Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino

Five words from the blurb: husband, dead, poisoning, suspect, deceit

This wasn’t in the same league as The Devotion of Suspect X. The writing was simpler and it didn’t contain any of the same clever twists. I read to the end in the hope of being surprised, but unfortunately I wasn’t. Disappointing.

.

The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty

Five words from the blurb: letter, secret, opens, truth, family

This book was so gripping I found myself trying to read it whilst doing other things. It was a real page-turner, with a fantastic cast of characters. Unfortunately it is one of those books that falls apart under scrutiny and my opinion of it lowers every time I think about it. It created a fantastic discussion at my book group, but I think we’ll all have forgotten what happened by the next meeting.

(because I enjoyed the experience of reading it so much)

.

Underworld by Don Delillio

Five words from the blurb: baseball, Russian, bomb, global, Bronx

I really wanted to read this modern classic, but I’m afraid the baseball bored me rigid. The writing was fantastic, but I failed to connect to any of the characters and felt an increasing sense of dread every time I picked up this massive chunkster. Life is too short to battle through a book this long that does nothing for you, so I abandoned it after about 150 pages.

DNF

The Summer of the Ubume by Natsuhiko Kyogoku

Five words: folklore, ghost, real, explanations, mystery

I was worried that this book might be too scary (it is described as horror on the cover) but that isn’t the case. The Summer of the Ubume is a rich discussion of the Japanese spirit world, concentrating on Ubume, the beings created when a pregnant woman dies. Unfortunately the book is dominated by a debate about what is real and what isn’t and I was already familiar with all the quantum physics and most of the philosophical arguments. If you’re new to this sort of discussion then you’ll love it, but I’m afraid I’d heard 90% of it before.

Despite the problems, it is probably still worth reading for all the information about the Japanese spirit world. 

 

Have you read any of these books?

What did you think of them?

 

The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson

Five words from the blurb: insanity, compelling, adventure, madness, truths

Fascinating investigation into psychopathic behaviour. It was light, entertaining and raised many interesting questions. It didn’t quite go into enough scientific depth for me, but was the perfect introduction to the subject.

.

.

 

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Five words from the blurb: forgiveness, racial, tension, sanctuary, mystery

Had a promising premise, but was surprisingly lacking in emotion. It didn’t give me any new insight into the racial tensions of the American South and I felt that the characters lacked depth. It was compelling enough to finish, but overall I was a bit disappointed.

 

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

Five words from the blurb: American, tragicomedy, adolescence, friendships, fortunes

Fantastic writing and wonderful character development, but the plot failed to grab me. It all felt too ordinary and I’m afraid I didn’t care enough to want to find out what happened.

DNF

.

Strange Bodies by Marcel Theroux

Five words from the blurb: metaphysical, challenging, forgery, identity, literature

Great premise, but I was unable to suspend my disbelief. I abandoned it at the half way point because it became increasingly weird, but lacked the charm or enlightenment necessary to keep me engaged.

DNF

Have you read any of these books?

What did you think of them?

I’ve already listed the best books published in 2013, but there were many other books that stood out for different reasons. Here are the other books that deserve a special mention:

Five star reads:

Thérèse Raquin by Émile Zola (Audio Book) 

The Noonday Demon: An Anatomy of Depression by Andrew Solomon 

Encounter with Tiber by Buzz Aldrin and John Barnes 

Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon 

The Farm Lane Book Awards:

 

Best premise: War with the Newts by Karel Capek 

Dystopian fiction involving intelligent, talking newts? What’s not to love?!

Most Memorable Scene: Andrew Solomon’s description of the assisted suicide of his mother in The Noonday Demon: An Anatomy of Depression by Andrew Solomon 

Most surprising book: The Casual Vacancy by J K Rowling

I loved the Harry Potter series, but didn’t think JK Rowling would be able to transfer her skills to an adult novel. I was wrong. 

Best ending: The Last Banquet by Jonathan Grimwood 

Most memorable character: Don Tillman from The Rosie Project (review coming soon)

Best audio book: Thérèse Raquin by Émile Zola

Most disappointing book: And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

I’ve loved all of Hosseini’s other books and so had high expectations for this one. Unfortunately I found it so boring I abandoned it. 

