Listmania!
Books I have read in 2009, part 1
The Coffin TrailThe Coffin Trail by Martin Edwards
Buy used from: £0.01
Entertaining mystery with great characters.
Revolutionary RoadRevolutionary Road by Richard Yates
Buy new: £4.78 / Used from: £0.45
Long-overlooked classic now finally getting the recognition it deserves.
I Choose to LiveI Choose to Live by Sabine Dardenne
Buy new: £4.54 / Used from: £0.01
Compelling if upsetting real-life account of true bravery and resilience.
The Human StainThe Human Stain by Philip Roth
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £1.97
Passable novel but hardly mindblowing from what is supposed to be one of the world's finest authors (and very self-indulgent in places).
The ReaderThe Reader by Bernhard Schlink
Buy new: £3.99 / Used from: £0.01
Dreadful rubbish, can't believe 5-star reviews for this tripe.
Sacred CountrySacred Country by Rose Tremain
Buy new: £5.96 / Used from: £2.79
Stunningly beautiful, powerfully written, deeply moving tale of people out of place and trying to find their true home.
Mr ToppitMr Toppit by Charles Elton
Buy new: £9.48 / Used from: £0.01
Mildy amusing in places, nothing special. I expected something more.
Rabbit, Run (Penguin Modern Classics)Rabbit, Run (Penguin Modern Classics) by John Updike
Buy new: £5.31 / Used from: £0.01
Stylistically impressive in many ways but hardly a fun reading experience.
Notes from an ExhibitionNotes from an Exhibition by Patrick Gale
Buy new: £5.00 / Used from: £0.01
Mediocre family story with underwritten female characters, don't understand the big fuss over this one.
Salmon Fishing in the YemenSalmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday
Buy new: £4.94 / Used from: £0.01
Passable, offbeat tale but nothing astonishing, despite a very promising opening third or so.
The 19th WifeThe 19th Wife by David Ebershoff
Buy new: £4.80 / Used from: £0.01
Very enjoyable tale, mostly about certain aspects of Mormon history rather than a murder mystery.
The Last SamuraiThe Last Samurai by Helen DeWitt
Buy used from: £0.01
Enjoyed this, but it feels like a few different stories tacked together. Very readable though and Ludo is a great character.
Fahrenheit 451Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Buy used from: £3.29
Very interesting ideas, not all are well-executed though.
Play DeadPlay Dead by Richard Montanari
Buy new: £4.13 / Used from: £0.01
Passable thriller but a few plot holes and unlikely coincidences along the way and the characters are not very strong.
Howards End (Penguin Twentieth Century Classics)Howards End (Penguin Twentieth Century Classics) by E.M. Forster
Buy new: £5.04 / Used from: £2.90
Very well-written in places but irrelevantly preachy and too much out-of-character behaviour to get the plot going, particularly the two key decisions by the Schlegel sisters.
Child 44Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
Buy new: £3.99 / Used from: £0.01
Begins as an entertaining Cold War thriller and ends in the worst kind of serial killer story preposterous nonsense.
Blind EyeBlind Eye by Stuart MacBride
Buy new: £8.22 / Used from: £2.78
Gets very mixed reviews on this site but I thoroughly enjoyed this and liked the use of humour.
The House at RivertonThe House at Riverton by Kate Morton
Buy new: £3.99 / Used from: £0.01
I really enjoyed this even if it is a little familiar and predictable.
UnlessUnless by Carol Shields
Buy new: £5.95 / Used from: £0.01
Readable but self-indulgent writing and it is difficult to care about the characters. Also, writers writing about writers writing: ugh.
UnforgottenUnforgotten by Clare Francis
Buy new: £4.35 / Used from: £0.01
Well-written but very plodding in its plot and pacing- no real twist in the tale and quite repetitive.
The TenantThe Tenant by Roland Topor
Buy new: £4.29 / Used from: £2.95
Disturbing tale of a man who starts renting a new flat and begins to lose his mind...!
Case HistoriesCase Histories by Kate Atkinson
Buy new: £5.00 / Used from: £0.01
One of the best books I have read this year, thoroughly captivating and entertaining and superbly-written.
Divided KingdomDivided Kingdom by Rupert Thomson
Buy new: £5.99 / Used from: £0.01
Intriguing premise, but badly-executed and reads like a school creative writing essay. No characters to care about, no plot, fails to convince on every level.
Murder in Mesopotamia (Poirot Facsimile Edition)Murder in Mesopotamia (Poirot Facsimile Edition) by Agatha Christie
Buy new: £8.73 / Used from: £6.50
Hugely entertaining Christie mystery - a lot of fun and some great moments of humour along the way.
An Equal MusicAn Equal Music by Vikram Seth
Buy new: £5.99 / Used from: £0.01
Readable, but quite pretentious to be honest, and pretty predictable.