepulchre by Kate Mosse for quite a while now. I had read (and quite enjoyed) her previous novel, Labyrinth but for some reason the descriptions and summaries of Sepulchre weren't drawing me in. I finally did give in and purchased the book last week. I was looking for something relatively light and escapist and Sepulchre fit the bill. I really don't want to analyse the book too much - I think that would ruin the experience - but I'm going to compare Sepulchre to a really good (and by good I mean awful!) soap opera.

Sepulchre is told (as is Labyrinth if I remember correctly) from the perspective of two main female characters from two time periods, Leonie from 1891, Paris and Meredith, an American woman in France for work and personal reasons in 2007.

What connects the two characters across the time spans is a deck of tarot cards - which we are supposed to believe possess magical/mystical powers not wholly understood or controlled.

I found both female characters mildly annoying and always predictable and the plot childish and unbelievable - and yet I read this 730 page novel in under a week - I couldn't get enough!

I think what this is saying to me is that Sepulchre is a book I needed at this particular time - not a great book for me by any stretch of the imagination - but a definitely a great break from reality.

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society

What a gem! I bought The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society yesterday after reading about it in a bookshop catalouge and I have spent every free moment since then devouring it. It is one of those books you read greedily because it is so wonderful but at the same time you are mourning it's eventual end.

The story in this book is told entirely through the use of letters sent between the various characters but primarly from the main character, Juliet Ashton. Juliet is a writer who has spent the years of World War 2 in London writing a regular newspaper column. With the end of the war (the book is set in 1946) Juliet is looking for a new writing task - and in many ways, a new life focus and direction. A letter for Juliet arrives out of the blue from a man by the name of Dawsey Adams, a resident of the Channel Island, Guernsey. Dawsey has purchased a second hand book that once belonged to Juliet and has written to her to talk about his love for this book and the unconventional literary society that he belongs to in Guernsey. The story told within the book about how the society came into being is wonderfully told - you meet other members of the society along the way and Juliet herself is drawn into their world.

The book touches on some tragic and deeply moving topics, particularly around the occupation of Guernsey by German forces during the war and the impact this had on the residents of the Island - not only during the war but also after it had ended. But the book is also very funny - all of the characters richly drawn - although Juliet is a clear favourite for me.

I can't recommend this book highly enough and sadly and unfortunately there will most likely not be a follow up as the retired librarian author of this beautiful novel died shortly before it's publication. The author's niece (an author herself) did assist in the editing process of the book after her aunt's death.

Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson

Our latest bookclub genre is adolescent fiction and the title that was picked out of the hat at our last meeting was Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson. I must admit I had never heard of the book or even the author but have since learnt that the book is on the required reading lists for many high schools - even in Australia. Having said that I still had to purchase the book through Amazon as I couldn't find it in any of our local bookshops which was a little frustrating.

Speak is an amazing story - for adolescents and adults.

The story is told from the point of view of Melinda - a 13 year old who is just starting high school as the story begins - don't we all remember (not always fondly) that time in out lives! A party has taken place just prior to the beginning of the school year and we learn more about the events that went on at that party as the story unfolds - it is enough to say that the events of the party lead to painful outcomes for Melinda as school begins.

The writing in this book is amazing - short, punchy, funny and lyrical at the same time. You feel Melinda's pain and you also feel her reaching out at times. The scenes with her art teacher and her lab partner are particularly beautiful.

Looking forward to sharing this book around.