This is going to be quite a difficult post to do, as I’ve read so many books this year and loved so many of them, that picking just a few or putting them in order will be a bit of a strain! So I’ve decided to just list a few of the stand-out reads that really made an impact and stayed with me the most:
Elizabeth Taylor
This was the year I discovered the *other* Elizabeth Taylor, thanks to the wonderful LibraryThing Virago Modern Classics group. Over the 9 months since I did, I’ve read all 12 of ET’s novels and I think she’s an amazing and underrated writer. Her subtlety, her eye for detail, her economy of style and her ability to get to the nub of things have made her one of my favourite writers. It’s difficult to pick out a favourite – at the moment I’m tossing up between “A Game of Hide and Seek” and “Blaming” but I think this might change as I reflect on her books.
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day – definitely my Persephone of the year! I’m ashamed to say I only discovered this wonderful publisher in 2012 and am still on catch-up. I love the variety of their books – from thrillers to romances to cook books to – well anything that seems to be neglected and need rediscovering! “Miss Pettigrew” is one of the best feel good reads I’ve ever had!
In The First Circle- for Russian Reading Month I undertook a number of volumes, including this chunkster. I’ve read and loved Solzhenitsyn’s work since my teens and this book absorbed me for a number of days. Wonderful writing and wonderful translation – the later subject being something that exercised my mind a lot recently and still has me searching out the best versions of some of my favourites!
A Christmas Carol – a re-read for Dickens in December and my, did I enjoy it! A perfect little book packed with everything you need for a great creepy and yet uplifting Christmas tale celebrating the best side of humans – lovely!
If on a Winters Night a Traveller / Cosmicomics – hard to pick just one Calvino, as I have re-read three this year and want to re-read more. These are very different books in many ways but still with Calvino’s distinctive voice. One of my favourite authors ever!
A Pin to see the Peepshow – this has to be my Virago of the year! I read this quite soon after joining the VMC group and loved it. A brilliantly written, very moving and absorbing story with a heroine who was flawed but who deserved more than life served up to her. I recommend it to everyone.
Guard your Daughters – surprise hit of the year amongst LT members, thanks to Simon‘s championing of the book. A lovely, surprisingly deep volume with a portrait of a lively and endearing family, and how they can conspire to keep an unnatural status quo going without realising it. As many have said, it cries out to be reissued by Persephone.
I haven’t read an awful lot of non-fiction lately but two volumes stand out:
Bright Young People by D.J. Taylor – an excellent read, telling the tale of the bright young things of the 1920s, even-handed and scrupulously fair – a great example of how all factual books should be written.
Nabokov by Gogol – and as if to contradict myself, Nabokov’s unconventional portrait of Gogol by concentrating on specific work still manages to bring the great Russian writer alive, while entertaining the reader with some amazing prose!
Honorable Mentions
A few titles worth mentioning that nearly made it onto the favourites list (and actually the list itself might well be different if I had written it yesterday or tomorrow!):
Conquered City – Victor Serge
What’s Become of Waring – Anthony Powell
Cruise of the Rolling Junk – F. Scott Fitzgerald
Red House Mystery – A. A. Milne
I’ve had a wonderful year of reading, only 6 months or so of which have been rambled about here since I started blogging. It’s possible that I’ll set myself some reading challenges for 2013 – but whether I stick to them is another matter!
Dec 31, 2012 @ 18:51:21
We might disagree on Calvino (I’m er, not a fan
) but everything else sounds really interesting. You are possibly the worst influence on my book buying this end of year, I hope you’re proud of yourself. :p
Dec 31, 2012 @ 19:04:16
LOL! Well, there’s always the January sales (or Awesome Books when they send you a code!).
The hard part now is to be realistic about what challenges I set myself next year…
Jan 01, 2013 @ 11:02:00
I think Miss Pettigrew is one of my favourite books of all time, not just as a Persephone. That’s a lovely list, and there are many books there that appeal to me a lit. Happy New Year and may 2013 brings you many bookish treats!
Jan 01, 2013 @ 11:25:05
Happy new year to you too!
Looking back, I’m quite pleased with the number and variety of books I read in 2012 – I’ll have to try and keep up the standard this year!
Jan 01, 2013 @ 12:08:54
You had a great year! I really enjoyed getting to know you through your blog, the Virago Group, and of course the Taylor Centenary. Here’s to 2013!
Jan 01, 2013 @ 13:46:28
It *has* been a great year bookwise – and I’ve really enjoyed making new friends through the book blogging community. Thanks for all your support with the Elizabeth Taylor readalong!
Jan 01, 2013 @ 19:57:36
You knoiw it’s been a good reading year when you struggle to write this sort of post! Lots of books I don’t know but the ones I do (Taylor, Watson, Dickens, Jesse) I love. I hope your 2013 is as good.
Jan 02, 2013 @ 10:44:44
Looking back I think it *has* been a good year – it was very hard to pick out my favourites!