I usually make a top ten list of my most favourite brilliant books of the year but am sad to report that too few of the books I have read this year could be classed as brilliant.
So heres my top 5 I hope you find something you like amongst them
The Book of Doors – Gareth Brown
Due for publication in February this book is sure to go down a storm.
My review:
A fabulous read for booklovers who enjoy an imaginative fantasy novel with engaging characters.
The main protagonist Cassie, works in a bookshop, in New York. She doesn’t have a great social life nor many friends, though her room mate Izzy is her best pal despite being very dissimilar in nature, loud and gregarious to Cassies quiet solitude.
Cassie is still grieving the loss of her beloved Grandfather, whom she feels she let down when he died, years earlier. So it’s hardly surprising she is happy to spend time chatting with another elderly man, a customer in her workplace, and saddened when he also dies suddenly. What she doesn’t expect is for him to leave her a parting gift. A small rather shabby, yet mysterious little book called the Book of Doors.
It turns out to have some very strange properties, magical abilities, which allow the holder to open doors to … anywhere. Wow! What a gift. But as Cassie learns how to travel the world in moments, she drags an unwilling Izzy along for the ride and what seems like a dream come true soon becomes a nightmare for both women.
It’s a roller coaster ride of huge imagination, eerie and magical and mind blowingly inventive. Yet, despite quite a lot of violence and sorrow, it never becomes too heavy and it’s always pretty easy to follow, it fired all my synapses but didn’t over tax my brain. Great to curl up on a cozy sofa with.
A perfect escape from the everyday and although everything ties up nicely there is a huge promise of a sequel or even a series, which having loved this I can’t wait to be able to dive into.
The Wall by John Lanchester
Thoroughly enjoyed this book, read it after hearing Josie Long recommend it in passing on House of Games. It was a fantastic book and I hope there is a sequel at some point as it ended at a point where I’m itching to know more!
It’s a dystopian novel following a climate disaster, where an island nation bearing a strong resemblance to the Uk has built a wall surrounding the coastline to keep out unwelcome immigrants. The protagonist is a defender of the wall. It’s gripping and page turning and I highly recommend it.
October in the Earth by Olivia Hawker
Wonderful storytelling. Heartbreaking and easy to read.
Set in depression era USA, we rode the freight rails with a pair of female hobos I fell in love with.
Del leaves her cheating hell fire preacher husband and takes to the rails where she meets up with experienced hobo Luoisa who is travelling to earn money wherever she can to send back home to feed and keep her beloved son.
About womens oppression and bonds of loyalty, friendship, love and self discovery. Just perfect reading.
Also read and loved The Fire and the Ore by the same reader
Lucky Red by Claudia Cravens
WOW!! What a fantastic, fabulous book. Undoubtedly one of my top reads of 2023.
So much more than I hoped for. Beautifully written, the story of young Red-haired orphan Bridget flows like the wind on the prairie, from page one. Following her as she deals with her feckless Fathers sudden death, as they are both remdered homeless by his reckless, speculative approach to life.
Alone the teenager sets off across the vast prairie, until she reaches the town of Dodge, where she settles and is soon recruited to work at the only female owned brothel in this dusty prairie town. In her new life as a whore she finds friendship, acceptance and even unexpected love. But her life is blighted and her poor upbringing has tainted her with her Pa’s tendency to make poor decisions and she makes a poor choice once too often almost leading to utter disaster for the girls of the Queen
Its undoubtedly a feminist take on the traditional Western but that doesn’t make it any less atmospheric or utterly believable.
Brimful of wonderful, complex, often flawed characters. Choc a block with action and passion. It never felt exaggerated or over the top, and I LOVED every god darn minute of it and I really hope the author does the decent thing and writes a follow up.
In the Lives of Puppets by T J Klune
Ohhhh, WOW. This book sounds pretty bonkers but it’s … just. blooming. fabulous.
Adorable characters on a wondrous quest.
Description compares it to Pinocchio and indeed it features quotes from Pinocchio at each chapter.
I would draw a strong parallel with the wizard of Oz and Frankenstein especially seeing the protagonist is even called Victor.
I loved it. Especially nurse Ratched.
