Best of 2015
29 January, 2016
So we’re well into January and I’m a little late but I wanted to let you all know my favourite books of 2015. And before you go on about my sparse list of reviews last year, I did read a lot more than I wrote about and I’m hoping to recapture my lost blogging enthusiasm. Like many of my book blogging friends, I think it’s hard to balance a fulltime job, a social life and personal projects of which book blogging is one and my balance went a little askew as I had it pretty much full on last year. I also had my first reading slump since I started this blog in 2009 which I drowned with a lot of Korean dramas that left my brain in a happy but slightly lobotomised state although it did spur me on to learn Hangul and dip my toes in Korean literature (I just finished reading Han Kang’s astounding The Vegetarian and Tony has a brilliant list of suggestions). Hopefully things will be a little bit calmer this year, although every year seems to get busier and busier or am I just losing the plot and my organisational skills are becoming redundant? Who knows but as long as there are books to read and discuss, I’ll be here, maybe just not as often or on schedule.
But, even though there may have been a paucity of reviews, 2015 turned out to be a fine year for well-crafted and sublime books. I allowed myself to read titles one after another in a series which kept me immersed in the stories but also made it harder to review without giving away spoilers. I also loved many of my book group choices which can often be hit and miss as we all have very different tastes which is what makes our book group so great.
Here’s my list of twelve in alphabetical order with links to reviews. I’m hoping to review the others soon.
Blackout and All Clear by Connie Willis – I can’t tell you how much I admire and love Willis’ work. They are all clever, substantial, thrilling and with a perfect balance of darkness and humour. If you haven’t read her novels, you are missing out.
Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison – devastating and brutal but brilliant.
Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan – my first re-read after 20 plus years and still as shocking. Takes me back to my teenage years.
Child 44 by Tim Robb Smith – clever, fast-paced and brought back my interest in the eternally complex and hypocritical construct that is the USSR.
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng – beautifully written, melancholic and dream-like.
The Grass is Singing by Doris Lessing – powerful and stark debut novel from a master writer.
Hotel by Joanna Walsh – what can I say, I’m a huge fan of Walsh’s, from her illustrations to her short stories. And Hotel, as I have come to expect, simultaneously surprised and delighted me with its astute observations and wry humour. I’ve already bought an extra copy for a friend and will be buying more as gifts for other discernable readers.
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante – probably the truest depiction I’ve read of female friendship in all its complexity. I’m still in the middle of the third book of this incredible quartet as I don’t want it to end.
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater – first book in an absorbing quartet. Beautifully written and reminded me a lot of The Secret History. I read all three books that are out one after the other and cannot wait for the final volume.
Spring Snow by Yukio Mishima – gorgeous, tortured and just exquisite. I need to read the rest of books in his Sea of Fertility tetralogy.
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel – this was a surprise hit for me. I didn’t enjoy it all that much when I was reading it but the story refused to leave my mind and I am still haunted by it.
True Grit by Charles Portis – incredibly tightly written and absorbing for a genre I wouldn’t normally touch with a barge pole. And with a kick-ass protagonist too.
What about you? What were your favourite books of 2015?
R.I.P. IX is here!
5 September, 2014
The only thing that makes the end of summer OK, is Carl’s wonderful R(eaders). I(imbibing). P(eril) Challenge which is celebrating it’s 9th year. It’s one of the first reading challenges in which I participated and I look forward to it every year. And although I may not post a wrap-up post each year, I love every minute of choosing and reading my list of books which are mainly from my shelves as well as seeing what others are dipping into. And how gorgeous is the artwork for this year’s challenge?
As usual, I’m hoping to read at least four books in the following categories: mystery, suspense, thriller, dark fantasy, gothic, horror and supernatural which, to be honest, are my favourite genres. So bring it on!
My pool of books from which I plan to read four (or more!) are:
The Fire by Katherine Neville – I loved The Eight which I read years ago.
The Abomination by Jonathan Holt – murder in Venice.
Servant of the Underworld by Aliette de Bodard – completely blown away by her short stories so I need more – an Aztec mystery!
The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith – just because it’s JKR!
Sugar Hall by Tiffany Murray – the nights are drawing in and I’m in need of something spookay.
Faithful Place by Tana French – I really need to get back into French’s writing.
The Axeman’s Jazz by Ray Celestin – it’s just been shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger!
She Lover of Death by Boris Akunin – Erast Fandorin in the house!
A Vengeful Longing by R.N. Morris – the third mystery in a series featuring Porfiry Petrovich from Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment.
The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis – time travel and the Black Death!
Of course I’ll be adding and subtracting from this list, but who’s counting, right?
So will you be joining us? And, more importantly, what will YOU be reading?
chasing bawa’s 2013 picks
31 December, 2013
I’ve been rather lax this year. I’ve participated in some challenges but forgot the wrap-ups, I have a lot of reviews I still need to write about books I really loved – why are they the hardest to write? And I still have a lot of books I was planning to read this year which remain untouched. But, I did have a fabulous reading year filled with so many really good books and I can’t wait to share my thoughts even if it means I may post my reviews next year. Life, eh?
