Tuesday, 17 April 2007

The Strange Crimson Wasp Chronicle

Those of you that know me are aware that I enjoy reading and have a great number of books in my flat. Therefore I was quite pleased when I saw that Waterstone's are celebrating their 25 year anniversary by naming their top 100 books of the last 25 years. I got the booklet they produced which lists the top 100 and it turns out I have read 54 which I thought was quite good going. Of the 46 that are left they are mainly books I have no interest in reading or I started reading and didn't like so gave up. There are a few that I would like to read though so I think the corresponding 3 for 2 offer could come in handy.

Waterstone's are also using this list to try and find the nation's favourite book from this top 100. People are meant to vote for their top read and after a lot of thinking I decided that I just can't choose one book. There isn't one book that I can hand on heart say I thought was better or that I enjoyed more than all the others. Therefore I won't be voting but I did think it would be good to list my top 10 from the Waterstone's list for my blog readers.
The list is in alphabetical order and the only rule was that the same author couldn't appear twice. I really enjoyed reading these 10 books and they are very recommended if you haven't read them.

Iain Banks - The Wasp Factory
Michael Chabon - The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
Susannah Clarke - Jonathon Strange & Mr Norrell
James Ellroy - LA Confidential
Michael Faber - The Crimson Petal & The White
John Irving - A Prayer For Owen Meany
David Mitchell - Cloud Atlas
Haruki Murakami - The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
Philip Pullman - Northern Lights:His Dark Materials
Donna Tartt - The Secret History

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have read Prayer for Owen Meany
( I am still looking for time to read his latest which Alan bought for me 2 years ago)
I will perhaps borrow the other top 9 from your flat in August ? yes??)

Go to England, take the shorter course, start your new career soooner, be a traveling Toronto Raptors Cheerleaders Physio technichian.

The Fran

TC said...

You are welcome to borrow the books although I'm not sure if I still have them all.
Apparently the most dangerous sport for women is cheerleading (if you can call it a sport). More women get injured doind it than any other activity so there could well be a call for physios!

Jen Star said...

Fran, I have Jonathan Strange, LA Confidential and The Secret History if you're serious about reading them. Let me know and I'll pass them along.