This is a parallel post to Book Hype (for want of a better word), inspired by the entries to my recent Literary Lunch competition in which entrants had to name a book they’d really enjoyed this year. It could be any type of book, regardless of publication date.
The 40 suggestions I received were too good to lie forgotten in the comments, so I’ve collated them into a list of books with wide appeal: novels of many genres, non-fiction, short fiction and poetry. It includes several books I loved too (links to those featured here), many that were on my radar and some which are undoubtedly high profile, but what struck me most was how many I’d never heard of. Of course, your reaction to the list may be completely different – I’ll be very impressed if anyone’s heard of all of them – so my categorization is neither here nor there if you’d like to join me in selecting a book you hadn’t previously heard of to read. (You’ll probably want to Google a blurb as these are just brief comments from readers.)
If a minimum of six people respond in the Comments to say they want to take part, I’ll do a post in the new year to share our thoughts.
The book I’ve chosen, which speaks to my interests as a writer with its themes of mothers and daughters and the legacy of the past, is Bitter, the debut novel by Francesca Jakobi, as recommended by my friend (and discerning reader) Lucille Grant. How gorgeous is that cover? Whatever happens, I will report back on this one. Thanks again to everyone who entered and especially winner Zarina – we had a great Literary Lunch together.
BOOKS I ENJOYED TOO
The Age of Miracles – Karen Thompson Walker
Coming-of-age novel with unusual and utterly credible MC set against a world crisis for which no one is to blame but in which everyone is trapped. Sort of dystopian with a difference. Beautifully written (Ali Bacon)
The Parentations – Kate Mayfield
A chase through the centuries, the price of immortality (Susie Bassett)
I love you too much – Alicia Drake
The one that sticks happens to be set in the 6th Arrondissement (of Paris) – one of those books that deserves a wider audience! (Trip Fiction)
Mothering Sunday – Graham Swift
How one event that changes a life is never only that (Rachel Malik)
Putney – Sofka Zinovieff
It has left an imprint on me, so intense, beautifully written and delicately handled (Jenny)
Reservoir 13 – Jon McGregor
An utter joy to read (Rachael Dunlop)
The Elegance of the Hedgehog – Muriel Barbery (translated from French by Alison Anderson)
(Csaba B.)
L’art de perdre – Alice Zeniter
(Delphine Benezet)
A Man called Ove – Fredrik Bakman
Has stayed with me. Beautiful (Penny-Sue Wolfe)
*
THOSE I HADN’T PREVIOUSLY HEARD OF
Bitter – Francesca Jakobi
It’s an exceptional tale of mother/child relationships and how we are treated in our youth affects how we act as adults. The main character, Gilda, is unforgettable and has stayed in my mind. (Lucille Grant)
Natural Histories – (story collection) Guadalupe Nettel (translated from Spanish by J T Lichtenstein)
All her stories evoke a weird and wonderful world that I could sink into again and again (Sophie Haydock)
Territory of Light – Yukio Tsushima (translated from Japanese by Geraldine Harcourt)
A powerful, poetic, and unsettling story of a young woman, left by her husband, starting a new life with her daughter (Amanda Huggins)
The Return of the Soldier – Rebecca West
Fabulous. I love short novels (AKA “novellas”) and this one was a beauty (Louise Walters)
Le Goût d’Emma – Julia Pavlowitch
Because it’s about good food and French restaurants (Cessie)
All the Hidden Truths – Claire Askew
A ‘why done it?’ crime thriller. Clever, brilliant on parenting and grief (Damhnait)
The Three Sisters of Stone – Stephanie Hutton
A Novella in flash – Incredibly moving and so well written (Jonzeywriter)
The Mother of all Questions – Rebecca Solnit
A comfort, a galvanising force, and an inspiration to keep the pressure on to craft the safe world that we all deserve to live in. Her writing is so incredibly well crafted (Valerie)
Oysterlight (poetry) – Cheryl Pearson
She manages to find those words that always seem to be hovering at the back of my mind but never make it onto the page – the words that turn the mundane into the extraordinary (Diana Brighouse)
The Idea of You – Robinne Lee
I could not put it down. I fell in love with the characters and just goes to show when you aren’t looking for something it finds you (Rita Mistry)
Heart Berries (memoir) – Therese Marie Mailhot
(Delphine Benezet)
The Survival Game – Nicky Singer
A story set in the future when there is a scarcity of resources. Great conversation piece (Anne McCauley)
The Ben Hope books – Scott Mariani
An ex SAS hero who helps people, very edge of your seat thrillers! (Elaine Guymer)
*
ONES I’VE HEARD OF BUT NOT READ
A Gentleman in Moscow – Amor Towles
Because it gave me so much pleasure and because Count Rostov still lingers on in my mind (Emma Curtis)
The Sealwoman’s Gift – Sally Magnusson
Based on a true story from the 17th century about a minister and his wife who were part of a party of 400 Icelandic islanders kidnapped by pirates and taken to Algiers. The impact on the family and the resilience required is really gripping (Jane Anderson)
Happiness – Aminata Forna
(Benedicta Norrell)
Together – Julie Cohen
A love story that goes backwards and, even though you know how it ends, what you really want to know is… how did it start? (Jackie Kightly)
The Heart’s Invisible Furies – John Boyne
Moving and beautifully written (Harriet Angell)
The Cost of Living – Deborah Levy
A book about starting again and resilience with tremendous insights for writers (Alison Percival)
All Among the Barley – Melissa Harrison
Beautiful imagery of countryside and a changing world with a story that sucks you in slowly (Pete Domican)
Why I’m no longer talking to white people about race – Reni Eddo-Lodge
A must-read that made me think about, question and examine my own prejudices, while opening my eyes to a lot of stuff I didn’t have a clue about. (Mandy Berriman)
White Noise – Don DeLillo
Every Light in the House Burning – Andrea Levy
I loved the writing e.g description and characters. The book led me to both laugh and reflect (Jacqueline Robinson)
The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock – Imogen Hermes-Gowar
Such joyous fun to read but with wonderful historical accuracy and convincing language. Highly recommended (Sofka Zinovieff)
The Good People – Hannah Kent
This talented lady creates such truthful stories, capturing a sense of community and life beautifully (Emma de Vito)
Washington Black – Esi Edugyan
A page-turning adventure story of a boy’s journey from the brutal sugarcane plantations of Barbados to the icy wastes of the Arctic to London’s first aquarium and the Moroccan desert (Anne Goodwin)
Transatlantic – Colm McCann
For his verve in fictionalising actual people and events (…) I learned much about the craft of writing as well as history (coachingwithintent)
The Summer of Impossible Things – Rowan Coleman
The kind of book I wish I could write (thegreekurn)
Origin – Dan Brown
Loved all his books and this didn’t disappoint (Lisa O’Hara)
Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine – Gail Honeyman
Just loved it! (Sfancy)
Rosewater – Tadi Thompson
I’ve read nothing like it before. A brilliant plotter & storyteller. (Volequeen)
I am Pilgrim – Terry Hayes
At 888 pages I am pleased to say every one was a masterpiece. It took me 9 months to read but was well worth it (Ben Blackman)
When Breath Becomes Air – Paul Kalanithi
An incredibly moving and heartwrenching account of a terminal illness while also being surprisingly educational and fascinating due to Paul being a neurosurgeon himself (Zarina)
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