Best Books of 2012: Volume Two

I'm looking back over a year's worth of reading by identifying my favourite book from each month.  In volume one, I shared my favourite reads from January to June, this volume will cover July to December:

July:

A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

I read this book over several months as part of a read-along, but I started it in July and it was by far the best thing I read that month.  In fact, A Suitable Boy is my favourite book from the whole year, hands down.  It's an epic tale of four families in post-partition India, but it's more than that too, it's an examination of what it means to be human in all it's forms (it reminded me of Anna Karenina).  The links between the characters and the number of plots that Seth does well are awe-inspiring.  Honestly, he is a genius.  Apparently the sequel, A Suitable Girl, is due out in 2013 and I can't wait.  

My Final Review

August:

In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddy Ratner

The Cambodian genocide as seen through the eyes of a child, In the Shadow of the Banyan is a grim but beautifully written book.  It's a novel but is based on the experiences of the author, and all the fear of her experiences comes through alongside her love for Cambodia.  I couldn't tear my eyes away from this book.

My Review

September:

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Up until this point, I had only read Jane Austen books that I had first seen an adaptation of (Emma, Pride & Prejudice), so Sense and Sensibility was the first Austen book I went into 'blind'.  I was worried I wouldn't be able to keep up!  But I loved the story of the two sisters, Elinor and Marianne, one led by emotions and one who suppresses them.  I'm also getting better at spotting Austen's famous wit!  In 2013, I hope to read at least one of the three Austen books I have left.

My Review

October:

On Black Sisters' Street by Chika Unigwe

And now for something completely different to Austen!  On Black Sisters' Street is about four African women who have become prostitutes in Brussels, seduced by dreams of the wealthy West.  When one of their number is murdered, the women come together and start to share their harrowing stories.  I liked how Unigwe didn't take the easy way out by making this story too moral - three of the women knew they were going to be prostitutes and made the decision purely for money.  Not an easy read, but a good one.

My Review

November:

Beside the Sea by Veronique Olmi

Regular readers will know that I am taking part in a read-along of Peirene Press novellas and the best one so far has been Beside the Sea.  A worn out mother plans to take her two sons on a holiday to the seaside, one last trip.  You can guess the tragic ending before it comes, but Olmi's portrait of the mentally ill, exhausted mother unable to cope with life is unsettling because of how true to life it is.

My Review

December

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

After resisting this series for over a year, I am now officially hooked.  I've read the first two books within the space of three weeks (and these are big books) and am desperate to start the next.  Martin's world-building is so good that the books are pure escapism, full of plots, twists and turns.  The characters are constantly plotting against each other and it's impressive how Martin keeps up with it all.  The high fantasy elements are minimal, so this series will appeal to even non-fantasy readers like me.  Expect reviews of the remaining books in 2013, I've got to know what happens next!

My Review

2012 was a great year in books, I hope 2013 is the same.

Have you read any of the books on my list?

Best Books of 2012: Volume One

At the end of 2011, I did a series of three posts (one, two, three), 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.

My Review

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!

My Review

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.

My Review

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.

My Review

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. 

My Review

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.

My review

Have you read any of my favourites?  

If so, what did you think of them?

Best of 2011: Part The Third.

Part One: Jan - April

Part Two: May - August

Welcome back to my Best Of 2011 posts, where I am highlighting my favourite book from each month of the year.  

September:

The Sandalwood Tree by Elle Newmark

The Sandalwood Tree is the story of two Western women in India at different times.  American Evie has moved to India in 1947 with her scholar husband Martin, and whilst she is there she finds a cache of letters written by two Victorian women, Felicity and Adela.  This is a very evocative book and both stories are delightful.  You'll definitely want to visit India after reading this one.  Recommended for armchair travellers and fans of historical fiction.

My Review

October:

Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff

This is hands-down the best history book I've read all year, the one that has the best balance between being readable and satisfying history buffs.  It's full of great little facts and manages to place Cleopatra's life in the context of the time in which she lived, rather than mythologising her.  A good introduction to reading non-fiction if you're not a regular reader.

My Review

November

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Stephen Galloway

This is simply a beautiful book about normal people and normal life during the worst siege of modern times.  When death becomes a random act and the person next to you is gunned down by a sniper whilst you survive, how can you continue to live as normal?  Quite a philosophical book, it still has a story that is devastating in places.

My Review

December:

Purge by Sofi Oksanen

There's not much I can say about this book apart from: it's amazing and go and buy a copy right now.  It's a harrowing story about the abuse of two Estonian women during the late twentieth century, but it also has lots of elements of a psychological thriller and one of the creepiest characters I've read about in a long time.  Go and read it!

