Sign in with Facebook
Cecily's Reviews > 2016 on Goodreads
2016 on Goodreads
by
In 2016, I fell in love. First with DH Lawrence (The Rainbow). Then with Jón Kalman Stefánsson (Heaven and Hell trio). I travelled far and ended up almost where I started, but a changed person.
As 2014 crossed into 2015, I was reading Stoner for the first - and then second - time. Sublime. As 2015 crossed into 2016, I was reading Lawrence for the first time in so long it might have been the first time. Utterly different, but equally, achingly, wonderful styles of writing. I read Lawrence again in the middle and end of 2016, with patchier results. And in between, I’ve encountered many wonders. I need something magisterial for the start of 2017.
Go With The Flow
I take little notice of numbers or lists, and don’t set myself targets. Quirky quality, not quantity matter to me, along with being able to change direction on a whim - usually prompted by what friends are reading and reviewing. This approach has served me well, thanks to my many valued friends here. If I notice a pattern, I might seek more in a similar vein, or deliberately pick something in contrast.
Highs and Lows
Lawrence was a high - but also a low. Not the lowest rating, but a low of disappointment. From more than 5* (The Rainbow, plus 4* for Women in Love and some short stories) to barely 3* (Sons and Lovers). I will read more of him, but am now wary.
The undoubted high was Jón Kalman Stefánsson’s trio (really a single story): Heaven and Hell, The Sorrow of Angels, and The Heart of Man.
The lows are few and minor (a single 2*, and no 1* reads).
Recurring Themes
In the spring, as I read Heaven and Hell, I realised I’d read several books relating to the sea and islands (The Old Man and the Sea, The Man Who Loved Islands, The Sea), so I kept an eye out for others and scattered them across the rest of the year, including The Sorrow of Angels, The Heart of Man, The Story of Lucy Gault, Kinnara, and Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.
Related to that, I’ve read more Irish authors than previously - and will continue with all of them. My first taste of William Trevor, Colm Tóibín, and Billy O'Callaghan, and a second of John Banville.
I’ve also found myself musing on art in a variety of sometimes tangential and satirical ways (Why Your Five-Year Old Could Not Have Done That, We Go to the Gallery, and the tragi-comic play, Art) as well as how (not) to read and write (How to Read a Book, How To Not SUCK At Writing Your First Book, and Stephen King's famous On Writing).
Authors New To Me
My clear favourite, in a strong field, was Jón Kalman Stefánsson. I also read and enjoyed my first encounters with - in no particular order - Billy O'Callaghan, William Trevor, DH Lawrence, Stefan Zweig, Colm Tóibín, Kevin Ansbro, Neil Gaiman, Ted Chiang, Octavia Butler, and Willa Cather. Many of those choices were inspired by GR friends. Two of them are GR friends.
Emerging Authors to Watch - and Read!
Billy O'Callaghan sees with an artist's eye, analyses with a philosopher's mind, and writes with a poet's pen. I’ve loved reading two of his three short story collections, especially The Things We Lose, The Things We Leave Behind, will read the third (the first that he published), and eagerly await his first novel.
Kevin Ansbro’s first novel, Kinnara, was highly original and very enjoyable, too. He’s working on a new novel, and I look forward to reading that.
Both are generous, self-effacing, erudite, and witty presences on GR. They are here primarily as fellow readers, and never push their own works.
In a thoroughly different vein, I commend Malala Yousafzai’s autobiography, I am Malala. Not the best-written book (despite a co-author), and writing will probably not be her most significant mark on the world, but she’s an important and inspiring figure to follow.
Pairings and Contrasts
When I read Jeanette Winterson’s modern novelisation of The Winter’s Tale, The Gap of Time, I went back to the Bard’s original, The Winter’s Tale, which made me appreciate JW’s version more than I had at first.
Michel Faber’s The Book of Strange New Things was a good counterpoint to Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible, both involving missionaries in very unfamiliar settings (a distant planet, and 1960s Congo, respectively).
Pairing Arthur Schnitzler’s Dream Story with Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation, Eyes Wide Shut, was essential for appreciation of both.
To maintain general contrast and variety in my reading diet, my delightful Whovian friend Apatt keeps me on my toes. He writes witty reviews of classics and serious reviews of sci-fi, and makes sure I pepper my reading with well-chosen dystopias and mind-boggling space yarns. He also makes me me laugh. A lot.
