Off the Shelf: Five Books You Shouldn’t Have Missed

Some of the best books in the last few years worth reading or revisiting.

 

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

A book to be sipped not gulped. This innovative first novel from Saunders was the Man Booker Prize winner in 2017 and a New York Times bestseller.

This historical fiction book deals with the death of President Abraham Lincoln’s son, Willie, at the age of 11, and Lincoln’s deep-seated grief. The setting is the Bardo, a transitory space between life and death, and the characters are those waiting in this space. While Lincoln regularly visits Georgetown Cemetery in order to hold his son, we are privy to the conversations of those ghosts unable to let go of life. The novel mixes dialogue with historical sources and pulls at the heartstrings in a way that makes you hug the book to yourself with a contented sigh.

Its unique structure and exquisitely moving writing make it one of the best novels of the last decade.

 

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

A novel that will help you appreciate grumpy old men as quirky and funny.

This New York Times bestseller gives us Ove, a bad-tempered widower who plans to take his own life every day but every day something hilariously gets in the way. As we go through his days with him, we encounter his ‘idiotic’ neighbours and feel his frustration at their actions and the world in general. However, his outlook on life and what is right and wrong, while rigid, is refreshing and helps us evaluate the world in a new way.

Ove is irresistible; be prepared to love this old curmudgeon.

 

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

While a novel narrated by an arrogant cat may seem kitschy, Arikawa’s handling of the story with quiet charm makes this a hit.

Nana, a stray cat, is hit by a car and reluctantly recuperates in the home of Satoru, while awaiting his chance to leave. However, Satoru’s kindness is obvious even to the cynical cat and he ends up staying. Later, Satoru must find a new owner for Nana and the two begin a journey from one unsuitable candidate to the next. As we learn why Satoru needs to give Nana away, we also learn about isolation, loyalty and friendship.

It’s heartbreaking and uplifting all at the same time.

 

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

This beautiful debut novel was winner of the 2017 Costa Debut Novel Award and a firm favourite of many book clubs.

Eleanor is a social misfit, used to speaking her mind and keeping her life on a carefully timetabled schedule. Her weekends are spent alone with frozen pizza and vodka, while dreading the phone call from her mother. Her ordered life comes under threat when she meets Raymond, an IT guy from the office with dodgy hygiene habits and a carefree attitude. Will Eleanor be able to overcome past traumas to let herself live and love?

Honeyman’s characterisation is spot on and you will fall in love with this unusual heroine and her deadpan narrative.

 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This international bestseller is a historical novel set during World War II and no matter how much you think you have read too many World War II novels, you definitely need to make room for this one.

The narrator in the novel is death but he speaks in a more caring way than you would imagine. The story follows the coming of age of a young girl called Liesel in Nazi Germany. Through the loss and horror of war she discovers the joy of reading and writing. Liesel suffers much loss in the course of the novel but never loses her ability to connect with people and form friendships – even death seems to like her.

Zusak manages to combine haunting and lyrical writing with vividly rendered characters that bring a story about death to life.