Review of the Year 2013- Non-Fiction

I’ve only read 4 non-fiction books this year. I thought I would list them all, although the best of these is clear for me.

The End of Your Life Book Club- Will Schwalbe is about a mother who is critically ill, and her son who connect through books as she reaches the end of her life.

 

 

The Elements of Eloquence- Mark Forsyth. Is about writing and speaking style and how to make what you say beautiful.

 

 

Friends like These- Danny Wallace. Is about Danny finding all of his childhood friends.

 

 

1,227 QI Facts to Blow Your Socks off. Another book by the QI team, full of interesting facts.

And the winner is…

The Elements of Eloquence

I love Mark Forsyth’s stuff. Always interesting, but told in an easy to read tone and with a lot of humour. I’m pretty sure reading this during NaNoWriMo helped my writing too.

Review of the Year 2013- Fiction

Only three 5/5 books this year, but the competition is still fierce! Although if you’re a regular visitor you may know which book I will pick as my book of the year…

Life After Life- Kate Atkinson

Is the story of Ursula. Ursula lives, and dies, and lives, and dies, again, and again, and again. It’s a sort of dramatic groundhog day. Living the same life again, and again and again, but things change. Ursula doesn’t exactly know about her other lives, just a vague sense occasionally.

The Almond Tree- Michelle Cohen Corasanti

Is the story of Ichmad. Ichmad is a Palestinian living in an Israeli occupied area. When Ichmad is 12 his father is arrested on terrorist charges and Ichmad’s family get evicted from their house. Ichmad has to start supporting the family.

1Q84- Haruki Murakami

Arguably not a 5/5 book, as I found the beginning difficult. How do you give a blurb for Murakami? Ok so. Tengo and Aoname find themselves in a parallel world. 1984, but with two moons, and little people, and general strangeness. Can they find each other and leave 1Q84 unharmed?

And my book of the year is…

Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life

If you didn’t guess already! I’ve been forcing this book on people all year. It just, wow, swept me away. I couldn’t read anything else afterwards, everything just paled in comparison. I got so involved. I was shouting and Ursula, disappearing, cheering, hoping. READ IT! READ IT NOW!

(Thought I would put up the new cover for interestingness)

Review of the Year 2013- Challenges

I’ve taken part in 3 challenges this year, err and not done great in any. I’m considering the TBR Challenge for next year, but may just go for a challenge free year (except for Rory)

The Rory List (ongoing challenge)

This year I’ve read only 2 books from The Rory List

Emma

House of Sand and Fog (not yet reviewed)

Less than last year, but I have a few lined up for 2014.

I was so excited for the Out of Your Comfort Zone Challenge but things didn’t go so well. I started off well, but partly problems with other people not really participating, partly a lack of finding enjoyable books, and partly trying to save money meant it dropped off my radar after a while. I read only 4 books (and one was an accident!), having aimed for 12

Deep Powder

The Pearl Savage

The Woodcutter

Capitol Hell

I did better with the Wishlist Challenge 2013 and read 9 wishlist books:

The Snow Child

The Lifeboat

Peaches for Monsieur Le Curé

Painter of Silence

Dearly Devoted Dexter

Diary of a Jetsetting Call Girl

Still Alice

The Woman Who Died A Lot

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest