I can't remember half the books I've read this year so this is just a selection:
Barrytown trilogy (The Commitments, The Snapper and The Van) by Roddy Doyle: Trilogy about a various members of a family living in Dublin. The Commitments is about son Jimmy Jr, and the soul band he sets up, The Snapper is about daughter Sharon dealing with her pregnancy, and The Van is about father Jimmy Sr starting up a chip van with his friend Bimbo. They are all quite humourous, and the film version of the Commitments is one of the best Irish films of all time.
If on a winter's night a traveler by Italo Calvino: An amazing book. Everyone should read it.
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut: Very strange but brilliant book.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro: As discussed in one of the book clubs recently, a very moving speculative fiction book which is quite disturbing.
Sandman by Neil Gaiman: Not a novel, but a brilliant graphic novel.
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh: Very good book.
The Dictionary of the Khazars by Milorad Pavic: Interesting book. Faux encyclopedia written from three perspectives, Muslim, Jewish and Christian, about the medieval Khazar Empire.
Kraken by China Mieville: Not my favourite mievile book, but quite interesting book about squid theft and a potential apocalypse
Not quite finished but worth mentioning:
Right Ho Jeeves by PG Wodehouse: Classic. Hilarious. Read it. It's available for free on Project Gutenberg.
The Amazing Adventures of kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon: Quite brilliant.
Barrytown trilogy (The Commitments, The Snapper and The Van) by Roddy Doyle: Trilogy about a various members of a family living in Dublin. The Commitments is about son Jimmy Jr, and the soul band he sets up, The Snapper is about daughter Sharon dealing with her pregnancy, and The Van is about father Jimmy Sr starting up a chip van with his friend Bimbo. They are all quite humourous, and the film version of the Commitments is one of the best Irish films of all time.
If on a winter's night a traveler by Italo Calvino: An amazing book. Everyone should read it.
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut: Very strange but brilliant book.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro: As discussed in one of the book clubs recently, a very moving speculative fiction book which is quite disturbing.
Sandman by Neil Gaiman: Not a novel, but a brilliant graphic novel.
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh: Very good book.
The Dictionary of the Khazars by Milorad Pavic: Interesting book. Faux encyclopedia written from three perspectives, Muslim, Jewish and Christian, about the medieval Khazar Empire.
Kraken by China Mieville: Not my favourite mievile book, but quite interesting book about squid theft and a potential apocalypse
Not quite finished but worth mentioning:
Right Ho Jeeves by PG Wodehouse: Classic. Hilarious. Read it. It's available for free on Project Gutenberg.
The Amazing Adventures of kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon: Quite brilliant.
"I mean, if everyone had a soul, there would be no contrast by which we could appreciate it. For giving us this perspective, we thank you." - Nate
What are your top ten reads of 2010?
- 20/12/2010 12:07:54 PM
1404 Views
I'll give you a top five. I only read about 25 books so the top 10 isn't necessarily "good".
- 20/12/2010 07:26:41 PM
938 Views
Let's see, this is an interesting exercise...
- 20/12/2010 08:48:20 PM
1222 Views
I enjoyed Mahfouz, but I agree the translation wasn't stellar
- 20/12/2010 11:27:39 PM
807 Views
I read a Dutch translation, so presumably not the same one as yours.
- 21/12/2010 06:38:29 PM
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- 21/12/2010 06:38:29 PM
813 Views
Okay, have to add Yourcenar's Memoirs of Hadrian in there somewhere, see my review. *NM*
- 29/12/2010 09:41:22 PM
375 Views
Hmm.(New)
- 21/12/2010 02:21:40 AM
1109 Views
You have to be the only person I've ever met who prefers Erikson's first book over the second.
- 21/12/2010 06:42:40 PM
848 Views
Well.
- 21/12/2010 09:19:42 PM
983 Views
Re: I'm with you on Felisin. Boring.
- 25/12/2010 12:45:03 AM
835 Views
Yeah. Whenever I think of DH- it's always the Chain of Dogs.
- 26/12/2010 09:47:49 PM
928 Views
Re: Yeah. Whenever I think of DH- it's always the Chain of Dogs.
- 26/12/2010 11:49:49 PM
800 Views
850? So you have the best 200 pages left? *NM*
- 27/12/2010 11:55:21 AM
396 Views
Hey hey hey no.
- 27/12/2010 02:07:38 PM
830 Views
My top eight in no particular order, as well as my two most disappointing books for the year.
- 21/12/2010 06:19:00 AM
1233 Views
No particular order, also incomplete
- 21/12/2010 10:57:36 PM
917 Views


