Cornflower Blues 2010 - part 1: a breath of fresh air

    It's time to choose my best books of the year, the Cornflower Blues 2010. This is always a difficult process as there are more strong contenders than space here allows, but tough as it is to exclude some gems, I have to make the cut.

    I shall be listing the books over several posts but I'm beginning today with my first category which I've called "a breath of fresh air" as the three books in it are vibrant, invigorating, original, and are all written in a major key, if you see what I mean.

    I'll start with Michael Faulkner's The Blue Cabin: Living by the Tides on Islandmore which I read back in February - that post will tell you all you need to know, but Mike's account of his and his artist wife Lynn's major life-change is warm, open and engaging, and it may make you want to find your own island hideaway.

    A book which went down very well with the CBG was John Steinbeck's Travels with Charley: In Search of America. I loved Steinbeck's voice and his perceptive portrait of the American landscape he saw and the people he encountered on his journey, as also the view of himself and his canine companion which his distinctive narrative affords the reader.

    My third book today is not unrelated to the other two - there are similarities in tone and mood, sometimes in subject matter, also in location. Sarah Orne Jewett's The Country of the Pointed Firs (post on it here) was a real pleasure to read and as I noted, one of its strengths seemed to be the author's feeling for the inner life that informs so much of human character and behaviour.

    All three books here are good-natured, respectful, considered, and there's an integrity to them which appealed to me strongly.

Comments

[Susan in TX]

Love your designation of "a breath of fresh air." Travels with Charley may make my own end of the year list. The Jewett book has already made its way to my wishlist based on your and several other reviews. BTW, I'm also loving the Pippin pics. :)

[Danielle]

I always enjoy your end of year lists so will be checking in to see them all! I really must read the Steinbeck and the Orne Jewett--both are authors I've long wanted to read (have read only a tiny bit of Steinbeck--how did I miss reading his books growing up?).

[Lyn]

What a great way to sum up your year's reading. I've only just started to think about my op books of the year & I probably won't really have time to concentrate on a list until after Christmas.

[LizF]

I loved Travels with Charley and have you to thank for both it and the Sarah Orne Jewitt which is on my pile of books that I hope to read over the Christmas break.

I really really want to read The Blue Cabin and have put it on my Christmas list but may well have to buy it for myself in the New Year!

Thanks for some wonderful book ideas throughout the year!