Creative Writing?
In 2016, I made some progress in my attempts to write reviews that were more personal and original, and less like book reports. But I utterly failed in my attempt to be more succinct. The ones I most enjoyed writing, and where I think I came closest to something worthy of the time of others are listed below. What I find most striking is how varied the sources are in genre, style, and every other respect:
o The Rainbow, DH Lawrence
o The History of Love, Nicole Krauss
o The Testament of Mary, Colm Tóibín
o Why Your Five-Year Old Could Not Have Done That, Susie Hodge
o The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway
o Good Omens, Pratchett and Gaiman
o The Sorrow of Angels, Jón Kalman Stefánsson
o The Story of Lucy Gault, William Trevor
o The Mezzanine, Nicholson Baker
o Dream Story, Arthur Schnitzler
o Art, Yasmina Reza
o Letters From Father Christmas, JRR Tolkien
Complete Chronological List of 2016 Reads and Reviews
All links are to my reviews of the books listed.
o The Rainbow, DH Lawrence, 5* - review
o The Rainbow, DH Lawrence, 5* - notes, themes, and quotes
o Women in Love, DH Lawrence, 4*
o Three Moments of an Explosion, China Mieville - DNF (partial review)
o The History of Love, Nicole Krauss, 5* - review
o The History of Love, Nicole Krauss, 5* - notes on links and themes
o How to Read a Book, Adler and van Doren, 2*
o The Gap of Time, Jeanette Winterson, 3*
o The Winter’s Tale, Shakespeare, 4*
o The Book of Strange New Things, Michel Faber, 4*
o I am Malala, Malala Yousafzai, 4*
o The Testament of Mary, Colm Tóibín, 5*
o How To Not SUCK At Writing Your First Book, Chandler Bolt - DNF
o House of Suns, Alastair Reynolds, 4*
o The Wife of Martin Guerre, Janet Lewis, 3*
o The Things We Lose, The Things We Leave Behind, Billy O’Callaghan, 5*
o All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr, 3*
o Why Your Five-Year Old Could Not Have Done That, Susie Hodge, 3*
o Escape from Camp 14, Blaine Harden, 3*
o The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway, 4*
o Selected Short Stories, DH Lawrence, 4*, including:
• Sun, 5*
• Things, 4*
• Love Among the Haystacks, 4*
• The Rocking Horse Winner, 5*
• The Man Who Loved Islands, 4*
o The Sea, John Banville, 4*
o Good Omens, Pratchett and Gaiman, 5*
o Heaven and Hell, Jón Kalman Stefánsson, 5*
o In Too Deep, Billy O’Callaghan, 4*
o The Sorrow of Angels, Jón Kalman Stefánsson, 5*
o The Heart of Man, Jón Kalman Stefánsson, 5*
o Heaven and Hell trio, Jón Kalman Stefánsson, 5*- overview review
o The Children Act, Ian McEwan, 3*
o The History of Love, Nicole Krauss, 5* - REread (see above)
o Kindred, Octavia Butler, 4*
o The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver, 5*
o The Invisible Collection, Stefan Zweig, 4*, including:
• Wondrak, 4*
• The Miracles of Life, 4*
• Amok, 3*
• Leporella, 3*
o O Pioneers!, Willa Cather, 4*
o Fish Have No Feet, Jón Kalman Stefánsson, 4*
o The Story of Your Life (aka Arrival), Ted Chiang, 5*
o The Mezzanine, Nicholson Baker, 4*
o The Story of Lucy Gault, William Trevor, 4*
o Kinnara, Kevin Ansbro, 3*
o We Go to the Gallery, Miriam Elia, 4*
o On Writing, Stephen King, 3*
o Coraline, Neil Gaiman, 5*
o Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Louis De Bernieres, 3*
o Our Souls at Night, Kent Haruf, 4*
o Dream Story, Arthur Schnitzler, 4*
o Eyes Wide Shut, Stanley Kubrick, 3*
o Sons and Lovers, DH Lawrence, 3*
o Art, Yasmina Reza, 5*
o Letters From Father Christmas, JRR Tolkien, 4*
o Christmas Days, Jeanette Winterson, 3*
Thank You, My Friends
2016 has been a dramatic year in the real world, in the public and private spheres, which makes me all the more grateful for the opportunity to retreat between the covers of a book, in the company of friends, new and old.
