In the OUP office, we have eschewed the usual resolutions involving eating and drinking less and exercising more, in the hope of having a higher level of success (and continue to indulge in regular sugar-laden morning and afternoon teas) with our literary New Year’s resolutions.
Below is the list of novels that we resolve to read in 2018, and some books that we think are perfect beach reads for the summer break. No scales or Fitbits involved!
This year I want to read:
Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien – This insightful author spoke at the Adelaide Writers’ Week this year, and I’ve been keen to read this book ever since. From what I’ve read, it combines a story of familial roots with the broader history of China in the twentieth century, and sounds like a fascinating read.
My favourite holiday read is:
The Town by Shaun Prescott – This is a delightful book for those who count existential thoughts as a holiday activity. It will make you question who we are and where we’re going, in an unsettling and uniquely Australian way. It’s not really a beach read, although there is a beach in The Town.
This year I want to read:
Extinctions by Josephine Wilson – the story sounds really interesting, about an older man needing to choose between his life-long possessions and his family.
The Sea by John Banville – this book won the 2005 Man Booker Prize.
The Silent Companions: A ghost story by Laura Purcell – I’ve always loved a bit of a ghost story and this one sounded interesting.
Sugar Money by Jane Harris – a story set in 1765 about slaves and their mission to smuggle back the 42 slaves claimed by English invaders.
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan – I stumbled on this book while searching for another Jennifer Egan book. The reviews were very positive and I discovered that this book was the winner of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan – the newest release by Jennifer Egan. Once I knew Jennifer Egan was a Pulitzer Prize winner, I didn’t hesitate to add this to my wish list.
Devil’s Day by Andrew Michael Hurley – the story is based around a family farm and the hard choices that need to be made by the family.
The Ninth Hour by Alice McDermott – written by a National Book Award-winning author and the book was shortlisted for the 2017 Kirkus Prize. This novel is about three generations of an Irish immigrant family in 1940s and 1950s Brooklyn.
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders – this book won the 2017 Man Booker Prize. It’s about Abraham Lincoln dealing with the death of his 11-year-old son.
My favourite beach reads are:
The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
This year I want to read:
The Dry by Jane Harper – this book has attracted so much positive attention, and I love the way that Harper was so honest when she was asked about how the book came about, saying that she approached it like any project: educating herself, planning and finally, writing the book. It was a practical approach to the reality of writing.
The Choke by Sophie Laguna – this is another book that has been raved about on social media, so I’d like to see what the fuss is about. I’m steeling myself for a confronting read, but I enjoy it when a book makes a big impact.
Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris – I’ve always wanted to read a book by Sedaris, and I picked this one up second hand, so this is my chance.
I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O’Farrell – A colleague mentioned they were enjoying this memoir detailing O’Farrell’s numerous brushes with death, and I think it sounds like an interesting concepts. I don’t usually choose memoirs, but this one seems to be a bit different.
Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout – I read Strout’s Olive Kitteridge this year and loved how it was so grim, but also insightful and touching, and Anything is Possible one has attracted equally positive reviews.
My favourite beach reads are:
A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth – it allows the reader to enter a different world, and become part of an Indian family, with all of the complexities that involves. It’s an easy but immersive read, perfect for the beach.
Commonwealth by Anne Patchett – this is another story about family, but a different one. Commonwealth details the life of a complicated family that is broken apart, then put together in a different way. It regularly takes the reader to sunny days at the beach, that echo a childhood and sense of long summer days familiar to many Australians.
This year I want to read:
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin – For 2018 I would like to read George R. R. Martin’s epic A Song of Ice and Fire series to fill the void left by Games of Thrones as the final season won’t premiere until 2019.
My favourite beach read is:
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris – t’s a hilarious collection of illustrated fables for adults.
My favourite beach read is:
Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue – I have recommended this book to everyone and anyone who will listen! It is warm, funny and full of heart. It cleverly manages to be an easy, absorbing read while exploring complex social issues such as immigration and the global financial crisis.
This year I want to read:
The Secret History by Donna Tartt (which everyone keeps raving about)
Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman (before the film comes out)
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari (which I hope can make me smarter)
My favourite beach read is:
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. I read this for my book club this year and it’s a winner.
This year I want to read:
Mythos by Steven Fry – because … Greek myths + Steven Fry
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood – because … the beautiful special edition hardcover
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr – because … it is still in the bestseller list and I have almost bought it so many times
War Storm by Victoria Aveyard – because … (the next book in the Red Queen series) teenagers with superpowers + monarchy
This year I want to read:
These are all the books I have on reserve at the library which aren’t expect to arrive until 2018!
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People about Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong
Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan
Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman
The Trauma Cleaner by Sarah Krasnostein
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
The Ninth Hour by Alice McDermott
Sour Heart by Jenny Zhang
Forest Dark by Nicole Krauss
My favourite holiday read is:
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler
The Ripley series by Patricia Highsmith
The Idiot by Elif Batuman
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
This year I want to read:
Zanzibar Wife by Deborah Rodriguez – I want to read the Zanzibar Wife by Deborah Rodriguez. I read The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul a few years ago and really enjoyed it so I am looking forward to seeing what her new book is like.
Hardcore Twenty-Four by Janet Evanovich – I am also looking forward to reading Janet Evanovich’s new book Hardcore Twenty-Four, I absolutely love the Stephanie Plum novels and always devour them.