Yes, it's that time of year again, time to look back on 12 months' worth of reading to see what stands out and to choose 10 titles as my favourite novels for 2007.
It's been a weird year, not least because my professional life got ratcheted up a few gears in May and the pace has been fairly relentless ever since. This means my reading (and blogging) time has been seriously curtailed, but I've still managed to devour at least one book a week.
Anyway, without further ado, here's my top 10 (in alphabetical order by book title):
Between Two Rivers by Nicholas Rinaldi
'One of those rare novels that takes a simple premise -- the lives of
the residents in a tower block in downtown Manhattan -- and turns it
into something truly special, in prose that is, by turn, elegant and
shocking, eerie and mesmerising.'
Digging to America by Anne Tyler
'While there is no real storyline to speak of, Tyler is able to explore two different views
of America -- the insider's and the outsider's -- with tenderness and
insight.'
The Gathering by Anne Enright
'Amid the dark, often depressing, subject matter there are chinks of
light that make the novel surprisingly witty and, in a perverse kind of
way, uplifting.'
I'm Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti
'A delicious treat, one that transports the reader back to that time
when the adult world was incomprehensible and the best thing about life
was riding your bicycle throughout the long, hot school holidays that
lay ahead every summer.'
The Other Side of You by Salley Vickers
'A remarkable, utterly engrossing book that cannot fail to move
any reader, no matter how hardened they might be to the myriad emotions
associated with art, death, life, love and loss.'
The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver
'A fascinating account of one woman's personal growth as she learns that
both men in her life are good people with character flaws and that no
matter who you choose there will always be ups and downs.'
Saturday by Ian McEwan
'A very cerebral
book (quite clever when you consider that the lead character makes his
living operating on people's brains) until you come to the unexpected,
and somewhat shocking climax, which takes the action up a gear or two.'
Strangers by Taichi Yamada
'One of those beguiling tales told in simple, hypnotic prose.'
That They May Face the Rising Sun by John McGahern
'A beautiful, slow-moving book that mirrors the gentle rhythm of rural life and brims with a subdued love of nature.'
The Yacoubian Building by Alaa As Aswany
'A powerful,
thought-provoking and controversial read, but also an entertaining
and enlightening one.'
What books did you fall in love with this year?