Thank you for reading this far, for sharing your reading journeys and mine. I wish you wonderful and surprising books in 2017, along with peace, health, and happiness in quotidian life.
Image Sources
Pages like a heart:
http://cdn2.spectator.co.uk/files/201...
Bar chart of most read books:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hybIWMorYr0...
Island of Herm:
http://herm.com/images/main_bg.jpg
by
In 2016, I fell in love. First with DH Lawrence (The Rainbow). Then with Jón Kalman Stefánsson (Heaven and Hell trio). I travelled far and ended up almost where I started, but a changed person.
As 2014 crossed into 2015, I was reading Stoner for the first - and then second - time. Sublime. As 2015 crossed into 2016, I was reading Lawrence for the first time in so long it might have been the first time. Utterly different, but equally, achingly, wonderful styles of writing. I read Lawrence again in the middle and end of 2016, with patchier results. And in between, I’ve encountered many wonders. I need something magisterial for the start of 2017.
Go With The Flow
I take little notice of numbers or lists, and don’t set myself targets. Quirky quality, not quantity matter to me, along with being able to change direction on a whim - usually prompted by what friends are reading and reviewing. This approach has served me well, thanks to my many valued friends here. If I notice a pattern, I might seek more in a similar vein, or deliberately pick something in contrast.
Highs and Lows
Lawrence was a high - but also a low. Not the lowest rating, but a low of disappointment. From more than 5* (The Rainbow, plus 4* for Women in Love and some short stories) to barely 3* (Sons and Lovers). I will read more of him, but am now wary.
The undoubted high was Jón Kalman Stefánsson’s trio (really a single story): Heaven and Hell, The Sorrow of Angels, and The Heart of Man.
The lows are few and minor (a single 2*, and no 1* reads).
Recurring Themes
In the spring, as I read Heaven and Hell, I realised I’d read several books relating to the sea and islands (The Old Man and the Sea, The Man Who Loved Islands, The Sea), so I kept an eye out for others and scattered them across the rest of the year, including The Sorrow of Angels, The Heart of Man, The Story of Lucy Gault, Kinnara, and Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.
Related to that, I’ve read more Irish authors than previously - and will continue with all of them. My first taste of William Trevor, Colm Tóibín, and Billy O'Callaghan, and a second of John Banville.
I’ve also found myself musing on art in a variety of sometimes tangential and satirical ways (Why Your Five-Year Old Could Not Have Done That, We Go to the Gallery, and the tragi-comic play, Art) as well as how (not) to read and write (How to Read a Book, How To Not SUCK At Writing Your First Book, and Stephen King's famous On Writing).
Authors New To Me
My clear favourite, in a strong field, was Jón Kalman Stefánsson. I also read and enjoyed my first encounters with - in no particular order - Billy O'Callaghan, William Trevor, DH Lawrence, Stefan Zweig, Colm Tóibín, Kevin Ansbro, Neil Gaiman, Ted Chiang, Octavia Butler, and Willa Cather. Many of those choices were inspired by GR friends. Two of them are GR friends.
Emerging Authors to Watch - and Read!
Billy O'Callaghan sees with an artist's eye, analyses with a philosopher's mind, and writes with a poet's pen. I’ve loved reading two of his three short story collections, especially The Things We Lose, The Things We Leave Behind, will read the third (the first that he published), and eagerly await his first novel.
Kevin Ansbro’s first novel, Kinnara, was highly original and very enjoyable, too. He’s working on a new novel, and I look forward to reading that.
Both are generous, self-effacing, erudite, and witty presences on GR. They are here primarily as fellow readers, and never push their own works.
In a thoroughly different vein, I commend Malala Yousafzai’s autobiography, I am Malala. Not the best-written book (despite a co-author), and writing will probably not be her most significant mark on the world, but she’s an important and inspiring figure to follow.
Pairings and Contrasts
When I read Jeanette Winterson’s modern novelisation of The Winter’s Tale, The Gap of Time, I went back to the Bard’s original, The Winter’s Tale, which made me appreciate JW’s version more than I had at first.
Michel Faber’s The Book of Strange New Things was a good counterpoint to Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible, both involving missionaries in very unfamiliar settings (a distant planet, and 1960s Congo, respectively).