So my eleven picks of the year in alphabetical order are:
Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield
Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel
China Star by Bartle Bull
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Questions of Travel by Michelle de Kretser
The Rook by Daniel O’Malley
Silence by Shusaku Endo
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
Under The Skin by Michel Faber
The Valley of Unknowing by Philip Sington
Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler
I’ll be writing about some of these in the next few months but do hope you’ll give them a try!
2013 was also a strong year for sequels. I really enjoyed Danielle Trussoni’s Angelopolis and Laini Taylor’s Days of Blood and Starlight, two very original and compelling takes on angel lore and I can’t wait to read more.
And a special mention goes to Xu Xi’s History’s Fiction: Stories from the City of Hong Kong which was an unexpected find for me – a collection of beautiful, finely-tuned short stories.
So have you read any of these books? And what was your favourite read of the year?
Slightly Peckish Tuesday
20 August, 2013
It’s been a while hasn’t it? But it doesn’t mean I haven’t been eating! On a recent trip to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, I ate a lot of things in an incredibly short space of time. Check out the first in a series of posts on KL for Umami Mart: Slightly Peckish starting with Bah Kut Teh. Don’t know what it is? Then go and check me out!
In bookish news, I read quite a few books on holiday, mostly mysteries which was exactly what I needed. I finally finished the 5th book in the Lady Julia Grey mysteries, Dark Road to Darjeeling. I also began reading Ben Aaronovich’s urban mysteries featuring PC Peter Grant, Rivers of London, which lived up to all the hype and I went straight on to the second and third volumes once I got home. And I took my hardback copy of Michelle de Kretser’s Questions of Time all the way to Sri Lanka and Malaysia only to finish it once I got back to London. Don’t get me wrong, it’s exquisite but not one you want to read when you are in a hurry. And because de Kretser is such a fine writer, I dug out my copy of her first novel, The Rose Grower, and have just started it.
I only brought back a few books this time.
Island of a Thousand Mirrors by Nayomi Munaweera which I actually got last November but didn’t manage to write about. This first novel has been garnering a lot of attention.
Doomsday by Mahasara Gunaratne, a whodunnit featuring Uncle Arthur set in early 20th century Ceylon. I’m thinking a Sri Lankan Agatha Christie, perhaps? Apparently it’s a series but I was unable to find the first volume. Can’t wait to tuck in.
And Shyam Selvadurai’s new novel, The Hungry Ghosts which I cannot wait to start.
Japanese Literature Challenge 7
4 July, 2013
has started already. Go and check out Bellezza‘s wonderful review site with lots of reading suggestions.
This year I’m going to keep it simple. I’m aiming to finish Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84 which I rushed out to buy when it first came out in hardback way back in 2010 and from which I quickly got distracted when carrying the behemoth tome around on my commute got painful. Should have really waited until the paperbacks were out but hey, you know me, no self control when it comes to new books.
I also purchased a copy of Jacob Ritari’s Taroko Gorge when I visited New York’s Strand Bookstore in spring and although Ritari is American, it’s all about Japanese high school kids on a school trip to Taiwan. Bellezza’s reading it too so I’m going to jump on the wagon.
I’m also tempted to try Ryu Murakami’s From the Fatherland, With Love about Japan in a dystopian present under attack from North Korea. Sounds fascinating, no?
And I might throw in another Shusaku Endo, possibly Scandal, a Yasunari Kawabata and a Yukio Mishima if I can stay focused. Fingers crossed, eh?
What about you? Will you be joining us during the next 6 months in reading some Japanese literature books?
chasing bawa’s 2012 picks
14 December, 2012
So this year I read about 60 books, much less than last year, but a girl’s got to have a social life, right?
This year it’s been especially hard to choose my top ten because I’ve read some incredibly sublime, engaging and enjoyable books so I’ve added a few extra. They’re listed in alphabetical order by title and covers a range of genres, and I do hope you’ll try some of them.
The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka – I don’t think I’ve read anything like this before and wasn’t sure whether it would work. But it does. Amazing.
Chinaman by Shehan Karunatilaka – a very polished debut. Incredibly funny, punchy story narrated by an old soak. A cricket book that’s more than just about cricket.
Forge of Darkness by Steven Erikson – new Malazan series. ‘Nuff said.
The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng – sublime, finely balanced tale of WWII, Malaysia and the Japanese.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern – imagination explosion. I need the Night Circus to come to me.
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood – Atwood is genius.
The Possessed by Elif Batuman – if you love and want to read Russian literature but can’t take the next step. Will make you want to pick up Tolstoy fo sho.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt – still amazing second time around. And still my favourite book ever.
Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness – a brilliant sequel.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller – possibly my favourite book of the year. Achingly beautiful tale of Achilles and Patroclus which took me completely by surprise, even though I knew how it would all end.
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys – spicier than Jane Eyre. Didn’t make me hate Rochester though.
