We look back at the 100 best books of 2013, from the finest novels to the most appetising cookery books, all of which will make perfect presents this Christmas
FICTION
1. The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton, £18.99
Eleanor Catton became the youngest ever winner of the Man Booker prize this year. The 28-year-old won the highly-coveted prize for her second novel about a man who is “not quite eight and twenty”. Coincidentally, her victory comes 28 years after a New Zealander last won the Man Booker prize. Needless to say, this is this year's must-read.
2. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, £20
Donna Tartt’s third novel in 21 years. This is a huge, shambling, Dickensian beast of a novel, one that wanders from teen love story to drugged-out bildungsroman to art-fraud whodunnit over the course of 760 dense pages. What Tartt has managed here is the literary equivalent of up-market fast food outlets in the restaurant world: reading it is not unlike queuing around the block for the finest cheeseburger in town.
3. Bleeding Edge by Thomas Pynchon, £20
This is Pynchon’s best novel since Mason & Dixon. At the age of 76, Pynchon has produced an edgy work of fiction set in 2001, with momentous concerns: 9/11, capitalism and the internet. A complex plot, Bleeding Edge is littered with slang, pop-culture and jokes, which detract from what is otherwise a remarkable novel.
4. Strange Bodies by Marcel Theroux, £7.99
The most unputdownable book of the year, Strange Bodies is in possession of a rare thing: an original and unusual plot. It begins with the entry of a deceased narrator and never fails to thrill with its gripping plot. This book should be on everyone’s Christmas list.
5. The Circle by Dave Eggers, £18.99
The Circle is the most powerful internet company in the world in Eggers’ latest literary offering. Savouring strongly of Google-gone-wrong, this is a glossy satirical thriller which, in this digital age, is chillingly portentous and all-too believable.
6. Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell, £6.99
Rooftopppers, set amid Parisian rooftops, is a heart-warming story of an orphan searching for her mother. Although everyone else believes that Sophie's cellist mother died in a shipwreck, she refuses to believe in anything other than the possibility that she will one day find her mother and be reunited with her in Paris, to which city she promptly flees in search of her.
7. The Son by Philipp Meyer, £14.99
An epic story of a Texas family, The Son maps the journey of the McCulloughs in a tale of money, ambition and violence in the American West. Meyer’s assured command of nonlinear narrative lends a powerful voice to the story, which opens with the family founder being kidnapped by Comanches and raised as a brave.
8. Frost Hollow Hall by Emma Carroll, £6.99
Emma Carroll's debut novel Frost Hollow Hall takes a popular and topical theme – life below stairs for a young girl in service – and adds a new twist of ghostly happenings and sinister interventions by a poltergeist or otherworldly spirit. This story of a drowned boy, a lonely girl, peppered with all sorts of things that go bump in the night is an emotionally-charged historical tale and a very believable ghost story rolled into one.
9. The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer, £16.99
Meg Wolitzer’s The Interestings focuses on a group of bored teens at a holiday camp and follows their lives right through to middle age. Wolitzer’s dark novel is brilliantly funny, and a very welcome addition to literary stockings.
10. Harvest by Jim Crace, £16.99
Jim Crace’s Man Booker-shortlisted Harvest is his final farewell to fiction. Arguably his most ambitious novel since Being Dead, Harvest is set in a remote farming village in the 18th century. A long way from Arcadia, this is a tale of the trials and tribulations of agricultural slog and struggle in a time when the threat of plague still looms high.
11. Picture Me Gone by Meg Rosof, £12.99
Picture Me Gone is the new novel by multi-award-winning author of How I Live Now, Meg Rosoff. Similar in theme, this is a careful and sensitive study of an adolescent girl called Mila, on the brink of adulthood, trying to make sense of the seemingly-incomprehensible world of adult relationships as she undertakes an epic road-trip across America with her father. Their quest, however, takes on many other dimensions and turns.
12. The Infatuations by Javier Marías, £18.99
Javier Marías once asserted that he could never write a novel with a female protagonist. Yet, he’s done just that. His novel The Infatuations was published this year and translated by Margaret Jull Costa. A sinister murder-mystery plot, which unfolds with panache.
13. Middle C by William H. Gass, £17.89
William H. Gass’ long-awaited third novel, which was two decades in the making, is about an Austrian immigrant who travels to Ohio and fakes his way to a university professorship. This horrifying and witty story by 89-year-old Gass reeks of unapologetic misanthropy.
14. The Hanged Man Rises by Sarah Naughton, £6.99
Titus and his little sister Hannah are left to fend for themselves in a very cruel world after the untimely death of both their parents in a fire. This is the backdrop for Sarah Naughton's acclaimed novel, set in the Victorian era amidst the crime ridden slums of backstreet London, where no-one is safe, particularly children. This is an absorbing tale of murder – child murder no less – and dark, brooding evil doings and characters aplenty.