Pairing Arthur Schnitzler’s Dream Story with Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation, Eyes Wide Shut, was essential for appreciation of both.
To maintain general contrast and variety in my reading diet, my delightful Whovian friend Apatt keeps me on my toes. He writes witty reviews of classics and serious reviews of sci-fi, and makes sure I pepper my reading with well-chosen dystopias and mind-boggling space yarns. He also makes me me laugh. A lot.
Creative Writing?
In 2016, I made some progress in my attempts to write reviews that were more personal and original, and less like book reports. But I utterly failed in my attempt to be more succinct. The ones I most enjoyed writing, and where I think I came closest to something worthy of the time of others are listed below. What I find most striking is how varied the sources are in genre, style, and every other respect:
o The Rainbow, DH Lawrence
o The History of Love, Nicole Krauss
o The Testament of Mary, Colm Tóibín
o Why Your Five-Year Old Could Not Have Done That, Susie Hodge
o The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway
o Good Omens, Pratchett and Gaiman
o The Sorrow of Angels, Jón Kalman Stefánsson
o The Story of Lucy Gault, William Trevor
o The Mezzanine, Nicholson Baker
o Dream Story, Arthur Schnitzler
o Art, Yasmina Reza
o Letters From Father Christmas, JRR Tolkien
Complete Chronological List of 2016 Reads and Reviews
All links are to my reviews of the books listed.
o The Rainbow, DH Lawrence, 5* - review
o The Rainbow, DH Lawrence, 5* - notes, themes, and quotes
o Women in Love, DH Lawrence, 4*
o Three Moments of an Explosion, China Mieville - DNF (partial review)
o The History of Love, Nicole Krauss, 5* - review
o The History of Love, Nicole Krauss, 5* - notes on links and themes
o How to Read a Book, Adler and van Doren, 2*
o The Gap of Time, Jeanette Winterson, 3*
o The Winter’s Tale, Shakespeare, 4*
o The Book of Strange New Things, Michel Faber, 4*
o I am Malala, Malala Yousafzai, 4*
o The Testament of Mary, Colm Tóibín, 5*
o How To Not SUCK At Writing Your First Book, Chandler Bolt - DNF
o House of Suns, Alastair Reynolds, 4*
o The Wife of Martin Guerre, Janet Lewis, 3*
o The Things We Lose, The Things We Leave Behind, Billy O’Callaghan, 5*
o All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr, 3*
o Why Your Five-Year Old Could Not Have Done That, Susie Hodge, 3*
o Escape from Camp 14, Blaine Harden, 3*
o The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway, 4*
o Selected Short Stories, DH Lawrence, 4*, including:
• Sun, 5*
• Things, 4*
• Love Among the Haystacks, 4*
• The Rocking Horse Winner, 5*
• The Man Who Loved Islands, 4*
o The Sea, John Banville, 4*
o Good Omens, Pratchett and Gaiman, 5*
o Heaven and Hell, Jón Kalman Stefánsson, 5*
o In Too Deep, Billy O’Callaghan, 4*
o The Sorrow of Angels, Jón Kalman Stefánsson, 5*
o The Heart of Man, Jón Kalman Stefánsson, 5*
o Heaven and Hell trio, Jón Kalman Stefánsson, 5*- overview review
o The Children Act, Ian McEwan, 3*
o The History of Love, Nicole Krauss, 5* - REread (see above)
o Kindred, Octavia Butler, 4*
o The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver, 5*
o The Invisible Collection, Stefan Zweig, 4*, including:
• Wondrak, 4*
• The Miracles of Life, 4*
• Amok, 3*
• Leporella, 3*
o O Pioneers!, Willa Cather, 4*
o Fish Have No Feet, Jón Kalman Stefánsson, 4*
o The Story of Your Life (aka Arrival), Ted Chiang, 5*
o The Mezzanine, Nicholson Baker, 4*
o The Story of Lucy Gault, William Trevor, 4*
o Kinnara, Kevin Ansbro, 3*
o We Go to the Gallery, Miriam Elia, 4*
o On Writing, Stephen King, 3*
o Coraline, Neil Gaiman, 5*
o Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Louis De Bernieres, 3*
o Our Souls at Night, Kent Haruf, 4*
o Dream Story, Arthur Schnitzler, 4*
o Eyes Wide Shut, Stanley Kubrick, 3*
o Sons and Lovers, DH Lawrence, 3*
o Art, Yasmina Reza, 5*
o Letters From Father Christmas, JRR Tolkien, 4*
o Christmas Days, Jeanette Winterson, 3*
Thank You, My Friends
2016 has been a dramatic year in the real world, in the public and private spheres, which makes me all the more grateful for the opportunity to retreat between the covers of a book, in the company of friends, new and old.
