Allrighters’ Books of 2013

This post was delayed from earlier in the month in order to leave some space between reading late runners in December 2013 and reaching our decisions. Much of our thinking about the 60 or so books we read in 2013 had been completed for a likely post on the awriterofhistory.web page.

The Allrighters’ overall and non fiction book of the year is Why Bipolar? by Declan Henry. Memories of the hard hitting introduction and the lives of twenty people detailed in the book, especially Daniel keep coming back to us.

The Allrighters’ adult fiction book decision has come to a choice between two books. Never Forget by Angela Petch read in January and The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Ing read in December. We cannot really separate them so we make them a joint book of the year. Both books had a interesting and often frightening wartime background and strong story lines. The way the story in both books was told drew the reader closely into the life of each book's main character.

The Allrighters’ most memorable jaw dropping reading moment came in the form of a dark deed in Half a Forgotten Song by Katherine Webb.

Looking back a year Daniel Mason’s Piano Tuner remains the most memorable read of 2012.

Finding The Hill of the Red Fox after over fifty years and reliving the sad ending made the book the Allrighters’ best children’s book of the year.   

The funniest book read of the year was Quentin Lett's 50 People who Buggered Up Britain.