Best writing: The Fish Can Sing by Halldór Laxness

Most engaging story:  Encounter with Tiber by Buzz Aldrin and John Barnes 

Buzz Aldrin’s experience in space shines through in this book that manages to effortlessly blend historical events with predictions for the future. It’s all scarily possible.

Book I’ve found myself recommending most often: Difficult Conversations by Stone, Patton and Heen 

Best treatment of a difficult subject: Beneath the Darkening Sky by Majok Tulba 

An horrific insight into the plight of African child soldiers. It contains some disturbing scenes, but you can’t help fall in love with the little boy at the centre of this story.

Author I’m most excited about discovering: Émile Zola

Most thought provoking book: Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon

Book which has improved the most since reading: Lamb by Bonnie Nadzam 

Best children’s book: Just Imagine by Pippa Goodhart and Nick Sharratt

A great book to share with children of all ages. It is fascinating to discover their thoughts on a wide range of bizarre subjects, including whether they’d rather be made of lego, elastic or glass!

Book of the year: Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon 

Far From the Tree is the most important book I’ve ever read. It is a masterpiece of research; giving an impressive insight into human relationships and our tolerance of those who are different. If everyone read this book the world would be a better place.

I hope this post introduces you to many fantastic books! Do you agree with my award winners?

I’m taking  a blogging break for Christmas and the New Year. Thank you for reading and commenting on my blog in 2013.

I hope you have a fantastic Christmas and wonderful New Year! 

See you in 2014.

 

2013 has been a strange year for fiction. There have been a lot of great books, but none have really blown me away (I haven’t awarded to any 2013 fiction release). It seems that 2013 has been more about pushing the boundaries and breaking the taboos that have existed in literature until now. I’ll explain more about that next week, but for now I’ll leave you with my favourite books of 2013:

Note: The titles of the book link to my full review.

Kiss Me First by Lottie Moggach

One of the most modern books I’ve ever read. Its insights into social media use and online identity are so relevant to today’s society that it will make readers look at their online activity in a whole new light.

Beneath the Darkening Sky by Majok Tulba 

An horrific insight into the plight of African child soldiers. It contains some disturbing scenes, but you can’t help fall in love with the little boy at the centre of this story.

The Last Banquet by Jonathan Grimwood 

This book is bizarre, but very entertaining. It isn’t for the squeamish, but if you can tolerate some slightly strange butchery you’ll be rewarded by an atmospheric story that is packed with surprises.

The View on the Way Down by Rebecca Wait 

Realistic story about how one family copes with a suicide. The grief and depression are described with an accuracy and sensitivity that deserves special praise.

 

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion 

(review coming soon)

The Rosie Project is the only book that has managed to make me cry with laughter this year. The observations of those with Asperger’s syndrome are spot-on and it is fantastic to read a book on the subject that isn’t depressing.

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

(review coming soon)

Good old fashioned storytelling, packed with vivid characters, period detail, and wonderful snippets of information about 19th century botany.

My Notorious Life by Kate Manning

An atmospheric book set in 19th century New York. It deals with the controversial subject of abortion in a sensitive and thought-provoking way and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys intelligent story-telling.

Tampa by Alissa Nutting

Controversial look at a female paedophile. It is graphic and shocking, but exposes our differing attitudes towards male and female sex offenders.

 

 

 

 

The Son by Michel Rostain

The Son isn’t an easy read as it is based on the true story of a man who lost his teenage son to meningitis. The realistic nature of the text makes this book heart-breaking in places, but it is also full of hope. I’ve never read another book that makes me understand the emotions of another human so completely.

 

Magda by Meike Ziervogel 

A short, but powerful insight into the reason Magda Goebbels chose to murder her own children. It isn’t a happy read, but I love books that pack an emotional punch in this way.

My Favourite Book of the Year:

Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon

The only 2013 release I’ve awarded 5 stars to is Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon. This non-fiction book will make you look at disability, parenting and society in a whole new light. The world would be a better place if everyone read it.

Have you read any of these books?

Did you love them as much as I did?

If you’d like to see which books other bloggers are recommending head over to Kim’s advent calendar, where a different blogger reveals their favourite book of the year each day.

We Love This Book also have a great list of blogger favourites.

I’ll be back soon with a list of my favourite reads from the past year.