The top 5 literary fiction books I have read over the last year
If you love beautiful writing these are the books for you!
1) The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
Ok, I’m cheating already! This book is a memoir. However, her writing is just wonderful. The voice of her younger self, just works. The story of her childhood involves extreme poverty and madness but the theme that comes through is one of resilience.
2) Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton
This book has a lot of words in it! I was glad I’m a fast reader. But the story is wonderful. A girl and her mother are running from the police and living rough. I loved the ideas of houseless not homeless, and all the characters who wander through her world as we watch the girl move towards adulthood.
3) The Garden of the Evening Mist by Tan Twan Eng
This book examines the choices we make during war while following the creation of a garden to honour a fallen sister. Loved the theme of the horimono tattoos. The main character is developing aphasia (inability to understand and form speech) and is trying to honour the past. The writing of the garden is just beautiful.
4) Less is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer
Greer won the Pulitzer prize for the first book in this series. I don’t think the writing is perfect in this book but that might be why I like it so much!! Arthur Less wanders from disaster to disaster vaguely pondering on life. There is something about his hopelessness that really appeals to me and makes me laugh
5) A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Everything by Amor Towles is worth reading but this is my favourite. Count Rostov is a poet who is sentenced to hotel arrest by the Bolsheviks in Moscow. He lives his life while the world explodes outside his window. Rostov is a wonderful character, complex and interesting!
What is your favourite book over the last year?
Very difficult to choose but here are 4 very different reads that I could not put down - Prima Facie by Susie Miller - The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros - The Seven by Chris Hammer - Crossing the Line by Nick McKenzie. None qualify as beautiful writing but I did find them compelling reading.