2016 has been a busy year for me, so I haven’t read as much as usual. I did read a few fantastic books, so here are a selection of my favourites – with award categories invented to ensure I mention all the ones I that I enjoyed the most:
Best Novella:
A Whole Life by Robert Seethaler
This book may be short, but it manages to pack an incredible amount of emotion and detail between its covers. It chronicles the life of one man living in a remote mountain valley, showing how things change with the introduction of paved roads, cars and hotels.
Best Novel:
Miss Jane by Brad Watson
This atmospheric story about a woman growing up with a genital deformity was beautifully written and thought provoking. I’ll write a full review soon!
Best Debut:
The Good Guy by Susan Beale
A simple but, compelling story that plunges you back into the 1960s.
Best Non Fiction:
It’s All In Your Head by Suzanne O’Sullivan
Insightful book about psychological illness. This important subject deserves a wider audience.
Best Nature Writing:
The Moth Snowstorm by Michael McCarthy
A joyful book, encouraging us to appreciate the beauty of the nature around us.
Most memorable scene:
Invasion by Luke Rhinehart
I won’t forget the giant hairy beach-balls hacking into the US government!
Best Satire:
Blackass by A Igoni Barrett
Thought provoking look at racial prejudice in Nigeria.
5 replies on “Farm Lane Book Awards 2016”
Happy New Year Jackie. I hope you are nicely settle in you new home by now. I haven’t read and of the books that you mentioned but plan to check them out.
Diane, Happy New Year to you too! Yes, I’m settling into my new house well – although I still have a lot of boxes to unpack. Hopefully I’ll have everything sorted soon. I look forward to catching up with all your bookish recommendations in the New Year.
Happy New Year, Jackie! I haven’t read any of those, though I do fancy trying ‘Miss Jane’. Like you, I didn’t read anywhere near as many books as normal in 2016 (which was extremely busy work-wise) so I haven’t even bothered thinking of a top ten. However, in the spirit of your Awards, I’ll offer these:
Best Novella: ‘Mothering Sunday’ by Graham Swift
Best Novel: ‘A Kind of Loving’ by Stan Barstow
Best Debut Novel: ‘The Nix’ by Nathan Hill
Best Story Collection: ‘The Tsar of Love and Techno’ by Anthony Marra
Best Audiobook: ‘Alone on a Wide Wide Sea’ by Michael Morpurgo, read by Tim Pigott-Smith & Emilia Fox
David, I haven’t read any of your favourites either, but ‘A Kind of Loving’ by Stan Barstow sounds like one I need to add to the wishlist. I hope that you have a wonderful 2017!
[…] from anything I’ve read before. Its absorbing, original narrative meant it ended up becoming my favourite novel of 2016. I highly recommend […]