Best Reads of 2004

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Originally Posted by AJane

There IS no better writer alive, IMO. Really, her alternate-reality novels are not my favourites (I'm a diehard fan of her earlier work from the '70's and '80's, although Alias Grace was frickin' brilliant) but with Oryx and Crake she somehow manages to take very current social issues and turn them into a classic novel, same as she did with Handmaid's Tale.I have her new book of essays, Moving Targets, on my shelf to read next.

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Well, being a patriotic Canadian and a book junkie, I'll agree that Atwood is very, very good. My favorite of hers is still The Blind Assassin. I liked Oryx and Crake - the prose was as precision-fine as ever, though the dystopias do get a little shopworn after a while.

My votes go to Philip Roth's The Plot Against America and Orhan Pamuk's Snow. Provacative and startling, in an ugly-beautiful way, which of course is the best way there is. ;)

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Originally Posted by phat32

9. Mystic River (Dennis Lehane)

I haven't read an author who asked so many profound questions in one novel since Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Bonus: Read the novel and skip the movie, and you won't have to listen to Sean Penn's Boston accent! Wicked smaht!

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phat, I really enjoyed Mystic River too. My fave Lehane is Shutter Island, though. An absolutely mesmerazing read; I was literally glued to my chair. I loved the atmosphere and the constant twistst and turns. Does anyone know if there's a new Lehane novel coming out soon?

Great lists everyone. I'm adding your picks to my neverending list of "Books to read".

Geek, though I loved High Fidelity, I am actually rather bad at lists because I am notoriously indecisive. I never feel I am definitive enough, I'm worried I'll leave out something, but then I have too much, and so forth. You should see me trying to order Chinese take-out, I'd drive you mad.

But, since this is such a good topic, I promise I will try to come up with a Top Ten of my fave personal reads for the year and come back to post it. :)

Oh drats, what did I read? I used to promise myself I'd write every book down, but then I never got around to it, and oh...er... :ohno <-- SFG: Queen of Lame

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Originally Posted by geek the girl

phat, I really enjoyed Mystic River too. My fave Lehane is Shutter Island, though. An absolutely mesmerazing read; I was literally glued to my chair. I loved the atmosphere and the constant twistst and turns. Does anyone know if there's a new Lehane novel coming out soon?

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I do have Shutter Island somewhere in my house; I'd been reading it but was distracted by another book. (I don't remember what that was.)

Thanks for jogging my memory about SI; I'll dig it out and finish up.

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Originally Posted by SnowflakeGirl

Geek, though I loved High Fidelity, I am actually rather bad at lists because I am notoriously indecisive. I never feel I am definitive enough, I'm worried I'll leave out something, but then I have too much, and so forth. You should see me trying to order Chinese take-out, I'd drive you mad.

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Don't I know it. A day after making my list, I realize I forgot the His Dark Materials trilogy I'd read earlier this year, and it had knocked me back through a wall. (Do yourselves a favor and read it if you haven't.)

As for Chinese, I'll take the egg rolls, mu shu pork, crispy duck and wheat noodles with a touch of soy. While I'm at it, I'll take the sweet tofu for dessert. ;)

(How long did the threadjack take this time?)

Well, I'm not very good at making lists, but it is interesting to read others' suggestions. Though I'm not convinced to read the latest Atwood ( I don't like her writing style personally ) some of the other choices look interesting. By the way, the character in Jasper Fforde is called Thursday not Tuesday. :) ( I love Jasper Fforde. :heart)

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Originally Posted by CCL

By the way, the character in Jasper Fforde is called Thursday not Tuesday. :) ( I love Jasper Fforde. :heart)

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Oh good lord. I can't believe both AJane and I -- both rabid Fforde fans -- made that mistake, AND neither of us caught it. *points blamey finger squarely at eggnog glass*

:rofl Oh. My. God. At least I have it right in my sig line. Yeah, the egg nog, that's who I'll blame too.

Chinese food, egg nog...suddenly I'm starving. Here I'm assiduously avoiding the cookie thread to keep from noshing while online, and I walk into you guys and a bunch of food talk in the book thread. Yeah, that's who I'll blame when I can't do up my jeans in a couple of weeks. ;)

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Originally Posted by Lucy

Oh good lord. I can't believe both AJane and I -- both rabid Fforde fans -- made that mistake, AND neither of us caught it. *points blamey finger squarely at eggnog glass*

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Yeah, and I read the thread and didn't catch it either. Bunch of lame fans we are, hey?

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Lucky by Alice Sebold
Suzanne's Diary to Nicholas by James Patterson