Hello, everyone! It’s the end of another work week and the end of another month. As we plunge into fall it’s hard not to start thinking about the ending of another year. We’re through nine months of reading so far in 2011 and at the risk of getting ahead of myself I started to review the books I’ve read through this year and couldn’t help but rank them. Have you done the same? If so, I’d like to know:
What books are candidates for being your favorite read of 2011?
Here are mine:
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. Emotionally wrenching and beautifully written, this Pulitzer Prize winner is most definitely in the running for my favorites list.
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje. I was very strangely under the impression that I didn’t like this novel, but it has stayed with me through the year and I will never forget its brave and honest storytelling.
Women in Love by D.H. Lawrence. The frustrating characters and relationships in this novel made me want to throttle Lawrence, but I was entirely engaged with the story and appreciate the ideas he was trying to propound. Also, I have this book to thank for the title of my blog.
How about you? What books are candidates for being your favorite read of 2011?
A Certain Fondness 
Oh English patient be in my top fifty all time book and film live the both as for this year current read parallel stories is epic in size and scope so this at mo all the best stu
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I’ll look out for your thoughts on Parallel Stories.
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My favourite read of 2011 was The Last Tresilians by J.I.M. Stewart, an author better known as Michael Innes. It was about research, modern art, illusion, University politics, and set in London, Oxford and Cornwall. It was so well written, and the ideas expressed were so interesting, that it is hard to believe that the book is now largely forgotten.
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It’s really curiously sad how many great books fall out of favor and become lost to time.
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Some of my favorites so far have been Germinal by Emile Zola; Excellent Women by Barbara Pym; North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell; Lady Audley’s Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon; and Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. I think my favorite reread so far has to be Persuasion by Jane Austen, I’m in love with it all over again. I read the new annotated version edited by David Shapard which is excellent.
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I just saw that annotated copy of Persuasion at Barnes and Noble and was tempted to purchase it, but decided to wait. After Sense & Sensibility, Persuasion is my favorite Austen.
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I have read and loved Ethan Frome and Summer by Edith Wharton but haven’t read The Age of Innocence yet (although I really want to).
I haven’t read Women in Love so I am really curious about the Gudrun’s Tights reference (I meant to ask you about this anyway): what is it?
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There is a character called Gudrun in Women in Love and Lawrence is always commenting on her tights and what color they are. It stuck out so much to me and I thought it would be a great name for a blog!
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Love it!! 🙂
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great name I didn’t want to ask lol ,all the best stu
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I’ve never got on with Lawrence, but I love your other choices.
My picks would be North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, Miss Ranskill Comes home by Barbara Euphan Todd and Never No More by Maura Laverty.
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Lawrence is not easy and he can be ridiculous, but there are parts of his books that I like.
I still haven’t read North and South! I need to remedy that soon.
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I’ve also re-read The Age of Innocence and The House of Mirth this year and they’re head and shoulders above anything else that I’ve read.
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The House of Mirth is also excellent and one I will soon re-read.
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