Thank you for reading this far, for sharing your reading journeys and mine. I wish you wonderful and surprising books in 2017, along with peace, health, and happiness in quotidian life.
Image Sources
Pages like a heart:
http://cdn2.spectator.co.uk/files/201...
Bar chart of most read books:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hybIWMorYr0...
Island of Herm:
http://herm.com/images/main_bg.jpg
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read
2016 on Goodreads.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
January 1, 2016
–
Started Reading
December 6, 2016
– Shelved
December 6, 2016
– Shelved as:
lit-crit-and-about-lit
December 6, 2016
– Shelved as:
read-only-cos-of-gr-friends
December 31, 2016
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 70 (70 new)
message 1:
by
Algernon (Darth Anyan)
(new)
-
rated it 5 stars
Dec 31, 2016 07:35AM
So happy to see Nicole Krauss and Nicholson Baker among your favorites. I will add Stefansson and Schnitzler to my wishlist, based on your recommendation. Thanks and happy new year!
reply
|
flag
Excellent work Cecily and cheers to another great year in reading! I loved (and agree with) your sentiment about quirkiness and being more fluid in your choice of novels. I was slightly more regimented in 2016, but hope to "go with the flow" a bit more in 2017. I look forward to your reviews in this upcoming year!
It makes me happy to hear you fell in love with new authors this year, Cecily! It is quite an impressive review of the year, and I will follow in your steps with the Winterson/Shakespeare pair! Happy New Year!
Thank you Cecily, haunting the booksellers of the South Bank and reading away for our edification and weird delight
What a lovely wrap-up of your reading year, Cecily. Based on your reviews, I'm ready to follow you into Stefánsson's realm; and while Lawrence stands in my mind as a mediocre writer, I have to admit to not reading The Rainbow and your review has triggered a desire to revisit him. I've always enjoyed your thoughtful reviews! Cheers to 2017 ... as I look forward to more of your reviews.
You make 2016 sounds like a good year (not to be confused with the car tires), though from the GR perspective I suppose it was...What a gorgeous, almost wistful review. This sentence almost cracked by brain, though:
"Many of those choices were inspired by GR friends. Two of them are GR friends."
After applying some eye drops and lying down for half an hour I finally figured out that you meant two of them are authors. (*¯︶¯*)
Happy New Year! (ﾉ´з｀)ノ
Crikey!I am awestruck by the effort you've expended in compiling such a detailed and comprehensive review of your 2016 reads, Cecily!
I am grateful that you pointed me towards two great books that I most likely would never have read otherwise, namely Ubik & Galápagos, both of which were hugely entertaining.
And thank you for the gracious mention; deeply humbled.
Such a noteworthy and eclectic list, Cecily. Look forward to many more of your superb reviews in 2017.
Happy New Year!!
Algernon wrote: "So happy to see Nicole Krauss and Nicholson Baker among your favorites"I've only read one of each so far, but will read more. One day.
Algernon wrote: "I will add Stefansson and Schnitzler to my wishlist, based on your recommendation."
Stefansson is breathtaking and unique, but won't be to everyone's taste. Schnitzler was intriguing, but I've just read the one novella.
Thanks, and HNY to you, too.
Matthew wrote: "Excellent work Cecily and cheers to another great year in reading! I loved (and agree with) your sentiment about quirkiness and being more fluid in your choice of novels..."Thanks, Matthew. Here's to an unexpected journey in the year ahead.
Lisa wrote: "It makes me happy to hear you fell in love with new authors this year, Cecily! It is quite an impressive review of the year, and I will follow in your steps with the Winterson/Shakespeare pair!..."The world needs more love, even of a virtual and literary kind.
The Winterson book was one of a series commissioned by Hogarth Press for the Shakespeare quadcentenary. Atwood's Hag-Seed is another. With all of them, it's probably worth comparing with the source.
