This is the final selection of mini reviews of the books I've read this year. These are all from the second half of the year when my reading rate went down considerably.
The Liar by Stephen Fry - A wonderfully constructed novel, written with the deftness of touch that you'd expect from Fry. With autobiographical elements, the book traces the public school and university life of Adrian Healy, recounting the events that led him on a continental tour with his professor, Donald Trefusis.
Firmin by Sam Savage - This was a fantastic story told by the eponymous hero - who happens to be a rat. His mother made her nest in a bookshop, and Firmin stays when she dies and his siblings leave. He develops a relationship with the shopkeeper who is facing the immanent closure of his store. Can Firmin do anything to help?
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wolstonecraft - Unfortunately I never got finished this. One for next year now.
The Whole Day Through by Patrick Gale - I really want to read Gale's "Notes on an Exhibition" but picked this up as a special offer. Taking place over the course of a day, this is a story about missed opportunities and regrets. The main characters are former lovers meeting by chance after many years - but each carries their own baggage, expectations, commitments and competing demands.
Paddy Clark Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle - Doyle expertly writes from the point of view of 10 year old boy. In what is almost a stream of consciousness, the narration jumps from one subject to another in the way children's conversation often does. A vivid picture is created of the Ireland of the 60's and the families and community that it created.
The last two books completed were Transition by Iain Banks and Northern Lights by Philip Pullman - click the link at the bottom of this post to see my thoughts on them.
Andrew
You can see more book reviews, including the previous two Books of the year selections, here.
The Liar by Stephen Fry - A wonderfully constructed novel, written with the deftness of touch that you'd expect from Fry. With autobiographical elements, the book traces the public school and university life of Adrian Healy, recounting the events that led him on a continental tour with his professor, Donald Trefusis.
Firmin by Sam Savage - This was a fantastic story told by the eponymous hero - who happens to be a rat. His mother made her nest in a bookshop, and Firmin stays when she dies and his siblings leave. He develops a relationship with the shopkeeper who is facing the immanent closure of his store. Can Firmin do anything to help?
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wolstonecraft - Unfortunately I never got finished this. One for next year now.
The Whole Day Through by Patrick Gale - I really want to read Gale's "Notes on an Exhibition" but picked this up as a special offer. Taking place over the course of a day, this is a story about missed opportunities and regrets. The main characters are former lovers meeting by chance after many years - but each carries their own baggage, expectations, commitments and competing demands.
Paddy Clark Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle - Doyle expertly writes from the point of view of 10 year old boy. In what is almost a stream of consciousness, the narration jumps from one subject to another in the way children's conversation often does. A vivid picture is created of the Ireland of the 60's and the families and community that it created.
The last two books completed were Transition by Iain Banks and Northern Lights by Philip Pullman - click the link at the bottom of this post to see my thoughts on them.
Andrew
You can see more book reviews, including the previous two Books of the year selections, here.
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