Booking Through Thursday - Favorite Reads this Year

It’s an old question, but a good one . . . What were your favorite books this year? List as many as you like … fiction, non-fiction, mystery, romance, science-fiction, business, travel, cookbooks … whatever the category. But, really, we’re all dying to know. What books were the highlight of your reading year in 2007?

I was hoping for this BTT question! I decided to make a list based on the reading challenges I did this year since that's how I kept track of most of what I read. I started this blog in July so this represents only the last half of 2007.

Book to Movie Challenge: My favorite was Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo.

Canadian Reading Challenge: The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields is in the running for my favorite of the year!

Book Awards Reading Challenge: This one was a tie. I really liked Mrs. Kimble by Jennifer Haight. However, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver is also in the running for my personal book of the year.

2nds Challenge: I was pleasantly surprised by The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett.

Favorite New Series: This wasn't actually a reading challenge but it was a series I found this year. I am really enjoying the Andy Carpenter novels by David Rosenfelt.

Least Favorite of the Year: I know this wasn't the question, but I wanted to put it out there anyway. I absolutely hated Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell and The Freedom Writers Diary by Erin Gruwell.

And now .... my favorite book of 2007!

Bury the Lead by David Rosenfelt

This is the second book I've read by this author and the third one in the series. I seem to have skipped number two. I hate that because I already know how it ends before I even read it. Anyway, I'm using this one to complete the 2nds Challenge. It's replacing A Thousand Splendid Suns because I haven't gotten a copy of it yet. This will complete that challenge for me!

This is another of the Andy Carpenter books. In this one, he's defending a newspaper writer accused in a serial murder case, where the murderer used the reporter to make the crimes known a la Son of Sam. Andy's divorced in this one, but Laurie is back, along with Tara, the dog, and other characters from the first book.

Strengths of Bury the Lead: It was a fun, easy read. I really enjoy Andy's character and find him humorous, though somewhat unrealistic. His antics would have gotten him disbarred in real life by now. I enjoyed the plot of this one. The killer wasn't as obvious as it seemed, and there was a decent pay off at the end. I also really liked the side plot with Willie and the Tara Foundation.

After I reviewed the first book, CJ, a blog friend, asked how I felt about the first person narrative style. I found myself really noticing it in this one. I'm not sure if it's a strength or a weakness. I like Andy so I enjoy his view of things. But, if you weren't too sure about him, I think it would really bug you as a reader. I also think it helps that we, as readers, are really clear about what he knows, and what he couldn't know.

Weaknesses of Bury the Lead: I think the ultimate murderer was a little too far off the radar in the book. Once it was all tied together, it made sense. I didn't mind that tremendously, but I'm sure some readers would be bugged by the lack of obvious clues. They were there, but since we saw things through Andy's eyes, it took a while to make it clear.

Overall, it was a fun read. I'll probably read more in this series. Let me know what you think. If you've read the series, I'd love to know your favorite since I'm obviously not reading them in order.

Unless by Carol Shields

This is my third book for the Canadian Book Challenge and was recommended by John after he read my review of The Stone Diaries. This was not originally on my list for the 2nds Challenge, but it does qualify since I read The Stone Diaries first. So I'm going to go ahead and count it as book number two in that challenge as well.

This is set outside of Toronto and is a snippet of the life of Reta Winters, an author, translator, and mother. In the story, Reta is writing her second novel during a period in her life when her eldest daughter, Norah, has taken to living on the streets of Toronto and panhandling at the same intersection on a daily basis. The story is partly about how Reta copes with this, how her family survives, but also how it affects her outlook on life and the role of women.

Strengths of Unless: This is a very different novel than The Stone Diaries. This one is told consistently in Reta's voice and, more importantly, with her temperament and perspective. Norah's predicament is moving and Shields is able to render Reta's emotions without being maudlin. She is actually a quite complex and thoughtful character. I especially liked the section of the book that dealt with the word "unless" - it was philosophical but completely in keeping with Reta's character and her ponderings throughout the novel. I also liked that Shields, through Reta, addressed the roles women play in life and how that is not always reflected in discussions of art, literature, or power. The ending was very satisfying as well. The cause of Norah's trauma made perfect sense given the way her character was created and given the message of the book. It worked for me on many levels.


Weaknesses of Unless: I really liked this one. My only complaint was that the husband's character was a bit weakly drawn. The story was told from Reta's point of view but I wasn't always sure what she saw in him. He was a bit too absent in the story. I did realize, as I was reading, that this was probably a deliberate choice by Shields to keep the focus on the women in the story.

Overall, this is a very reading experience from The Stone Diaries, but one I equally enjoyed. Thanks for John for the suggestion. I'd love to hear opinions from anyone who has read this one or others by Carol Shields.

The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett

This is my first book in the 2nds Challenge. I have previously read Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, and I really liked it. I actually selected this book because I liked the cover in the bookstore. I didn't really know anything about it. I have done this before to some success.

The story is essentially the personal journey of Sabine Parsifal, the assistant of the title, after the death of her husband, the magician of the title. It is actually more complicated than that because Parsifal, the magician, was gay and dies after his Vietnamese lover, who we assume dies of AIDS. Sabine is Parsifal's life-long friend and marries him at the end of his life.

Strengths of The Magician's Assistant: Patchett has written a quietly powerful book about grief and its impact on a variety of people. Sabine is a well-conceived and executed character. The first sentence of the book: "Parsifal is dead" puts her character squarely in the middle of all the action. We see her life with Parsifal in a series of dreams and conversations with others. Sabine's quest to resolve her grief and become more than "just" the assistant take her to Parsifal's long-lost and dysfunctional family in Nebraska where she learns much more about her husband than she ever knew. What I particularly liked were the "dream" sequences where Sabine was able to connect with Phan, Parsifal's dead lover, and, finally, Parsifal himself. Patchett infused a spiritual, and redemptive, aspects to these dreams which truly seemed to heal Sabine during the story. I was also interested in some of the insights into how magic is done. I wonder if I'll be able to see anything the next time I go to a magic show.

Weaknesses of The Magician's Assistant: I really like the book but it was very different from Bel Canto. I think readers who liked Bel Canto may find this one a bit too slow and contemplative. I also wondered why Patchett introduced a possible new love interest for Sabine. I liked the idea that she was coming into herself and did not need anyone else at this point in her life. It was a bit of a cop out by Patchett. I also think some people will be upset that the book ends in Nebraska, and that we don't see Sabine back in California living her own life. I liked the symbolism of ending the story with one final magic trick. For me, that solidified Sabine's spiritual recovery, and connection with Parsifal. I found it, oddly, quite romantic and touching.

Overall, I'd recommend this book if someone is in the mood for a more contemplative, quiet read. It is not a page-turner in the traditional sense, but is a book I think will be with me for a long time. If you've read it, I'd love to know what you thought.

2nds Challenge

I can't resist a good challenge so here's another one I'm doing. It's the 2nds Challenge hosted by Thoughts of Joy. I've read a number of books by authors and wonder how I'd like a second book by them, so I thought I really wanted to give this one a try.

Here's my list:

1.
Saturday by Ian McEwan

This has been on my TBR list for awhile so I thought I'd put it in a challenge to see if that would motivate me to read it.


2. The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett


I loved Bel Canto and found this one in a bookstore recently. I hope I like it just as much.

3.
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

I really enjoyed The Kite Runner when I read it for a One Book One City event. I've read some very good things about this one so I thought I'd try it.