Top 10 for 2012

As I said in the last blog post, I wanted to do my highlights of 2012. Now I’m going to start off by saying that these are not necessarily books published this year, but I read them this year and so they have helped make up my Year of Reading.

I understand that the year isn’t over, but If I read anything stand out between now and New Year I’ll be sure to let you know.

I figured I’d give you my Top 10. Now, these are only in a loose order, it can be very hard to rank several different kinds of genius, and so I’ll do my best.

# 10

The Boy Who Swam with Piranhas by David Almond and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

This is a tame book for a David Almond Title, but for me, that will give it more general appeal. It’s quirky, fun, and tender at its core. There is one passage that won me over. He basically describes techniques writers use to tell stories, to jump from place to place and back and forth in time, while actually telling you the story! It was brilliant! I’d quote it, but it goes on for a few pages, so I’ll let you read it for yourself.

Find it on Goodreads

Skellig by David Almond

Having worked with Children's books for nearly 8 years now, I had heard of Skellig around about, and always thought I might read it one day. I mean, it won the Carnegie and the Whitbread book of the year and was turned into a movie. In recent years, I've read a few of David Almond's other books and each time I'm surprised by something else. He is a brilliant writer.

Earlier this year, my lecturer at uni and I were talking about good books etc. and she asked if I had read Skellig. I hadn't, at the time, and she said I must. She told me that when she first started as an assistant to a lecturer when she had just left uni, her boss asked her the same question and when she said no, her boss handed her the book and said 'go home, and do nothing today other than read this book'.

Last year I watched the movie that had been made from the book, which was good, but now that I have read it, I can see why there has been so much fuss over this book.

Michael's new born sister is having health issues. She's in the hospital and his parents are worried sick, but are trying to keep a brave face and not neglect Michael in their concern. they have just moved into a new home. A Fix-er-up-er is putting it mildly. Michael is also worried about his sister, he feels that if he stops thinking about her then she might die.

Then he discovers a strange man who is sitting in the old, junk-filled shed. He looks like he has been there for years, unmoving, he eats spiders and bugs and has some strange humps on his back under his coat.

Michael then meets Mina, a precocious home-schooled girl who becomes his friend. And together they do what they can to help this strange man they can scarcely believe exists.

This book is amazing. It is such a well synthesised family-drama/fantasy/identity-themed/discussion of evolution and the afterlife it is really something!

Not a word is wasted. It's not a very long novel (170 well-spaced pages) but for all that, it holds so much.

What should I say now? I feel like echoing the question that was passed to me: 'Have you read Skellig? If not, you must!'

 

5 Gold Stars

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Slog's Dad by David Almond and Dave McKean

"Slogger, man," I said. "Your dad's dead."

"I know that, Davie. But it's him. He's come back again, like he said he would."

I didn't think it was worth beating around the bush with this one. It deals with death. And for such a pint sized book, it sure packs a punch. What do I mean by that? Let me explain by describing myself a little. I'm not really one to cry in books or movies. Sure, I get choked up all the time, but cry, not so much. Even in books where people say 'if you're not crying by the end there must be something wrong with you', I usually end up getting emotional, or that lump in your throat kind of thing. Even in my favourite books, where everyone else says they cry when certain characters die, I'm yet to shed a tear, no matter how many times I re-read them.