Hello Book Lover,
Better late than never hey!
Well, in all honesty it was scheduled to post at the beginning of January but for some reason it didn’t. I found it hiding in between ‘Top Picks of 2019’ and my review of ‘Normal People’, so I thought I would share it.
I read a total of 54 books last year which I find astonishing. I have a small person and a fairly stressful job, so whilst finding time to read is difficult, it’s really important to me that I do, it’s my way to unwind and relax. Towards the latter part of last year I found that baths are a great way of sloping off to have a couple of hours uninterrupted reading time, so I have factored this in at least once a week.
In 2018 I read some new releases, some old releases, some non fiction, some children’s books, some young adult fiction and also translated fiction.
Overall, I really enjoyed last year’s reading, some books I of course enjoyed more than others. I decided to pick the books which had the most impact and ones which stayed with me long after finishing.
These are the eight books that I chose (these are in no particular order) –
A Different Drummer by William Melvin Kelley.
I read this book at the beginning of Novmeber and it has stayed with me ever since. It’s a fantastic book, heralded as a “lost giant of American Literature” it didn’t disappoint and it really packed a punch! I will admit I was intimidated to read it, however I quickly realised that I had nothing to worry about. It’s beautifully written, heart breaking, witty and unfortunately still so relevant in today’s social and political climate. I do highly recommend this book.
You can read my full review here – Review A Different Drummer by William Melvin Kelley.
Normal People by Sally Rooney.
This book has been everywhere, I just loved it. I enjoyed the clean, stripped back prose which brought to life the rich narrative of two young people embarking on their first sexual relationship – lust, identity, love, passion, self consciousness, self loathing are all discussed within the second book from Sally Rooney.
You can read my full review here – Normal People by Sally Rooney.
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata.
This absolute gem of a book was brought to my attention on Instagram. I haven’t read that much Japanese fiction and I was intrigued by the premise – 30 something woman, working in a convenience store who is struggling to fit into social norms – I knew I had to give it a try. I fell in love with Keiko, I found her character obsessive, dry, witty and heart warming. She was a standout character from 2018.
You can find my full review here – Review – Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata.
Heartbreaker by Claudia Dey.
This book is one of the most unique books I have read, not just in 2018 but in my entire reading life. Heartbreaker is split into three parts and narrated by two humans – Pony Fontaine and Supernatural and one dog. We follow Pony, she lives on The Territory with her family and one day her mother unexpectedly gets up and leaves. We then follow Pony’s endeveours to find out where her mother has gone to. Through the eyes of Pony, her mother’s dog and Supernatural we are taken on a jounrey of love, lost, isolation and the lengths we will go to in order to protect those whom we love.
You can read my full review here – Review Heartbreaker by Claudia Dey
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
This is another book that has been all over Bookstagram, so many people have read it and raved about it! A lot of people whom I value their book opinions were telling me to read it, so when I took part in a book swap, I knew that this was the book I was going to ask for. I devoured it, I couldnt get enough of Evelyn Hugo’s life – This was a book which, for me, really lived up to the hype and I am so glad that I read it.
You can read my full review here – Review – The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
Transcription by Kate Atkinson.
I was ridiculously excited about the release of this book, Kate Atkinson is one of my favourite authors – Life After Life is as near to perfect as a book can get in my opinion. I was not only lucky enough to receive a proof of this book from Transworld’s Alison Barrow, but I also was able to hear Kate Atkinson discuss Transcription at the Manchester Literature Festival with my lovely book club. Transcription is set in 1940 and also 1950, it follows Juilet Armstrong, who in 1940 winds up working with the MI5 – transcribing meetings of facist sympathisers. In 1950 we meet Juliet again. She is working at the BBC at that point and the reappearance of a figure from her past leads her to question what she was told during the war and the actions which she took. As with her previous work, there is humour, sarcasm and English wit running throughout, as well as an examination of consequences.
Melmoth by Sarah Perry.
Melmoth was probably one of the most anticipated books of 2018. Sarah Perry’s second novel The Essex Serpent received such critical acclaim and went on to win the Waterstones book of the year in 2016, it’s easy to see how booksellers, bloggers and readers were all eagerly awaiting her third novel. When speaking at the Manchester Literature Festival in October 2018, Sarah Perry stated that she had always wanted go write a ‘monster’ and she wanted her monster to be a female.
Melmoth is and is also not your typical gothic novel, it has all the hallmarks – lines such as ‘can you imagine it, feeling the mattress sink, the sheets move?’ made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and chilled me to my core. Perry is a pen wielding goddess, the prose in this book is just stunning, the atmosphere which Perry creates through her writing is sumptuous, it’s immersive and I found myself almost wandering the cobbled backstreets of Prague as I was reading.
I have read books previously that have made me think, made me question previous views or that have lit some new interest in me. However, I cannot remember having read a book which made me question whether I am doing enough, should I be doing more and how can I change – Melmoth achieved this.
At Manchester Literature Festival, she talked so emphatically about past atrocities being forgotten, not remembered and in some cases denied. Sarah Perry wanted this conveyed in Melmoth, for us all to bear witness, but she went onto state that as an author she needed to tread a fine line. I felt that she achieved this with Melmoth, it’s a truly remarkable book and I cannot wait to see what her next work brings.
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent.
This was one of my first reads of 2018 and I genuinely have thought about it at various times during the year since reading it. Set in Iceland in 1829, the story, which is based on a real life events, follows Agnes Magnusdottir. Sentenced to death she lives out her final few months on the farm of district officer Jon Jonsson and his family. What ensues is a wonderfully powerful story about one woman’s desperate situation and how sometimes the truth isn’t as simple as black and white. Hannah Kent achieves something wonderful with this book, it is very atmospheric and her use of the landscape is fantastic, it really brings to light the isolation of Agnes and her sitation. The final few chapters are some of the most visceral, heartbreaking and raw that I have ever read, I genuinely felt like I was there watching Agnes. I feel that this short review hasn’t really done the book justice. I do highly recommend it, its a wonderful read and I am definitely not just saying this because I love Iceland.
So, there you have it, better late than never my favourtie books of 2018. Something tells me that 2019 is going to be a cracker of a year, here are my ones to watch out for in 2019 – https://theliteraryaddictblog.wordpress.com/2018/12/31/827/
The Literary Addict 