Best book you read in 2009?

[Red_Jim83]

It doesn't necessarily have to be a book that was published in 2009, just what was the best book you read last year? Personally I’d have to go for ‘The Book Thief’, thought it was one of the best books I’ve ever read in fact. Anyway, lets hear your thoughts and suggestions...

[Faustus]

Not published in 2009: The Grapes of Wrath

 

Published in 2009: The Death of Bunny Munro

 

Two fantastic books.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

The Dice man ( 1971 ) by Luke Rhinehart ( real name George Cockcroft )

[Juniper]

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (bloody amazing)

 

I am Legand by Richard Matheson

 

Bag of Bones by Stephen King

 

1984 by George Orwell

 

 

Off the top of my Head. Four cracking books. Average about 3 a month now, so I'm sure to think of more later on. Neverwhere though is my favorite book of the year.

Edited December 31, 2009 by Juniper
Can't spell

[Salou]

It doesn't necessarily have to be a book that was published in 2009, just what was the best book you read last year? Personally I’d have to go for ‘The Book Thief’, thought it was one of the best books I’ve ever read in fact. Anyway, lets hear your thoughts and suggestions...

 

Brilliant book, one of the best I've read this year too.

[Special K]

God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens

The Road - Cormac McCarthy

 

Both read on the same holiday in Rhodes, I'm a barrel of laughs in the sun.

[Red Phoenix]

Probably The Zen Teaching of Huang Po. Not ready any fiction at all I don't think, just started the Earthsea Quartet by Ursula Le Guin though and it seems like it'll be good.

[jackofdk]

I've got two favourites among the books I've read this past year.

 

Animal Farm by George Orwell and Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell.

 

Both very thought provoking in different ways. And easily read as well, which for me is a major bonus.

[paddyberger15]

Sorcery at Caesars by Steve Marantz. Loadsoftrophies needs to get his ass into this book. The fight between Leonard and Hagler was an event, a superfight and this book is a great read.

[Jennings]

[Wor Horse]

Torres'

[JMARKH]

Sins of the brother about Ivan Milat. Australian serial killer who used to pick backpackers up from by the hume highway, two of them British and take them into Belanglo state forest, destabilize them and kill them. The film wolf creek was based on him.

[GUS]

This year I started reading Bill Bryson's books. The Lost Continent is my favourite so far but enjoyed all 5 of his books I have read.

[ISeeRed]

This year I started reading Bill Bryson's books. The Lost Continent is my favourite so far but enjoyed all 5 of his books I have read.

 

Lost Continent is ace!

[SammyAftershave]

Nathaniel's Nutmeg: How One Man's Courage Changed the Course of History: Amazon.co.uk: Giles Milton: Books

 

Excellent read.

[ISeeRed]

I'd recommend 'Alice In Wonderland.' Now, don't mock unless you've actually read it as an adult... A friend suggested I should buy it, and it's like some sort of drug-fuelled fantasy... I'm not kidding. Hopefully someone will come on here & back me up. Curiouser and curiouser...

Edited December 31, 2009 by ISeeRed
!

[paulie walnuts]

The Winter Of Frankie Machine-Don Winslow

The Night Gardener-George Pelecanos

Shutter Island-Dennis Lehane

[Rico1304]

The Book of Dave by Will Self is good.

 

(Although make sure you read the appendix which helps you translate the language of the people who live in the future. Anyone who doesn't notice it will try and translate it themselves and only be able to read a couple of pages at a time. Like I did. Because I'm a cock)

[Liverpool lad]

Flyboys: A True Story of Courage: Amazon.co.uk: James Bradley: Books

 

Flyboys - amazing book, I couldn't put it down, I am sure Magic Sponge will agree with me as well. Possibly the best I have ever read

[kop]

Hard to pick but I have to mention a few:

 

Might have read this one late '08 or early '09, can't remember exactly:

 

Cathedral of the sea by Ildefonso Falcones;

 

Just finished this one:

Gomorrah by Roberto Saviano;

 

Both very good read; the first one is about 1300 century Barcelona and the struggles of that time in general. Loads of historically correct descriptions aswell. A page turner as they say. The Gomorrah-book is a very good description of Italian mafia and how they work. It's from the Napoli-area and it's an eye opener with regards to how rutheless the mafia is. It's more a descriptive tale more than a novel, a documentary if you want. I'm not surprised if the author is killed by the Gomorrah, maybe I should put that into a "who will die in 2010"-prediction.

[Total Longo]

Best 3 books i've read in 09

 

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Who Killed Bobby? by Shane O'Sullivan

Talking Cock by Richard Herring

[Uncle_Meat]

Best new book, Under the Dome by Stephen King. It's a cracker.

[greenoak]

Cant go with any book, but will go with an author who I was introduced to in 2009

 

Ken Bruen.

 

Ken Bruen was born in Galway, Ireland. After turning down a place at RADA, and completing a doctorate in Metaphysics, he spent 25 years as an English teacher in Africa, Japan, South East Asia and South America. An unscheduled stint in a Brazilian prison where he suffered physical and mental abuse spurred him to write and, after a brief spell teaching in London, he returned to Galway, where he now lives with his daughter.

 

Very dark Irish humour. The Jack Taylor series are fantastic.

 

Best thing about finding a new author you get loads of books to read. I read the jack taylor series first. 7 of those. Then the Tom Brant series.

 

Biggest problem has been finding older copies.

 

(6)

[Paisley Red]

The Damned United - David Peace

Ham On Rye - Bukowski

All The Pretty Horses - Cormac McCarthy

 

Bought £150 worth of books on the last day of Borders for £7.50, most of which I'll probably never read ...

[RJ Fan club]

The Three Musketeers.

Bram Stoker's Dracula

Adolf Hitler, my part in his downfall by Spike Milligan

Nineteen eighty four.