Time to have a look at what I have read in 2015 and what turned out to be my favourite books. It is always difficult to name just one, but I will do my best within the different book categories.
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| Outlander poster |
Series: I have read books from six series;
Outlander (Diana Gabaldon),
Poldark (Winston Graham),
Lucy Kincaid and Maxime Revere (Allison Brennan),
The Nell Sweeny Mysteries (P.B. Ryan) and the family saga by Swedish writer Jan Guillou.
The Nell Sweeny Mysteries was a new acquaintance to me, historical fiction on top of it and the books were so good that I had to download all six books and read them in one go! I thoroughly enjoyed them. I must say though, I love all the series so it is really difficult to choose one!
Fiction: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - a wonderful tale from World War II, seen from the two teenager’s point of view. I would also like to mention Jan-Philipp Sendker’s
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, a lovely story on a daughter’s search for her father’s past.
Fiction/Classics: Lady Audley's Secret by M.E. Braddon - difficult to choose here as well, but this was quite a positive surprise for me, so it has to be this one.
Fiction/Historical fiction: Desperate Romantics: The Private Lives of the Pre-Raphaelites by Franny Moyle. I read a lot of good historical fiction this year, so difficult to choose here as well. I choose this one though, since for me, it was an introduction to the Pre-Raphaelites and their fascinating world and paintings. I have read more historical fiction about them and still have a few to go.
Non-Fiction: Jag tänker på Linné - Han som såg allt (Carl von Linné) by Karin Berglund. This book about Carl von Linné, the botanist from the 18th century who sorted our flora and fauna into an orderly system, is a master piece and made me see him in a different light. A man dedicated to his main interest in his life and his never tiring pursuit of organising nature.
Non-Fiction/Biography: Daughter of Earth and Water: A Biography
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley by Noel Gerson. The biography about Mary Shelley is superb and I am full of admiration for this outstanding woman, who was so far ahead of her time.
Non-Fiction/Historical: A Brief History of the Celts by Peter Berresford Ellis. It is a fascinating story about a people who did not leave very much in writing for us to understand their culture. However, Peter Berresford Ellis manages to put their culture together into a fascinating tale of a people who created a highly developed culture for their times.
Mystery: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. I read many more mystery books than I normally do. Many of them very good. I really liked this book and the slow developments in the story that make you continuously review you idea of what is going on.
If I have to choose one book that I consider the best read in 2015 it will be:
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
I am reading All the Light We Cannot See starting as soon as I finish my current book about the staff who live and work in the White House in the USA. I should be done in a day or two. Our book group is talking about All The Light We Cannot See in February. It is good to see this was your favourite book of the year. It has been a favourite of many people so I look forward to reading it.
ReplyDeleteI am sure you will have a lot to discuss. I wish we had read it in my reading group. It is a winner, and I am sure you will like it.
DeleteYour goals for 2016 looks good. I am still trying to collect and find a red thread in my reading for the coming year.
Everyone loves All The Light We Cannot See, and I have started it three separate times but can't get past page 5. Maybe it's just not for me.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to know that you liked the P. B. Ryan series, which is totally new to me, but I downloaded the book you showed in your picture when it was on Free Book Friday for my nook. Now I'm looking forward to it, knowing that it was a favorite of yours.
Give it another try. It was a little bit slow for me too in the beginning, but once your inside it, it is hard to put down. It is not a difficult read as such and the story is really good.
DeleteAll the Light We Cannot See is make everyone's best-of-2016 list. I really need to give it a go! Happy New Year Lisbeth!
ReplyDelete