The Book List

So here's what my little brain has been feeding on over the past 12 months

Again this year I'll just put in bold what you absolutely can't afford to miss, ie if you read nothing else next year read these - for the sake of your soul!

The Dead Fish Museum - Charles D'Ambrosio - short story collection - bought it because of a rave review - some gems, a v different style

The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco - this guy is the original Dan Browne - a good read as monk murder mysteries go, prob a little slow for some tastes

Let the Great World Spin - Colum McCann - adored the writing in this, felt a bit like a collection of short stories rather than one novel, but enjoyable all the same (Colum will be thrilled to hear I said so, I'm sure)

Hard Boiled Wonderland at the end of the World - Haruki Murakami - the usual Haruki booky, it's all about the journey with him, I do like his stuff alot

The Leave Taking - John McGahern - great read by a very talented writer

The Pornographer - John McGahern - wolfed through this and loved it

Davey Byrne's Short Stories - in between feelings on some of the stories but Foster was a good winner of the 25 K

Dogs and Wolves - Irene Nemirovsky - really interesting - told with a certain distance yet the end effect was very impactful feeling.

The Piano Shop on the Left Bank - Thad Carhart - if you love pianos and piano tuners this is a warming one. If not, you could live without it.

The Castle - Franz Kafka - glad I got around to this - a bit of a trawl - you always feel like you're suffering along with the characters - but well worth it

Metroland - Julian Barnes - not massively touched by this one

The House in Paris - Elizabeth Bowen - Great dramatic story - very well told - though it takes 60 pages to really get going.

Capital Sins - Peter Cunningham - who guested on my show - all about Celtic Tiger Greed etc

Skippy Dies - Paul Murray - 660 pages that keep moving, enlightening, and entertaining - a joy.

What was lost - Catherine O Flynn - this is the kind of book I might end up reading twice because I have so completely forgotten the first read.

New Moon - Stephanie Meyer - does anyone else find Bella intensely irritating? Guilty Pleasure - saving the next one for next year.

Rashomon and other Stories - Ryunosuke Akwoguwa - maybe lost in translation, life was too short to even finish this.

Notes from the Underground - Theodore Dostyovsky - Fantastic. Short but brilliant.

Room - Emma Donoghue - well written, ambitious, pacey in parts, ultimately the characters don't stay long after reading.

Armadale - Wilkie Collins - Great book - takes 200 pages to get going though.

No one belongs here more than you - Miranda July - extremely energetic and interesting short stories, enjoyed them alot.

His name is Rebecca - Rebecca De Havalland and Evelyn Walsh - really well told and an amazing story, a book well worth reading.

Bad Science - Ben Goldacre - Bad book, full of repetition and moaniness - ear candles being the only thing worth hearing about