Here are some of the books I most enjoyed last year.
Young Adult Fiction
A Gathering Light in Jennifer Donnelly
A sad, beautiful and moving tale of a young girl's struggle against
social conventions and expectations. Donnelly has a lovely way with
words, and her heroine, Mattie, is one of the most attractive and
sympathetic I've come across in YA literature.
My Heartbeat by Garret Freymann-Weyr
This book is about family relationships, sexual identity and social
expectations. The narrator, Ellen, is a bright and sensitive
14-year-old girl who is caught in an uneasy love triangle with her
beloved older brother and his best friend. Freymann-Wyer's characters
are unpredictable, complex and real, and she explores the difficulties
of growing up, toeing the line and finding oneself with honesty, and in
language that is at once gritty and poetic.
I've just finished her book The Kings Are Already Here. I like Freymann Weyr's teenagers because they are nothing like the irritating, self-absorbed, fashion-obsessed nitwits in books like Gossip Girl and The Clique.
I'm looking forward to When I Was Older, her first novel.
Fantasy
The Merlin Conspiracy by Diana Wynne Jones
This kind-of-sequel to Deep Secret
(same multiverse, some of the same characters) is classic Wynne Jones,
with complex and confusing plots, and intriguing and intense
characters.
Keys to the Kingdom: Grim Tuesday by Garth Nix
I'm
so happy that there are five more books to look forward to in this
series. I haven't read that many fantasies, but Nix's books, as far as
I can tell, are highly original (not to mention addictive).
Picture Book
The Best Pet of All by David LaRochelle
Love the story, love the illustrations, especially of the debonaire dragon in dark glasses and hat.
Best Seller
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Unlike Eyeris (as well as Martin, my husband) I'll happily read books
(listen to music, watch movies) that are all the rage. Doesn't bother
me one bit to be one of the herd ;-) Well, after hearing my editor rave
about this book, I bought it, read it and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's
not high art, but it sure is entertaining. The ideal travel companion.
Non-Fiction
Love Works Like This: Travels through a Pregnant Year by Lauren Slater
I
liked this book and it had nothing to do with being pregnant myself. I
just think Slater is a brave woman who has written a uncompromisingly
honest book about the scary side of pregnancy and motherhood.
Out-of-Print
Thanks to my lovely friends Helen Vincent and Kwan, I now own some
long-wished-for titles by Antonia Forest, Lorna Hill and Jean Estoril!
And ... The Book That Didn't Live Up to the Hype
Sugar Rush by Julie Burchill
I didn't think it was as bad as the majority of British reviewers made out, but neither was it as good as Adele Geras
seemed to think. Some of it was very funny, but mostly I felt Burchill
was writing for effect (doesn't she always?): If many young adult books
feature teenage sex, then, help her God, her's must be about teenage lesbian
sex! The ending didn't ring true at all. And don't be fooled by the
"Explicit Contents" sticker on the cover. If you're looking for smut,
you'll be disappointed.
There are several books that I would have liked to read last year, but didn't, for one reason or another. They include The Master by Colm Toibin and Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke.
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