It’s been a terrible year, but it’s been a great reading year. I always wait until December 31st before I let myself compile this list – and going through the year’s reading, picking out the best books for a shortlist, is one of my favourite book-related moments of the year.
Often I already have a vague idea of which books will make the cut, but sometimes things leap out as reminders of wonderful times. This year, I couldn’t keep it just 10 – and there were another half dozen I’d have been happy to see on a Best Of list.
As always, I have firmly ranked – every year I hope for fewer ‘in no particular order’ lists on blogs! – and have excluded re-reads. That meant missing off Tension by E.M. Delafield, which I loved but apparently read in 2005. Each author can only appear once, otherwise Michael Cunningham would have taken up two places.
Each link goes to the original review. Without further ado…
12. Strange Journey (1935) by Maud Cairns
A body-swap comedy from the 1930s, where a lower-middle-class woman and an upper-class woman swap places. Cairns keeps it from getting stale by having them go back and forth a number of times – and, eventually, meet.
11. Told in Winter (1961) by Jon Godden
A beautifully written, dark, and atmospheric novel about a playwright, his male servant, a devoted dog, and the young actress who arrives to change things forever. So psychologically interesting. Rumer Godden is better remembered, but her sister deserves to be known too.
10. Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1936) by George Orwell
A novel about poverty, pride, stubbornness, books, and class – all done with Orwell’s wonderful prose, totally unshowy and yet totally beautiful.
9. The Stone of Chastity (1940) by Margery Sharp
The first of two Furrowed Middlebrow titles that will appear on this list – Sharp’s comic novel is about a professor investigating the legend of a stepping stone on which unchaste women will stumble. A brilliant premise for a completely delightful novel. Even more to my liking than The Nutmeg Tree, which I also loved this year.
8. The Snow Queen (2014) by Michael Cunningham
I wasn’t sure whether to include this or Flesh and Blood, but ultimately went with the more compact novel. Cunningham has such a gift for creating a real group of real people, and sprinkling it with magic. Here, a group of New Yorkers live, love, and lie to each other in the early 20th century.
7. Sally on the Rocks (1915) by Winifred Boggs
A total gamble on an unknown author that paid off – Sally is drawn back to her home village at the prospect of financial security in marrying the curate. The novel is a feminist crie de coeur about the moral standards applied to women, while also being witty and like a 1910s Cranford.
6. Doctor Thorne (1858) by Anthony Trollope
I only wrote a paragraph about this novel, which took me nearly a year to finish: “The plot is about secret inheritances and couples who might not be able to marry because of poverty, but the plot is dragged out and (especially in the second half) very predictable. What makes this wonderful is Trollope’s delightful turn of sentence, and the leisurely and assured way he takes us through each conversation, reflection, and narrative flourish. A protracted joy.”
5. Tea at Four O’Clock (1956) by Janet McNeill
A 1956 Club choice that I’ve owned for more than 15 years, hitherto unread. As it opens, Laura is returning from her sister’s funeral – free for the first time. Until her ne’er-do-well brother turns up, that is. A beautiful novel, in which even the suspect characters end up being (by the reader) understood and thus forgiven.
4. Inferno (2020) by Catherine Cho
An extraordinary memoir of post-partum psychosis. Cho writes brilliantly – about this, but also about domestic violence, fear, and love.
3. A House in the Country (1957) by Ruth Adam
How fictionalised is this memoir? Unclear, but this Furrowed Middlebrow about moving into an enormous mansion with seven friends is charming and funny, even when we learn in the opening sentences that the whole thing goes terribly wrong.
2. Business as Usual (1933) by Jane Oliver and Anne Stafford
The novel we’ve all loved this year, right? If you’re among the few yet to get hold of it – like me, you might be sold simply by its being a novel in letters about running the book department of a thinly-disguised Selfridge’s. It’s every bit as delightful as it sounds.
1. Jack (2020) by Marilynne Robinson
I was toying up between this and Business As Usual, but while Business As Usual is a charming wonder, Jack is an extraordinary masterpiece. The fourth in Robinson’s Gilead series, though can be read as a standalone, Jack is a prequel to Home, seeing Jack falling in love with Della. She is African-American, and their relationship is illegal in their state. Nobody writes like Robinson, every sentence a tiny marvel – and even more marvellous that she doesn’t edit or re-draft. What a gift to writing, and the character portraits in this novel will stay with me forever. Even more incredible, Jack went from being someone I hated in Gilead to someone I love here – while recognisably exactly the same person.
