It is a truth universally acknowledged (or at least it ought to be) that you can tell a lot about someone from what is on their bookshelves. Which is possibly why they seem to be what my eye gravitates towards the first time I am in someone's home. (This, among many other things, is a trait I share with Catherine, the heroine of my book,
Inevitable.)
I'm not entirely sure what a person would make of mine, or of the fact that my books, which mostly look unread (as they would when you - ahem - carry them round in an Amazon wrapper to avoid spoiling them) are clearly classified in a definite order according to a precise system, when the rest of my flat bears precisely none of the hallmarks associated with a person with obsessive compulsive disorder or even just the tendency to neatness.
Since I re-acquainted myself with voracious reading a couple of years ago, I've been listing all my bookseverything I've read thanks to a Facebook application. It occurs to me, though, that this may not be the most efficient way of doing so.
It also occurs to me that recording the books I am reading is as good a way as any of tracking the things that consume me, my passions and obsessions and vague interests, over a year, over a lifetime, even. Perhaps even the basis for a future autobiography, who knows.
So, here is my 2010 list for the benefit of those who would like to get to know me (Bradley Whtiford, are you out there?), and for mine too, because I'm sure one day it will tell me something useful. One day, I may well add reviews (and feel free to ask me about a specific book if you are interested) but for now, I'll content myself with purely subjective marks as and when I finish each book.
Recommendations, Amazon style (if you hated that, stay away from this, that kind of thing) are also very welcome.
American Wife, by Curtis Sittenfeld. Six out of ten. Not what I wanted it to be, which was basically a literary version of the West Wing. Only the last 100 of 600 or so pages vaguely scratches that itch. But it did scratch it somewhat effectively.
Reading like a Writer, by Francine Prose. Nine out of ten. Loved it.
Deadlock, by James Scott Bell. Seven and a half out of ten. It's set in New York and DC, has political and Christian overtones: could there be a more ideal read for me? Did not know such a thing existed. Fab.
Washington Square, by Henry James. Eight out of ten.
Le voyage d'hiver, by Amélie Nothomb. Three out of ten. (I am not, like many wannabe literary critics, a Nothomb snob: I've enjoyed a few books by her. But this one, I am convinced, would never have been published had she not already been famous and bound to churn out a book a year. I enjoyed the first third; then it went weird and disjointed and ought to have turned into three separate novels if she could have been bothered, but there you are. At least it's short.)
Finding your voice, by Les Edgerton. Four and a half out of ten. I keep meaning to blog about this one. It irritated me, but it did also teach me useful principles, and was an easy read.
The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton
Scene and setting, by Jack M Bingham. Five out of ten. Yawn, but vaguely useful.
The Art of Subtext in Fiction, by Charles Baxter.
Description and Setting, by Ron Rozelle. Eight out of ten. Really useful and inspiring. Second time through, and actually did some of the exercises this time.
The Corrections, by Jonathan Franzen. Eight out of ten. Could even ignore other people while reading this. Only occasionally did I start thinking, "erm, get to the point please!". Which for a book this long is quite an achievement!
(I've just discovered another useful thing about this list: eleven books in just over two months is not, after all, that bad. Perhaps I am not wasting quite as much of my time as I thought.)
The Art of Time in Fiction, by Joan Silber. Good stuff. Seven out of ten.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Anne Burrows - 8.5/10 Wonderful stuff. I actually dreamed about it one night and woke up thinking I had to finish it right there and then.
State by State, edited by Sean Wilsey and Matt Weiland. Thoroughly recommended - a great introduction to America.
On Writing, by Stephen King. Probably the only Stephen King book I'll ever read but I thoroughly enjoyed it and I loved the accounts of his marriage - so heart-warming.
Brooklyn, by Colm Toibin. Great stuff. Fantastic descriptions of sea sickness, the New York cold, homesickness, and re-entry shock. You felt you were there.
Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte. Giving out 4 out of 10, because I'm feeling charitable.
Beginnings, Middles and Ends, by Nancy Kress. Six out of ten.
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. Seven out of ten. I cried. I never cry at books.
The Writer's Idea Book, by Jack Heffron. Nine out of ten; just what I have been looking for. Of course reading it is only half the story - it's really all about the practical exercises.
The World According to Bertie, by Alexander McCall Smith (a 44 Scotland Street novel). Not high literature, but a perfectly pleasant and at times chucklesome read. Six and a half out of ten.
American Rust, by Philipp Meyer. Man, this guy can write. 9 out of ten.
