Ah, 2017 is waning, so I best take a break from my reading and share my stand out books from the year. This is always a little difficult as I have read quite a few very good and varied books and how to choose just a few that I really loved!
I think my top three books were all very special reading experiences. I have linked to my reviews in case you are curious to know more about them.
We'll Always Have Paris by Emma Beddington -- A life I will never be able to experience in quite the same way, at least living abroad, which I have always dreamed of doing, but I can still completely empathize with Beddington. I know some of those feelings she had so well and she expresses them all honestly, amusingly and eloquently.
Quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym -- Gosh Barbara Pym is a marvel. Why have I not yet read all her work? Maybe that is a good thing? Barbara Pym has such a knack for telling a story of seemingly misfits and eccentrics with a deftness and lightness of touch that you just can't help smiling to yourself. Maybe modern novelists don't write about people of a certain age who are solitary souls, but lucky for us Barbara Pym does.
The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham -- This not only is a remarkable science fiction tale but asks all sorts of questions on what is means to be human--what makes us human, what separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom, about our laws and culpability and responsibilities and how our morals shape us and guide us, and the collective as opposed to individuality. It can be read on more than one level--simply as a story of dread verging on horror or if you are willing to dig just a little bit deeper it offers so very much more.
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A few more really spectacular reads, listed alphabetically by author (as I don't think I can rank them).
The Living Infinite by Chantel Acevedo -- For the reader who isn't sure they like historical fiction, or isn't convinced that it can be done really well, I give you Chantel Acevedo's excellent story of the real life Spanish Princess who lived an extraordinary life.
Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo -- reads almost like a thriller with its twists and turns which is a little unexpected in a story of domestic drama and discord. It works, though; it works really well. This is the story of a marriage between two who on the surface seem eminently suited but the pressures of family and culture weigh heavily on them.
The Strays by Emily Bitto -- It's a perfectly told story in quite a slender volume so there is nothing extraneous and nothing wasted. I love novels like this-a really interesting story encapsulated in pristine prose that lingers in your mind long after you've finished reading.
In Fairleigh Field by Rhys Bowen -- Pure and unadulterated entertainment in the form of a WWII mystery/thriller with an added touch of romance. There is just enough drama and suspense to keep the pages turning, but I never got the feeling that things would end badly.
Leaving Home by Anita Brookner -- In Leaving Home, Emma is an only daughter living with a widowed mother who fears her own life will turn out much the same. She wants more. She studies landscape gardening, from an academic standpoint and ends up in Paris where she meets a vibrant, very French woman who works in the library Emma frequents. And there has her inspiration, bumps into real life, if you will. For me a Brookner novel is always a gem of a read.
A Touch of Mistletoe by Barbara Comyns -- Comyns does "eccentric" so very, very well. The novel follows two sisters, who after the death of their father, have 'come down' in the world, though it is the elder sister narrating events. They embark on rather bohemian lives both in England and abroad, one sister a bit more conventional than the other.
Bilgewater by Jane Gardam -- This is a story of growing up and falling in love, being thwarted in love and maybe finding yourself. It's the sort of book I want to flip back to the first page and start reading all over again now that I know what has happened and have read for the 'story'.
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And a few interesting notable mentions!
Most creative use of fiction in nonfiction: Family Lexicon by Natalia Ginzburg
Oddest read/Most unusual backstory/Author bio: My Holidays by Stevie Smith
Book most likely to raise the hairs on the back of your neck: Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin
Most exotic locale: Finding Nouf by Zoe Ferrarris
Best debut: The Dry by Jane Harper
Upward battle to finish (and book I am most happy to have finally gotten through): Golden Age by Jane Smiley
Best new author finds: Ayobami Adebayo, Emma Flint!
Onward to 2018 and hopefully yet more wonderful discoveries.
I'm so excited to see Bilgewater made your list! I love Gardam and this is one of my favourites so it's always satisfying to see other readers discover its charms.
Best wishes for a wonderful 2018 full of happiness and good books!
Posted by: Claire (The Captive Reader) | January 01, 2018 at 01:13 AM
Happy New Year! What a great year of reading; I hope 2018 is another one.
Posted by: Rohan | January 01, 2018 at 07:48 AM
Glad you had a great reading year. Hope 2018 is a great one!
Posted by: Kailana | January 01, 2018 at 09:45 AM
I really must re-read Barbara Pym in 2018 and Anita Brookner too as I last read them at around the same time in the late1980's/early 1990's and it will be interesting to see what I make of them almost 30 years later.