My Review

I hope you've enjoyed this run-down of my favourite books of the year, I've certainly enjoyed reading the lists on other people's blogs.  I'll be celebrating Christmas with my family over the next few days, so see you all on the 27th...Merry Christmas!

Best of 2011 Part Two: May To August

Best of 2011 Part One: January - April

Welcome back to my Best Of 2011 posts, where I am highlighting my favourite book from each month of the year.  

May

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

I went into this book expecting a story about a hermaphrodite, and it is that, but it's also so much more.  It's an epic family saga of three generations of a Greek-American family and each story is distinct.  My favourite was the story of Cal's parents, who immigrated to America from Greece, and who shouldn't have fallen in love with each other.  I was expecting to be disappointed with this book as The Virgin Suicides is one of my all time favourites, but I loved it.  Recommended for literary fiction fans.

My Review

June

Tiger, Tiger by Margaux Fragoso

Tiger, Tiger is a controversial book.  It's the true story of a relationship between a fifty-one year old man and a seven year old girl.  It's also brutally honest, to the extent that many reviews I've read of this book have been a bit victim-blaming, as Fragoso perfectly describes the process of grooming and how she eventually became the instigator.  It's a disturbing read, especially as many of the adults around Margaux do seem to be aware to some level of what is going on, but unwilling to face the horrible truth.  Recommended especially for anyone who works with young children.

My Review

July

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan

On Chesil Beach is the story of newly-weds Florence and Edward on the day of their wedding.  Both nervous about the intimacy that is to follow, for different reasons they are apprehensive about their wedding night.  Edward has performance anxiety but Florence is repulsed by the very idea of sexual contact.  Unable to communicate effectively, as a reader you watch as they effectively throw away their love for each other.  This is a short book but packed full of astute observations about being human and relationships.  Recommended for anyone who has ever felt awkward.

My Review

August

Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman

This was my pick for the Booker prize.  Eleven year old Harri arrives in London from Ghana with his Mum and sister and is overwhelmed by the new sights and experiences.  Without realising exactly what he is doing, he soon becomes caught up with local gangs and the murder of a teenager.  I loved this as you completely get inside Harri's head and it's a perfect examination of how growing up in an inner-city area like the one in the book can destroy childhood.  Recommended for anyone who wants to escape themselves, or has connections with the inner-city.

My Review

Next time, the last installment: September - December.

I'm really enjoying looking back over all of the books I have read this year.

Best of 2011: Part One

Believe it or not, 2011 is the first year in which I have kept a record of every single book I have read and as of today, 19th December, I have read exactly 100 books.  I'm thrilled with that and still hope to finish a few more before the start of 2012.  Having kept such a record for the first time, it has been easy for me to look back and see what books I have very much enjoyed this year.  I've highlighted one favourite book from each month to share with you all over a series of posts.  Today's post covers Jan - April:

January:

The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman

This retelling of the life of Jesus is a thoughtful examination of how stories change depending on who is telling them and on the role of the church in creating and shaping myth.  Pullman separates Jesus into two characters - Jesus (in the Jewish tradition) and Christ (who starts to create the new Christian ideas).  Despite it attracting a lot of controversy, I found that most of Pullman's anger was directed at the institution of the Church, not religion itself.  A great book for anyone who likes to be made to think.

My Review

February:

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This is all about human lives against the backdrop of civil war in Nigeria.  This book was my first introduction to Adichie, and since then I have read all of her published books this year.  Adichie alternates sections about the war and sections about life before the war to show how the war has altered everything and how everyday concerns just vanish in the face of extreme difficulty.  Recommended for fans of historical fiction, literary fiction and armchair travellers.

My Review

March:

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

OK, OK - this one is in here partially because I am proud of myself for completing it, but mainly because I am proud of myself for enjoying it.  I hadn't read much classic Russian literature before trying this book and I was pleasantly surprised by how accessible and soap-opera-ish it was.  It's a true epic with many interweaving characters and stories threaded together by Tolstoy's wonderfully perceptive observations about what it is to be a human.  Recommended for fans of classics, even if you think you can't do it.

My Review

April

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

People of the Book is historical fiction at it's finest.  Hanna works as a book conservationist and is sent to war-torn Sarajevo to restore an immensely valuable Jewish Haggadah.  Through the use of many characters in settings such as Spain at the time of the Spanish Inquisition, Venice and Yugoslavia, Brooks lets us see the journey of the book and the factors contributing to it's survival.  Recommended for historical fiction fans and general book lovers.

My Review

Next time: May - August, including some non-fiction as well as fiction.

Interestingly, three out of these four books were library books.  I use the library a lot more than I really should, given the amount of unread books I actually own, but I have been introduced to some great authors through randomly picking books up off the shelves.