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Welcome to The Literary Pig's blog - a safe haven for all those afflicted with
the unbearable urge to write.

Thursday 6 January 2011

Pick of the litter(ary) reading from 2010

I spend a lot of time in bed, OK all of my time, and I like to read.  Luckily so does my owner and I kindly let her share my books.  Here are my pick of favourite reads from 2010:

Five Sty Rating:  Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (2009 winner of Man Booker prize)
Took a few weeks to devour this one but worth it.  Totally absorbing portrayal of Tudor times and the life of Thomas Cromwell.  I'm a big fan of this era of history and have read numerous historical accounts involving Henry VIII or Elizabeth I.  With this novel you are transported to Tudor England and Cromwell becomes a character you actually root for.

New Discovery of 2010: David Mitchell
Started, appropriately, with his first novel Ghostwritten and was hooked.  Read Cloud Atlas over Christmas break and couldn't put it down.  Includes one of the most realistic portrayals of the future - a scary warning about the extent to which man could take cloning and genetic manipulation.
Just bought his latest offering: The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoe.  Persuaded her to use a book token (winnings from one of her writing competitions) to get this.

Ideal Short Snacks: (anthologies of short stories)
Raymond Carver - Cathedral
Helen Simpson - Constitutional / Four Bare Legs in a Bed
Alice Munro - Selected Stories
Carol Shield - Dressing Up For The Carnival

2 comments:

  1. Hello, I also write, never thought I would be I have now completed five novels. I am at www.jaygeenen.com Please contact me for hope of success if nothing else. Jay

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  2. Thanks Jay - you are the first to visit this new blog. It's lovely to hear from a fellow nutter (sorry I mean writer) and a surprise to see a comment from someone across the water! I appreciate the words of support. Good luck with your novels too.
    Tracy

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