Another year seems to have flown by and I have read some amazing books and found some new authors and books to add to my ever growing book pile. 2019 has also seen me start to collect signed first editions. I have a mix of contemporary books, some signed by authors I have met and others I have purchased on line. My main focus though, has been on Booker, Costa and Womens Prize for Fiction nominees and winners.
So after much deliberation, and several edits, here is my final list of top ten books of 2019 (in no particular order).
Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield. This book is an ode to reading and storytelling, and is part historical fiction, part mystery, part folklore but wholly spellbinding. On the Winter Solstice a man walks into the Swan Inn in Radcot with a the lifeless body of a young girl, but amazingly she comes back to life, but is unable to talk. And so the mystery begins of who she is, and how she came to be in the river. Diane Setterfield is a masterful storyteller and is able to capture the readers attention with her flowing prose and memorable characters that bring this book to life. A stunning read in my opinion.
The Illuminaton of Ursula Flight by Anna-Marie Crowhurst. Set during the reign of Charles II and follows the highs and lows of the life of Ursula Flight, for a young girl to an adult. Ursula is a feisty, intelligent and unconventional heroine of the period. Women were not meant to be educated, read books or want to be an actress/playwright. There are plenty of laugh out loud moments, especially at the expense of her dull and gormless husband Lord Tyringham. This is a beautifully written, atmospheric and detailed read; Anne-Marie Crowhurst uses the prose of the period that adds to the authenticity of this book. A witty, engaging and impressive debut novel.
The Labyrinth of the Spirits by Calos Ruiz Zafòn. This is the fourth book in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series that started with The Shadow of the Wind. Set in 1950’s Madrid and Barcelona this book brings back Daniel Sempere, his wife Bea, his father and friend Fermín Romero De Torres. There are also new characters; Alicia Gris, Vargas and Leandro. Alicia is a dark character, a real femme fatal who is an investigator and sometime assassin, and is the one person who could help Daniel find the truth about his mother’s death. Rich in detail, with a multi thread plot line, this is a book that demands your attention and draws you in. This was a magical read and reminded me why I enjoyed reading so much; pure perfection.
Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. A real sex, drugs and rock n’ roll story about the meteoric rise of a band in the 60’s and 70’s. Daisy Jones was a wild child of the 60’s who lived a hedonistic lifestyle. Artistic parents who left her to her own devices, she accidentally finds herself signed by a record label and the ‘it’ girl of the moment. The Six are a band formed by the Dunne brothers and have had a lot of success, but it is the joint venture with Daisy that really takes off and send them stratospheric. Written as an interview we see the highs and lows of the band, the addictions, the arguments the creative differences and ultimately their self destruction. There is a rawness of emotion and verisimilitude in the writing that I forgot that this was a piece of fiction. An amazing read that I was. sad to finish
The Photographer of the Lost by Caroline Scott. This book is one of the most beautiful and poignant books I have read in a long time. 1921, Harry takes commissions to photograph the graves and last known places of those killed or missing in action from World War I. He also has a personal quest, finding what happened to his brother Francis, classed as missing in action. Edie is Francis’s wife, and after receiving a photo in the post believes her husband to be alive, so joins Harry in France to search. This is a brilliant debut novel that looks at what happens after he fighting has stopped, how the families deal with not knowing what happened to their loved ones, how the towns were left in ruins and how the vast cemeteries we now know came about. This is a powerful and emotional read of love, loss, rememberance, hope and forbidden love.
Black Summer by M W Craven. This is the sequel to the deliciously dark Puppet Show that read at the beginning of the year. Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw are back together investigating how a chef’s daughter seemingly comes back from the dead and then mysteriously disappears again. This is one of the most intelligent and gripping plot lines I have read in a long time, and I love that I had no idea who, what or why. Poe and Bradshaw’s relationship is what makes these books such a joy to read. Poe’s sarcasm, charm and dogged work ethic versus Tilly’s high intelligence, limited social skills and saying things as she sees them, put together there are plenty of laugh out loud moments as well as the respect they have for each other; they are becoming my favourite crime fighting duo.
A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier. A Single Thread is set in the 1930’s, Violet Speedwell is classed as a ‘surplus woman’, a women whose fiancé was killed in the Great War, and now has no, or little chance of marrying. These women were pittied, seen as a threat by some married women and treated like lesser citizens. Violet wants independence so moves to Winchester to get a job and live on her own. Whilst there he meets the Broderers and Louisa Pesel who are commissioned to embroider cushions and kneelers for the cathedral. This is a book about women’s relationships, as friends, lovers, daughters, sisters, and mothers, and how society views them. This is a poignant read, full of historical detail, unforgettable characters and is a stunning read.
The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott. This is one of the most intriguing books I have read in a long time, and one that left me with a huge book hangover. Set in the 1950’s during The Cold War, Boris Pasternak is writing Dr Zhivago, a book seen as subversive in the Soviet Union, and thus banned, but is published in Europe. In America the CIA uses two female agents to smuggle the book back into Russia as a weapon in the Cold War, to show the citizens what it’s regime is suppressing, a book that could change history. Historical fiction, espionage, thriller, and romance combine to make this a stunning debut novel from Lara Prescott. I love Dr Zhivago and thought knew a lot about Boris Pasternak and it’s reception, but I never knew about it being used by the CIA.
The Confession by Jessie Burton. I devoured Jessie Burtons’s two previous books so was excited when Picador sent me an advanced copy of The Confession to review. Set in 1980’s Los Angeles and London and 2017 London, this is a book about motherhood in all it’s different guises and the decisions women make in life. Present day Rose has never known her mother as she left when Rose was just a few months old. Rose’s father has never said much so when he gives her the name of author Constance Holden Rose seeks her out. 1980 Constance befriends Elise and takes her to LA for the making of a film of her book. The glamour soon fades and Elise finds herself lonely and lost and in her naivety into a relationship with Matt. A powerful and compelling read this. book had me absolutely gripped.
The Sun Sister by Lucinda Riley. Lucinda Riley is one of my favourite authors and I have been in a state of excited anticipation for a year to read this sixth instalment of the Seven Sister’s series. Electra is the youngest of the sisters a model and party girl, but is also addicted to drink and drugs. After being contacted by her maternal grandmother, Electra learns about her Kenyan heritage and the life of Cecily Huntley-Morgan. Lucinda Riley brings the heat and dust of the Kenyan plains to life and the scandalous society of the Happy Valley set. This series just gets better and better, and this ambitious and stunning novel is the best yet.
