Books I feel differently about after time has passed.
In no particular order...
1. Freya
When I first read Freya I quite enjoyed it but had some mixed feelings about it.
It felt a bit too light and fluffy and even predictable at times.
But over the last couple of months, as I've talked about it with other people, I have come to realise that I not only enjoyed it far more than I first thought, but that I am very happy to recommend it to a wide range of readers knowing they will get an enjoyable and satisfying reading experience.
When I first read Freya I quite enjoyed it but had some mixed feelings about it.
It felt a bit too light and fluffy and even predictable at times.
But over the last couple of months, as I've talked about it with other people, I have come to realise that I not only enjoyed it far more than I first thought, but that I am very happy to recommend it to a wide range of readers knowing they will get an enjoyable and satisfying reading experience.
2. The Buried Giant
When I think about 2015 and my very best reading experience, the first book that comes to mind is The Buried Giant (the other two are Testament of Youth and Germinal but I was unreserved about my praise for them from the start).
The Buried Giant was praise-worthy from the start but it also continues to grow in my estimation.
My love for it grows deeper and my curiosity about what I will discover with a reread grows higher.
The Buried Giant was special.
When I think about 2015 and my very best reading experience, the first book that comes to mind is The Buried Giant (the other two are Testament of Youth and Germinal but I was unreserved about my praise for them from the start).
The Buried Giant was praise-worthy from the start but it also continues to grow in my estimation.
My love for it grows deeper and my curiosity about what I will discover with a reread grows higher.
The Buried Giant was special.
3. A Suitable Boy
I read this book about 15 yrs ago.
I loved it.
I adored it.
I raved about it to everyone.
I even declared that this was the book I wanted to be buried with!
Fifteen years later, I still love and adore this book. I still think about Lata on a regular basis and wonder how she is doing. (Will Seth EVER finish his sequel, A Suitable Girl?!)
The only reason I haven't reread this amazing story about family, friendship, love and India every single year since then is that it is over 1400 pages long!
I read this book about 15 yrs ago.
I loved it.
I adored it.
I raved about it to everyone.
I even declared that this was the book I wanted to be buried with!
Fifteen years later, I still love and adore this book. I still think about Lata on a regular basis and wonder how she is doing. (Will Seth EVER finish his sequel, A Suitable Girl?!)
The only reason I haven't reread this amazing story about family, friendship, love and India every single year since then is that it is over 1400 pages long!
4. My Brilliant Friend tetralogy
It has taken me over 8 months to read all four books in this incredibly popular series.
I finally started The Story of the Lost Child this week and I was instantly reminded of and thrown back into my complicated relationship with these books.
Elena and Lina annoy me so much with their continual and devastating (to themselves and others) poor choices. I've tried to see their behaviour within the context of the society that they live in. I can try to imagine the affects of a society ruled by the Camorra but it is so far from my life experiences that it is difficult to really get it and why it would make them all act the way they do.
But I feel compelled to finish the series.
It has taken me over 8 months to read all four books in this incredibly popular series.
I finally started The Story of the Lost Child this week and I was instantly reminded of and thrown back into my complicated relationship with these books.
Elena and Lina annoy me so much with their continual and devastating (to themselves and others) poor choices. I've tried to see their behaviour within the context of the society that they live in. I can try to imagine the affects of a society ruled by the Camorra but it is so far from my life experiences that it is difficult to really get it and why it would make them all act the way they do.
But I feel compelled to finish the series.
5. The Fortunes of Richard Mahony
This one was a bit of an effort to get through last year.
Over 1000 pages - three books in one.
But I can now honestly say it is one of the best Australian classics that I have ever read.
This one was a bit of an effort to get through last year.
Over 1000 pages - three books in one.
But I can now honestly say it is one of the best Australian classics that I have ever read.
6. Heat and Light
This is another book that has grown on me (in a good way) every day since I read it.
I definitely want to reread it and I can't wait for Van Neervan's next book.
This is another book that has grown on me (in a good way) every day since I read it.
I definitely want to reread it and I can't wait for Van Neervan's next book.
7. A Little Life
I loved most of this book.
Well loved is the wrong word, but if you've read the book, you know what I mean.
It's dark and difficult and quite depressing at times, but there is something compelling and obsessive about it too. However I found the final part of the book (from the car accident onwards) so annoying and unnecessarily harsh that I almost gave up on it.
I loved most of this book.
Well loved is the wrong word, but if you've read the book, you know what I mean.
It's dark and difficult and quite depressing at times, but there is something compelling and obsessive about it too. However I found the final part of the book (from the car accident onwards) so annoying and unnecessarily harsh that I almost gave up on it.
8. The Secret History
Five years later I'm still wondering what it is that everyone loves so much about this book.
It's not that I hated it. It was okay.
In fact it was a decent holiday read and I do still remember quite a bit about it, but I just don't get the rave reviews.
Five years later I'm still wondering what it is that everyone loves so much about this book.
It's not that I hated it. It was okay.
In fact it was a decent holiday read and I do still remember quite a bit about it, but I just don't get the rave reviews.
9. 11/22/63
11/22/63 helped me to fall in love with Stephen King once again.
I either love or hate his books.
In particular I adore the scare factor in his earlier stories and the romance of his Gunslinger series.
I love his books that are heavy on the connections and links to his other stories.
11/22/63 excelled at this.
11/22/63 helped me to fall in love with Stephen King once again.
I either love or hate his books.
In particular I adore the scare factor in his earlier stories and the romance of his Gunslinger series.
I love his books that are heavy on the connections and links to his other stories.
11/22/63 excelled at this.
10. Games of Thrones series
I doubt very much that I will have the time or the inclination to read this entire series of books.
I've been enjoying the TV series (except for any of the scenes with Bolton which I refuse to watch!)
I'm not sure that I will ever willingly want to invite that much violence and conflict into my reading mind, especially as most of my reading happens just before falling asleep each night.
I simply do not need those kind of nightmares!
I doubt very much that I will have the time or the inclination to read this entire series of books.
I've been enjoying the TV series (except for any of the scenes with Bolton which I refuse to watch!)
I'm not sure that I will ever willingly want to invite that much violence and conflict into my reading mind, especially as most of my reading happens just before falling asleep each night.
I simply do not need those kind of nightmares!
But now, it's time for me to continue my complicated relationship with Elena Ferrante!
Happy Reading.
Happy Reading.
After this post and reading you review, I just added The Buried Giant to my to-be-read list!I look forward to reading it!
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy it as much as I did :-)
DeleteI whole-heartedly agree with you about A Suitable Boy and the Ferrante books... but I did love A Secret History :)
ReplyDeleteI love A Suitable Boy so much! And I didn't like Secret History much at all. I don't get it either.
ReplyDeleteNo way am I ever reading a Game of Thrones book! And I don't have to watch the TV show, since we don't have TV in our household. So, done! :) Interesting about Secret History. I loved The Goldfinch, but have yet to read this one. A Little Life is on my list as if the Ferrante series. I added A Suitable Boy and Heat and Light. Need to read the Buried Giant. Nice list, Brona!
ReplyDeleteAhhh the Goldfinch - my relationship with it is complicated too. But it has been complicated from the beginning - nothing has changed there. I loved the beginning, but the Las Vegas section slowed me right down and I gave up caring for everyone except Hobie. Then there were too many coincidences that did my head in.
DeleteIt's curious that the secret history had to same problem for me where I simply didn't care for any of the characters or care what happened to any of them.