Read more books! Educate! Educate!

[venta]

I spend a lot of time on trains, commuting. And a lot of that time I spend reading. I have, however, come to a rather sad realisation: I can't be trusted to choose my own books.

This became unusually obvious in late summer, when I was pondering my annual ponder of what to send spindlemere for his birthday. By tradition, I always send him a book. So... what was the best book I'd read all year? Er... The Lies of Locke Lamora[*] Which would be a fabulous present, if only it weren't what he'd sent me for my previous birthday. And, er, I couldn't think of a single other thing I'd read that I felt inclined to recommend.

Most of the books I've read this year that I've really enjoyed have been presents. This isn't really surprising, because my own method of choosing books is ridiculously capricious, and tends to be based around liking the covers or finding them at eye-level on a library shelf. For years that seemed to serve me remarkably well, and I found some real gems, but I've obviously lost my touch.

Accordingly, this year my new year's resolution is to read better books. Which is where you, ladies and gentlemen of LJ, come in. Please recommend me a book which you love, and which I should read. I'd like fiction, but beyond that I'm willing to try anything. It'd be useful if it weren't something which is very out of print, but if you really think it's worth it I'll try and track it down (or turn up on your doorstep demanding to borrow a copy).

[Poll #1887610]


[*] 75% a brilliant work of genius. Loses its way badly by the end, though. Still worth a read.

Comments

[lnr]

OK, my vote is an *utter* cheat, but links to the books I've read in 2012, hopefully in a display style which includes my reviews. The Michael Marshall Smith is probably the star of the show, and is a thorough recommendation, but I'll not be surprised if you've already read it.

In terms of stuff read less recently I really rate Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Nah, the whole point is that I'm not allowed to do any choosing - you have to pick one and one only :)

I recently read Michael Marshall Smith's "Only Forward" (the mysterious anonymous parcel I received a few weeks back) and that was ace.

I read Jonathon Strange a few years ago and enjoyed it a lot.

[dr-bob.livejournal.com]

Spares is in the same mode as only Forward, but then he dropped the smith, and switched into thriller-illuminati mode which is a less interesting style IMHO.

[snow-leopard.livejournal.com]

If you liked Only Forward read "One of Us" by Michael Marshall Smith. It would be a toss up which of those two books I prefer.
I read Spares, but found it very VERY dark. Darker than I like my books!

[lnr]

OK, assuming that rules out the MMS and the Clarke my one vote is for Nick Hornby - A Long Way Down - and I'll go put that in the poll instead of the list of read-in-2012 link: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/lnr_blair&tag=read-in-2012