Choosing my five top reads this year was a little easier than it has been in the past. Not because of a shortage of good books, but because some were so outstanding that they chose themselves. 'Duende' for example, I actually started reading in 2013, and had I finished it a few days earlier, would have made my list for that year. But it slipped over into 2014, and has remained in my mind as a definite for this year ever since.
In some ways I've set the bar quite high this time, since my reading included two Booker Prize winners – 'The Blind Assassin' (see below) and Hilary Mantel's 'Wolf Hall'. Both excellent, but only one makes my list, underlining the point that it's a personal thing, and there are some relatively unknown writers who I enjoy reading as much (or more) than the top names. Which is why there are again several independent or small-press authors included here. My criteria are probably not as rigorous as those used by the Booker judges, of course! But that's not the point. The crucial thing about any book is not what everyone else thinks of it, but what you think of it.
These five authors have impressed me with their skill, have drawn me into their worlds, and have left a lasting impression. They may or may not do the same for you – but I'd certainly recommend that you give them the chance!
(NB. Links from the titles are to the Amazon Kindle page. The cover's pictured above are the ones they had when I read them. In some cases, they've been changed and show differently on Amazon).
1. Duende by Lizzie Eldridge
Lizzie Eldridge has done something remarkable in this book. Somehow, she has woven together so many different strands, so many remarkable characters (many of them real, all realistic), so many ideas into a powerful, colourful, terrible and poignant story.
At the centre of the story is the love between two talented young men, one an artist, the other a philosopher. Together, they explore the world of ideas and thought, seeking to capture the 'duende', the driving force behind art. But at the same time, Spain is being torn apart by divisive political forces that will eventually lead to the violence and horror of the civil war. These events are not so much a background to the story, as another character in it, who influences and drives all the other characters along at an increasing rate into ultimate tragedy.
The writing is excellent throughout, well paced and accessible in spite of the depth of ideas that are being considered. I'm no philosopher, and some of the concepts were beyond my grasp, but I was so caught up in the story of Nayo and Jose that I wasn't put off by the intellectual challenges! Instead, I read on, sharing their struggles, right up to the very moving finish.
2. In the Garden of Stones by Lucy Pepperdine.
This book is hard to define. A psychological thriller? A medical romance? A story about war and the effects of war? It's all of these, and with elements of fantasy as well. In truth, it doesn't fit well in any conventional slot. But I can say this for certain - it's brilliant! I have read several other books by this author, and they have never been less than very good, but this is definitely the best yet.
The two main characters, Grace and Colin, are both very damaged people. Both are trying to create an imaginary world: Grace as part of her therapy, Colin to escape from a reality that has become intolerable. Incredibly, inexplicably, Grace finds herself in Colin's world. In the Garden of Stones. The author doesn't give much attention to how this happened. That's not the point. The story is about how this meeting effects them both, how two hurting people can bring hope and healing to each other.
I'll say no more about the story - I certainly wouldn't want to introduce any spoilers! But the writing is excellent. Pace, structure, word flow - all perfectly crafted to pull the reader deep into the lives of the characters. And underlying it you can sense the authors understanding and compassion. She knows about suffering, she understands the courage of suffering people, and she shares it with us. By turns, 'In the Garden of Stones' is moving, challenging, humorous, exciting, and more besides - but ultimately, it is inspiring. Or so I found it. I hope that many others will read it and find the same.
3. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Attwood.
The structure of a novel is (as I've noticed before) more important than is often realised. It can make or break a story. In this case, it absolutely makes it. Were the story told in a simple and straightforward manner, it wouldn't have any of the impact, the depth, the mystery and poignancy that is, in fact, achieved here.
To explain: there is the story itself, which concerns the lives of two girls growing up in Canada through the First World War and the Depression. Then there is the second story, which is an account of a young women having an affair with a man of radical politics. This man is also a writer of science fiction stories, one of which he tells to his lover. And in this story there is the Blind Assassin who gives the novel it's title.
Add to that the cuttings from newspaper articles that occur here and there, and it sounds confusing. But these different elements are woven together with such superlative skill that they complement each other, together building a powerful and moving story. The sort of story that left me with a 'Wow!' when I finished it.
Of course it has a lot more to recommend it than just skilful structure. Use of language for example - Atwood brings out some brilliant descriptive phrases. And the background, of time and place and social attitudes and people and weather, is rich and vivid and totally believable. The combination makes for story telling at it's very best.
4. The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill
This is possibly one of the best crime / forensics / mystery novels I've ever read, and certainly the most original. To begin with, it has a marvellously original setting - Laos in the 1970s, under a slightly ramshackle Communist regime that has managed to almost entirely rid the country of the professional classes. With the result that there is only person left in the country who can take on the role of Coroner.
