I heard this week that Shades of Evil had been reviewed by Manic Readers. Now, I don't know how other authors react but I take a big breath, a very big one, force myself to visit the site, find the review and go straight to the last line. That's where I read "Shades of Evil is one of the best books I've read this year". Yay!
Okay, so it's not the end of March yet…:) There was more though: "…beautifully written, with clear, uncluttered prose".
Anyway, when I'd finished patting myself on the back, I started thinking. If I had to name one of the best books I've read this year, what would it be?
I've enjoyed several, including The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo, but the one I'm reading now would be right up there - The Pyramid: The Kurt Wallander Stories by Henning Mankell.
(A confession here - I hadn't read a word by Mankell until now.) This book has me turning the pages at a rapid rate. It's excellent. The only issue I'm having is that I'm struggling to combine the Wallander of the book with the Wallander of my imagination.
I devoured all the Wallander stories on TV. My favourite Wallander was this one (Krister Henriksson):
But I also liked this Wallander (Rolf Lassgard):
The one I found the least convincing, and this surprises me because I'm fan of Kenneth Brannagh, was this one:
The Wallander in The Pyramid isn't like any of them. The Pyramid is a collection of short stories written to give readers Wallander's history, his beginnings as a detective. He's younger, less cynical, far more vulnerable and not nearly as grumpy as he becomes later. It's a great book and well worth reading. It might even be the best book I've read this year. I aim to read the other books in the series in order.
What about you? What's the best book you've read this year? What should I add to my To Be Read Everest?