Books of the year 2011
30 reads that got us talking in 2011
This year, excited bookworms queued all night for a copy of Haruki Murakami's IQ84, Caitlin Moran's funny feminist manual told us How to be a Woman and Rob Ryan charmed us with his stunning adult fairytale A Sky Full of Kindness.
Take a look at Stylist's 30 most impressive reads of 2011, from wonderful literary gems to impressive non-fiction works.
Click an image below to open the gallery, then let us know which book you like best on Twitter.
Words: Anna Pollitt
-
The Sense of an Ending
by Julian Barnes Winner of the 2011 Man Booker… More details
The Sense of an Ending
by Julian Barnes
Winner of the 2011 Man Booker Prize, Barnes' compelling tale of a middle-aged man coming to terms with his past, is described by the head judge Stella Rimington as "exquisitely written, subtly plotted and reveals new depths with each reading."
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
Charles Dickens: A Life
By Claire Tomalin In the year of Dickens' 200th… More details
Charles Dickens: A Life
By Claire Tomalin
In the year of Dickens' 200th Birthday, multi-award winning biographer Tomalin captures the great writer's complex character and reveals his darkest secrets.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
A Visit from the Goon Squad
by Jennifer Egan "Time's a goon,… More details
A Visit from the Goon Squad
by Jennifer Egan
"Time's a goon, right?"
Winner of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Egan's unusually structured novel on the passage of time, relationships and memory contains a chapter entirely formatted as a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
IQ84
by Haruki Murakami "The year is 1984 and the… More details
IQ84
by Haruki Murakami
"The year is 1984 and the city is Tokyo."
Described by The Guardian as "among the world's greatest living novelists," Murakami's powerful 932-page work sold a million copies within its first month of release - affording its publishers the right to describe the work as "a dystopia to rival George Orwell’s."
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
The Tiger's Wife
by Tea Obreht Awarded the 2011 Orange prize for… More details
The Tiger's Wife
by Tea Obreht
Awarded the 2011 Orange prize for fiction, this is the story of a young doctor in the war-torn Balkans searching for the truth behind her grandfather's death.
Obreht, 25, is the youngest person to win the honour.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
The Better Angels of Our Na…
by Steven Pinker Have humans become progressively… More details
The Better Angels of Our Nature
by Steven Pinker
Have humans become progressively less violent?
Harvard psychology professor Pinker thinks so, and makes a convincing argument that modernity is making us better people in this ambitious and statistically impressive work.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
Night Waking
by Sarah Moss Moss' dark and comical second novel… More details
Night Waking
by Sarah Moss
Moss' dark and comical second novel brings us Anna, a historian and young mother struggling to adjust to life on a remote Scottish island, when her life is shook by the discovery of a baby skeleton in her family's back garden and the history of the island's inhabitants unravels.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
A Sky Full of Kindness
by Rob Ryan "It's a tale of a fearful mother… More details
A Sky Full of Kindness
by Rob Ryan
"It's a tale of a fearful mother about to bring a child into the world in this age of anxiety."
This delicate and moving adult fairytale is a beautifully written and visually stunning tale of two birds about to become parents for the first time.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
Moonwalking With Einstein
by Joshua Foer From forgetful journalist to… More details
Moonwalking With Einstein
by Joshua Foer
From forgetful journalist to Memory Championship contender - Foer reveals how a good memory can be a skill as well as a gift thanks to the ancient techniques of mnemonics.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
Down the Rabbit Hole
by Juan Pablo Villalobos "I know maybe… More details
Down the Rabbit Hole
by Juan Pablo Villalobos
"I know maybe thirteen or fourteen people and four of them say I'm precocious."
This brilliantly funny and dark debut novel is narrated by the child of a wealthy Mexican drugs baron, who, isolated from society, builds his own private zoo and becomes obsessed with adding a pygmy hippopotamus to his collection.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
Mulberry: The Book
photographs by Venetia Dearden The label that… More details
Mulberry: The Book
photographs by Venetia Dearden
The label that wowed the world with the iconic Alexa and Bayswater bags celebrates 40 years of luxury leather-making with a glossy 480-page coffee table treat, lovingly shot by renowned photographer Venetia Dearden.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
There but for the
by Ali Smith This playful and clever tale of a… More details
There but for the
by Ali Smith
This playful and clever tale of a dinner party guest who outstays his welcome is rich with symbolism, satire and insight.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
The 9/11 Wars
by Jason Burke On the 10th anniversary of the… More details
The 9/11 Wars
by Jason Burke
On the 10th anniversary of the Twin Towers destruction, Guardian war correspondent Burke released his “grubby view from below” - an authoritative 700-plus analysis of a decade of Islamic terrorism, exploring the myths and providing accounts of the wars from the ordinary people involved.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
King of the Badgers
by Philip Hensher The disappearance of an… More details
King of the Badgers
by Philip Hensher
The disappearance of an eight-year-old girl from a small town near Bristol propels a small community into the glare of the media, exposing its factions and revealing the shocking secrets of some of its residents. Both funny and heart wrenching, Hensher's latest masterpiece explores themes of privacy - and how much of its invasion is acceptable.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
Chavs
by Owen Jones Think you know what a Chav is? In… More details
Chavs
by Owen Jones
Think you know what a Chav is? In the year riots spread across England, Jones' provocative text explores how the changes in Britain's class system bore the 'Chav' and how politics, race and media play a part in a 'them' vs. 'us' phenomenon.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
How to be a Woman
by Caitlin Moran “Moran's writing sparkles with… More details
How to be a Woman
by Caitlin Moran
“Moran's writing sparkles with wit and warmth. Like the confidences of your smartest friend” - Simon Pegg.
