This month my bookgroup has decided not to review a book. Instead we will talk about our favourite book or books. Members can bring their favourite book, or give a list of 5 or 10 favourites or simply talk about a book that influenced their thinking or that made an impact of some kind.
Some years ago my Melbourne bookgroup did this. It was fascinating to hear about the books that made it to each member's favourite pile and the reasons for it.
Over the last week I've been thinking about the books that make it to my current top 10. I say current because my top 10 changes regularly, and this top 10 is vastly different from the top 10 I presented all those years back in Melbourne.
This month my top 10 represents books I loved at the time and which I would both recommend to others and want to read again.
In no particular order
Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C Clarke
How do Humans react when they first encounter an object floating in space that has clearly not been made on Earth?
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Such a toss up between this and Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. One a rise in social position, the other a fall from grace. I chose the fall from grace.
Little Altars Everywhere by Rebecca Wells
The prequel to Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood. And, oh, so much better. I so hope you didn't bother with the movie...
The Long Ships by Frans G Bengtssen
A rollicking saga of the viking age. Published in 1952 this is both hillarious and illuminating.
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
A group of scientists seek to preserve knowledge as the civilizations around them start to regress.
Cautionary Verses by Hillaire Belloc
The story of Jim who ran away from his Nurse and was eaten by a Lion and other fabulous verses are a staple from my childhood and best read with an English accent. I hear Stephen Fry has recorded the verses. He would be excellent.
The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkein
Hobbits on a mission to destroy a ring. Seriously, this hardly needs an introduction. A complete classic which the movies, while excellent, hardly touched in any meaningful way.
The Secret River by Kate Grenville
The story of Kate's convict ancestor, Sam Wiseman, disguised as William Thornhill. The story of convict settlement on the Hawkesbury River north of Sydney at the very beginning of white settlement in Australia. Does not pull punches.
Jonathon Strange & Mr Norell by Sussanah Clarke
An alternate reality where magicians really existed as a once-respectable profession in 18th and 19th century England. No cloaks and wands in this one. But at over 1000 pages leave it for the holidays.
Carpentaria by Alexis Wright
Oh man, this book is so amazing. A saga of indigenous Australia set in the Gulf of Carpentaria and starring the North of Australia. Written in the style of indigenous story telling this book took me 240 of its 520 pages to 'get' but once I got it I loved it and then re-read it straight away. It's one of the few books I have full of yellow post-it notes.
I always worry when I put together such a list that I have forgotten a long lost book that I love. But no matter, it can always go on next year's list.
How about you? Anyone else want to share a favourite book?
13 comments:
I love the idea of a top 10 but like you mine would change frequently. I have to admit that apart from a few on your list (little altars, secret river) I haven't read many of your top 10 so will have to add them to my reading list.
Oh this is like asking me to pick a favourite child. No, on second thoughts, that would be easier.
I agree with your choice of The Secret River. I loved this book although it made me feel terribly ashamed as well.
I'd also add The Book Thief (Marcus Zusak), Sense & Sensibility (Jane Austen), Dr Zhivago (Boris Pasternak), Saturday (Ian McEwan), The Seduction of Mrs Pendlebury (Margaret Forster), Cafe Scherazade (Arnold Zable)
Some of your recs sound really good, I will keep them in mind! Especially The Long Ships, I'd never heard of it but it sounds right up my alley. Bless you for including Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, because I don't think Susanna Clarke has received enough acclaim for this magnificent work yet. I just can't conceive of the years of research and planning that she put into this novel! It's amazing.
As for me, my favourites change too, but one constant is the author Nick Earls. I'm a diehard fan. His YA books are my favourite, particularly the beautifully written After January because I discovered it at just the right moment as a teen, but his 'adult' books are good too, and very funny. I also adore Emotionally Weird by Kate Atkinson, a hilarious campus novel set in Dundee in the 70s. I'm indifferent to Behind the Scenes at the Museum, but have read Emotionally Weird more times than I can count. And oh, have you read Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair? It's the ultimate book for book-lovers.
I've read 3 on your list but haven't even heard of some of the others. Must add them to the list. I see you are reading "The Slap" - any thoughts? so many people have told me to read it, which always makes me nervous about being let down.
Ohh great list thanks - and a few new titles to add to my TBR pile. Thank you!
Hmmm, favourites from the past couple of years are Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, Possession by A S Byatt, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, Broken for You by Stephanie Kallos, Eucalyptus by Murray Bail, anything by Kate Atkinson except Emotionally Weird (in complete opposition to previous commenter!), A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, and a fabulous book of short stories by Jhumpa Lahiri called, rather spectacularly, Interpreter of Maladies.
Many more of course but they spring to mind.
Best two if you can't read all those (and why on earth can't you?!) must be Bel Canto and A Fine Balance.
That is such a great list and quite a few I haven't read so will get on to that.
The Time Traveller's Wife would definitely be in my top ten - such an incredible concept and well written too..
Oh man...only ten??
The Secret River would definitely be on there...but so would The Idea of Perfection and I don't know if I could hand over two spaces to the one author.
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. Diana: Her True Story by Andrew Morton. The Road by Cormac McCarthy.
Like saffronlie I *do* love Nick Earls books - and they would once have been on the Top 10...but I suspect they've been edged out by others now.
I did love Little Altars Everywhere, but you know my views about Lord of the Rings...
And if I had to do a list of top 10all-time most hated books... The Slap is top of my list.
Arghhhhh. Too many books. Too little time.
I note a predeliction for science fiction and/or fantasy on your list. I feel ashamed to admit that I am still to read The Secret River and I have her next one to read as well!
My top ten changes constantly too but out of this year's reading I would have to add Sebastian Barry's The Secret Scripture. I would also have to add from last year, Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma and Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Vegetable Miracle - that is if non-fiction is allowed!
I am also a great fan of Edith Wharton but I think I would have to choose Age of Innocence ahead of The House of Mirth.
Like Fairlie, I say, ONLY ten?
I would add Wharton's Age of Innocence, Candide, Chocolat, The Time Traveler's Wife, The Sisters (the story of the Mitfords), Atlas Shrugged, Animal Vegetable Mineral, ...
ditto to a lot of the comments above - adding The Book Thief, and definitely disliking The Slap.
Of recent times, i'd add The House of Sand & Fog, and There's Something About Kevin.
I liked both Little Altars and the Ya-Ya .. but yes, the movies, ugh...
Gosh, it's not boding well for The Slap is it. I'm only on the first chapter and already it has grated on me. Might be exacerbated by the fact that Christos Tsiolkos doesn't have children but feels he is an expert on them because he is an uncle...
Oh! Cautionary Tales by Hillaire Belloc, I lerve that book.
I would put Nick Earls' Zigzag St and Barbara Trapido's Brother of the More Famous Jack in there for sure. But I suspect my faves would include some childhood comfort reading like Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild.
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