SBR's Best Reads of 2015

In no particular order, here are my best reads for 2015. 

Please note: They were not necessarily published in this year,

but read (and many reviewed*) by me throughout the year.

HALF WILD

Sally Green's second instalment to the Half Bad series did not disappoint. 

This one is not the kind of hard-hitting dystopia of the first, but still a great read.

US

I am drawn to novels that explore human relationships.

This one by David Nicholls is about a man trying to make sense of the breakdown of his marriage

and his frustation by the inept way he connects with his teenage son. 

NOUGHTS & CROSSES

Malorie Blackman's hard-hitting dystopian love story set in an alternate reality where the dark-skinned ruling class are the opressors of a colourless underclass.
It's a tough read but also a must read, in my view.

THE BLACK COUNT

Tom Reiss' compelling biography about an unsung hero.  Most of us have never heard of General Alexandre Dumas, the real Count of Monte Cristo, but he lives on through his son's fiction.  The General is also the inspiration behind The Three Muskateers.  We all know how famous those books are, and yet in no way as fascinating and compelling as the real thing.

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO

Having read The Black Count I had to read this novel by his son Alexandre Dumas.  Suffice to say, it is easily the best book I have ever read.

WHISPERS UNDERGROUND

Ben Aaronovitch has done it again.  It's crime fiction meets fantasy. 
It's Sherlock Holmes meets Harry Potter with a dash of Dr Who.   

What's not to like?

REBECCA
Daphne Du Maurier's classic gothic tale parallels that of Jane Eyre.  It is beautifully written and full of intrigue.  Because it follows the principles of gothic fiction, one can sort of see where it is heading, and yet the central plot unfolds in an unpredictable way.

A ROOM WITH A VIEW
E. M. Forster's classic love story about a young couple who fall in love but are kept apart because of the social class divide.  Lucia has a choice of two suitors, Cecil, like her, is 'old money' while George and his father are on the first rung of the ladder of respectable society.  Who will she choose?

PAPER TOWNS
John Green's novel about a high school senior - Quentin - whose perception of the girl he loves - Margot Roth Spiegelman - is somewhat skewed by the fact that he hardly knows her.  When Margot does yet another disappearing act, Q embarks on an odyssey that does indeed lead to discovery. 

DIVERGENT
I enjoyed this novel and agreed with the general view that it is a good read. This was tarnished to some extent by the disappointing follow-up - Insurgent - which read like the sequel from hell.  Nevertheless, as a stand-alone I am happy to include it in this list.

*Reviews to be published in early 2016