The Times columnist's snappy manual-come-memoir tells readers to proudly declare "I AM A FEMINIST." Endov.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
The Cat's Table
by Michael Ondaatje This charming coming of age… More details
The Cat's Table
by Michael Ondaatje
This charming coming of age tale from the author of The English Patient tells of a young boy's life-altering three-week journey from 1950s Ceylon (Sri Lanka) to England and, as Ondaatje informs the reader, has "the colouring and locations of memoir and autobiography."
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
The Horseman's Word
by Roger Garfitt Garfitt's beautifully written… More details
The Horseman's Word
by Roger Garfitt
Garfitt's beautifully written memoir chronicles his childhood in post-war Norfolk, coming of age as a narcissistic, drug-taking Oxford poet, and his shocking decline into madness.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
Harper's Bazaar: Greatest H…
by Glenda Bailey The style bible's… More details
Harper's Bazaar: Greatest Hits
by Glenda Bailey
The style bible's editor-in-chief shares her favourite shoots -from the glamorous and gorgeous to the downright outrageous. A glossy coffee table must-have for any fashion fan.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
Jamrach's Menagerie
by Carol Birch This 2011 Man Booker Prize nominee… More details
Jamrach's Menagerie
by Carol Birch
This 2011 Man Booker Prize nominee has been lauded for its originality - mixing real life figures with colourful and vivid characters, exotic animals with monstrous dragons, and the tough streets of 19th century London with an exciting sea journey.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
Why Be Happy When You Could…
by Jeanette Winterson "As if the best of… More details
Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?
by Jeanette Winterson
"As if the best of Gabriel Garcia Marquez was combined with the best of Alan Bennett..." Cressida Connolly, the Spectator
Veering seamlessly from moving and funny to heart-breaking, the Oranges are Not the Only Fruit author's autobiography reveals her turbulent childhood at the hands of a tyrannical adoptive mother.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
Nile Rodgers Le Freak
by Nile Rodgers "This is truly one of the… More details
Nile Rodgers Le Freak
by Nile Rodgers
"This is truly one of the best books ever written about art, music, life, and the way we grow to be exactly who we are. Actually, one of the best books period." - Cameron Crowe.
Enough said.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
The Stranger's Child
by Alan Hollinghurst The prestigious author… More details
The Stranger's Child
by Alan Hollinghurst
The prestigious author follows up his classic The Line of Beauty with a compelling and clever tale of two English families, spanning an entire century.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
Death Comes to Pemberley
by P.D. James A must-read for Jane Austen fans,… More details
Death Comes to Pemberley
by P.D. James
A must-read for Jane Austen fans, the venerable crime writer creates a sequel to Pride and Prejudice - and throws in a murder.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
The Emperor of All Maladies
by Siddhartha Mukherjee Winner of the… More details
The Emperor of All Maladies
by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Winner of the 2011Pultizer Prize for non-fiction and the Guardian First Book Award, this “simple but not simplistic” biography of cancer examines the disease from a historical and scientific perspective and glances at future battles to overcome it.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
Delicacy
by David Foenkinos The hit French author's latest… More details
Delicacy
by David Foenkinos
The hit French author's latest work lives up to its title, with the sensitive tragi-comic tale of a beautiful widow who begins an unexpected relationship with her co-worker.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
A Life Too Short
by Ronald Reng The biography of Robert Enke, the… More details
A Life Too Short
by Ronald Reng
The biography of Robert Enke, the popular German goalkeeper who committed suicide, won the 2011 William Hill Sports Book of the Year.
"Absolutely superb. Incredibly harrowing." - Sunday Times.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
November
by Sean O'Brien A stunning collection of poems… More details
November
by Sean O'Brien
A stunning collection of poems from O'Brien, whose first work The Drowned Book, is the only book of poetry to have won both the Forward and T. S. Eliot prizes.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
Do It For Your Mum
by Roy Wilkinson British Sea Power, a band… More details
Do It For Your Mum
by Roy Wilkinson
British Sea Power, a band described by The Independent on Sunday as “The greatest British rock group you’ve never heard,” are the subject of a hilarious rock biography-come-family memoir by the duo's older brother and manager.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
-
Londoners
by Craig Taylor A snapshot of life in modern… More details
Londoners
by Craig Taylor
A snapshot of life in modern London from the perspectives of the ordinary people who live there, Taylor's five-year project reveals some of the most beautiful and dark secrets of the city.
Rate this…
Average rating 0 / 5
- Current rating 0 / 5
- 1 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 5 out of 5
Related Reading
Tags: books
