Top 5 of 2005

Time for the traditional top 5 list.  Now these aren't books written in 2005, they are my favorites of the books that I read in 2005. . .

1. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See.  I read this book back in September and I'm still thinking about it.  You can see my original review here.
2. Ireland: A Novel by Frank Delaney.  Massive book that you can really sink your teeth into.  I reviewed this one back in August.
3. A Million Little Pieces by James Frey.  I didn't read a whole lot of non-fiction this year, and I have to say this one reads more like a novel.  You can see what I had to say about it in this post.
4. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers.  Yeah, another Oprah book club book.  What can I say. . . she knows how to pick them!  I read this book back in February.
5. Saturday by Ian McEwan.  Another excellent book by McEwan.  See my comments on this book from back in May.

Now I have to say that there were quite a few books that almost made it into the top 5.  Including Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go which I read in May; Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince which I devoured in August; and finally Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson which I just finished. 

All in all, it was a good reading year.  I read less than half of the books on my 2005 reading list, but that's how it usually goes.  My reading habits are very organic and usually take unexpected twists and turns throughout the year.  I didn't read much non-fiction this year, so maybe that's something I should focus on in 2006. 

Now comes the fun part!  Making the 2006 reading list!  Any suggestions?

Comments

[PJ]

HA...you beat me to it!!! I was thinking about listing some books, too! Hope you had a great Christmas!

[Imbrium]

If you've never read it, I highly recommend The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. Definitely one of my favorites.

[Manda]

ohh, I just got Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and I can't WAIT to read it. I'm currently reading A Million Little Pieces, Anne of Green Gables (christmas present), and Three to Get Deadly. :) I have so many unread books on my shelf, if I can get through the shelf, I'll be happy :)

[Manda]

ohh, I just got Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and I can't WAIT to read it. I'm currently reading A Million Little Pieces, Anne of Green Gables (christmas present), and Three to Get Deadly. :) I have so many unread books on my shelf, if I can get through the shelf, I'll be happy :)

[--Deb]

Sorry, can't help you. I never make reading lists--I'll happily browse through a bookstore, or on amazon.com, wherever, to find new books to read, but I'll also happily browse through my "stacks" for books to re-read. I never do anything as formal as making a list of things I SHOULD read. Takes all the fun and spontenaiety out of it!

That said, I nevertheless applaud those people who DO make reading lists . . . as long as they actually read some of them! (grin--Isn't that a comment about Jane Austen's Emma? That she makes the most wonderful book lists but is so busy making the plans that she never actually cracks a book?)

[Bonney]

I think you should read Reservation Road. I read this book 2 (?) years ago and I still think of it every now and again.

[Karin]

Read something by Pat Barker, for example Ghost Road. I was totally fascinated by this book and it's two companions. They take place in WW I, mostly in England and a few of the themes are braveness, sanity and the senselessness of war.
Also good reads are The Last Samurai by Helen DeWitt, Jasper Fforde's Eyre Affair and it's sequels, Mo Hyder's Tokyo, Laura Pedersen's Beginner's Luck and Margret Atwood's books (Oryx & Crake, for example).

[amanda8]

Oooh, I am excited - I see lots of good reads I am going to check out from the library right away! If you like historical fiction, I am currently reading Chesapeake by James Michner, and I am loving it. It is loooong, but interesting. My all time favorite books are these 3, all by southern authors. I LOVE appalachian writers in particular. Each of these authors has many wonderful books worth checking out. First, Beach Music, by Pat Conroy, who also wrote The Prince of Tides which was 1000 times better than the movie. Then, The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver, which I think was an Oprah book. Finally, Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith. That one is set 30 miles from my hometown.

[Brooke]

You may want to try:
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
Runaway by Alice Munro
Empire Falls by Richard Russo
Non-fiction: Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking.
I actually just emailed a friend asking for book recommendations. I'll let you know if she comes up with anything you haven't read yet.
(Seeing you've read all the recently published novels of Ishiguro, McEwan, etc. you've probably read the ones above.)