Book after Book

I am in a pickle! I enjoyed so much writing ' My top 5 books in 2017 ' post last year that I thought I'd do that again. I didn't read a lot in 2017, though, and picking my top 5 books was a breeze. If you've come across 'My 2018 in books' post last week, however, you know that I had a stellar 2018 when it comes to reading. There is no way I can do a Top 5 list. I tried. I failed. I refuse to try again. As I don't think anybody would survive a 'My top 70 books in 2018' post, I have therefore settled for a Top 10 instead. Just as hard but more doable. What I am NOT attempting is ranking these books in order of merit, enjoyment or any other classification. The numbers purely help me tidy up the page. In my heart, they are all in first place! So here it goes… And please do let me know in the comments below or on Twitter whether you also have loved some or all of these! 1) The Lion Tamer Who Lost by Louise Beech If you haven't experienc...

By Kazuo Ishiguro Synopsis: A contemporary classic, The Remains of the Day is Kazuo Ishiguro's beautiful and haunting evocation of life between the wars in a Great English House. In the summer of 1956, Stevens, the ageing butler of Darlington Hall, embarks on a leisurely holiday that will take him deep into the English countryside and into his past. How did this book end up in my hands? My best friend is reading it with her book club in Italy and I thought I’d read along! Was it a page-turner? This is not a fast-paced novel as there is no mystery to solve but I found it so incredibly fascinating that I could hardly put it down. Having read the synopsis, did the book meet my expectations? I didn’t have any expectations as the synopsis didn’t reveal much so this book was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed every moment of it. Did I like the ending? [no spoilers] Yes. A sombre ending, very much in keeping with the general feeling of this novel. Three words to describe it....