Favourite #Books 2016 #amreviewing

I agree with J. L. Borges who imagined Paradise would be a kind of library. Fortunately, heaven is close at hand, since I carry part of my library wherever I go.

I’ve often told you that although writing is my passion, reading is the greater need. It’s where the real pleasure lies. On the other hand, writing is so devastatingly hard that it’s like T. S. Eliot said, ‘the purpose of literature is turning blood into ink.’

No wonder even writers prefer reading. Stephen King reminds us that books are  a uniquely portable magic, and that’s true especially nowadays with kindles and kindle apps on my mobile, tablet and PC. Time flies. I don’t even mind traffic jams or delays any more. I even look forward to them…

I’ve lost count, but I’m sure I’ve read well over fifty books this year. I’ve enjoyed most of them immensely and learned from all of them. As it’s the last day of 2016, I’ve decided to share with you my favourite books of 2016.

Talking about favourite books is a very personal and absolutely subjective opinion, as Lloyd Alexander reminds us,  ‘Our favorite book is always the book that speaks most directly to us at a particular stage in our lives. And our lives change.‘ Some books can be reread for the rest of our lives. We all have special books we constantly reread, some of mine are; Jane Eyre, Great Expectations, The Woman in White, Persuasion, The Forsyte Saga, and Rebecca.

This post is all about my favourite books, which I’ve read for the first time this year. Most, but not all, have actually been published this year.

As I’ve reviewed them all, I’m not going to say much more about them in this post, but I’m including a link to my review on amazon, which will also take you to the book itself.

Here they are in no particular order, except that my absolute favourite is last!

1- Favourite Christmas themed novel:

Three Days Before Christmas, a heartwarming novel, which I read on Christmas Eve.

Link to my review of Three Days before Christmas

 

2- Favourite historical family drama:

 

Link to my review of The Photographer’s Wife.

3- Favourite police procedural:

Link to my review of The Girl in the Ice: 

 

4- Favourite suspense novel:

Link to my review of  Cry Like a Girl

 

5- Favourite contemporary family drama:

Link to my review of Under a Cornish Sky

 

6- Favourite thriller:

Link to my review of I Let You Go 

 

7- Favourite murder mystery:

Link to my review of Killer Pursuit 

 

8- Favourite contemporary drama:

Link to my review of The Mistake I Made

 

9- Favourite erotic romance:

Link to my review of True Colours

 

10- Favourite romance:

Link to my review of Sustained

 

11- Overall Favourite Novel:

It was published in 2011, but I read it last summer. A magnificent Victorian novel.

Link to my review of A Dangerous Fortune

 

One of the highlights of last year for me as a writer was that my novel was next to Ken Follett’s, just for a week (but I’m not complaining), in bestsellers for historical fiction. Here’s the proof!

 

Finally, just a reminder to read lots of books, give books as presents, review the books you read, and spread the word. It’s an easy way to make the world a happier place!