Top 10 2008

As the end of the year rapidly approaches, so too does a time of reflection of the previous 12 months. In the spirit of that, and because everyone else is doing it, I have picked my favourite 10 books from the ones I have read this year. I know this sounds like a large portion of the books I have read this year, but there are some very fine novels in here, all of which I would recommend you go and find, and read, now. There’s an interesting mix of contemporary and classic, and some from all over the world. The big theme, though, seems to be books of which I had very low (or no) expectations. Clearly, this is something I need to work on. Note to self: expect nothing from each book you read…

#07 Time’s Arrow ( 1991 ) – Martin AMIS
Most sensible authors stay well away from the Holocost, unless they’re Jewish. And while Martin Amis is very much not Jewish, his take on Nazi death camps is one of the most original, thought-provoking accounts you are ever likely to read. The trick: it’s written backwards.

#15 Rebecca ( 1938 ) – Daphne DU MAURIER
Even though I had to read this for a class, and I was expecting a girlish account of the perfect man, it turns out that du Maurier’s most famous work is actually an intelligent and disturbing insight into the effects of memory.

#20 Bright Shiny Morning ( 2008 ) – James FREY
No recent author has created more controversy by himself than James Frey. To prove everyone wrong about his lying and cheating ways, his first novel is pretty fantastic. This beautiful look at the lives of people in Los Angeles is an excellent debut novel, and hopefully the first of many.

#23 The Grapes of Wrath ( 1939 ) – John STEINBECK
While most of the ‘classics’ that I have read this year have been pretty good, none of them come as close to deserving that title as this novel does. Steinbeck creates a world of people for whom you feel so much, and his language is just incredible.

#29 The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea ( 1965 ) – Randolph STOW
I wasn’t expecting this to be fantastic, to be honest. But I love that I was wrong. Far from a sentimental and fond look at the effects of war, Stow creates a world that is at once naive and dangerous, where nothing is quite as it seems, and growing up is just not that easy.

#30 Three Cheers for the Paraclete ( 1968 ) – Thomas KENEALLY
So many classic Australian novels are out of print, or hard to find, even if they did win some small award when they came out. Like this Miles Franklin Award winner, which restored my faith in Thomas Keneally and is a truly funny and witty look at conservative religion.

#37 Darkmans ( 2007 ) – Nicola BARKER
I picked this up on the recommendation of a friend, and I’m very glad I did. Despite the distinct lack of coherent plot or resolution, Barker takes us on a wild and bizarre journey into the lives of people who live in the concrete and crazy world of modern England.

#39 The Reluctant Fundamentalist ( 2007 ) – Mohsin HAMID
Another book from the Booker 2007 shortlist. Huh. What I love about this novel is the way that Hamid subverts what you think should happen by the end of the novel, and the way things happen. The main character truly becomes a reluctant fundamentalist, but not the obvious one.

#44 The Hours ( 1998 ) – Michael CUNNINGHAM
I’m not sure this would have made the list had I not read Mrs Dalloway right before it. But, I did, so here it is. Michael Cunningham’s novel is the best tribute to anything I have ever read or seen. He recreates – and more – one of the most famous day sin literary history with such care and style, it’s a joy to read.

#47 The Siege ( 1970 ) – Ismail KADARE
I wasn’t sure about this being on the list, but I realised that I keep thinking about it, so it must clearly have had an impact. Kadare writes an excellent look into the psychology and mentality of a siege, and everything that goes with it. And, there’s that religion/language debate in the middle.