Posted by: LizF | January 01, 2018 at 01:38 PM
I hope to read more of Jane Gardam's books this year. I was all ready to pick up another one as soon as I finished Bilgewater, but you know how it goes. It was such a great read--definitely one for the reread pile, too, Happy New Year and all the best in 2018 to you, too!
Posted by: Danielle | January 01, 2018 at 06:03 PM
Hi Rohan, Happy New Year to you, too. So nice to hear from you--I hope to be online a bit more this year. Hope you have a great reading year, too.
Posted by: Danielle | January 01, 2018 at 06:04 PM
I did read a lot of really great books, I can't complain there! Of course, am too greedy and always want more! ;)
Posted by: Danielle | January 01, 2018 at 06:04 PM
I love Barbara Pym and I think this is maybe my favorite of her book that I have read (at least next to Excellent Women!). And I plan on reading more by Anita Brookner--I loved the one I read last year and have most of her books now on my shelves. I also binged on her books years ago, and now it is time to read more of those unread books I have of hers on my shelves.
Posted by: Danielle | January 01, 2018 at 06:06 PM
I'd already added several of these to my list after reading your initial review--glad they've stood the test of time, so to speak. I've only read one book by Pym and one by Gardam, but I loved them both and can't believe I haven't remedied that. Must move them to the top of the 2018 reading list.
I'm developing a taste for Dickens, and thinking of starting on Great Expectations. Have you read it? I feel I should dive into a classic while my reading ambitions are high :).
Posted by: Kathy | January 01, 2018 at 08:11 PM
Happy New Year Danielle.
I will write an email soon. I loved the bookmark. And am sad about what happened. I hope my card arrived as well.
I like your list very much. I just recently bought "We'll always have Paris", so I'm gald you liked it so much. I have a few of the other books too. I definitely need to read more Pym as well. I like her very much.
I wish this year will be much better for the both of us.
Posted by: Caroline | January 02, 2018 at 09:43 AM
This is the year I finally have to read Jane Gardam! Love reading your favorites list and of course have added some to my TBR list. I hope you will have a fabulous reading year ahead Danielle!
Posted by: iliana | January 02, 2018 at 11:43 AM
I have not read much Dickens at all! I tend to gravitate more towards the more sensational Wilkie Collins who I have read a lot of and now that we are talking about him....maybe I will add one of his books to my pile. Actually I really should read Great Expectations--that is one of his major books (though they all seem to be pretty major really). I have read David Copperfield, which I really like. Have you read that one? It's only a good thing to feel so excited about picking a new classic--take advantage of it!
Posted by: Danielle | January 03, 2018 at 07:53 AM
Hi Caroline! Happy New Year and yes, I did get the card and thank you very much. It was so nice to hear from you. I am sorry I have not been a very good correspondent/commenter, but that is something I hope to work on this year as I do miss all the bookish chats I have with virtual friends. I think we have both had some rough years and it surely must be better this coming year?! I hope you like the Beddington--it came along at just the right time for me. I want to start following her blog, if she is still writing one, but the book experience was so good, that I am almost afraid the reality of a blog might ruin it? Silly, I know! And Pym is marvelous--I hope to read another book or two by her this year as well!
Posted by: Danielle | January 03, 2018 at 07:55 AM
There is lots to choose from with Gardam, which is nice. She is also on my list this year (I seem to have a very long list-lol). I hope this is a good reading year for you too, and I am excited to see what books you read and write about!
Posted by: Danielle | January 03, 2018 at 07:56 AM
So you did finish the Smiley! Woo hoo! A good year :-)
Posted by: Stefanie | January 05, 2018 at 01:12 PM
I've read more Wilkie Collins than Dickens, too, and have one of his books on my TBR shelf, so I could always skip back to him!
I haven't read David Copperfield, but I borrowed a friend's copy of Great Expectations and will be giving it a try while ambition is high.
Posted by: Kathy | January 05, 2018 at 02:06 PM
I think I am so enjoying my books right now thanks to having finished that Smiley, which at the end turned out to be such an uphill battle. I think I much more enjoyed the first and second books--with the first one being my favorite. No more Smiley for a while however.
Posted by: Danielle | January 07, 2018 at 08:27 PM
Thanks for all the tips! My copy of The Dry just arrived, and I’m looking forward to reading it. I also picked up a John Wyndham book to try out (The Day of the Triffids was on sale). And I’m very much enjoying a book by Rhys Bowen from the library, so thanks for introducing me to this author (Her Royal Spyness). And congrats on finishing the Jane Smiley book! I’m working on a long book myself—it’s good but somehow reading it is more of a challenge. I may end up putting it back on the shelf for later.....
Posted by: Readerlane | January 11, 2018 at 08:00 AM