2015: My year in books

Following on from 45 books in 2013 and 47 books in 2014, I continued my target of reading approximately one book each week, but in 2015 failed to reach this goal by some distance. This is in large part due to my return to study in the summer of 2015, meaning that in I consumed only half of my intended intake of literature. The intense study and reading of largely mathematical textbooks (herein omitted entirely) meant that my reading habits were dropped almost entirely. I present only the 26 non-academic books I consumed last year.

The Sirian Experiments - Doris Lessing

The third part of Lessing's epic five-novel science fiction saga, Canopus in Argos: Archives, retells the story of the first, Shikasta (being the complete history of Earth), from the perspective of a different protagonist. The story primarily concerns the establishment of social and genetic experiments on Earth by Sirius, the alien race of the title, but the content largely focuses of themes of political corruption, pragmatism and expediency. Lessing is here, as ever, informed, creative and enlightening in her writing.

Cosmopolis - Don DeLillo

This curio from 2003 presents a twisted modern-day odyssey, following a young billionaire on his quest across Manhattan in search of a haircut, as a series of unlikely and increasingly calamitous events take place around him. DeLillo's prose is spare and his plotting unpredictable. If the moral of the book is perhaps a little on the nose, this deficit is adequately compensated by the invention on display.

American Psycho - Bret Easton Ellis

There seems to be little new left to write about this widely-revered masterpiece. I was impressed by the structure and pace of the book, which is fairly long, and surprised by the mercurial tone of a novel which never quite allows the reader to settle into its world. Gorging on the raptures of mixing the sacred and profane, Ellis presents one striking passage after another, and leaves us with a work of such strength as to shrug off any notion of competition from its many imitators.

A Scanner Darkly - Philip K Dick

A strangely personal and ultimately tragic novel about the relationship between addiction and mental health, Dick as usual escapes the confines of his genre to present a narrative that dives deeply into ideas of self, society and existence. Perhaps the most well-executed of his books I have read, it is unusual in his canon for the focus of its ideas. A late masterpiece from a troubled writer.

To Save Everything, Click Here - Evgeny Morozov

This broadside at Silicon Valley tech utopianism presents one of the few genuinely compelling sceptical viewpoints on how big tech companies threaten to destabilise our society and undermine the social good. Morozov is no Luddite, and his opinions are well argued, clearly presented and backed up with strong evidence. While I may not agree with everything he presents here, as an entrepreneur in the tech space I do consider it essential reading.

Pale Fire - Vladimir Nabokov

Even to explain what Nabokov's book is, without spoiling the delights within, presents a substantial challenge. Ostensibly an epic poem, accompanied by an introduction and extensive notes, the book is perhaps best read from cover-to-cover. The joy lies both in the author's dazzling writing (in a second language!) and in disentangling the myriad threads of meta-narrative and meaning concealed within. Glorious.

Feral - George Monbiot

Environmentalist, journalist and campaigner Monbiot here presents a compelling argument for rewilding - being the process of introducing conserved areas of land left to run wild, and the reintroduction of species otherwise absent therein. The author's reputation as a journalist of integrity means there is no surprise in the rigour and strengths of the arguments he presents. What is perhaps surprising is his ability to employ a deep emotional pull on the reader, turning a story of national planning into a deeply personal one. For an environmentally-concerned work of non-fiction, it is an unusually joyous one.

The Death of Ivan Ilych - Leo Tolstoy

This novella is a late masterpiece from the trailblazing Russian author. Where War and Peace and Anna Karenina excelled with scale, grandeur and worldliness, here the author exercises brevity and precision to present a tale of one man's introspection as his life draws to a close. The subject matter is no less than the meaning - and meaninglessness - of life, and the perils of living without that meaning.

The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula Le Guin

This fantastic science fiction tale, of an icy world whose inhabitants live primarily without distinguished gender, is my first foray into Le Guin's extensive oeuvre. Working as both a terrific page-turner and an intelligent social commentary, it bursts on every page with insight and creativity, and yet remains coherent and devastatingly linear in its intent. Highly recommended.

The Torrents of Spring - Ernest Hemingway

This novella was Hemingway's first published work of length, and is a direct parody of little-remembered contemporary author Sherwood Anderson, whose books I have not yet encountered. When there are such riches elsewhere in its author's body of work, it is difficult to recommend a minor and disappointing tome such as this.

Fugitive Pieces - Anne Michaels

This somewhat experimental and poetic novel is divided into two parts, and focuses on the lives of those whose lives were touched by the Holocaust over the following years. Emotive and powerful, the book was handsomely garlanded with awards on publication, and while it may not have left a lasting impact on me personally, is written with such compassion and inventiveness as to warrant recommendation.

Death in the Afternoon - Ernest Hemingway

Written by an author known for his brevity and "iceberg technique", this lengthy work of non-fiction explores in great depth the subject of the corrida de toros - Spanish bullfighting. Hemingway's clear love of the subject makes for compelling reading, and his analysis of the many aspects of Spanish culture and their relationship with the bullring are genuinely enlightening. Some of the more encyclopaedic passages (summary reviews of every living contemporary matador and picador, for example) are worth skipping, and the level of detail may sometimes prove too much for modern readers who share my intrinsic distaste for the sport. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it greatly.

