Apparently Top (Best & Worst) Lists are the shit right now as the year bows down and the curtain closes. So I grabbed me a few slices of day old pizza and some bubbly sugar water and try to list my List. It’s not as fancy or well read as others and there are many like it but this one is mine. All of those books managed to stay in my mind and to resurface every time anybody asks for recommendations. They evoked emotions or thoughts and were just wonderful.
So, not in order or any judgement and with Goodreads Links:
I cheated by some standards as this was an audiobook. Narrated by the wonderful Jeremy Irons it had just the right amount of britishness to it and on occasion he sounded like Neil Gaiman.
The Parable is wonderfully told and does not hide what it is and does not strive to be something else. Poor boy seeks big treasure and learns about life itself.
Most people who seems disappointed in this book, had different expectations. It reads as a simple tale with a large message and I got lost in it. It motivated me, made me sad and contemplative. It’s impact several months later has now faded but the desire in me to recommend it and to possible re-read it is still there.
Expect a whimsical, philosophical and metaphorical self help book disguised as a fairy tale.
Flowers for Algernon – Daniel Keyes
Any book that manages to make me tear up or even cry will remain in my head. Books that evoke emotions are the most masterful works. The development of Charlie and the way it is written is genius. A great character arc and tale that intelligence does not make a person better per se. A deserved classic.
After finishing the book I watched the movie too. Such an emotional ride. It reminded me of the kind of books I loved to read as a child. Adventures of Children in difficult circumstances, be it in Fantasy Worlds or our own. One of my very early attempts at writing was about a group of children in WW2, involving a (predictable) love triangle between a Hitler Youth and his jewish friend.
This Book gave me all the feelings and the characters are lovable. Being German and Polish I was delighted to get the deeper meaning of “Saukerl” or other words thrown around. Liesel’s advenures and books make the reality of her present a surreal experience with a predestined end. This is a book I am buying for others to read.
Ghosts of the Tsunami: Death and Life in Japan’s Disaster Zone – Richard Lloyd Parry
The only non-fiction book I truly enjoyed this year. It tells the tale of the immediate aftermath in a small community and school of the Tsunami of 2011.
If I had to pick a book of the year, this would be it. Simply for the fact that months after I read it, I tried to describe it to my mother and teared up. Parents looking for their lost children, drowned or succumbed to cold their remain had to be gathered afterwards. What a chilling scenery.
It follows the question if the evacuation plans and preparations were correct and tries to put on a complete picture of what has led to a school not being safe and children evacuating in the direction of the tsunami instead of the mountains.
There is also a part that deals with the emotional and spiritual aspect of those dead coming back to haunt and in regards to Japans spirituality was something unusual for western readers.
Such an interesting tale. In the style of Cormac McCarthy, Myers forgoes most punctuation and signs of dialog. Sentences read like this:
The weather was cold he said and took to the mountains.
At the beginning I needed to get used to it but after a while I was hooked by the scene descriptions and the characters. A mute girl steals a baby from a family to save it and a fallen priest and a poacher try to capture her as she flees over mountains and forests. Good and bad become grey and its just a relentless hunt.
Was not happy with the ending at first but it was a good one nonetheless. So glad I found Benjamin Myers this year and looking forward to read his next book.
Bearded Writing 