Best Fiction of 2015

I haven’t read quite so much fiction as I would have liked this year, so this is a top 5 only, but they are all fabulous.

• All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr. If you had to buy just one fiction book, this would probably be my recommendation. It really is worth all the hype; worthy of its Pulitzer.  It is about the second world war, but told through the perspective of two teenagers: a German orphan boy, and a blind girl. Because we follow the perspective of a blind girl, the war is brought to life through smells, sounds, touch, taste – it’s one of the most vivid books I’ve read in a long time. The reason it’s a ‘must-read’ is his mastery of language, every other sentence you come across a morsel that you want to savour, and yet it’s written with the pace and plot of a good thriller. Get it for $15.29 (Hardback) from Amazon.com,  £5.89 (paperback) from Amazon.co.uk

• Circling the Sun – Paula McLain. Set in Kenya in the early twentieth century, it explores the life of an unconventional female character who bucks society’s expectations by becoming a successful horse trainer and then record-breaking pilot – and her various love affairs along the way. Like Khaled Housseini, she writes intriguing characters and describes the world so beautifully that you feel you are transported there, into that time and place. I could feel the dust of Africa on me as I read it. Get it for  $16.70 from Amazon.com, £12.99 (hardback) or £7.99 from Amazon.co.uk or £11.51 (Hardback) from Wordery (UK)

• Sea of Poppies – Amitav Ghosh. This is a long and beautiful story about India in the early 19th century, during the British rule and opium wars. It holds together a large cast of different characters from various parts of Indian life, which helps to feel like you’re utterly immersed in this world. It’s not an easy read – there is frequent use of Hindi words and the sailors speak their own semi-intelligible language – but it is a rewarding and beautiful one. Get it for $11.93 from Amazon.com, or £6.74 from Amazon.co.uk 

• State of Wonder – Ann Patchett. This story is about a lab technician who travels to a remote part of South America in order to try to find out what happened to her colleague, who was meant to go on a fact-finding mission research among the tribe, but is now reported as dead. What I love about Ann Patchett is that her characters are so well observed, and she captures the subtleties of the human psyche. Get it for $9.22 from Amazon.com, £7.99 from Amazon.co.uk or £6.78 from Wordery (UK)

• Run – Ann Patchett. I am becoming Ann Patchett’s biggest fan, and am a little concerned that I’m running out of her books left to read. This one was about two families – one rich, one poor – thrown together via a car accident, discovering they are more closely connected than they originally thought. I devoured this book in a few days, becuse her writing is just so delicious. Get it for $12.74 from Amazon.com, or £8.99 from Amazon.co.uk 

I’ve now read three Ann Patchett books – Bel Canto was the best of these – and she’s rapidly becoming my favourite author. In the end, I chose two Ann Patchetts over the excellent Ian McEwan offering this year, because these are the characters and stories that have stayed with me. 

See also: Best Christian Books of 2015

Over to you: 

• What was your favourite fiction this year?

 I received a free advanced copy of some of the books above in exchange for my honest review, which these all are.