Saturday, December 29, 2007

WORTHWHILE READING: 2007

Well, here I am on the final leg of my holidays.
Still visiting. Still having fun. Still eating.
But come Monday, it is back to the coal mines for me. Tomorrow I will be boarding a plane and flying back home. Back to my meowing Jack, and the snowbanks I left behind in Ottawa.
At the end of each year I like to reflect upon the books I have read over the past 12 months. I reminisce about each one and see which come to the forefront as being especially memorable and worthwhile.
There are few things more disappointing to me than to come to the end of a book and think “What a waste of time.”
Because time is precious to me.
So, here is my list of books that were especially worthwhile.
These are the Top 5 [Fiction] Books that meant the most to me, in 2007.

1) A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving
2) On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
3) The Pesthouse by Jim Crace
4) Death Of A Salesman by Arthur Miller
5) Immortality by Milan Kundera

I would love to comment about each of the above books here, but simply do not have the time to do so.
However, I would like to include a few more, deserving Honorable Mention.
Fall On Your Knees – Ann Marie MacDonald
The Last Temptation of Christ – Nikos Kazantzakis
Landing – Emma Donoghue
The Golden Compass – Philip Pullman
The Fountainhead – Ayn Rand

In the Non-Fiction department I have read many terrific books in 2007, and most notably, these:

1) God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything – Christopher Hitchens
2) The World Without Us – Alan Weisman
3) Clapton: The Autobiography – Eric Clapton
4) The God Delusion – Richard Dawkins
5) Status Anxiety – Alain deBotton

To all of my friends, the dear people and fellow-readers I’ve come to know through this medium of blogging, I wish you a wonderful 2008!
May it be a year filled with health, prosperity, love, good surprises, fun, and not least importantly, WORTHWHILE READING!
Cheers!
-- Cip

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4 comments:

Beth said...

Hey, Cip - Hope you have a wonderful 2008 too!
And let's face it, no year would be wonderful without worthwhile reading.

I think you're on your way to the 2008 Stanley Cup. Damn. (But perhaps I jinked you by saying that???)

Anonymous said...

Great list of books! And I'm finally getting around to reading 'The Pesthouse'. I'll let you know what I think once I'm done.

I read 'On Chesil Beach' this year, too. It was beautiful! So touching and so sad. Such sensitive, delicate writing. And I also read 'Atonement'. Damn that Ian guy can write, can't he?

I wish you love and happiness and all your dreams to come true in 2008, you sweetie, you!

Cipriano said...

Beth:
The coveted STANLEY is Ottawa's, this year!
Can you allow me this?
Can we both believe it, for a moment in time?

Patricia:
On Chesil Beach is unforgettable. A beautiful, searing, novel.
All the best to you.

All the best to you, you two crazy Torontonian Broads!

Minnesota Matron said...

This list has some I haven't heard of, so thanks from another avid reader.