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel – Thomas Cromwell is certainly a man to watch. Who would’ve possibly thought that his financial and political shenanigans could be so sexy?
There are still a number of reviews I haven’t posted yet because I’m always a bit behind and you really want to do justice to the books you love (yes, I’m talking about The Secret History here).
In the meantime, why don’t you go and have a gander at what others have chosen?
My Day in Books
6 December, 2012
I’m not sure whether I’ve done this before but having seen Simon T‘s effort via Cornflower, I thought I’d give it a try and see what I can come up with. Although I’m not sure if it makes much sense, I like a challenge.
☛
I began the day by Twelve
before breakfasting on Snuff
and admiring the Wide Sargasso Sea.
On my way to work I saw The Crippled God
and walked by The Forge of Darkness
to avoid The Possessed,
but I made sure to stop at Bangkok 8.
In the office, my boss said, You Came Back,
and sent me to research The Shadows in the Street.
At lunch with The Last Werewolf
I noticed the Chinaman
greatly enjoying The Curfew.
Then on the journey home, I contemplated God’s Own Country
because I have The Secret History
and am drawn to the Weight.
Settling down for the evening in Wolf Hall,
I studied the Song of Achilles
by The Garden of Evening Mists
before saying goodnight to The Thief.
☛
So, what did you think? And why don’t you have a go too? Just complete the sentences with the titles of the books you’ve read this year. Go on!
Slightly Peckish Tuesday
6 November, 2012
rolls around again! Actually, I lie. That’s next week so do make sure you check out some chirashi action at Umami Mart: Slightly Peckish next Tuesday.
I’m off to Colombo for a wedding (not mine!) and having thought long and hard about what books to take with me (priorities, ahem) I’ve decided on the following:
The Chemickal Marriage by G.W. Dahlquist – the third and final installment of the Glass Books trilogy. Ooh, Cardinal Chang!
How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran – sometimes I need reminding. Also lots of people have told me how brilliant and hilarious this book is.
The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis – I have been dying to read this novel about historians from Oxford who time travel back to the Middle Ages. Hopefully it’ll be better than Michael Crichton’s Timeline.
Dark Road to Darjeeling and The Dark Enquiry by Deanna Raybourn – because I love me some Lady Julia and the dashing Brisbane.
Is that too many books for a 10 day trip where I probably won’t be able to do any reading for 7 days as I’ll have all my school friends with me and we can usually talk the backside off a baboon?
Japanese Literature Challenge 6
19 June, 2012
One of my favourite reading challenges has commenced again. Although I am drawn to Japanese literature anyway, Dolce Bellezza‘s Japanese Literature Challenge always makes me focus on why I read Japanese literature and the connections it has with my other choices over the year. I’m also nosy about what others are reading which often leads to some exciting new discoveries.
So, this year, I am planning to read the following:
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami – Er, I’ve had this since it was published and have only dipped into the first chapter. What is wrong with me?
Silence by Shusaku Endo – I’ve read so much about this book and have finally got a copy of my own (well, I got my friend to buy it for me for my birthday last year, heh.) Endo is one of my favourite Japanese writers (both The Samurai and The Volcano are beautifully written) and I can’t wait to read this.
I also have a growing stack of fiction in Japanese. Apparently I have no problems buying and hoarding books in other languages even though I don’t read them. I may want to try one of them although most of them haven’t been translated into English. However, it’s good to know and keep an eye out for interesting authors that may get translated one day, right? I try to keep abreast with the literary world in Japan but like in the UK, there are SO many books being published every year. So what I normally do is look at the prize lists such as the Naoki and Akutagawa Awards and check out recommendations in the Japanese magazines I do read.
And then maybe I might also choose something from my perennial list of Mishima, Kawabata and Banana. What do you think? Should I branch out more? And more importantly, what are YOU going to read?
Who’s Reading What: May 2012 Part 2
6 June, 2012
So on to the second part in which I ask my schools friends about what’t they’ve been reading.
What they are reading now:
Omega Fellowship by Peter Croxton
Talulla Rising by Glen Duncan
The Taste of Sorrow by Jude Morgan
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Summer reading list:
Darkside by Belinda Bauer
The Passage by Justin Cronin
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
I’ve only read Talulla Rising and Wolf Hall both of which I loved (my thoughts are being penned as we speak – you may also want to listen to The Readers’ podcast discussing The Last Werewolf in which I participated, as well as my review). I’ve recently spied The Taste of Sorrow in my library and was itching to check it out as I’ve heard lots of good things about it, mainly from Ana , and I am a huge fan of the Bröntes. I also have a copy of The Passage on my shelf which I received from Polly. A nice mixture of books.
I’m hoping to tackle some big books this summer namely 1Q84 and War and Peace. Yes, yes, I know. I was supposed to have finished reading them ages ago, but you know what? Life gets in the way. Hopefully this summer will be nice and quiet with lots of reading time.
So what are your plans for summer? And have you made a summer reading list?
chasing bawa 