Bright Lights, Big City, by Jay McInerney. 8 out of ten. Loved his style. Enjoyed the first half more, but who knows if that was a change in my mood or really a change in the book
The Rehearsal, by Eleanor Catton. I'll say 7 out of ten, no, 7.5, because she has some great detail and insight into the lives and minds of teenagers. But the post-modernness of it irritated me a little - the whole not knowing what's really real. Also, it felt like it just stopped, without resolving anything.
Sammy's Hill, by Kristin Gore. The West Wing meets chick lit. Passed the time very pleasantly... :) 7/10
Let the Great World Spin - this is amazing. The writing is practically poetry, the characterisation is deep, the stories touching, the interlocking of lives done beautifully. 9.5 out of ten this one. I think it's up there on my all-time favourites now..
God is closer than you think, by John Ortberg. Every bit as good as the first 35 times I've read it. Nine out of ten. Accessible, practical, inspiring.
The Piano Teacher, by Janice Lee - I hate giving up on books, but by page 130 I was ready to throw things. I didn't much like her writing or the gory war details. Can only assume that whoever compared it to Atonement has never actually read any Ian McEwan.
One Day, by David Nicholl
Word Painting, by Rebecca McClanahan
An Equal music, by Vikram Seth
Drinking Coffee Elsewhere, by ZZ Packer
The Writer's Ideas Workshop, by Jack Heffron
The Earth hums in B flat, by Mari Strahan
Plan B: What to do when God doesn't turn up the way you thought He would, by Pete Wilson - recommended if you struggle with a hope deferred. Refreshingly honest and devoid of platitudes. So good that I begged my old Church to let me review it for their magazine. (Well, not begged, exactly. Offered. They said yes. Hooray.)
The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger - brilliant.
The Art of War for Writers, by James Scott Bell - full of useful info and inspirational quotes, like "a baboon can write 350 words per day. Don't be shown up by a baboon."
Writing your first novel, by Sophie King - Hmm. I don't want to be negative, and there was useful stuff in here, and maybe if it had been the first book I'd read about writing, I would have enjoyed it more. But I found it a little patronising, and it seemed to assume we all want to write commercial fiction, and most of the examples given were from her own work, which grated a little. It's possibly just a question of personal preference - I prefer the more academic kinds of books on this topic...
Hearts and Minds, by Amanda Craig. 7 out of 10. Enjoyed it, and at times found it hard to put down. Identified with a few of the characters, too, and it's always nice to read a book set in a place you know well. The mention of Pimlico made me smile.
Did I kiss marriage goodbye? trusting God with a hope deferred, by Carolyn McCulley. Now I need to go through it all again and actually put this stuff into practice! If I do, my life and those of people around me will be hugely enriched. Recommended, but prepare to be challenged.
The Song Is You, by Arthur Phillip. This is a beautifully written love story - he makes poetry out of clicking iPad wheels and pinging open emails. Deserves to be better known. Nine out of ten. Loved it. One of my favourite books this year.
The Constant Art of Being a Writer, by N M Selby. A really useful overview of and introduction to the life, art, and business of writing - so it does what it says on the tin! 8 out of 10.
84 Charing Cross Road, by Helene Hanff. Relentlessly charming, to use of its own phrases. Full of pithy observations about Brits and Americans, which you will especially appreciate if you experience of both cultures. If you know London and New York, so much the better. 8 out of 10.
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - as a teenager, this would have blown my innocent little mind, but it's a good read. The characters feel real and draw you into their world and their relationship.
A Writer's Book of Days, by Judy Reeves. Her writing prompts are pure magic; her advice and inspiration is invaluable. A must for every writer's bookshelf!
Nine and Counting - the Women of the Senate - dangerously inspiring
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, by Muriel Spark. Fun, dark, quirky, old-fashioned. 7.5/10.
Skipping Christmas, by John Grisham. Fun, entertaining, but the ending was a little on the ridiculous side. 7/10
Falling man, by Don DeLillo. I know realise why DeLillo is on all the if-you-want-to-write-you-must-read-this lists. Haunting, beautiful, heart-breaking. 8.5/10, but I may have loved it more if I hadn't gulped it down so quickly. It's one of those books that may be best savoured.
Incomparable, by Andrew Wilson. Bite-sized, highly accessible theology about the character of God. 8.5/10.
Extremely loud and incredibly close, by Jonathan Safran Foer. Beautiful. Amazing writing. Again, haunting. 9/10
Okay, that might be cheating, since technically I haven't finished it, but if you add the half or so of this I've read with the little of the Piano Teacher that I read, that might make 50 in total, which brings me to my goal.
