Can you believe that December 1st is next week already? The year has flown by, and I expect to see lots of posts wrapping up the reading year (more chances to get book recommendations I expect). Since I still have a few weeks to read a few new books (and finish some old ones), I haven't thought yet too much about my own "best reads of the year". Bookmarks Magazine, however, has given their year in review. Recognize any favorites? Some I have read, some I want to read, and though I buy this magazine fairly regularly, some I don't remember ever reading about (they must not have appealed to me the first time around).
- Cellophane by Marie Arana
- Arthur and George by Julian Barnes (this one is on my wishlist)
- Company by Max Barry
- Here is Where We Meet by John Berger
- Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier
- The Think Place by Kathryn Davis
- Becoming Strangers by Louise Dean
- Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai (definitely on my list of books to read)
- Whistling Season by Ivan Doig (I thought this one looked interesting)
- In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant (I will likely get this one when it comes out in paper)
- The Lightning Keeper by Starling Lawrence
- Western Limit of the World by David Masiel
- A Little Love Story by Roland Merullo
- The Accidental by Ali Smith (I read this one, but had mixed feelings about it)
- Abide with Me by Elizabeth Strout
- Digging to America by Anne Tyler
- Triangle by Katharine Weber (I really want to read this--I have read an earlier book by her and enjoyed it)
They also list some crimes books separately, but to be honest I was only familiar with one, and they look sort of so-so to me, so I won't bother to list them here. They do have another short list of titles that received 4-1/2 stars or more when they were reviewed:
- Gate of the Sun by Elias Khoury
- Black Swan Green by David Mitchell (must read this one)
- The People's Act of Love by James Meek (I agree wholeheartedly that this was a best book--I thought it was excellent)
- Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky (another one on my wishlist...I am hoping to get it for Christmas)
- The Sea by John Banville (another one I read that I enjoyed, but with some reservations).
The nice thing is that most of these will be out in paperback in spring. Sometimes when I first see a book mentioned it might not appeal to me (or the cover doesn't look exciting, so I don't bother to read the blurb--terrible, I know), but when I look at them later it is amazing how some of them suddenly look like they might be good reads after all. And of course the best thing is when someone you trust reads something and recommends it. Occasionally I just need that one little push to make me pick up a book I might otherwise have passed by.
Bookmooch Protocol?
I have a bookmooch question for those of you who are fellow moochers. When you request a book, how long do you wait to hear from the moochee for some sort of reply? I have cancelled a few requests from people who have never bothered to get in contact with me. I am not sure how long to wait to do this? When someone wants one of my books I usually email them and let them know roughly when I can mail out the book. Of course people have real lives and kids to take care of and jobs to work, and they get busy! I don't want to bug people, but I don't want to be left hanging either. Now that Bookmooch lists when someone was last logged in, you can get an idea of whether they even know you want one of their books. When you are getting something for free essentially, I hate to be too demanding. Any thoughts?