This year has been a great reading year. After not awarding a single 5 star review in
2011, there are 7 books for which I’ve done so this year. I’ve revisited the list again to see if I
regret any of those 5-star ratings – was I too generous? – and determined that
every single last one of them earned it.
Below are my 10 favorites which were not necessarily published in 2012, just read by me in 2012. They are in no particular order.
Ready
Player One by Ernest Cline
This was my first read of 2012 and broke the slump of over a
year with no 5-star books. This book is
not likely to inspire profound thoughts or change your life but it sure is a
gigantic ball of fun. A pure joy read.
The
Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
The thing that struck me the most about this book was how
perfectly crafted it was. It is short
with each sentence adding something to the whole. An engrossing read about a man exploring the
imperfect memory of his life.
Never
Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
This is a book about which it is best not to reveal too much
but it left me feeling emotionally distraught, disturbed and depressed – i.e.
this is a book that really tapped into some core emotions. This emotional reaction is brought on slow
and easy with a mystery that unspools in a perfectly paced narrative.
Bel
Canto by Ann Patchett
This novel is an exploration of human nature and
relationships through the lens of a long-term hostage situation in an unnamed
South American Country. Also reveals the
role that art and beauty might have in being human. I was really engrossed by this beautiful book.
The
Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
This book is making a lot of people’s top ten lists and
rightfully so. It is a well written
retelling of the Achilles’ myth and the Trojan War from the point of view of
Patroclus, a minor character from the Iliad.
A great story, well told and so enjoyable to read.
Rebecca
by Daphne DuMaurier
This is such an enthralling novel that
leads the reader with relish towards impending doom. So much about this book is
perfect - the tone and atmosphere, the pacing, the narrator's voice. It all
adds up to a completely satisfying read with one of the best endings I've
encountered. It all seems so effortlessly choreographed.
Persuasion by
Jane Austen
This was the last of Jane Austen's
books that I hadn't read. I think I was taking my time to get to it as I liked
having one left to read. But now that I have read it, it is no surprise that I
loved every bit. I think more than any
of Austen's other books, very little happens in this book. Its focus is all on
the minutiae of life but also about the passion lurking underneath and the
wisdom that can be gained in an ordinary life. It is what Austen does best.
Fables Series by
Bill Willingham et al.
I am cheating here including an entire series but it deserves some love because almost all of the sixteen volumes I read this year were rated 4 out of 5 stars. This was my introduction to graphic novels and I couldn’t have asked for a better. The focus on fairy tales but with an adult focus was perfect and the artwork is astonishing.
I am cheating here including an entire series but it deserves some love because almost all of the sixteen volumes I read this year were rated 4 out of 5 stars. This was my introduction to graphic novels and I couldn’t have asked for a better. The focus on fairy tales but with an adult focus was perfect and the artwork is astonishing.
Excellent
Women by Barbara Pym
I read this in the final two days of the year and couldn’t have
asked for a better final read. It was
contemplative but light and funny at the same time. I’ve found myself talking about it with
several people urging them to read it and it has stuck with me.
The
Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
This is another book that is just so much fun and Scott
Lynch creates such a fascinating world and characters that you know you’re going to enjoy your
time in their company.
Honorable mention: Gun Germs and Steel
by Jared Diamond, The
Children’s Book by A.S. Byatt, Doc by Mary Doria
Russell, Animal,
Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, We Have Always Lived in
the Castle by Shirley Jackson.
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