I was a lot more varied in my reading tastes this year. I read some young adult fiction, some murder mystery, some historical and some that, to be honest, I'm not really sure of the genre! All were fantastic, though, and these are the books I rated 5 stars. With the novel details I will provide a short summary of my opinion on the book.
- The Uninvited - Liz Jensen. This is a fast-paced, compelling novel that is part psychological thriller, part dystopian nightmare exploring a deeply unsettling portrait of an apocalypse in embryo.
- The Other Boleyn Girl - Phillipa Gregory. A rich and compelling historical fiction novel exploring two sisters competing for the love of a king.
- The Abortionist’s Daughter - Elisabeth Hyde. A gripping, intriguing mystery revolving around the death of an outspoken abortion doctor, found dead in her swimming pool.
- The Age of Miracles - Karen Thompson Walker. A moving novel that, using a resilient and insightful young narrator, explores a portrait of family life set against the backdrop of an altered world.
- The Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins. A trio of novels that explore a post-apocalyptic world where 'tributes' are forced to fight to the death, leaving only one survivor. Deeply disturbing but gripping.
- The Help - Kathryn Stockett. Set in 1962, where black slaves are the norm, one white woman and two black slaves take an extraordinary step to cross the lines that have been drawn for them. An extraordinary read.
- 11.22.63 - Stephen King. King brings the social, political, and popular culture of his baby-boom American generation into an exercise in escalating suspense in this time-traveling novel from a master of writing.
- The Astronaut’s Wife - Robert Tine. A gripping psychological thriller following an astronaut upon his return to earth. But he bought something back with him, something that could mean the end of us all...
- The Weird Sisters - Eleanor Brown. A powerful debut novel that explores the complicated terrain of sisters, the power of books, and the places we decide to call home.
- Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher. Through dual narratives, a debut author weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will affect older audiences as much as the younger ones.
It was a really interesting year, reading wise. I feel like I broke away from my 'favoured three' and took the plunge into exploring different genres and different authors. I learnt a lot about what I like and dislike and I got to enjoy some brilliant novels, as showcased above.
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