tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post8800063869567568464..comments2024-02-10T19:58:20.327+00:00Comments on Stuck in a Book: Favourite book of the year...?StuckInABookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10017836017530130716noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-3679825138791744202008-12-24T19:40:00.000+00:002008-12-24T19:40:00.000+00:00I don't know if I could actually narrow it down to...I don't know if I could actually narrow it down to one. My favourite non-fiction was <I>Old Books, Rare Friends</I>, by Leona Rostenberg and Madeleine B. Stern, but the fewest I can narrow it down to for fiction is three--<I>Grendel</I> by John Gardner, <I>Storming Heaven</I> by Denise Giardina, and <I>The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets</I> by Eva Rice. My full favourite books list is <A HREF="http://tartanwallpaper.blogspot.com/2008/12/my-favourite-books-of-2008.html" REL="nofollow">here</A>Annahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04779787207182248909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-40620774823167036042008-12-22T21:53:00.000+00:002008-12-22T21:53:00.000+00:00'A Thousand Splendid Suns' by Khaled Hosseini. Od...'A Thousand Splendid Suns' by Khaled Hosseini. Odd, because I didn't like 'The Kite Runner'Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-84672478467927626032008-12-22T00:01:00.000+00:002008-12-22T00:01:00.000+00:00A toss-up for me between "Cultural Amnesia" by Cli...A toss-up for me between "Cultural Amnesia" by Clive James and "The Great War for Civilisation" by Robert Fisk. By the way, I'm another one of the "250 a year" mob, so I have a lot to choose from!Pursewardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08093084051459231677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-14469551132138396152008-12-21T17:26:00.000+00:002008-12-21T17:26:00.000+00:00An outstanding book in any year - Geraldine Brooks...An outstanding book in any year - Geraldine Brooks's Year of Wonders. Anybody who likes historical fiction (or good fiction generally) will love it. A beautiful, brilliant book.<BR/>My review of it is here:<BR/>http://hawkinsbizarre.blogspot.com/2008/04/year-of-wonders.htmlAlishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18406189984167289987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-11916400964774618352008-12-21T09:43:00.000+00:002008-12-21T09:43:00.000+00:00My two outstanding contempory reads this year are ...My two outstanding contempory reads this year are Engleby by Sebastian Faulks (1) and The Road Home by Rose Tremain (2). Wonderful re-reads from the past include Barbara Pym's Quartet In Autumn and Mariana by Monica Dickens.Mary Cavanaghhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17969833405395303943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-60267930154506971822008-12-21T04:10:00.000+00:002008-12-21T04:10:00.000+00:00Undoubtly my choice is Jhumpa Lahiri's Unaccustome...Undoubtly my choice is Jhumpa Lahiri's Unaccustomed Earth. She is my find for 2008asimovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06281299146400580083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-29418588182623822982008-12-20T18:16:00.000+00:002008-12-20T18:16:00.000+00:00"Second Harvest" by Jean Giono (pub 1930); fabulou..."Second Harvest" by Jean Giono (pub 1930); fabulous, bleak, hopeful, poignant.<BR/><BR/>Dark PussAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-57876432509544372642008-12-20T16:39:00.000+00:002008-12-20T16:39:00.000+00:00For me it has to be Ferney by James Long - so good...For me it has to be Ferney by James Long - so good I read it twice!<BR/><BR/>CarolAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-73948421366686379502008-12-20T16:30:00.000+00:002008-12-20T16:30:00.000+00:00Oh my, it's kind of hard to pick one book...I've r...Oh my, it's kind of hard to pick one book...I've read some great books this year but I think the one that stuck to me the most was <A HREF="http://www.booksloveme.com/2008/09/the-book-thief-by-markus-zusak/" REL="nofollow">The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.</A>Josettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16398849417612962089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-7335490649483794652008-12-20T14:04:00.000+00:002008-12-20T14:04:00.000+00:00I'm not sure the Four Yorkshire men sketch can be ...I'm not sure the Four Yorkshire men sketch can be bettered, but I hope you enjoyed trying Simon.<BR/><BR/>I find it difficult to make even a best of '08 list, so one book is almost impossible! I think the novel would be A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy, short stories Dance of the happy shades by Alice Munro and non fiction My reading life by Bob Carr. But ask me another time and I'd have different answers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-40697488631277844802008-12-20T13:57:00.000+00:002008-12-20T13:57:00.000+00:00The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry. Like poet...The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry. Like poetry disguised as prose.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-69628649671405051782008-12-20T13:08:00.000+00:002008-12-20T13:08:00.000+00:00I'm not sure I can narrow it down to one. Right no...I'm not sure I can narrow it down to one. Right now, my gut says <I>Blindness</I> by Jose Saramago (http://shelflove.wordpress.com/2008/11/10/blindness-review/), but <I>The Meaning of Night</I> by Michael Cox (http://shelflove.wordpress.com/2008/10/05/the-meaning-of-night-review/) would have to be a close second. I liked the two of these so much, but in completely different ways, that it's very difficult to choose between them!Teresahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09896331683344872038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-54886841366049931482008-12-20T11:44:00.000+00:002008-12-20T11:44:00.000+00:00I was just talking about this on my new improved b...I was just talking about this on my new improved blog yesterday. Without doubt, the best book of the year for me was AN Wilson's 'The Victorians'. An absolute labour of love.<BR/><BR/>http://feministbookworm.wordpress.com/2008/12/19/kirstys-books-of-2008/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-55219327993357132732008-12-20T11:27:00.000+00:002008-12-20T11:27:00.000+00:00I think I read Rebecca this year. That's my winner...I think I read Rebecca this year. That's my winner.<BR/>And then 'Abba's Child' by Brennan Manning, in the non-fiction category. Brilliant.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-67126392956962294332008-12-20T10:12:00.000+00:002008-12-20T10:12:00.000+00:00This is a frightfully difficult question -- I am a...This is a frightfully difficult question -- I am about to start my own 2008 list so I'll probably change my mind soon but right now I'd have to vote for Sebastian Barry's A Long Long Way -- published in 2005, when it for some extraordinary reason failed to win the Booker, this is a truly remarkable book.harriethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04470091985662379182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-44370546671545010082008-12-20T09:08:00.000+00:002008-12-20T09:08:00.000+00:00'My Antonia' by Willa Cather, not only my favourit...'My Antonia' by Willa Cather, not only my favourite book of the year but one of my favourite books of all time. It was just beautiful; the writing, the language, the landscape just everything.Jennifer Deehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05465209544401844796noreply@blogger.com