Whats the best book you've read this year???

John MacEnroe's autobiography. Excellent for anyone who remembers when Wimbledon meant proper volleys, and men in short snug shorts. Includes pics of Bjorn Borg in his prime.... and in his little shorts.....

Now available FFP.

very interesting, love2bake, that you found the beginning of atonement a bit hard to get into, too.

trouble is, have now seen the film, so i think i've missed my opportunity to finish the book.

ps love early Cronenberg. So should be alright!

Oo, thanks for comprehensive response, CoteDAzur.
I think I head some of the autobiography on the radio recently and enjoyed it. I am deeply ashamed for not having got round to reading him before. Books I like (recently enjoyed and all time favourites) include David Mitchell, David Gates, Edward St Aubyn, Jonathan Coe before he went crap, Ian McEwan before he went crap, Henry Miller, Brett Easton Ellis, Michael Faber, Michael Frayn, Carol Shields...can't think of anything else off the top of my head. I shall follow your suggestions at the local library. Thanks very much.

What happened there? This was the post:

peasholme - What kind of books do you like?

I ask this because I can divide Ballard's books into several kinds:

1. mild but interesting (Empire of the Sun, Kindness Of Women, his autobiography Miracles Of Life)
2. controversial but still 'sane', dealing with the pathology and even psychosis of current social dynamics (Cocaine Nights [not really about drugs], Super-Cannes, Kingdom Come)
3. completely out there but imho very interesting (Crash, The Atrocity Exhibition)

He also has several short story books. I read one called 'Vermillon Sands' which would fall half way between (1) and (2).

That last group I would only recommend as an introduction into Ballard's world if you like the kind of book/film that can only be called 'weird and twisted' - like early films of Cronenberg (one of which was Ballard's 'Crash') and William S. Burroughs' books.

Possibly the safest bet is to start with his autobiography, 'Miracles of Life'.

peasholme - What kind of books do you like?

I ask this because I can divide Ballard's books into several kinds:

1. mild but interesting (Empire of the Sun, Kindness Of Women, his autobiography Miracles Of Life)
2. controversial but still 'sane', dealing with the pathology and even psychosis of current social dynamics (Cocaine Nights [not really about drugs], Super-Cannes, Kingdom Come)
3. completely out there but imho very interesting (Crash, The Atrocity Exhibition)

He also has several short story books. I read one called 'Vermillon Sands' which would fall half way between (1) and (2).

That last group I would only recommend as an introduction into Ballard's world if you like the kind of book/film that can only be called 'weird and twisted' - like early films of Cronenberg (one of which was Ballard's 'Crash'), peasholme - What kind of books do you like?

I ask this because I can divide Ballard's books into several kinds:

1. mild but interesting (Empire of the Sun, Kindness Of Women, his autobiography Miracles Of Life)
2. controversial but still 'sane', dealing with the pathology and even psychosis of current social dynamics (Cocaine Nights [not really about drugs], Super-Cannes, Kingdom Come)
3. completely out there but imho very interesting (Crash, The Atrocity Exhibition)

He also has several short story books. I read one called 'Vermillon Sands' which would fall half way between (1) and (2).

That last group I would only recommend as an introduction into Ballard's world if you like the kind of book/film that can only be called 'weird and twisted' - like early films of Cronenberg (one of which was Ballard's 'Crash')peasholme - What kind of books do you like?

I ask this because I can divide Ballard's books into several kinds:

1. mild but interesting (Empire of the Sun, Kindness Of Women, his autobiography Miracles Of Life)
2. controversial but still 'sane', dealing with the pathology and even psychosis of current social dynamics (Cocaine Nights [not really about drugs], Super-Cannes, Kingdom Come)
3. completely out there but imho very interesting (Crash, The Atrocity Exhibition)

He also has several short story books. I read one called 'Vermillon Sands' which would fall half way between (1) and (2).

That last group I would only recommend as an introduction into Ballard's world if you like the kind of book/film that can only be called 'weird and twisted' - like early films of Cronenberg (one of which was Ballard's 'Crash') and William S. Burroughs' books.

Possibly the safest bet is to start with his autobiography, 'Miracles of Life'.

1984

am trying to nurture the culture of modern classics

this is great

Precious Bane.

Not a new one but a real discovery for me. Loved it.

Might read 'miracles of life'.
Watched empire of the sun when I was akid and it was one of them films that stayed with me. Probably the 1st film I enjoyed.

CoteDAzur: recommend me a Ballard to start with, please.
My top read: Black Swan Green by David Mitchell, closely followed by Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell.
Anything by David Gates (massively underrated) and whatshisname St Aubyn also stayed with me, but I think they might have been last year...

Best book I read this year was J. G. Ballard's autobiography 'Miracles of Life'. He is the guy who wrote 'Empire of the Sun', which was autobiographical itself - i.e. he was interned in a prison camp in Shanghai during WWII along with other English people as a child.

I hated 'Ukranian tractors' as well, btw. East European bimbo after senile dad's money. Not even funny.

'Never Let Me Go' was interesting, though.

at "1000 Splendid Suns is best book ever".

As in, no better story that this simple heart-tugging story of two women being beaten up for years, no character development better than these 2-dimensional interchangeable women, no writing style better than this Afghan guy writing in English?

Tractors was funny and sad, but mostly funny - hello hotcross !

No they weren't at all similar.

Tractors was really funny, if a little bit painful to read. I wanted the father character to stop being so silly and desperate.

Half a yellow sun was sooo sad, but I found I empathised with the characters and wanted to read on to find out what happened to them.

What was tractors in ukranian like hotcroosbunny, was it similar to half a yellow sun?

I enjoyed Tractors in Ukranian, 1000 Splendid Suns, Half of a Yellow Sun.

The book which has made the greatest impact on me this year has to be Never Let Me Go by Kazio Ishiguro. I found it absolutely fascinating and disturbing. I can't say I 'enjoyed' it, but I'm glad I read it. All about cloning people for organ donation

I've just finished the Grapes of Wrath - unputdownable, and am in the middle of The Last Empress, which I'm not enjoying as much as Empress Orchid.

On Chesil Beach and The Book Thief are in my bedtime reading pile!

I'm reading a lot this year!

Oooh MI - I didn't realise Amitabh Ghosh had a new one out (he wrote The Glass Palace didn't he ? I loved that).

Life of Pi or the Zookeeper's Wife

Lots of good books this yr:

Kite Runner
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Collapse

i liked notes on an exhibtion a lot too

also last stop salina cruz by david lale very good indded

Can Any Mother Help Me? by Jenna Bailey.
I havent managed to read much this year yet though.

MaryAnn, I'm actually avoiding reading the kiterunner, despite EVERYONE raving about it, because I'm convinced I'll hate it, & then I'll have to fight everyone at bookclub

Book Thief is next on my list, pollywobbledoodle.