My Best Books of 2006

I don't usually keep track of what books I read in a year, but am going to start now. I've been inspired by Tanya's list of goals for 2007 - I don't know how many books I read in 2006 but I know it wasn't enough! I'm not going to set a number for this year, but will just try read as much as possible. I also want to try read some old 'classic' books that I've never got around to before.

I don't have a list of worst books 'cos if I'm not enjoying a book I stop reading it. As a friend said to me years ago, "There are too many good books in the world to waste time reading bad ones."

Here are the books I enjoyed most in 2006 (that I can remember):

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
This automatically became one of my favourite books of all time - I have yet to find anyone who didn't love it and didn't cry like a baby while reading it.

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
One of his best in my opinion, although I was a bit disappointed by the ending. Not a good one to start with if you haven't read him before... I recommend 'Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World'.

Weight: The Myth of Atlas and Heracles by Jeanette Winterson
It took a while to get into this one - and it is FAR from her best work - but it moved me on a personal level and in the end I really enjoyed it.

Sun Dog by Monique Roffey
This was a bizarre book. I'm still not sure what to make of the actual story, but it is written SO beautifully! One of those authors that make me never want to even try writing 'cos she makes it look so damn easy to say such amazing things...

Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
Dry by Augusten Burroughs
Both these memoirs are easy reading in terms of style if not in content. The man has lived a very weird life, making "truth is stranger than fiction" the most appropriate thing to say about these books. I read 'Dry' first and am even more impressed with his writing now that I've read 'Running with Scissors' - considering he basically never went to school! A most interesting character who I would love to meet in the flesh. And yes, I do want to read all his other stuff now too. See his website.