Yours is always the list I look forward most to reading each year and how delightful to see that it’s even longer than usual! I’ve only read two of these (Doctor Thorne and my own favourite book of the year, Business as Usual) so I have plenty left to track down and look forward to, with Sally on the Rocks at the top of the list. I hope you have a wonderful start to 2021 and that it holds just as many wonderful new bookish discoveries.
Would love to know what you think of Sally :D
I’ve not read any of these (no surprise there). I did watch Black Narcissus though and rather enjoyed it, so would like to read the book by ‘Jon’s’ sister – what names!
Oh yes, it’s good that they’re varying the sort of things they make adaptations of – not that I’ve read Black Narcissus.
What a nice selection, Simon! Must re-read the Orwell – it’s such a long time since I read it!
And I must read the others on my shelf – have left his lesser-read books neglected for too long.
Happy New Year Simon! I’ve only read the Trollope but the rest of the dozen sound wonderful. In particular, I will have to see if I can get my hands on a copy of Business as Usual. :D
I cannot imagine you NOT loving it!
A brilliant list. I have only read 5 of them, two many years ago. I read Business as Usual this year too. Such a good novel. I am delighted that the Marilynne Robinson was such a good book, I read Gilead, my first by her this year, and recently received a copy of Housekeeping in a secret Santa gift. Happy New year.
Oo lovely – the series is one of the great achievements in literature ever, from the books I’ve read, and it feels so exciting to be alive while it’s happening. Though I envy future generations who won’t have to wait.
I have Jack coming to me in the mail, so I’m so excited you rated it #1. I have only read three from your list, otherwise.
Excellent!
I loved Inferno as well — so glad to see it getting some more attention.
I really want to find another reading experience like it this year, but hard to know where to look.
Thanks for keeping me informed and entertained this year:)
I have only read one book from Canada this year *blush* but it was Greenwood which was just marvellous and I loved it to bits. LOL on the same theme of trees, I have Two Trees Make a Forest to read, plus a heap of others so I am well-stocked and #VagueNYResolution will make some inroads on the pile in due course.
All the very best for 2021, Lisa
And all the best to you – those books sound wonderful!
Marilynne Robinson’s ‘Jack’ is on my Top Ripples 2020 list for books. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it too. Happy New Year to you! :)
Wonderful!
I have read 8 of your 12 … some from your suggestion … I love Trollope and have most of his novels … he is so funny …
I just ordered ‘Jack’ so it can join her other works on the shelf …
Do have a healthy, peaceful 2021 …
Canadian living these many years in Cambridge (the U.K. one) waving …
I think you win for who has read the most from the list, Karen! A happy new year to you
Lovely to see Business as Usual so high on your list of favourites, Simon. It really was such a delight, especially given the misery of 2020 on other fronts. As for the future, maybe this will be the year when I finally get around to reading more Trollope. Possibly Margery Sharp, too – she sounds right up my street!
Wasn’t it fun? I read it in January, and should have kept it to deploy later in the year… And yes, you can’t go wrong with Sharp
I always enjoy your rankings, this year as much as ever. I’ve only read the Trollope, I’m afraid, but I’ve put several of these authors/titles on my list as a result of your reviews (Cunningham, Robinson and Godden). Have a safe & happy New Year; I look forward to your 2021 reviews!
Thank you! And I do hope you enjoy those authors you’ve added – I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Happy new year :D
I have read and enjoyed only two of these, but the others also sound fascinating, and I hope some of the less obtainable ones end up in the British Library Women Writers series!
Fingers crossed, Michelle Ann, I’m hoping some will!
Some lovely ones there, I have to obtain Business as Usual when it’s Book Token Bonanza time! And thank you for waiting until the end of the year to do your list!
I’ve yet to see anybody not love it!
You always have fascinating lists. I haven’t read any of the books but always wanted to read “Keep the Aspidistra flying” since I think that’s a cool title.