I’ve already listed the best books published in 2012 and my favourite reads of the last year, but there were many other books that stood out for different reasons. Here are the other books that deserve a special mention:
Best treatment of a difficult subject: The Lost Memory of Skin by Russell Banks
This book looks at the way sex offenders are treated in American society. It is eye opening and thought provoking. Just a shame the ending wasn’t very good.
Author I’m most excited about discovering: Melvyn Bragg
Most Memorable Scene: The one with the cat and the piano in Care of Wooden Floors by Will Wiles
Most surprising book: Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
I thought this book would be really dull, but it captivated me.
Best premise: The First Century After Beatrice by Amin Maalouf
Best ending: The Cook by Wayne Macauley
Most memorable character: June from Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
Best audio book: Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Green
Worst book: Lionel Asbo by Martin Amis
Best writing: A Death in the Family by Karl Ove Knausgaard
Most thought provoking book: It’s a tie! The Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlman and HHhH by Laurent Binet
These books both deal with a similar subject matter. Both will make you think about the way history is recorded and what it is important to remember. They are my favourite books of the year and I highly recommend them.
Most gruesome scenes: The Cow by Beat Sterchi
Book which has improved the most since reading: The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
I wasn’t that impressed with this book when I was reading it, but on completion everything slotted into place and it went up in my estimation. Several months down the line my appreciation of this book continues to grow.
Book of the year: HHhH by Laurent Binet
HHhH is one of those rare, faultless books. It is thought provoking, ground breaking and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Do you agree with my choices?
Would you like to suggest any more categories for me to place books in?
This will be my last post of the year as I’m taking a short blogging break to celebrate Christmas/New Year.