One of the hardest
questions for an avid reader is “What’s your favorite book?” The task is no easier to come up with a list
of my favorites over the five years of Likely Stories. So, I decided to pick two from each reading
year.
2009-10 – Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín. Tóibín’s prose weaves a serene tale of life
in Ireland and Brooklyn, NY. The main
character Eilis matures quickly after her arrival and develops a relationship
with a young man she meets at a dance.
Toibin writes lovely prose.
And Ballistics by Billy Collins. This collection, by my favorite poet,
sparkles with all the wit and humor, which characterizes his poetry.
2010-11 – Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy
Schiff. Schiff has written one of
the most entertaining biographies I have ever read. She brings the Queen of the Nile into sharp
focus with all her strengths and weaknesses. Also, The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. Another writer with elegant and beautiful
prose, which tells the story of a close bond between a loner and a young girl
who share a love of books and reading.
2011-12 – The Radetsky March by Joseph
Roth. The thread which ties this
list together has emerged: spectacular, beautiful, enchanting prose. This novel, set during the Napoleonic Wars
might not seem interesting, but that would be a mistake on any reader’s part. Next, The
Golden Droplet by Michel Tournier. This story of a young girl’s search for a
woman who took her photograph excites, saddens, and pleases on every page.
2012-13 -- The Red and the Green by Iris
Murdoch. Iris Murdoch is one of my
top three authors. Her novels have large
casts of characters with intricate plots.
Nearly every one of her novels is a masterpiece. And, Wolf
Hall by Hilary Mantel.
This first volume in a trilogy covers the life and loves of the Tudor
Court of Henry VIII. This Booker Prize
Winner was followed by the same award for part two, Bring Up the Bodies. Part
three is due out sometime in 2015. I
can’t wait.
2013-14 – Now we
come to my 5th year of sharing my love for fine literature with my
dedicated and faithful listeners. I have
declared a dead heat between Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch and Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84. Goldfinch is one of the finest novels I
have ever read. Despite its length, it
was a fast read – a page turner some might say – about a young man who loses
his mother in a terrorist attack, but new friends place him on a much more
secure path to adulthood. This is a must
read. And finally, Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84 is another must read. Again, I urge readers not to allow the
length – 933 pages – to deter from reading this fascinating story of two
children, who share a secret bond neither of them fully understands. Twenty years after their single encounter,
they search for each other.
--Chiron, 8/21/14
No comments:
Post a Comment