Best reads of 2017Like this list

15 items

• Lincoln in the Bardo

  Saunders, George, 1958-

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  Novel of the year, hands down. Maybe even of the decade. It contains multitudes, literally. So many voices, expertly wrangled. The story of the limbo-like bardo is strange and yet utterly convincing. I cried a tonne reading this.

• My Favorite Thing Is Monsters. Book One

  Ferris, Emil

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  Who says Twitter is no good? I think it was artist and writer Sarah Laing who recommended this and it's a totally weird, idiosyncratic graphic novel murder mystery set back in the 1960s. Both the story and the drawing are beyond perfect.

• Can You Tolerate This?

  Personal Essays

  Young, Ashleigh

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  Ashleigh's book is a gem, so is her blog. I love the mix of intimate, personal essays and those which take topics from the past and think around them.

• Meet Me in the Bathroom

  Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001-2011

  Goodman, Elizabeth, 1980-

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  Gosh, this was good. I was unsure about the format at first - it's an oral history - but Elizabeth Goodman wrangled the voices so well that it all added up to the swell of the story.

• Fucking Apostrophes

  a Guide to Show You Where You Can Stick Them

  Griffin, Simon

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  Such a good wee tome, I've bought a copy for the office!

• Pretty Iconic

  a Personal Look at the Beauty Products That Changed the World

  Hughes, Sali, 1975-

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  A list of beauty products old and new, with a photo. It's a simple concept, perfectly executed by Sali Hughes who knows her stuff and is a pretty fab writer too. It is about products, but also about social history, and memories. This book is also…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• I'm Not With the Band

  a Writer's Life Lost in Music

  Patterson, Sylvia

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  Sylvia has seen it all, and got the t-shirt. She writes brilliantly about the allure of artists, bands and music, but you also get enough of a look into her life to get to know her as a person.

• Rolling Blackouts

  Dispatches From Turkey, Syria, and Iraq

  Glidden, Sarah

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  Another autobiographical graphic novel? Well, when they are this good ... This one tells of Sarah and her travels with friends —reporters and founders of a journalism non-profit—as they delve into potential stories about the Iraq War.

• March. Book Three

  Lewis, John, 1940-2020

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  Three essential books that take you right into the heart of the American civil rights movement.

• A Florence Diary

  Athill, Diana, 1917-2019

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  A teensy wee book by the wonderful editor Diana Athill, whose book Stet is one of my faves.

• Hostage

  Delisle, Guy

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  Bleak, spartan, and an utterly involving graphic novel about being held hostage. It captures the terrible banality that sits alongside the fear and drama. This is the true-life story of Doctors Without Borders administrator Christophe André who was…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Forensic Records Society

  Mills, Magnus, 1954-

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  Magnus Mills is on form in this novel about rival record societies that take train spotterishness to the ultimate level. This also wins the book design award of the year award.

• Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls

  100 Tales of Extraordinary Women

  Favilli, Elena

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  A great book, and my Dad got all his daughters a copy, so I have my own one now to share with my daughter. But heck, this absolutely isn't just for gals.

• Princess Princess Ever After

  O'Neill, Kay (Cartoonist)

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  Katie O'Neill is a Christchurch cartoonist and her book is a kind-hearted romp for kids, that questions gender roles and fluidity in an entirely natural way (a bit like Steven Universe).

• English Myths & Legends

  Temperley, Alice

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  2017 was a year of great fashion books, and this was one of my faves. You might recognise Alice Temperley's dresses from the red carpet - but I gained a new appreciation for the glorious Bohemian style of her designs from the beautiful photos in…Read moreRead more of this annotation