This has been a good year for new books by long established authors, in fact, the publishing phenomenon was the second book by Harper Lee, To Set a Watchman which was the sequel to her To Kill a Mocking Bird written 55 years apart. To be honest I have not read her second book: I am saving that for next year when all the fuss has died down.
Another author who has not rushed to follow up his best seller is David Nicholls. He had huge success with the novel One Day, which sold over 5 million copies around the world and was made into a Hollywood movie. This year five years on he has published Us, which although not breaking any records so far is a triumph and well worth waiting for.
Anne Tyler, the American writer of the gently family sagas, has this year published what she says is her last novel, A Spool of Blue Thread. Her first book was printed in 1964 which was followed by nineteen delightful others, the latest which was nominated for the Booker Prize coming 3 years after the previous one. She has had six novels adapted for film and television and I shall be very sad if this really is her last book.
Kazuo Ishiguro is a much acclaimed British writer who was born in Japan and has published seven novels since 1982. His latest is The Buried Giant, this year, was written 10 years after Never Let Me Go which was one of three film adaptation made of his novels.
The groundbreaking Irish novelist, Edna O’Brien has also published a novel this year ten years after her last book. The Little Red Chairs is a complicated tale of love, war and retribution but as innovative as her early works depicting downtrodden Irish girls in the 1950s.
A final work from the pen of Ruth Rendell was released this year. Ruth died in May 2015 and the release of her 66th crime novel, Dark Corners, really does close the book on her long writing career.
Encouragingly I have had the pleasure of reading many debut novels from new exciting authors.
My favourites from my reviews this year are:
- Laura Barnett – The Versions of Us
- Virginia McGregor – What Milo Saw
- Vera Goldsworthy – Gorsky
- Andrew Michael Hurley – The Loney
- Paula Hawkins – The Girl on the Train
Have you discovered any new authors this year?
Or are you keen to read new books by established authors?
Tina Foster, Book Reviewer