Jan-Maat wrote: "Thank you Cecily, haunting the booksellers of the South Bank and reading away for our edification and weird delight"Thanks, Jan-Maat. I gain more edification than I give, but I'll keep trying. And weird is good. Maybe one day we'll bump into each other on the South Bank (I was there on Tuesday, but there was only half a stall).
I personally enjoy your detailed critiquing technique Cecily. It may seem like a book report but it has always guided me in the right direction. I have picked up Stefansson, Stoner, Gormenghast after reading your reviews. Keep 'em coming and looking forward for many more in future :)
Julie wrote: "What a lovely wrap-up of your reading year, Cecily. Based on your reviews, I'm ready to follow you into Stefánsson's realm; and while Lawrence stands in my mind as a mediocre writer... as I look forward to more of your reviews."Thanks, Julie. My current opinion of Lawrence is that his best is brilliant, but his rest is... not. Stefansson though, is in a different league, imo.
I look forward to continued mutual following in 2017.
Apatt wrote: "You make 2016 sounds like a good year (not to be confused with the car tires), though from the GR perspective I suppose it was...Happy New Year! (ﾉ´з｀)ノ"
Thanks, in part, to you. And HNY to you.
Apatt wrote: "...This sentence almost cracked by brain, though:
"Many of those choices were inspired by GR friends. Two of them are GR friends."..."
Who do you think you are? Grammarly?
(^_<)〜☆
Kevin wrote: "Crikey! I am awestruck by the effort you've expended in compiling such a detailed and comprehensive review of your 2016 reads, Cecily!"Thanks. I'll let you into a secret: (view spoiler).
Kevin wrote: "I am grateful that you pointed me towards two great books that I most likely would never have read otherwise, namely Ubik & Galápagos"
I'm so pleased they hit the spot. I look forward to seeing echoes of one or both(!) in your forthcoming novel!!
Kevin wrote: "Look forward to many more of your superb reviews in 2017. Happy New Year!! "
And yours, and your new book. HNY, my friend.
Sookie wrote: "I personally enjoy your detailed critiquing technique Cecily. It may seem like a book report but it has always guided me in the right direction."Thanks you so much, Sookie. That's very reassuring, as I've resigned myself to the unattainability of brevity.
Sookie wrote: "I have picked up Stefansson, Stoner, Gormenghast after reading your reviews."
Three of my all-time favourites. Happy reading in 2017, Sookie.
Great list, great review, great year, Cecily! May your 2017 reading contain only treasures :-)
Cecily wrote: "Jan-Maat wrote: "Thank you Cecily, haunting the booksellers of the South Bank and reading away for our edification and weird delight"Thanks, Jan-Maat. I gain more edification than I give, but I'l..."
I haven't been there since June and then on account of reasons my family were intent on consuming over priced alcohol rather than search for cheap books - as though drink was ever the answer (except for helping you loose weight from your wallet), unlike books which address all of life's vicissitudes.
I've had a great year reading your reviews :-) All the best for 2017.
Looks like you've had a great reading year Cecily. It was enjoyable for me to read your reviews of books that we read in common. Especially Zweig. Have a great 2017 too!
I feel among friends in the list you've so carefully compiled for this reading year, Cecily. I spot many familiar titles and authors that have also been the zenith of these past years for me... Impressive list, impressive review to finish the year with.May 2017 bring many more thrilling discoveries and the presence of those friends I have come to really appreciate, among which I count you.
Cecily, you had a great and rewarding reading year ! Some titles are known already to me while others I hope to read some day . Wishing you all the best and good reading choices in 2017 !
"In 2016, I fell in love." and "I need something magisterial for the start of 2017."Cecily - Thanks for compiling the list. So glad you had an enjoyable year falling in love. I'll be sure to follow closely your reviews in 2017, which starts tomorrow! Got your book ready? Happy new reading year.
Fionnuala wrote: "Great list, great review, great year, Cecily! May your 2017 reading contain only treasures :-)"
Great comment. Thank you, Fionnuala. I hope your reading is equally full of treasures, and that you continue to share you thoughts on them.
Petra X wrote: "I've had a great year reading your reviews :-) All the best for 2017."As I have had reading yours - and especially the comments beneath. You always take your friends and followers to fascinating and unexpected places. Happy New Year, Petra.
