The New York Times has published a list of 100 notable books of 2008, and I am proud to say that I have read the grand total of...6
But that is 6 of the 50 fiction and poetry titles, so it is a little better. Over 10%, so that's not too bad! Here are the 6.
Netherland - Joseph O'Neill
The Lazarus Project - Aleksandar Hemon
Beautiful Children - Charles Bock
A Mercy - Toni Morrison
Diary of a Bad Year - J.M. Coetzee
The Good Thief - Hannah Tinti
There are some good books in there. And two which I didn't particularly like. The Lazarus Project was fantastic, and I didn't think it would be bettered for a long time. But then I read Netherland, and the book of the year competition was over. Netherland is simple and delightful, a lyrical journey in which every word is beautifully pitched and resounding with some sort of recognisable and universal humanity.
So below this post, you will find, in order of enjoyment, my reviews of the 6 books I have read this year. And at the bottom, Salman Rushdie's The Enchantress of Florence, the great book of the year that this list inexplicably overlooked.
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