welcome to the ordinaries 2019

By far my favourite blog post of the year, this is my time to remember all the books I read over the year, work out what was good, bad and most importantly have some fun along the way.  If I was richer or more well connected I would love to hand out real life awards to the authors to say thanks for making my life more enjoyable...maybe in a few years :)

THE YEAr in numbers

I read 36 books last year, up 6 from 2017 and back to my average of 3 each month.  I wanted to read more fiction this year and I was up 3 to 12 making a very neat 1 in every 3.  When I did pick up a novel 7 had a science fiction theme while 17 of the 24 non fiction books were about current affairs or sport.  It is really nice to see that sport was a bigger influence last year as it rarely got a look in back in 2017.  Three books never made it to the end but the fact they were all about science and wellbeing was a surprise.  This was part of a greater theme of not enjoying books on these subjects so much this year which is a bit sad and hopefully will change in 2019. 

BUILDING UP TO THE MAIN PRIZE

Just like the Oscars I like to build up to my Ordinary Book of the Year by handing out some other awards.  As my host I think I'd ask Ben Elton as he was my favourite author when I was younger and I have tickets for his new stand up show.  So with that settled here we go with an award, to quote Blackadder that is  "right up his alley......"

funniest book of the year

winner - sarah millican - How to be champion

runner up - one man and his bike - mike carter

Early in 2018 I read the only book that sold itself on being funny, stand up comic Sarah Millican's autobiography "How to be Champion".  Although The Big Short had its funny moments the only other nominees for this award were "One Man and His Bike" which joked its way around the coast of England and "Broken Homes" the 4th installment of The Rivers of London series which subtle humour is a core part of its success.  Sarah's book not only made me laugh a lot but think too so an easy choice. 

sports book of the year

winner - christopher mcdougal - born to run

runner up - seabiscuit -

Honorouble mentions must go out to Michael Cox and Jon Kean for their histories of football tactics and the greatest Reading team ever but this one was always a two horse race between an actual horse, Sebiscuit, and a bunch people who think its normal to run 100 mile races!  Although the writing is stronger in Seabiscuit and it made me feel I was in a real life John Steinbeck novel, Born To Run wins by a nose becuase it is an amazing story about the capabilities of the human body and our possible origins told with a quirky humour I loved.

story of the year

winner - pierce brown  - goldon son

runner up - terry hayes - i Am Pilgrim

Another tough call.  "Ready Player One" and "Children of Time" would be worthy and there is a strong case to be made for Song of Achilles too but this award is for those books that just want to give you a gorydamn great time.  For that reason Pierce Brown has to win and I could of given Red Rising the award too but amazingly the sequel was better and I'm keeping the thrd "Morning Star" for when I hit a reading low this year.  "I am Pilgrim" might just be the best story i've ever on holiday 890 pages somehow flew by.

best contribution to knowledge

winner - prisoners of geography

runner up hans rosling - factfulness

I learned about a lot of different important things in 2018 so this was not the easiest category to judge.  I learnt more about giving up plastic, Putins power in Russia, Donald Trump, Germany and the current racial climate in the UK to name a few.  The winners though both look at a wider world view.  The four levels of wealth is a brilliant concept and Factfulness has changed the way I think about the world in a positive way but I never thought i'd ever love a book about maps.  In school History and Geography are seen as very seprate entities and I was gutted I couldn't study both at GCSE when I had to take French.  Tim blends them together for a brilliant tour of the world.

best part of ordinary special award

winner - chris hadfield - an astronauts guide to life on earth

runner up  - a boy made of blocks - keith stuart

A different approach to the Special Award this year and the first work of fiction commended.  A Boy Made of Blocks is based on the authors real life experience of raising a child with autism and it reminds us of the joy in talking to our kids i their way, being part of their world.  But the clear winner this year is an unexpected one.  Chris has lived an extra ordinary life, committed to excellance and yet he is humble, dignified and seeks to appreciate the little details of life that we can all choose to try and appreciate more often :)

ordinary book of the year

winner - madeline miller - the song of achilles

runner up  - the big short - michael lewis

So we've finally come to the pinnacle of my reading year in 2018.  In most years Michael Lewis would of won.  He is my favourite author so it is surprising it took me so long to read one of his most acclaimed books.  It is a very important story of how greedy rich mostly white men brought the world economy to its knees.  To make an incredibly complicated story so readable is a work of a master craftsmen.  But every book has its betters and "Song of Achilles" truly deserves its title of modern classic.  A book that can be enjoyed by anyone it makes breathes life into characters from Greek mythology and makes them real and relevent.  Usually prose described as poetic and beautifully written is an acronym for great but challenging but I was in awe at how easy a read this was, everything was about the story and Madeline totally nailed the ending. Timeless and unforgetable!