I have been so blessed to read some magnificent books this year. I have loved reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy, and Olive Kitteridge by Elisabeth Strout, and Still Alice by Lisa Genova, and Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey.

However my favourite fiction book of the year would be the Booker prize-winning Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. It tells the story of Henry VIII wanting to rid himself of a wife through the eyes of his chief adviser Thomas Cromwell. It also chronicles the beginning of the English Reformation, and discusses the significance of the Bible being available for all people in a language they could understand, something which we take too much for granted. It is a wonderfully lyrical and compelling book with some clearly expressed Gospel truths and a sharp warning that those of us who claim the name of Christ, should live and love as he did.

My favourite non-fiction book was Eric Metaxas' excellent biography of the well-know German theologian and author Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer was martyred just days before the liberation of prisons and camps by the Americans. It is hard to imagine the evil Bonhoeffer witnessed and chronicled, the deprivations he himself suffered, his frustration and anger at the impotence of the church and general German population in the face of a violent and corrupt government, the pain and suffering as his family was ripped apart making their stand, his sadness as thousands of his acquaintances and those he taught were cut down in their prime, his aching spirit as God's name was defamed and misused
. However, Metaxas has captured the context well and Bonhoeffer's voice continues to admonish us:

Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.

The books that disappointed me most were Philip Pullman's poorly written The Good Man Jesus, and the Scoundrel Christ. This thinly disguised atheistic polemic was celebrated for its sensationalism but criticised for its lack of literary quality.

I also was bored by John Grogan's The Longest Trip Home, which suffered from being maudlin and self-indulgent; a characteristic of many memoirs.

What I will be reading these holidays…

Griffith Review always puts out a fabulous collection of short stories; just perfect for reading on the beach! I also am really looking forward to reading Colm Toibin's Brooklyn which I have heard wonderful things about. It is about an Irish woman who goes abroad in the 1950s to find fame, fortune and of course fickle love. I have also heard good things about Room by Emma Donoghue about a child locked up with his mother. An interesting non-fiction book looks to be Ross Gittins' The Happy Economist; he has written for a long time about happiness, and he sees this as the most important economic measure. A picture book that has caught my eye is Jeannie Baker's Mirror. Baker is the most creative and clever Australian illustrator and story-teller, and in this book she contrasts life in an Australian family and life in a Middle Eastern family. I notice also that one of my favourite children's author's Shaun Tan has put out a collection of his sketches. His drawings are so detailed and imaginative, this book is sure to be an inspiration.

Happy reading…