Review of the year part 1

 

Top 10 fiction novels read in 2021

Looking back on my reading diary for 2021 I had a better year of books than I first thought, and indeed I couldn't narrow it down to just 10 books so I am creating 3 lists this year - one for fiction, one for non-fiction and one for children's/YA books.

I did completed two of my own challenges, reading all of the 2021 World Book Night titles and then reading all of the books long listed for the 2021 Wainwright Prize. I also got better at abandoning books - actually abandoning them rather than kidding myself that I'd come back to them!

I was also pleased to see that 60% of the books read were by women and that I read more than 2 translated titles a month.

Anyhow, in alphabetical order, here are my top 10 fiction reads from this year:

• Civilisations by Laurent Binet (translated from the French by Sam Taylor)
• Which Way? by Theodora Benson
• The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
• The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante (translated from the Italian by Ann Goldstein)
• The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield
• The Island of Trees by Elif Shafak
• Kololo Hill by Neema Shah
• O, The Brave Music by Dorothy Evelyn Smith
• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
• Still Life by Sarah Winman

Theatre of the Year

2017 At the Theatre

I was hoping to be trying to pick my favourite shows from a list of 36, but due to unexpected illness I had to miss the last three plays I had booked for the year. Annoyingly one of these has already finished and the other will come to an end before I am recovered enough to go. Oh well, health is more important.

So this year the Norfolkbookworm has written 33 reviews and also seen another 4 comedy shows which are just too hard to review, the improvised one for sure was something you had to be there for to find it all funny.

Right my top 8 plays for the year, and these are just the top plays - they are in no other order than the dates in which I saw them:

• All the Angels - Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
• The Red Shoes - Theatre Royal Norwich
• Hamlet - The Almeida
• Love in Idleness - Menier Chocolate Factory
• Nell Gwynn - Globe Theatre
• The Ferryman - Royal Court
• Ink - Almeida
• Young Marx - The Bridge Theatre

Even in a year where I was really disappointed with the Globe's offering two of their productions are still in my top 8 but it has to be said that I am looking forward to seeing where the new AD takes the theatre.

Theatrical Review of 2013

Favourites from 2013

A bumper year for theatre visits this year as I saw 34 productions live plus a handful of 'as lives' in the theatre.  Some things didn't live up to my expectations - People and Mojo spring to mind instantly for this category.

I met a play that I actively loathed - Macbeth at the Trafalgar Studios, but luckily the version staged later in the year at The Globe reminded me that I do like the play when it is done well.

In no particular order my top five theatrical performances from 2013 are:

1. The Color Purple at the Chocolate Menier Theatre
2. Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake at the Theatre Royal, Norwich
3. The Henry VI trilogy at The Globe
4. The Merchant of Venice at Norwich Cathedral
5. Blue Stockings at The Globe

Near misses from my top 5 included Privates on Parade, Proof, and The Snowman!

In 2014 I am already looking forward to visiting the new Sam Wanamaker Theatre, seeing King Lear with Simon Russell Beale at the National Theatre and all of the summer season at The Globe.

I'm also hoping that there is a revival of Journey's End soon as I really want to see it again and that the trope of having a toilet/vomiting on stage soon vanishes!