I’m sure that every committed bookworm keeps a personal rating chart of the books they read in any one year. Keeping score beyond that is next to impossible for me, non-bookworms always ask about bests, but all-time lists are like an endless debate I carry around with me…
(…is Catch-22 or A Confederacy of Dunces the funniest book ever written? …does The Lord of the Rings or The Count of Monte Cristo cast the most dominating shadow over their genres? …which of Gravity’s Rainbow or Infest Jest more deserves to be classed as a lethal weapon?)
…but at the turn of the year, when I have a few days off work, I cast my mind back over my favourite reads. There’s no prize beyond creating a little conversation piece for the times when I’m asked about my unusually voracious reading habits and just the pure pleasure of remembering the best bits of some wonderful books.
2023: The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks.
I picked up this novel absolutely determined not to like it. My preconceived notion was nothing more than jealousy on my part; it just seemed wholly unfair that Tom Hanks might possess all the talent.
The chap switches seamlessly between the comedic and dramatic, is a double Oscar winner, has portrayed some of the most iconic characters of all time, and, according to most accounts, is a thoroughly decent human being to boot.
It turns out he’s also an incredibly gifted writer; in fact, even that statement really doesn’t do his talent justice. I’ve read a fair proportion of the great contemporary writers, and I feel sure that there isn’t a soul writing who wouldn’t be proud to have penned The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpeice.
Yes, the novel is centred on the movie-making process, something Tom Hanks has a lifetime of experiences to draw on – but we write what we know in our hearts. The novel also has the distinct advantage that Mr. Hanks provides the narration on his audiobook, and having an actor his stature voicing anything would elevate even the most throwaway paperback to noteworthy status.
Those counterpoints really don’t diminish the quality of the story told, however. There’s real skill in the writing; the plot unfolds perfectly and is well-paced, with the particular gift of this novel being the feel of the characters, nearly all appear clearly in the mind’s eye, fully fleshed out and you can sense the underlying personality that drives their journeys through the pages.
As I said, I didn’t want to like this book – really, I didn’t – but the first part won my respect, and every page thereafter my heart. It appears Tom Hanks really does have all the talent; quite honestly, I can’t think of many celebrities more deserving of their share of genius.
As I was typing the above it occurred to me that anyone who’d read so far might have an interest in the books I’ve previously considered my favourite reads of the year.
2022 Book: The Island of Missing Trees is such a beautifully written book that it’s tough to reduce its brilliance to a mere handful of words. At its core, the story is one of love and loss, set against the pressures of the artificial constructs society places upon itself.
The story flows from the page like running water, drawing the reader into the heart of the current, before finally leaving you in a place of quenched delight.
2021 Book: Heaven is on the smaller size for a novel, but it makes every word count. It’s a story of teenage struggle in the Japanese school system and so, so much more.
Books can generally be divided into those driven by plot and those designed to convey message, and the message that Heaven delivers is incredibly powerful.
There are few books that I would describe as must reads, but Heaven is a must for any lover of literary fiction
2020 Book: A Man Called Ove is the best work of one of the best writers publishing today. It really is that simple.
Funny, charming, heart-breaking, confounding… Fredrick Backman always manages to stir up the full range of human emotion. This novel will make you laugh and cry, many times with the very same passage. It’s truly remarkable.
Just a little context on the above. While I don’t keep a hard count, I read somewhere between 70 and 100 books each year, across all genres. and mix between physical copies, digitals and audiobooks.
My list is based on novels I’ve read for the first time in any given year, not re-reads, without regard to the year they were first published.
If anyone would like to discuss the above novels or ask for a little more detail, I’m always up for some book chat – DM me on Twitter @Leecrossauthor or email me leecrossauthor@gmail.com
BOOKS and GIGS and STUFF 