Top 5 Reads Revisited!

My Top 5 books probably haven't changed, but I have read some really good books this year that I would recommend:

1. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
This one was recommended to me by Alison and it is definitely now one of my favourite books. I put off reading Life of Pi for so long because the concept of the book - ie. a boy living on a boat with a bunch of animals - just didn't do it for me. But I had it pegged completely wrong. You know what they say, never judge a book by its cover. The twist at the end is brilliant, but it was the unravelling of the story itself that won me over. It definitely takes the place of 'Red Dragon' in my Top 5 reads list (notably, I haven't read Red Dragon since I was a teenager hence it being bumped off my Top 5 list - but it is still a great read).

2. A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian: (Marina Lewycka)
I really enjoyed this book for three main reasons:
i) Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down.
ii) It made me laugh out loud on many occasions.
iii) I liked it so much, I wanted to recommend it to others.

The basic story is about the grown-up daughter of an old British immigrant from the Ukraine coming to grips with her wrinkly Dad taking himself a new wife... a new wife who just happens to be a young thirty-something platinum blonde Ukranian divorcee called Valentina. Valentina is super manipulative and is determined to get a UK passport out of the 'relationship' - her intention is pretty clear. But the wrinkly old Dad acts like any young fool in love, or more like lust (particularly after he pays for Valentina to get a boob job!). This book is brilliant due to the way it is comically written (more so than the subject matter). It would definitely be in my Top 5 funniest books of all time.

3. Life Under the Tuscan Sun (Frances Mayes)
Monica recommended this one at a BBC and it was such an enjoyable read. Frances Mayes is an American woman who moves to Italy every summer to renovate an old villa in Tuscany, just outside the small town of Cortona. Whilst her renovation dramas are pretty funny I liked this book more for her anecdotes about the people that she meets along the way. I read it just before heading to Italy for a holiday where by pure chance I ended up visiting Cortona. I also ended up having the best meal of my entire life here (Spinach & Ricotta Gnocchi with Black Truffle Sauce... yum!) which is quite apt considering that Frances Mayes concentrates quite alot on the fine Tuscan cuisine in her book. In fact she even includes some recipes! This would make my Top 5 Travel books list.

4.White Teeth (Zadie Smith)
Annie gave this to me to read and I am glad she did. It is such a beautifully written story. Zadie Smith definitely has a way with words and I recommend White Teeth simply because of this. I love how she explores each of her characters in depth, but at a particular point of time in their lives. Having said that, I wasn't a huge fan of the general storyline but appreciated the insight it provided into the mind-set of many first and second generation British immigrants:- their feelings of isolation and even confusion, when having to deal with the clash between their parents' traditional culture and the 'new' British culture. Notably she focuses on young second generation British muslims and some of the reasons behind the radicalisation of a select few - including the role that British youth yob culture plays in this. You learn that extremism is not just about religion. Even though this is set in the 1970s up to the early nineties, I can't deny the fact that one of the characters stirred up memories of 7/7. I much preferred Zadie Smith's ending though.