10 Great Reads!

The rule of four / Ian Caldwell & Dustin Thomason
(A thriller about a secret in a book and the men who must follow the clues to find it – an interesting and intelligent read supposedly based on some degree of truth [I’d love to know how much])

The end of Mr. Y / Scarlett Thomas
(Philosophy wrapped in an adventure/science fiction novel that details an incredible personal journey, though that summary does not do this novel justice. It’s a bit like a very adult version of Sophie’s world, though not as emotionally void. The characters are quirky and well-developed; the story is fast-paced and furious, sometimes sad, often witty and always intoxicating. Scarlett Thomas has other novels – great reads, just as off-beat as this one though not, in my opinion, quite as potent)

The historian : a novel / Elizabeth Kostova
(history and myth in a novel that takes you around the world and through time – elegantly written and full of vivid details that drew me in to the point where I did not want to leave)

The accomplice / Kathryn Heyman
(A story about a moment of ugliness in human history, the wreck of The Batavia in the 1600's and the shocking events that took place afterwards – very well written, haunting, moving and disturbing, this is a powerful novel)

The geographer's library / Jon Fasman
(again, history and myth in a novel that takes you around the world and through time. This story is incredibly dense, thorough and intriguing – it’s quite harsh too, the treatment of its characters seems cold and distant, but that only adds to the strangeness of the mood of the novel)

The six sacred stones / Matthew Reilly
(part of a series, however it can easily be read on its own – Action, adventure, mystery and conspiracies, he’s popular for a reason. The best way to describe this novel: fun; ridiculously over-blown [but not entirely mindless] fun)

The miracle strain / Michael Cordy
(he has other novels that are also interesting, all tackle scientific possibilities and their values and dangers – I find his novels are useful as ‘what if’ scenarios and they’re also full of adventure so they’re satisfying too)

Blue diary / Alice Hoffman (A story about a small town and people who aren’t quite what they seem, this is a haunting drama and a slowly-revealing mystery that explores the grey spaces between right and wrong, truth and fiction. The characters are subtle and very well written and the writing is masterful. The mood is dream-like and strange, wrapping a cloud of fantasy around events that would have otherwise been raw and jarring. Very effective)

Mallawindy / Joy Dettman
(If you like Blue Diary you will probably like Mallawindy. This is another moody piece with well developed, beautifully flawed characters, light and shade, mystery and drama. Richly detailed descriptions and a harsh Australian setting add to the depth and flavour of this novel. It really dragged me in and wrapped me up in its muddy, twisted world – compelling stuff!)

Nineteen eighty-four: a novel / George Orwell
(I read this novel again recently and was reminded about how great the story is. I read an article not too long ago regarding Nineteen eighty-four and the journalist was convinced the story was irrelevant in today’s society. I disagree; as an exploration of the ability of power in general to corrupt and language to control I think it will always be relevant. It reminds me, anyway, of the possibilities of power and how little changes don’t seem worth criticising until you think of them in terms of the bigger picture.

Compiled by Liz