Tsung Wei wrote: "Looks like you've had a great reading year Cecily. It was enjoyable for me to read your reviews of books that we read in common. Especially Zweig. Have a great 2017 too!"I have indeed, made all the better by sharing it with friends. Thanks for being part of my inspiration to start on Zweig. There will be more (though I don't know when), so you'll probably beat me to it, which suits me! Have a great 2017.
Dolors wrote: "I feel among friends in the list... I spot many familiar titles and authors."What a lovely thing to say. Of course one reason is that some of those familiar names are ones you've led me to, especially Stefansson. I am eternally grateful for that lead, and for many others. Your reviews are as lyrical and insightful as the books themselves - sometimes more so.
Dolors wrote: "May 2017 bring many more thrilling discoveries and the presence of those friends I have come to really appreciate, among which I count you."
I certainly hope for more thrilling discoveries, for you, me, and all my friends, though this year's will be hard to beat. Thank you for your friendship and inspiring presence here, and may 2017 be a year of peace and joy.
Agnieszka wrote: "Cecily, you had a great and rewarding reading year ! Some titles are known already to me while others I hope to read some day . Wishing you all the best and good reading choices in 2017 !"
I did indeed. I hope that I've tempted you to consider books you hadn't previously considered - and that if you read them, you enjoy them. I'm certainly grateful for being on the other side of that.
Happy reading in 2017 to you, too.
Alfred wrote: "Cecily - Thanks for compiling the list. So glad you had an enjoyable year falling in love. I'll be sure to follow closely your reviews in 2017, which starts tomorrow! Got your book ready? Happy new reading year."The pressure! I haven't quite finished my last book of 2016, let alone reviewed it. And I'm not sure what I'm tempting fate by having as my first of 2017: the last three years have set a high bar.
I've really appreciated your supportive and thoughtful comments over the last year. Happy new reading year to you, too, Alfred.
Marita wrote: "A very nicely structured overview, Cecily. I see several of my old favourites plus some that I'd like to read. Best wishes for 2017!"Thanks, Marita. There are some books that become favourites within a group who have many friends in common, aren't there?
Best wishes for 2017!
Elyse wrote: "Wow!!! Lovely as can be..... like a gorgeous painting....Just so so beautiful Cecily!
...
Love - health - peace and Happy New Year Cecily! "
Wow! Thanks for your typically effusive and generous comment, Elyse. I'll miss your lengthier reviews in 2017, now that your changing your approach. However, if you achieve the brevity I cannot, I'll admire you for it. (You rate of reading and reviewing is breathtaking.)
I'm glad my mention of Irish authors, Malala, and Kevin brought happy memories to the fore.
Love - health - peace and Happy New Year Eylse!
Jean-Paul wrote: "What a fabulous overview of your rich reading experience through 2016, Cecily! May love continue to be a thread running through your literary voyage in 2017 and a beacon in your life. jp"Thank you, Jean-Paul. It's been a rich and fruitful year, enhanced by your beautifully illustrated reviews in my feed.
Here's to love in literary voyages in 2017.
I always look forward to your reviews, Cecily, and rate your opinion highly. I'm hoping to find more time and energy for reading this year.
Wonderful review and amazing list of readings, Cecily. You inspired me to add some books, and I read once more other of your great reviews. Thanks. L.
What a rich and varied reading year you had, Cecily. Your reviews are so unfailingly good too. I've enjoyed sharing our reading journey in 2016.
Dear Cecily, what a wonderful and well considered tribute to a fine reading year! I see several of my own favourites on your list (and I'm particularly delighted to see some love for Lawrence, a deeply under-rated writer, these days, but one whose books - and especially his poetry - I love), and one of my (admittedly many) reading resolutions for the new year is to read Jón Kalman Stefánsson. I've actually bought two of the three books you list, and I am determined to get to them soon.On a personal level, I am deeply appreciative of the attention you (and, indeed, our mutual friend, Dolors) gave to my own writing. I understand only too well how precious a person's reading time is, and your kindness and generosity, both with your time and your reflections, left me feeling more than a bit chuffed.
And so, on to 2017. I struggled a bit with postings over the past six months, as writing and other things overwhelmed me a bit. But here we are with a fresh start, and I look forward to reading your reviews and following your discoveries, and I wish for you the best year yet, one flushed with joy and inspiration through every turned page.
