It’s December and you know what that means: the best lists have been published and the reading stacks have increased. take your pick: the authors’ favorites (here, selected by the keeper’s review; here, by the observer) or the critics’ selections, genre by genre. but what about the readers, you ask? Here’s a selection of the great reviews they submitted on their favorite books of 2015.
include some of the year’s most praised works of fiction, like marlon james’ powerful man booker winner on violence in 1970s jamaica, some of the most anticipated, like elena ferrante’s conclusion to her series neapolitan or the return of franzen, and some of the most discussed, such as hanya yanagihara’s mammoth a little life, a novel about friendship and the effects of child abuse, which has ignited heated debates between readers and critics. but our readers also guarantee outstanding works of fantasy fiction, nature memoir, and travel writing. These are the notable books you voted for the most and why they’re worth reading, in your own words.
You are reading: 10 best books of 2015
1. a little life by hanya yanagihara
yanagihara’s man booker nominated novel follows the friendship of four men in new york city throughout their lives and deals with the effects of childhood abuse; moreover, it has certainly generated a polarized debate. was the most voted by our readers.
“the most compelling story of human suffering I’ve read in a long time. this is a fictional document of the horrors of abuse at a young age and how its consequences rob the main character of the ability to find peace or what we generally describe as a “normal life”. fascinating.” joe fantetti
“this made me cry, shiver, smile and completely captivated in its entirety.” sid
“amazing, exhausting but full of love.” lisa butcher
“simply, no book has touched me so deeply. The main character, Jude, lived so vividly in my mind that I woke up one night crying over something I dreamed had happened to her. it is flawed in places, but it is so vividly and sincerely written that it deserves all the praise.” joanne finney
- what we said: “unusual, uneven, unforgiving” – read the keeper’s review
- interview with hanya yanagihara: ‘wanted everything to appear a little too high’
- buy the book
2. the story of a lost boy by elena ferrante
The long-awaited conclusion to Ferrante’s four-part Neapolitan novels, which follows the life and friendship between two women, has been loved by critics and readers alike.
“Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan series dates back to a time when fiction was not intended to shock, lecture or impress. It’s storytelling at its purest and most compelling, it’s as if Austen, Verga, Dostoyevsky and Stendhal have sat down together and decided to write a history of post-war Naples, telling us everything we need to know about friendship, intellectual ambition, the fight for true feminism and the Italian mind. And everything else too. Ferrante is undoubtedly one of the most interesting figures, if not the most unique, in contemporary world literature”. davide ferrauto (new york)
“The last of Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels presents Lila and Elena as aging adults. her prose continues to mine deep and hidden veins of conscience, competition and complex friendships. is, without question, the best exploration of women’s lives, challenges, and relationships that she has ever read.” diane e. hamlin
“a wonderful conclusion to Neapolitan novels. deep in psychology, erudite in details and compulsively readable.” patrick dyer
- what we said: “a terrifyingly insightful ending”: read guardian’s review
- read an excerpt
- read about elena ferrante, the global literary sensation no one know
- buy the book
3. a god in ruins by kate atkinson
Atkinson’s follow-up to his life-after-life bestseller follows the life of Teddy Todd, a WWII RAF bomber pilot.
“Human, witty and erudite while playing some interesting games with form. absolutely seductive. alun lewis
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“simply beautiful, built on the great foundation of life after life. I cried and laughed (in that order I think). I want so much more… more issy, more of everyone… please! each character deserves its own volume.” robert thursfield
“It was the best written book I read this year (and I’ve read 202 books so far this year (although not all of 2015). A novel can be about anything as long as since it’s well written, it’s all in the narrative.” tom rosenthal
- what we said: “his best work”: read guardian’s review
- buy the book
4. a brief history of seven murders by marlon james
This year’s man booker winner tells the story of Bob Marley and Jamaica’s attempted assassination in the 1970s and 1980s, when guns flooded in and CIA agents moved in.
“it’s horribly violent at times, and the sex scenes are a little strong for my liking, but damn, marlon james knows how to bring these characters to life: they’re flawed and selfish and rooted in a world that i I will never know, nor will I want to know personally, but when Marlon James writes about him, I don’t hesitate to visit him for a few hours. brilliantly written and considering what he was up against, a wonderful booker’s winner. and for teaching me the word bombocloth, marlon james has my eternal thanks!” graham vingoe
“powerful, epic, complex, harrowing, terrifying, full of impressive curses and violence, but still poetic.” esme
“Brilliant use of perspective and voice. it also sheds light on a time and place in history (gun law and Jamaican politics in the 1970s) that had previously been barely noticed in literature (in music yes, in literature no). Furthermore, it brilliantly shows how recoil is not a concept limited to the Middle East; CIA interference in Jamaica leads directly to illegal drug possession in major American cities a decade later. is brilliantly researched, most of the main story threads are true or believed to be true. as marlon james himself says, “if it doesn’t go that way, it almost goes that way”. boy listen
- what we said: “bloody strife in 70s jamaica” – read guardian review
- interview with marlon james: ‘i was the nerd, i didn’t like sports, i assumed that he was gay’
- read a conversation between marlon james and jeanette winterson
- marlon james talks about the novel on the guardian books podcast
- buy the book
5. a spool of blue thread by anne tyler
Tyler’s 20th novel, a portrait of American domestic life, landed her on the Baileys and Man Booker short lists.
