Well, my goal was 48, and I only got to 37. In my defence, I was writing a book…
Here are the highs and lows of the year. Aren’t libraries simply the best public service?
BEST
Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. CoreyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Excellent start to an engaging series. The TV series is surprisingly accurate to the source material.
Reuben Sachs by Amy LevyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Catches you at first with its sharp, critical description of Jewish family life in 19th century London, then picks up emotional tension between two feeling cousins who are held apart by ambition and pride. It does not end in an Austen HEA, and will grab you by the heart-throat.
What a talented author, and a shame that this was her second and last novel.
Earth Basketry by Osma Gallinger TodMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Fabulous resource. Details galore. I will be referring to this seasonally for the rest of my life. What a legacy to have left such a record of craft.
Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. LewisMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Simply excellent! A unique and refreshing imagination of an alien planet, and the metaphysical beings that connect our worlds. Can’t believe I’ve only just discovered this trilogy from the inimitable CS Lewis.
The Book Thief by Markus ZusakMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Exceptional. An ordinary family with extraordinary strength, and yet never in community-shaking, world-shattering ways. The small, the one-on-one, makes all the difference. And with Death as the narrator—ah, a different flavour all together. He’s self-effacing at yet breezily competent. Passive and still rankled by human violence. A powerful story.
The Future by Naomi AldermanMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Chillingly relevant. Not that far-fetched, and yet novel— a new futuristic fantasy. I did find some aspects rather crass and unnecessary; as if the author believed that to truly show humanity she needed to degrade us to base, primal levels of sex and speech.
Some good twists and turns, and fairly realistic consequences for the characters. Sometimes it was confusing as to who was the MC and who was the villain, but that confusion in and of itself I think is an interesting conversation topic.
The Children of Men by P.D. JamesMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Quiet in its detached narrator, screaming in its implications. Worldwide infertility. A prescient prediction of global proportions. Riveting the whole way through. This needs to be required reading!
Too harsh to say worst, but certainly “LOWEST”
A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne GistMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
Rather silly and full of the genre’s tropes, but I suppose that is to be expected. I read it for a case study in “marriage of convenience” and “slow burn”. Unfortunately once that tension is gone, there wasn’t much to keep my interest.
A Thousand Ships by Natalie HaynesMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
A lovely re-weaving of epic tales. Nice to hear the female perspectives, but there is only so much the author can do with so many tragic women, sadly more passive than you’d like. A quick read.
Foundation and Empire by Isaac AsimovMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Hate to admit it, but DNF. still impressive in its scope, but with such limited page time (it was serialized in a magazine), there was only the sparingest of detail, mostly dialogue, and a new set of characters (jumping ahead a few generations) for each chapter. I struggled to hold the through line while catching up to the present moment, and doing this over and over made me start to avoid picking up the book for a mental exercise. I remain in awe and appreciation of these “foundational” books that have paved the way for space opera!