Emma wrote: "I always look forward to your reviews, Cecily, and rate your opinion highly. I'm hoping to find more time and energy for reading this year."Thank you so much, Emma. Small children are a lovely, though sometimes tiring, reason for having little time to read. On the other hand, there's the joy of reading children's books, with a lapfull of cuddles.
Lizzy wrote: "Wonderful review and amazing list of readings, Cecily. You inspired me to add some books, and I read once more other of your great reviews. Thanks. L."Having admired your extraordinarily impressive list for last year, I'm surprised and flattered. Thanks, Lizzy, and I look forward to reading more of your insightful reviews in the year ahead.
Laysee wrote: "What a rich and varied reading year you had, Cecily. Your reviews are so unfailingly good too. I've enjoyed sharing our reading journey in 2016."I have indeed, and you have been an important part of that. Thank you so much for sharing your reviews and for discussing in comments. Here's to our continued journey.
Billy wrote: "Dear Cecily, what a wonderful and well considered tribute to a fine reading year! ... one of my (admittedly many) reading resolutions for the new year is to read Jón Kalman Stefánsson...
your reflections, left me feeling more than a bit chuffed...
I struggled a bit with postings over the past six months, as writing and other things overwhelmed me a bit...
I wish for you the best year yet, one flushed with joy and inspiration through every turned page."
Dear Billy, there you go, proving everything I said about you. Thank you, and I'm glad you're more than a bit chuffed. Yes, I've had a fine reading year, and your books and friendship were an important part of that.
I'm confident Stefánsson will resonate with you, and I really hope that you you do find time to record a few of your thoughts on his books in due course.
May your 2017 be flushed with joy and inspiration for writing and reading, and success come flooding your way.
Wow, Cecily, what an amazing effort. I haven't seen anything this organized since Marie Kondo's sock drawer!
Cecily, your reviews are always an absolute pleasure to read. All the best for 2017!
I appreciate so much how you take the effort to find eloquent words to express the successes and problems with the books you read. And are humble and gracious with those who may disagree. So helpful to prospective readers (and hopefully for the authors when living; the others should turn over in their graves or sit up and applaud). I can someday imagine a book called "Special Quotes that Caught Cecily's Mind's Eye".
Will wrote: "Wow, Cecily, what an amazing effort. I haven't seen anything this organized since Marie Kondo's sock drawer!"LOL, and thanks. But it's not that organised. Merely a chronological list, which I added to throughout the year.
My sock drawer would give Marie Kondo nightmares.
Edward wrote: "Cecily, your reviews are always an absolute pleasure to read. All the best for 2017!"As are yours. Thank you, Edward, and all the best for 2017.
Michael wrote: "I appreciate so much how you take the effort to find eloquent words to express the successes and problems with the books you read. And are humble and gracious with those who may disagree. So helpful to prospective readers.... I can someday imagine a book called "Special Quotes that Caught Cecily's Mind's Eye"."You're very kind, but selecting and repeating the words of others is far easier than coining a stunning, moving, and original phrase. I appreciate indirect recommendations of what to read,, as well as kindness and politeness in others (and shy away from arguments), so I just try to do likewise.
I like the idea of the book you've imagined more than the effort it would take to compile it.
Thanks, Michael, and Happy New Year to you.
I can hardly say how much I appreciate the lengths you go to to present the books you read in their entirety. Just a wonderful year of reading what you've written. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. (And this year I hope to get to Wishing yNicole Kraus's The History of Love (I now own a copy of that) and the Stefansson Heaven and Hell trilogy, which I've yet to look for.Wishing you and yours the very best in 2017.
Margaret wrote: "I can hardly say how much I appreciate the lengths you go to... "Thank you so much. I'm glad you find them helpful.
Margaret wrote: "I hope to get to Nicole Kraus's The History of Love... and the Stefansson Heaven and Hell trilogy"
Excellent and rich choices. I trust you enjoy them and look forward to your reviews in due course.
Margaret wrote: "Wishing you and yours the very best in 2017."
And to you and yours.
Outstanding, Cecily -- both your year in books and your summary of it!
Thanks for so many suggestions to read, and suggestions for return to. .. such as Lawrence. And thanks so much for putting so much time into this. Love it.