The Chrysalids - John Wyndham

This post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by the British author of The Day of the Triffids is an unexpected treat, and far more a literary novel of ideas than the adventure stories that comprised the majority of his work. A contemplative work that explores themes of ageing, religion and telepathy, it prefigures many later novels which would explore the possibility of civilisation in retreat following nuclear holocaust. Stylistically straightforward, it is however an intriguing novel which at the very least works well as an unconventional coming-of-age tale.

This Changes Everything - Naomi Klein

Social activist and author Klein here departs from her usual subject matter - economic injustice and the failings of corporate capitalism - to focus entirely on the climate crisis. She presents a compelling viewpoint that it is both an existential threat to humanity, and one which is impossible to address in the current era of neoliberal market fundamentalism. Powerful and frankly terrifying.

On the Shortness of Life - Seneca

This essay by Seneca the Younger, a Roman Stoic philosopher, presents a clear summary of the stoic arguments for how life should be lived. Namely, an awareness of the briefness of our time on the planet should lead us to exclude meaningless pursuits from our habits, to live in the moment and to in general be aware of time in all that we do. As relevant now as it was in 49AD when it was written.

Hothouse - Brian Aldiss

A lucid waking dream of a far future Earth, in which environmental calamity and the relentless pull of evolution has led to a world where plants are dominant and animals in retreat. Humans have evolved to tiny green pixie-like imbeciles, at constant war with the giant descendants of wasps, and holding a tentative truce with the militaristic termites. Plants are huge, mobile and emotionless (if simple) killers. The Moon and Earth are enmeshed in a web spun by giant, mile-high vegetable spiders, and the Earth's rotation has slowed to the point where it has stopped completely.

By this point, you are likely either intrigued or disgusted. Nothing within the book will do anything other than reinforce this first impression. Personally, I was enraptured by how vivid and surreal the description of such an extreme and bizarre world could be. Absolutely bonkers.

Song of Solomon - Toni Morrison

This widely regarded masterpiece by Nobel Prize winner Morrison does not disappoint. Transcending the epic and the domestic, the story of Macon "Milkman" Dead III is by some degree a coming-of-age tale, that borrows spectacularly from a range of genres (including, perhaps, magical realism) to dazzling effect. Not to be missed.

A Moveable Feast - Ernest Hemingway

This posthumous memoir from the American master, recorded during his years struggling as a young writer in the international circle of writers and artists in Paris in the 1920s, is a treasure trove of tales concerning the likes of James Joyce, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound - even Aleister Crowley. Very enjoyable to dip into.

Butcher's Crossing - John Williams

This modern western by the author of Stoner (in 2014, I called it "a perfect novel") to my mind prefigures the later work of Cormac McCarthy while also surpassing it in almost every way. A grand tragedy of buffalo painted on a canvas as wide as the American plains on which it is set. Gripping, powerful and deliriously artful in its execution, it is a completely different novel from Stoner, exchanging the interior for the exterior on every level, and yet it is hard to argue that it is inferior in anyway. As close to perfection as I read this year.

Concrete Island - J.G. Ballard

This postmodern twist on Robinson Crusoe sees the protagonist, a wealthy architect, crash his car onto a concrete island in the middle of an intersection of busy roads in West London. Cleverly drawing out what could be a contrived premise, Ballard shows his prowess as a writer through the slow revelation of what else is already on the island. A minor work by my favourite author, but a compelling and thought-provoking one nonetheless.

The Nature of Mass Poverty - John Kenneth Galbraith

This is an astute and approachable book on the economics of mass poverty. Galbraith argues that economic policies which seek to address mass poverty often fail to address the nature of the vicious cycle in which an entirely impoverished community can find itself - whereby the provision of say, capital investment or new technology, provides new opportunities to locals which are individually deficient, meaning they go to waste or are absorbed by corruption. Instead, a focus on education and diversity, as well as a general awareness of the cycle of poverty, can be more beneficial at lifting communities out of poverty. Demanding and vital stuff.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson

This mystery thriller is the final novel by American author Shirley Jackson, but the first of hers I have read. A tightly-plotted and well-written page turner, it managed to keep me guessing despite its apparent reputation as an influence on much of the horror fiction that I used to read as a teenager. Ambiguous and enthralling.

The Memoirs of a Survivor - Doris Lessing

This dystopian novel is one of Lessing's first experiments in science fiction and is a marked success. A barely functioning society has emerged in Britain after an unspecified crisis resulted in total social collapse. Lessing brings her considerable talents in social commentary and literary creativity to bear on a familiar premise. The result is a sad story that is as much about childhood and neglect as it is about food and social breakdown.

The Uncommon Reader - Alan Bennett

This wry comic novel takes a simple idea - what if the Queen started to read literature? - and follows the thread to it's logical conclusion. At times hilarious and yet always with his eye on more profound goals, Bennett presents a strong argument for the transformative power of literature.

Gods of Metal - Eric Schlosser

It is hard to believe that this short book by the author of Fast Food Nation is non-fiction. It narrates the true tale of a break-in to a maximum security nuclear site in the USA. The surprise - that this was carried out by four ageing Catholic anti-nuclear activists, two of them in their eighties, one a nun, and which consisted of little more than walking straight in. It both angered and amazed me.

Pétronille - Amélie Nothomb

This slight novel by Belgian author Nothomb is a self-referential near-farce about her friendship with a younger writer, in which the fuel of copious quantities of Champagne drive the novel through a series of wryly narrated comic antics. However, Nothomb keeps a fantastic ace up her sleeve, and as the novel races towards a totally unexpected climax, I was left with my jaw hanging at the audacity of her writing. Delirious fun.