Hi Friends:Well, as you know, it has been a real whirlwind of a New Year for me and my family. On Monday we held the funeral for my mother in one city and then [yesterday] a Memorial service and the interment in another city.
It was cold, cold COLD!
COLD!
Delivering the eulogy for my mother was both moving, and draining.
Today is the first day that there are no official pressing duties upon any of us, and for the first time in a while, I feel relaxed. At some point I shall pick up the book which has been on hold for a while.
It’s appropriately titled "Snow” – by Turkish author Orhan Pamuk.
I haven’t really thought about “books” for a while now, but as I do, I think back to the year that has passed.
In 2008 I read a total of 48 books.
35 works of fiction, and 13 non-fiction.
So many of these books have been memorable, wonderful reads. I find it almost impossible to list my favorites in any sort of hierarchical order. Therefore, I am just going to select 6 favorite novels, and 3 favorite non-fictions.
FICTION:• World Without End / Ken Follett
• Love In The Time of Cholera / Gabriel Garcia Marquez
• The Master / Colm Toibin
• The Crimson Petal and The White / Michel Faber
• The History of The Siege of Lisbon / Jose Saramago
• A Widow For One Year / John Irving
As I say, it is almost painful to narrow it down to these, above, because there were several other truly wonderful novels read in 2008. But these were truly superlative.
NON-FICTION:• The Power of Now / Eckhart Tolle
• A New Earth / Eckhart Tolle
• The Fellowship: The Untold Story of Frank Lloyd Wright & The Taliesin Fellowship / Roger Friedland and Howard Zellman
WISHING YOU ALL A TERRIFIC YEAR IN 2009!
-- Cip
It's good that you have some time to relax. I haven't read any of your top books. I'm hesitant to pick up any Gabriel Garcia Marquez books because I tried to read 100 Years Solitude and was absolutely confused. Maybe someday when I'm desiring a challenge I will try his books again.
ReplyDeleteAlyce, I read 100 Years of Solitude also and I agree, that was a difficult read.
ReplyDeleteThis one [Cholera] is so much better in my opinion, not only in its accessibility, but in its story as well.
I encourage you to one day pick it up.
-- Cip
World Without End by Ken Follett...Favorite fiction of all time. (biased as he is my favorite author)
ReplyDeleteThe Fellowship: The Untold Story of Frank Lloyd Wright & The Taliesin Fellowship / Roger Friedland and Howard Zellman...thank you for putting me unto this book! As a designer, FLR is someone I aspire too in his ideas, out-of-the-box methods and all out craziness. This book gives a fantastic insight into what made him tick and his genius of architecture.
Lorin
Wow, you read some really excellent books in 2008! Looking forward to what 2009 brings :)
ReplyDelete