Which brings us to a wonderfully original character, Dr. Siri Paiboun. He only became a communist because he fell in love with one, but now, after doing his bit to bring the Revolution to Laos, he is overdue for retirement. But the Party has other plans, and he must begin a whole new career, with the help of a few old textbooks, some loyal friends and his own considerable intelligence and wisdom.
Oh, and there's also the spirits, since it turns out that Dr. Siri is also, in some way, an ancient shaman called Yeh Ming. Which would be a bit weird in most places, but in Laos it seems to fit in perfectly. And then there's the murders he has to solve, which are quite original themselves, though based on good old-fashioned political intrigue and human evil. I'll say no more about that, for fear of spoilers. But the writing is superb throughout - vivid descriptions, witty dialogue and perfectly paced.
5. The Ring of Nine by Maria K.
Back in the early '80's I visited St Petersburg, which had just had it's name changed back from Leningrad. I was impressed by the beauty of it's buildings, but had no idea of the things that the city had experienced in the Second World War.
The Siege of Leningrad was one of the most terrible episodes in a long and terrible war. German and Finnish forces succeeded in almost completely isolating the city, and cut all but the most tenuous supply lines. People starved in their thousands. Soldiers, civilians, children. Estimates of the total death toll vary from about 600,000 to over a million. The numbers are vague because many deaths went unrecorded. People died in the street, in their homes, in the factories where they worked. In spite of this, and in spite of incessant bombing and shelling, the city held out for nearly 900 days until the siege was finally lifted.
The facts and figures, however, only tell part of the story. To get a glimpse of what it was actually like to be there, to have some idea of the incredible courage and spirit of the people of Leningrad, you should read this book. Vasily Petrovich Kuznetsov was there. Somehow, he lived through it, and even managed to keep a diary through some of the worst days. But reading this, my overwhelming impression was not of the awful hardships he endured, but of the amazing courage and endurance with which he and his companions faced those hardships.
The diary's have been very ably translated by his granddaughter, Maria K, who has managed to bring into the English something of the flavor and feel of the Russian - or at least (since I don't speak Russian myself) how I can imagine Russian feeling! She has brought to life a deeply moving and inspiring piece of history.
So that's my five. Of course, I could easily expand it to a top ten, or a top twenty even, without much depreciation in quality. Such a list would certainly include, for example, 'Warrior' by Paul Freeman, 'The Evenness of Things' by Deborah Priddimore, 'The Heir of the Dragon' by A.E. Churchyard, and 'The Woodcutter' by Kate Danley.
But I've got to stop somewhere. There's 2015's reading to get ready for!
In some ways I've set the bar quite high this time, since my reading included two Booker Prize winners – 'The Blind Assassin' (see below) and Hilary Mantel's 'Wolf Hall'. Both excellent, but only one makes my list, underlining the point that it's a personal thing, and there are some relatively unknown writers who I enjoy reading as much (or more) than the top names. Which is why there are again several independent or small-press authors included here. My criteria are probably not as rigorous as those used by the Booker judges, of course! But that's not the point. The crucial thing about any book is not what everyone else thinks of it, but what you think of it.
These five authors have impressed me with their skill, have drawn me into their worlds, and have left a lasting impression. They may or may not do the same for you – but I'd certainly recommend that you give them the chance!
(NB. Links from the titles are to the Amazon Kindle page. The cover's pictured above are the ones they had when I read them. In some cases, they've been changed and show differently on Amazon).
1. Duende by Lizzie Eldridge
Lizzie Eldridge has done something remarkable in this book. Somehow, she has woven together so many different strands, so many remarkable characters (many of them real, all realistic), so many ideas into a powerful, colourful, terrible and poignant story.
At the centre of the story is the love between two talented young men, one an artist, the other a philosopher. Together, they explore the world of ideas and thought, seeking to capture the 'duende', the driving force behind art. But at the same time, Spain is being torn apart by divisive political forces that will eventually lead to the violence and horror of the civil war. These events are not so much a background to the story, as another character in it, who influences and drives all the other characters along at an increasing rate into ultimate tragedy.
The writing is excellent throughout, well paced and accessible in spite of the depth of ideas that are being considered. I'm no philosopher, and some of the concepts were beyond my grasp, but I was so caught up in the story of Nayo and Jose that I wasn't put off by the intellectual challenges! Instead, I read on, sharing their struggles, right up to the very moving finish.
2. In the Garden of Stones by Lucy Pepperdine.
This book is hard to define. A psychological thriller? A medical romance? A story about war and the effects of war? It's all of these, and with elements of fantasy as well. In truth, it doesn't fit well in any conventional slot. But I can say this for certain - it's brilliant! I have read several other books by this author, and they have never been less than very good, but this is definitely the best yet.
