The Satanic Verses.

By Simon.

I don't have anything good to say about this book except- 'I finally finished it'.
I tried to read this three times, getting no further than page 106 before I was finally successful on my fourth attempt.
I can't tell you much about it because, to be honest, I didn't understand any of it. It is mystical at times, literal at others. There are chapters where the pages turn easily, but there are many more where every single word is a struggle.
I give this book zero stars out of five.

Best (and worst) of 2009.

By Simon.

I read a few books in '09, not as many as I would like, but here's some of the best and worst, in my humble opinion.

Best.
My Colombian Death, Matthew Thompson. Middle aged and bored with it all, Thompson packs his bags and heads to Columbia to find something, anything, that will make him feel alive.
The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger. A rare genetic illness causes Henry to travel in time. He meets his future wife when she is just a child. A beautiful love story.
The Road, Cormac McCarthy. My standout, must read book of 2009. See review below.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom. A guy dies and meets five people in heaven who have had some part, small and large, in his life, who help in understand the point of it all.

Worst.
Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte. Crap love story. Blah blah blah.
Breakout; How I escaped the Exclusive Bretheren, David Tchappat. Tchappat trades in on his quasi-fame from being in the Big Brother house and turns what should be an interesting insight into this 'sect' into a boring look at a boring young man's life.
The Slap, Christos Tsiolkas. See review below.
Angels and Demons, Dan Brown. I loved DaVinci Code, but this just missed the mark. Not as clever as the DaVinci Code, over the top, but cashing in on a similar formula.

So So (not the best, not the worst).
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follet.
On the Road, Jack Kerouac.
Letter to a Christian Nation, Sam Harris.