Here it is! Here is the annual run down of my favourites that I read this year. Just a quick disclaimer - this isn't a top 10 of books that were released in 2019; it's the top 10 books that I read in 2019 - the books can be released in any year, which renders the list useless I suppose, since there is no frame of reference. Anyway let's go!
10. Cucina Tipica - Andrew Cotto
Andrew is a real foodie. Not a pretentious food snob, he has a genuine passion for good food. A travel writer by trade, this is his third novel, about a soul searching trip through Italy. It's got such a relaxed vibe, the slow italian way of life starts to overtake you, as you start to think "...I'm going to go part time." Great book, really chilled, nice summer book.
Check out my review here
Nights at the Circus has even described in hundreds of ways. Feminist, fairy tale, surreal, religious allegory - all of these seem to fit. It's like nothing else I've ever read. Really great magical realism.
9. The Galton Case - Ross McDonald
This is a "classic" detective novel. Rather loose usage of the word "classic" there. It's not especially ground breaking, but it does what it does very well. It's twisty and dark and full of surprises. Also, the main character is known as Archer, which is my son's name. Cool.
8. The storyteller - Pierre Jarawan
The Storyteller is all about a Lebanese refugee searching for his lost father. It's got deep, heavy subject matter combined with excellent writing (translated brilliantly from German). Really, really great, and also an education.
7.Laurence Westwood - The Willow Woman
I couldn't leave him out.
For all the trouble he can be on Twitter, Laurence's The Willow Woman is an excellent piece of work. Based in china, and inspired by the tradition of Chinese detective novels, this is a little trip down to the crime ridden streets of Chengdu. God knows how many pages and characters are here, but don't be intimidated - it is really worth the effort. Laurence has promised there is a sequel, which seems to be eagerly awaited on Twitter. (People keep telling him to go away and write his book).
6. Only Americans Burn in Hell - Jarett Kobek
Kobek is establishing himself now in the literary world. Only Americans is the his latest novel, which is more of an angry, cynical tirade against the modern world. I don't know who hurt Jarett and made him the way he is, but I'm grateful for it. Is that wrong?
5. 10.89 - Ben Lerner
10:04 takes the usual structure and premise of a novel and shakes it all up. Set in New York during hurricane Sandy, 10:04 plays with it chronology, goes back and changes past events and blurs the lines between real life and fiction. This is big brain time.
4. Ghost stories - M R James
Ghost Stories is exactly what it sounds like. A dozen or so stories about the paranormal written by the Victorian master. Still spooky, still great writing which carries an air of authority, making the stories a bit more frightening.
3. Men Without Women - Haruki Murakami
Men Without Women is a collection of short stories about single men. Sounds basic and simple, but there's a lot of variation in these stories, and a lot of thoughtfulness too. Murakami is one of the best around.
2. Nights At The Circus - Angela Carter
Nights at the Circus has even described in hundreds of ways. Feminist, fairy tale, surreal, religious allegory - all of these seem to fit. It's like nothing else I've ever read. Really great magical realism.
1. The Black Cloud - Fred Hoyle
For some reason I didn't review this book - I don't know why. It's a fantastic sci-fi apocalyptic novel, but it's written by a leading physicist. Hoyle invented the phrase Big Bang, though he was against the now widely accepted theory. In The Black Cloud he combines he scientific knowledge with sci fi and creates a really gripping, scary story. Check it out!
Let me know what you've been reading this year, what you loved and what you didn't, or if you've read any of the above in the comments
0 comments:
Post a Comment