Short Stories, Irish literature, Classics, Modern Fiction, Contemporary Literary Fiction, The Japanese Novel, Post Colonial Asian Fiction, The Legacy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and quality Historical Novels are Among my Interests








Sunday, January 2, 2011

2010 Reviews Part IV


The Reading Life 2010 Year End Review-The Rest of the Story

So far I have posted on my non-fiction reads for 2010, my short stories, and my Japanese literature project.   In this post I will cover the best of the rest of my reading year.    I will say it was a great reading years for me with lots of new discoveries.    I will list my favorite reads of the year in order read with a short comment on each one.

  1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee-been on my TBR list a long time-very good book
  2. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys-I totally loved this book-more than most people do
  3. The Journal of a Tour to The Hebrides by James Boswell-a book to get you ready to read the best biography ever written-also very much a fun read
  4. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte-high canon status work-on my life time reading plan
  5. Indiana by George Sand-a good first Sand
  6. Pierre Et Jean by Guy De Maupassant -a wonderful book
  7. Villette by Charlotte Bronte-parts of it are better than Jane Eyre
  8. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy-a beautiful mysterious book
  9. Wuthering Heights by  Emily Bronte  -high canon status classic-on my life time plan
  10. Parade's End by Ford Madox Ford-a four part work centering on England in WWII-a great work of art-I am so glad I read this
  11. Nana by Emile Zola-glad to read some Zola-been a while-I guess all of Zola can be considered canon status if  you let your canon get big!
  12.  Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson-a wonderfully written work
  13. The Big Four Virginia Woolf Works-Orlando,  The Waves, To the Lighthouse, and Mrs Dalloway-all near the top of the 20th century canon
  14. The Charterhouse of Parma by Stendahl-canon work-
  15. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier-ok let this sneak in!!
  16. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett-a fun read
  17. 84 Charing Cross Road by Helen Hanff-readers will like this
  18. Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov-very original work-will be a classic for sure one day-some say it is already
  19. Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie-considered the best of the Booker award novels
  20. The Red and the Black by Stendhal-very high status classic-on my life time plan
  21. Cousin Henry by Anthony Trollope-just a really enjoyable read-a classic-also a short Trollope-would be  very good first of his works
   If you have read any of these works please leave a comment-

I will do also a post on my year in blogging-and a post on my reading and blogging plans and hopes for 2011.

Mel u

3 comments:

bibliophiliac said...

Mel, you read some great books this year. I'm a little jealous! Hope you have a very Happy New Year, and lots more wonderful reads in 2011

Anonymous said...

Some great titles in there and I like your blogging plans too! Good luck with everything in 2011!!

Teacher/Learner said...

Hi Mel, happy new year! Congratulations on a successful 2010. We have some favourites in common--To Kill a Mockingbird, Jekyll & Hyde. I read 84 Charing Cross Road over New Years (loved it, too!) and God of Small Things a few years ago (painfully beautiful). I plan to read Rebecca & Jane Eyre this year. Here's to a bountifully literary 2011 :D