As ELLE's Literary Editor and a lover of reading, I get through A LOT of books.
The end of the year is not just a good moment to look back but also one of the rare times when we get to actually sit down in peace and devour a great book.
From the Medieval past to the dystopian future, these are my favourite novels of 2015.
1. A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson (Doubleday)
The follow-up to Atkinson’s beloved Life After Life managed to be just as moving and unexpected as the original. Although having read Life After Life will add some layers to this reading experience, you can read this exceptional novel as a standalone and it will have just as much emotional impact.
2. The Ecliptic by Benjamin Wood (Scribner)
One of the most underrated novels of the year; Wood manages that elusive balance of writing exquisitely while also having a proper good old-fashioned plot complete with twists and turns aplenty. A brilliant book to settle down with on Christmas day and read in one sitting.
5. Vanessa and her Sister by Priya Parmar (Bloomsbury)
I have a real weak spot for fictionalised versions of writers and this is one of the best. A look at Virginia Woolf’s intense but unpredictable relationship with her artist sister Vanessa. A gorgeous look at the literary set in London and the bond between sisters.
6. The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty by Vendela Vida (Atlantic)
Set over a few days in Casablanca after an American woman has all her belongings stolen, this deliciously quirky story of a woman experimenting with different identities is darkly funny and incredibly insightful. Ignore the slightly offputting cover, the book is one of the best of the year.
7. Becoming Unbecoming by Una (Myriad Editions)
My favourite graphic novel of the year; a hugely powerful look at the author’s own story of sexual abuse set against the backdrop of the search for the Yorkshire Ripper. The words and images are woven together beautifully and it packs a punch about the importance of listening to women’s voices.
8. Public Library by Ali Smith (Hamish Hamilton)
Smith’s glorious collection of short stories all about the relationships and connections we have with books and reading are creative and clever. They’re also interspersed with short anecdotes and thoughts from people about what libraries mean to them (full disclosure - I wrote one them).
11. Jakob’s Colours by Lindsay Hawdon (Hodder)
This has got to be one of the best debuts of the year. There’s a lot of novels set during the world wars but Hawdon brings a fresh (and heartbreaking) perspective to the Second World War as she follows a family of Romany gypsies as they try to find each other.
12. Asking For It by Louise O’Neill (Quercus)
You must read this blistering, biting YA novel about sexual consent. Set in a small Irish town, 18-year-old Emma gets drunk at a party and is brutally raped but the sympathy of the town is with the boys, not Emma. It’s a difficult, confronting and vital read.
13. Not Forgetting the Whale by John Ironmonger (W&N)
This book manages the seemingly impossible; it’s a charming, heartwarming dystopian vision. Set in the near future on the brink of economic collapse, the novel is centred on a remote Cornish village packed full of quirky characters as they deal with the oncoming meltdown.
14. A Ghost’s Story by Lorna Gibb (Granta)
Gibb’s debut is hard to categorise; part ghost story, part proto-feminist manifesto; part historical mystery and part meta literary fiction. It’s so impressive because it manages to succeed on every single one of those levels as it traces the ‘life’ of spirit Katie King.
15. The Good Son by Paul McVeigh (Salt)
Last (and by no means least etc) is this blackly hilarious coming of age story set during the Troubles. Hero Mickey is one of the most endearing, charming characters I’ve come across in a long while as he navigates being the odd one out in a town that is unforgiving of difference.
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