12. no kava for johnny by John O'Grady

This is the story of Ioane, a very small Samoan boy with a very large brain. Although he is full of good intentions he is often at the centre of troubles which are not his fault, but of which it could be said that if he had not been present they would not have happened. After one too many of these his tribal leader sends him away to the city to study to be a chemist, so he can make money for the family without causing them trouble. This is where he meets the crazy Australian (John O'Grady) who is credited as the author but who insists that Ioane wrote it himself. His naive and entertaining style is at least half the fun of reading this book, and it made me laugh out loud in public places more than once. Published in 1961 by the author of They're a Weird Mob and Cop this Lot (both bestsellers in their time) this might be hard to find but is well worth the effort.

11. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

Well I've had about five books on the go since May so there's been a bit of a gap in posts, but I finally finished one! I'd been meaning to read this for years, so when I saw it on my friend Berni's bookshelf the other day I grabbed the chance to borrow it. She said she's lent another two copies at least to other friends so it must be the thing to do. Anyway I really liked it. Good old Holden Caulfield.. he's a smart guy stuck in a world full of phoneys. You can't help feeling for him. He just got kicked out of school for not 'applying himself' and this is the story of a few days he spends wandering around New York after he walks out of school early. Straightaway I liked the way its written just like a teenager of that time probably spoke - lots of repetition of phrases like 'that kills me' and 'I really get a bang out of that' and finishing sentences with 'and all'. And I love his straight-talking character analyses - 'My aunt's pretty charitable - she does a lot of Red Cross work and all - but she's very well-dressed and all, and when she does anything charitable she's always very well-dressed and has lipstick on and all that crap. I couldn't picture her doing anything for charity if she had to wear black clothes and no lipstick while she was doing it.'

10. Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow, by Peter Hoeg

And so in search of something more challenging I picked up one of my old favourites, "Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow" by Peter Hoeg, and reread the first half or so. It was like catching up with an old friend you haven't seen in years- that sudden sense of familiarity, but you also realise what it is about yourself that drew you to them in the first place. I loved how this book kept me guessing. I never knew where the story was leading but it was great fun speculating. The tantalising glimpses into Smilla's character revealed a combination of strength, determination and vulnerability that made her seem real, and made me care enough to keep reading. Plus I loved the philosophical questioning and the sharp social and political comments which I happened to agree with and feel strongly about. So all of these combined make this one of my all-time favourite books.

9.The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

I opened this up on the recommendations of friends who said this was the best book they've read all year. I tried, and it wasn't bad, but I couldn't get into it. Partly because the idea of creating "Death" as a character in a book has been done before (with funnier jokes) by Terry Pratchett. Also because using Death as a third person narrator means that the author doesn't have to delve too deeply into what the characters are going through. And you get the feeling they should be going through some pretty significant things, as it's set in the middle of WWII and it's about a girl, Liesel, who witnesses her brother's death and doesn't even know if her mother is alive. Not to mention her foster family are hiding a Jew in her basement. But apart from her nightmares, it is her stealing of books that seems to bother her more.
There are some interesting turns of phrase and clever metaphors but that wasn't quite enough to keep me reading. And I found that the teasing little hints about what was in store killed the fun of finding it out for yourself. So it wasn't for me, and I have to admit I didn't finish it - maybe it gets better, and I gave up too early.

8. The Railway Station Man, by Jennifer Johnston

I first discovered Jennifer Johnston when I picked up "Fools Sanctuary" a few years ago and was immediately impressed with her ability to tell a story through her characters. Everything they say or do tells you something about who they are and why. Nothing is wasted, and the story reveals itself to you scene by scene without need for lengthy descriptions or history or explanations. I love the way this allows you to make your own mind up, and the way it relates the political theme of Ireland's Troubles through the personal interactions of her characters.

So I was excited to find The Railway Station Man included in a collection of her work I'd not seen before, and eager to revisit her wild Ireland. I wasn't disappointed. This is set on the west coast of Ireland, and the main character, Helen, is a painter, who has a studio built on a hillside with a glass wall of windows looking out over the ocean, so she can have the view to herself. There is the same intimate, truthful and forgiving attitude to all of her characters that's so rare in politically-themed novels, and in society in general. It sends a powerful message about the needless deaths caused by violence. But it is also a personal story about Helen's struggle with herself to finally become the artist she once dreamed of being before it's too late.

I loved it, and like her other books I can't wait to read it again to discover what I missed the first time.

7. Changing Planes, by Ursula Le Guin

This is a book of ideas. Elegantly written, subtle, philosophical and satirical, it uses fantastical worlds to provoke questions about how we live in our world. It begins with a woman who while waiting for a aeroplane discovers the technique for travelling to other planes (not aeroplanes, but planes of existence). Each plane is richly imagined and deftly described, but rather than depend on the sheer novelty and originality of the fantasy worlds, each story focusses on a distinct characteristic of an alien culture to reveal something about our own world, our human flaws and our potential. I loved it! Especially The Fliers of Gyr (if you've ever wondered what it would be like to be able to fly, read this), and The Seasons of the Ansarac (about a culture that travels seasonally between the country and the city - in the country they mate and have children, while in the cities the family splits up and they live in unrelated groups) . They're short stories, but so full of ideas and questions that they kept me entertained long after I'd put the book down.

6. There where the pepper grows, by Bem Le Hunte

A student friend recommended this to me after I had recommended "Joy School" by Elizabeth Berg to her. Narrated by a Jewish man (which feels a bit strange at first because it's written by a woman) who flees Poland in WWII with his wife, his son, and his childhood sweetheart. They settle in Calcutta, and I loved the descriptions of the city and the family as their fortunes wax and wane. Made me want to catch the next plane, preferably during the Holi Festival. But it's so much more than a travel book.. it's about compassion, and tolerance, and the many different forms of love we experience in a lifetime, and how it endures despite the inevitability of change. Rich, beautiful, warm and wise, this book definitely belongs in my top ten for this year.