Wednesday, 26 December 2012

Best Books of 2012: Volume One

At the end of 2011, I did a series of three posts (onetwothree), highlighting my favourite book read during each month of the year.  It was a great way to look back over a year of reading, so I've decided to repeat it for 2012.  As of today, I've read 99 books (although I hope to finish A Clash of Kings before the 31st) and the following are my favourite reads from January - June:

January:
Annabel by Kathleen Winter


This is a seriously under-rated book about the experience of a hermaphrodite raised as a boy in rural Canada during the 1960s.  Despite the topic, there's no sensationalism and instead it's a thoughtful, quiet book that still packs an emotional punch.   I loved Wayne's father, Treadway, who in his own way was the most understanding despite his rough exterior.  Annabel is a great literary fiction novel that deserves more love.


February:
Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch


Jaffy Brown is a street urchin in Victorian London who gets a job working for Jamrach, the owner of some exotic animals.  Tasked with being part of a crew setting sail on a whaling boat to capture the infamous Komodo dragon, Jaffy is in for some adventures, not all of them good.  I loved Jamrach's Menagerie because it's a good old-fashioned adventure story that isn't afraid to show blood and guts too.  If you thought The Lifeboat was a harrowing account of a shipwreck, you should try this one!


March:
Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu


I love gothic classics and I love vampire stories, so it was only a matter of time before I read Carmilla, about a family that shelter a seemingly harmless young woman only to suffer the consequences.  I loved this book for the atmosphere, I felt as though I was in the creaking Austrian forest looking at the ruins of an abandoned castle.  Readers who enjoy classics will love this one, especially fans of Dracula.


April:
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller


April found me working my way steadily through the Orange Prize long-list and my favourite was the eventual winner, Song of Achilles.  I kept putting off reading this book as I'm not a fan of stories set in Ancient Greece and the mythology isn't something I'm generally interested in, but this book had me hooked.  It's a beautiful love story about two people caught up in the sweep of history.  Trust me on this one, it's amazing.
Honorable Mentions: April was an awesome reading month, I also loved Esi Edugyan's Half Blood Blues, The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman and of course Gillespie and I by Jane Harris.


May
The Cranes Dance by Meg Howrey


Bit of an unexpected one.  I don't read much contemporary and I'm not into ballet but this story of sibling rivalry between two sisters really got under my skin.  Like the main character, Kate, I'm a perfectionist prone to extremes of emotion and I couldn't look away during her descent into mental illness.  This book got to me, and I'm glad that I read it. 


June
Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte


June was the month in which I discovered the third Bronte, Anne, and I'm glad to report that I liked her as much as her two sisters.  I know Agnes Grey isn't the most acclaimed book but I really related to the story of a put-upon governess as I work as a teacher.  Reading it made me think that the more things change, the more they stay the same.  The writing was of course wonderful and I can't wait to read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall in 2013.

Have you read any of my favourites?  
If so, what did you think of them?

29 comments:

  1. Ok, I want to read all of these! I downloaded Song of Achilles yesterday and Carmilla sounds too good to pass up!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Carmilla is short too, more of a novella than a novel really. Happy reading :)

      Delete
  2. I love Annabel and The Song of Achilles too. Can't wait to hear your Vol 2 and 3!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not surprised Jo, we often enjoy the same books :)

      Delete
  3. I just finished The Song of Achilles this afternoon and was sobbing my way through the last fifty pages or so. It was really good - so glad you enjoyed it, too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It made me cry too and that's rare. Even though I knew what would happen, I couldn't stop myself from welling up.

      Delete
  4. I always enjoy your Best Of posts. Song of Achilles was indeed a fabulous read and I picked up a copy of Annabel recently so I'm hoping to get to that in the new year. Menagerie and Carmilla sound like they need to go on my wish list too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love Best Of posts too, my wishlist always expands considerably in December!

      Delete
  5. These are a nice selection. I particularly would love to read Annabel.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope you get a chance to read it, I think you would enjoy it.

      Delete
  6. The Song of Achilles is on my reading list - and that cover for Annabel is so haunting! I'm looking forward to seeing your other faves!

    Tanya Patrice
    Girlxoxo.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The cover of Annabel is powerful, isn't it? There's another one with a deer on the front but it's not nearly as good! Enjoy Song of Achilles :)

      Delete
  7. I love this idea! I should try and keep track like this in 2013. Song of Achilles..sigh..such a great book! Annabel has been on my radar, I hope to get to it one of these days.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. To be honest, I've only kept track through the blog archive that blogger provides for me - it's already sorted by month so it was easy to look back and identify my favourites.
      I think you would really enjoy Annabel :)

      Delete
  8. I still haven't got to Song of Achilles so it will definitely be high priority for 2013. I read The Tenant this year and loved it so Agnes Grey is another I'll be looking forward to.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad you enjoyed Tenant, it's on my classics club list and I've got high hopes for it.
      Enjoy Song of Achilles, it's a fantastic book :)

      Delete
  9. I discovered Anne Bronte this year, too. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is on my favorites list for 2012 and I hope to read Agnes Grey in 2013.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Another fan of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, I'm getting excited to read it now!

      Delete
  10. What a great idea to choose one for each month. I like it.

    THANKS for the post.

    My favorites of 2012 are listed in the link below.

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Favorite Books of 2012

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for linking, I enjoy looking at everyone's lists of favourite books.

      Delete
  11. I haven't read any of these yet, but Agnes Gray and The Song of Achilles were already on my list. Now I'm adding Carmilla and The Cranes Dance (your summary reminded me of the movie Black Swan with Natalie Portman). Eagerly awaiting the second Best Books of 2012 post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is a bit like Black Swan, but without the psychotic elements - just plain old anxiety/depression. I think if you liked Black Swan though, you'll enjoy Cranes Dance.

      Delete
  12. I love Annabel! I'm a librarian and I recommend it all the time. It absolutely deserves more recognition than it has gotten.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have yet to decide how I am going to sum up my year of reading! Too many good books to choose from.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know, on the whole it was a wonderful year of reading :)

      Delete
  14. I read your review on the Song of Achilles a while ago and was sorely tempted to keep an eye out for it. I still am. :D And glad you liked Agnes Grey. I'll be reading the Tenant next year too!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I have not, but plan to read The Song of Achilles.
    you will find my list in this post:
    http://wordsandpeace.com/2013/01/03/year-of-reading-2012/

    ReplyDelete
  16. The Song of Achilles made it into a lot of lists. It's set to be my February audiobook. I'm glad you liked Agnes Grey - Anne Bronte is often so neglected and in the shadow of her sisters, but I think she was the read ground-breaker of the family!

    ReplyDelete