Image Source: bestsellerauthors.com/blog/Warning: Don't judge this post by its cover.
Travelling a lot and commuting to work has given me a chance to rekindle my love of a good novel (I generally can't/don't read non-fiction), and I manage to work my way through a good 16-odd of them on the train, plane and Chinese taxi. In order for me to finish a book it has to be at least 3-stars until midway through; after that I'm likely to tough it out even if it deteriorates, just in case the author happens to pick up the pieces at the end.
FYI, The worst book I ever read was Peter F. Hamilton's Misspent Youth - I had faith in him but he betrayed me. Luckily we've reconciled over the last 3 mammoths he's written (he has an average novel length of around 800 words). John Marsden has yet to redeem himself, however, as his "Ellie Chronicles" feel more and more like he's pulling a George Lucas, ie. milking it for all it's worth.
Top Books I Read in 08:(in reverse order)
8. The Road - Cormac McCarthy
The reviews all call it a masterpiece, but for me it's kinda just another post-apocalyptic commentary on the human psyche. A damn good one, mind, but it loses half a star for a lack of originality (and also refusing to bring its grammar up to a level above "....and then....and then...").
7. My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult
An awkward but unavoidable scenario as seen from the eyes of all involved. Smooth and enthralling dialogue and a unique perspective on a common topic - what more can one ask for?
6. Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus - Orson Scott Card
I do love authors who can combine entertaining fiction with lessons in history or anything else for that matter (NB: Da Vinci Code fails in the fiction, not the lesson). OSC (one of my favourite authors) achieves just that - Pastwatch tries to pinpoint the one moment in history that had the most effect on where we have stuffed up in this world, and sorry Mr. Columbus, but apparently it's your little boat trip. It's not gospel, but it's food for thought.
5. Blindsight - Peter Watts
Watts redefines the 'First Contact' story, says one reviewer. Certainly it's a novel take, bursting with suspense and new, cool technology (like all good SF should have) and a sense of unpredictability. Watts sometimes gets lost in his own jargon, but if you can sift through it the ideas he is proposing are pretty neat, in a really geeky way.
4. An Abundance of Katherines - John Green
Quaint, young adult-ish take on relationships and logic, delivered with pacy wit and oddball characters. Maximum points for prose style, and Green does well to attack the often over-exaggerated emotional trials of teenagers, without letting his main character become entirely unlikable.
3. Alias Grace - Margaret Atwood
This book reestablished Margaret Atwood as one of my favourite authors. Her characters are vivid, her antagonists (in this case, a 19th Century accused-murderess imprisoned at the age of 16, and the doctor examining her) are flawed and human. The book is loosely based upon the true story of Grace Marks and the two murders she was charged for, and Atwood does an artistic (and creepy) job of sewing together the pieces that are missing from any official records, or perhaps anyone's knowledge.
I have never read Atwood I didn't like - and this continues that trend.
2. Shantaram - Gregory Roberts
Amazing tale of a man who flees to Bombay, only to fall in love with it. Attacks concepts of wealth, love, honour, and right and wrong, on a journey of self-discovery that is all the more impressive for its roots in the truth. He's perhaps a little simple in his writing style and when he tries to glorify his language it comes out a bit forced, but he more than makes up for it with the story he has to tell. In the end, it speaks for itself.
1. Number9dream - David Mitchell
Beginning with disorientating, fantastic blend of fantasy and reality, number9dream is a brilliant piece of work. The reasons I love it are diverse: firstly, many gaijin write about Japan, but Mitchell actually writes Japan. His POV of Tokyo is so spot-on that many points I hadn't even considered unique until he brought them to my attention. His dabbling with original metaphors, shying away from cliche, makes it all the more memorable. Take this, his protagonist in a rather pitiful Eiji Miyake, and his twists and turns, and you have Mitchell at his best. This may be a book about a boy who's trying to find his estranged father, but it's no heartfelt coming-of-age piece. It's an exploding 3D neon alleyway as seen from a speeding car driven by a drunk: you often feel you caught just a glimpse of the vivid depths of the Japan he describes. His later novel Cloud Atlas is more timeless, but Number9dream is a real gem.
Honourable Mention: The Book of Everything - Guus Kuijer
A novella translated from Dutch most expertly, but maintains a quaint style of prose that feels distinctly like a foreign language. One of those books that pervades age ranges and genres to create a timeless, sad and sweet story.
