At the end of 2007 I wrote about how hard it was to find a 'book of the year' among those I'd read. Yet I'm already wondering if one of my first reads of 2008 will be a contender - Notes From An Exhibition by Patrick Gale was a total delight.
The structure (the narrative hangs upon the 'notes' of the title) is interesting and clever without being difficult or self-conscious and the story which unravels is intriguing and beautifully told.
When I'd finished, I passed it on to my husband, who'd just finished Salmon Fishing... "What? Another Richard and Judy pick?" he said, just a teensy bit sniffily. But the truth is - they (or rather, their book chooser) can't half pick 'em. Not that I've been deliberately following their book list - but it seems you could do worse. I'm actually trying to read more of the Spread The Word book list I wrote about in Reading Matters a few weeks ago. I've just finished another, The Dead Of Summer by Camilla Way, which was good, if disturbing... It focuses on three young misfit teenagers who hang out together one eventful summer. It's very atmospheric and there's a good twist but I felt she over-egged it a bit towards the end.
Still - 2008 is shaping up so well on the book-selection front I'm worried I might be peaking early.