“The characters were so fully formed that I felt like I was reading a family album. there is poetry in the way the author has written about mundane family life. when the book was finished, I felt alone.” kimberly shields
“I liked the mix of endearing and infuriating characteristics of the family members, the whirlwind of shifting priorities and affinities they display in Anne Tyler’s excruciatingly revealing portrait of family life and its formative history.” pamela aveyard
“a tender and perfect novel about family dynamics and secrets.”jane kirby
- what we said: “in defense of anne tyler” – read the keeper review
- interview with anne tyler: ‘i’m not a spiritual person’
- buy the book
6. purity by jonathan franzen
franzen’s new novel was possibly the most publicized of the year and, despite the controversial figure of the author, it did not disappoint (many) readers.
“franzen’s latest work is extremely readable and engaging. Although purity may not be as good as freedom or corrections, it is a gripping novel that addresses the ubiquity of social media and how they shape human communication, mutual perceptions, and even a sense of self. as well as privacy and transparency on the internet. Franzen’s bizarre parallelism between East German totalitarianism and World Wide Web dictatorship may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it certainly makes you think.” martina
“dickensian in scope and characterization (as well as in its reliance on unbelievable coincidences) this was the most riveting, thought-provoking, and sometimes infuriating read of 2015. franzen at its best.” jason bright
“each page contains the perfect words to describe the most confusing feelings, experiences and beliefs.” small
- what we said: “penetratingly brilliant” – read the keeper review
- jonathan franzen interview: ‘there’s no way to make me non-masculine’
- purity : digested reading
- buy the book
7. the giant buried by kazuo ishiguro
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Ten years after his previous novel, The Beloved Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro returned with a twist to a Tolkienesque realm, and most readers loved him for it.
“the way ishiguro crafts this epic adventure story with a lingering sense of what is lost and missing is wonderfully captivating. the novel is exciting and yet tragic in the way it masterfully deals with the power of memories and the hole their loss leaves, as well as asking what love is really based on. memories or feelings right now?” marcus bateson
“While I have read more enjoyable books, books that made me laugh out loud, books whose prose did not suggest a descent into the depths of subconscious psychology, I cannot think of any other book I read this year that simply sank into my psyche in the manner of the buried giant. I still find myself, months later, insisting on his themes of memory, death and forgiveness, and trying to answer a question, so heavy in our age of eternal digital memory: is it possible to truly forgive when we cannot forget?” yvonne bouma o’brien
- what we said: “kazuo ishiguro ventures into tolkien’s territory”: read the keeper review
- listen to an excerpt on the keeper books podcast
- read about ishiguro’s turn to fantasy
- buy the book
8. the shepherd’s crown by terry pratchett
Shortly after Terry Pratchett passed away this year, it emerged that he was still working on several novels for his Discworld series. this, published posthumously in August, was the last one she completed.
“moving finale to the discworld saga, beautifully written as always, full of humor and written with heart”. snoj0815
“It was awesome, glorious and heartbreaking. a grand finale and a fitting swan song from one of the greatest writers of this century and the past. this book allows sir terry, granny weatherwax and discworld to mourn together, and for that i am very grateful, and amazed at how, even in his final months of grave ill health, he was able to produce a book as witty and insightful as those that came before it. ” j.p. bebbington
- what we said: “the latest discworld novel from the beloved author” – read the review of the guardian
- ‘mum, me and our discworld tattoos’: read tributes from our readers terry pratchett
- read graeme neill on how terry pratchett revisited the record world taught him why he loves to read
- ‘a butt of my own jokes’: read to terry pratchett on the disease that finally claimed him
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- buy the book
9. common ground by rob cowen
In a year when the nature writing genre has exploded, following the huge mainstream success of H Is For Hawk, this memoir about columnist Rob Cowen’s move to Yorkshire captured our readers’ imaginations.
“nature writing for a generation that feels disconnected from the land. this book teaches us how to connect.” joe johnson
“lyrical, honest and deeply moving exploration of the spaces where human beings and nature meet”. rosie hoole
“beautiful, intense and radical memories full of love that trace a terrain and a personal transformation”. nancy kerr
- what we said: “rob cowen searches for his inner animal” – read the keeper’s review
- buy the book
10. last man out by matt lewis
As true-life tales of resistance and survival, Matt Lewis’s is one of the most dramatic in recent times. Her account of his 1998 experiences on the doomed ship Sudur Havid should take its place alongside The Perfect Storm, critic Alexander Larman said.
“a captivating autobiographical story of matt lewis surviving treacherous conditions until an eventual catastrophe at sea. her description of her crewmates is so detailed you feel like you knew them too.” mary ogilvie
“a frank and emotionally challenging account of a truly horrific accident on the high seas. the author writes in such a way that even though you know the outcome, he still has you on the edge of your seat.” chris lewis
“when you are faced with a situation that goes beyond your darkest fears, this is the true story of courage, morality and heroism of a man who will stay with you forever. If I ever have the misfortune to face this situation, I hope this man is by my side.” joanna bennett
- what we said: “matt lewis’ story of survival on the high seas”: read the guardian review
- buy the book
Is your favorite missing? Add it in the comments below and tell us why you loved it.
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