The two main characters, Grace and Colin, are both very damaged people. Both are trying to create an imaginary world: Grace as part of her therapy, Colin to escape from a reality that has become intolerable. Incredibly, inexplicably, Grace finds herself in Colin's world. In the Garden of Stones. The author doesn't give much attention to how this happened. That's not the point. The story is about how this meeting effects them both, how two hurting people can bring hope and healing to each other.
I'll say no more about the story - I certainly wouldn't want to introduce any spoilers! But the writing is excellent. Pace, structure, word flow - all perfectly crafted to pull the reader deep into the lives of the characters. And underlying it you can sense the authors understanding and compassion. She knows about suffering, she understands the courage of suffering people, and she shares it with us. By turns, 'In the Garden of Stones' is moving, challenging, humorous, exciting, and more besides - but ultimately, it is inspiring. Or so I found it. I hope that many others will read it and find the same.
3. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Attwood.
The structure of a novel is (as I've noticed before) more important than is often realised. It can make or break a story. In this case, it absolutely makes it. Were the story told in a simple and straightforward manner, it wouldn't have any of the impact, the depth, the mystery and poignancy that is, in fact, achieved here.
To explain: there is the story itself, which concerns the lives of two girls growing up in Canada through the First World War and the Depression. Then there is the second story, which is an account of a young women having an affair with a man of radical politics. This man is also a writer of science fiction stories, one of which he tells to his lover. And in this story there is the Blind Assassin who gives the novel it's title.
Add to that the cuttings from newspaper articles that occur here and there, and it sounds confusing. But these different elements are woven together with such superlative skill that they complement each other, together building a powerful and moving story. The sort of story that left me with a 'Wow!' when I finished it.
Of course it has a lot more to recommend it than just skilful structure. Use of language for example - Atwood brings out some brilliant descriptive phrases. And the background, of time and place and social attitudes and people and weather, is rich and vivid and totally believable. The combination makes for story telling at it's very best.
4. The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill
This is possibly one of the best crime / forensics / mystery novels I've ever read, and certainly the most original. To begin with, it has a marvellously original setting - Laos in the 1970s, under a slightly ramshackle Communist regime that has managed to almost entirely rid the country of the professional classes. With the result that there is only person left in the country who can take on the role of Coroner.
Which brings us to a wonderfully original character, Dr. Siri Paiboun. He only became a communist because he fell in love with one, but now, after doing his bit to bring the Revolution to Laos, he is overdue for retirement. But the Party has other plans, and he must begin a whole new career, with the help of a few old textbooks, some loyal friends and his own considerable intelligence and wisdom.
Oh, and there's also the spirits, since it turns out that Dr. Siri is also, in some way, an ancient shaman called Yeh Ming. Which would be a bit weird in most places, but in Laos it seems to fit in perfectly. And then there's the murders he has to solve, which are quite original themselves, though based on good old-fashioned political intrigue and human evil. I'll say no more about that, for fear of spoilers. But the writing is superb throughout - vivid descriptions, witty dialogue and perfectly paced.
5. The Ring of Nine by Maria K.
Back in the early '80's I visited St Petersburg, which had just had it's name changed back from Leningrad. I was impressed by the beauty of it's buildings, but had no idea of the things that the city had experienced in the Second World War.
The Siege of Leningrad was one of the most terrible episodes in a long and terrible war. German and Finnish forces succeeded in almost completely isolating the city, and cut all but the most tenuous supply lines. People starved in their thousands. Soldiers, civilians, children. Estimates of the total death toll vary from about 600,000 to over a million. The numbers are vague because many deaths went unrecorded. People died in the street, in their homes, in the factories where they worked. In spite of this, and in spite of incessant bombing and shelling, the city held out for nearly 900 days until the siege was finally lifted.
The facts and figures, however, only tell part of the story. To get a glimpse of what it was actually like to be there, to have some idea of the incredible courage and spirit of the people of Leningrad, you should read this book. Vasily Petrovich Kuznetsov was there. Somehow, he lived through it, and even managed to keep a diary through some of the worst days. But reading this, my overwhelming impression was not of the awful hardships he endured, but of the amazing courage and endurance with which he and his companions faced those hardships.
The diary's have been very ably translated by his granddaughter, Maria K, who has managed to bring into the English something of the flavor and feel of the Russian - or at least (since I don't speak Russian myself) how I can imagine Russian feeling! She has brought to life a deeply moving and inspiring piece of history.
So that's my five. Of course, I could easily expand it to a top ten, or a top twenty even, without much depreciation in quality. Such a list would certainly include, for example, 'Warrior' by Paul Freeman, 'The Evenness of Things' by Deborah Priddimore, 'The Heir of the Dragon' by A.E. Churchyard, and 'The Woodcutter' by Kate Danley.
But I've got to stop somewhere. There's 2015's reading to get ready for!