New Year’s Eve, new year’s parties, new year’s resolutions, new year’s buzz books. Late December can be relied upon for lists of the best books of the year, and buzz about books expected in the coming year.
2013 brought expectations for new novels from Donna Tartt (The Goldfinch) and Clare Messud (The Woman Upstairs), both after extended publishing absences, as well as anticipation for a long-awaited sequel from Stephen King (Doctor Sleep) and new instalment from David Sedaris (Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls).
Yet a book that barely anyone had heard of before October won the Booker Prize, going to show that no matter which books generate excitement at the start of the year, it is just as likely to be one that you’ve not heard of that will be the one that captures your closest attention.
With that in mind, I have some recommendations for books that everyone should read in 2014.
An early book by an established author you love
Most writers publish several books before achieving success, and an author you love may have an early oeuvre that you’ve never before explored. This is especially true of new favourites – for me this includes both James Salter and George Saunders, who I’ve only begun reading in the past year but both of whom have a long history of reputedly brilliant publications that I intend on mining this year. First up, Salter’s A Sport and a Pastime, which last year got almost as much renewed publicity as his (quite excellent) new book All That Is.
A novel by someone you’ve never heard of
This is where your traditional high street bookseller will come in handy. Amazon’s algorithm is exceptionally good at recommending books by authors that you and readers similar to you are familiar with, but it’s less useful when you want to find a book or author that has yet to capture the attention of millions of others.
Unless it just happened to have won The Booker Award, as with Eleanor Catton’s The Luminaries. Last year the only people who knew about Catton’s second novel before it was nominated were book industry types, who would probably have put it into your hands had you troubled to visit your local neighbourhood book pusher. So get the jump on the literary establishment and read 2014’s book of the year before the buzz hits.
A book outside your usual genre
For Christmas last year, a friend gave me a copy of William Gibson’s Pattern Recognition. I had not read much science fiction in the past, but this ‘sci fi lite’ read introduced me to a whole different style of genre that I had been missing out on. Upon regarding my enthusiastic uptake of Gibson, this friend also gave me several other science fiction titles that I read and loved, and opened to me a whole new facet of reading and way to regard the world.
If you’re already a science fiction reader, perhaps try a business book – they’re not all dry or overly earnest. The Everything Storeby Brad Stone gives incredible insight into the founding of Amazon, one of the most fascinating and important companies of the digital age; anything by Michael Lewis can be relied upon for a compelling narrative.
An old classic from your personal reading history
My grandmother was a guiding hand in the formative years of my reading obsession, as I imagine is true for many readers. I was introduced to her favourites before developing my own tastes, and as such books like Georgette Heyer’s These Old Shades and Gerald Durrell’s My Family and Other Animals gave me a taste of history, romance and humour that has shaped my understanding of narrative and storytelling.
Read books that have been important to your reading past so you can better understand how your tastes have been formed, and why you enjoy the books you do. It might even be revelatory.
The book I’m most excited to read in 2014, the third and final book in Hilary Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell Trilogy, isn’t actually scheduled for release until 2015. Here’s to a year of anticipation, and many excellent inadvertent reading experiences between now and then.
Anne Treasure works in communications, is a recent survivor of the book industry, and exists mainly on the Internet.