15. The Childhood of Jesus by JM Coetzee, £16.99
The title of this book is misleading. Jesus does not appear in the 300-odd pages which comprise Coetzee’s hilarious novel. The story of a man and a boy who arrive on foreign shores in search of the boy’s mother. A sure-fire future classic.
AUTOBIOGRAPHY
16. Bonkers: My Life in Laughs by Jennifer Saunders, £20
For those in search of the perfect stocking filler, look no further. The doyenne of British comedy and national treasure who brought us Absolutely Fabulous and Viva Forever conquers new territory with this side-splitting memoir. Saunders suffuses Bonkers with equal measures of hilarious anecdotes and moving revelations, guiding us through her near-death brush with cancer, and recounting the time she shot Lulu and accidentally enrolled on a teacher-training course with Dawn French.
17. Before the Year Dot by June Brown, £20
Best known for her role as the sanctimonious chain-smoker Dot Cotton in EastEnders, June Brown is no stranger to drama in her private life. She has lost two husbands, a sister, and a child, not to mention her evacuation during World War Two and service in the WRENS. The much-loved actress traces her journey from her childhood in Ipswich to her classical training with Laurence Olivier.
18. As Luck Would Have It by Derek Jacobi, £20
Good pals with Princess Margaret, and mentored by Laurence Olivier; the award-winning thespian and Oxfordian theory-supporter was mentor to Kenneth Branagh. A sickly infant and only child, Jacobi was blessed with doting parents who, well into old age, ‘sensing I could do without trivial things and just concentrate on my work,’ would do his laundry and buy his groceries. A tale of self-absorption peppered with bitchy anecdotes, this is an entertaining read.
19. My Life by David Jason, £20
This is one for die-hard Del Boy fans. The son of an East End fishmonger, Sir David inherited his sense of humour from his father, who often had fellow fishmongers and shoppers in stitches. The star of Open All Hours, Only Fools and Horses and A Touch of Frost takes us on a journey through luvviedom’, but a dearth of originality in My Life may leave you cold.
20. Poirot and Me by David Suchet, £20
Written in conjunction with Geoffrey Wansell and published to coincide with the Belgian detective’s last hurrah, Poirot and Me gives the scoop on every episode of the hit TV show. Famous for his mincing gait and Gallic accent with Flemish undertones, Poirot has been Suchet’s greatest companion these 24 years, having played him in 70 episodes of Agatha Christie’s detective drama.
21. Passion for Life by Joan Collins, £25
When Joan Collins was five years old, her grandmother showed her how to do the splits, and she still can, albeit with a little limbering up beforehand. Passion For Life is a no-holds-barred romp of name-dropping and bed-hopping, full of glossy images of the five-time bride, and Dynasty diva.
22. Under A Mackerel Sky by Rick Stein, £20
Stein’s literary flair shows he’s no fish out of water when exchanging his skillet for a pen. Stein’s idyllic childhood in Oxfordshire and Cornwall was darkened by his father’s undiagnosed bipolar disorder and when Stein was 17 years old, his father committed suicide. Stein’s brilliant memoir traces his halcyon days spent in Australia, culminating on his home turf, Cornwall.
23. Becoming Johnny Vegas by Johnny Vegas, £20
Johnny Vegas has made a career out of playing the 18-stone drunken lout, projecting an all-too-believable raucous and self-loathing character onto our television screens. Michael Pennington – his real name – proves there’s more to Mr Vegas than meets the eye in this frank memoir. A close encounter with a paedophile at Catholic boarding school, studying pottery at university, and even training to become a priest are just a few revelations in this compelling and funny tale.
24. An Appetite For Wonder: The Making of a Scientist by Richard Dawkins, £20
Born to naturalist parents, Richard Dawkins takes us back to his childhood spent in colonial Africa, then on to boarding school in England at the tender age of eight. We follow Dawkins’ journey to Oundle, then Oxford, tracing his route from “theistic credulity” to atheism.
MUSIC
25. Autobiography by Morrissey, £8.99
Morrissey the moaning Mancunian waxes lyrical in his own inimitable poetic style in the best musical autobiography since Bob Dylan’s Chronicles. Heavily laced with alliteration, Morrissey’s Autobiography was published this year as an instant Penguin Classic, reaffirming the iconic status he has attained during his lifetime. Heaven knows he is miserable, but you’re bound to be entertained by his characteristically pretentious tone that we all love to hate.
26. Wild Tales: A Rock-And-Roll Life by Graham Nash, £25
Graham Nash, lead singer of the Hollies and band member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, tells all in his autobiography, Wild Tales. Nash traces his journey from his upbringing in post-war Manchester, to founding the Hollies with a friend from school, to writing the songs that defined a generation.
27. The Beatles - All These Years: Volume One: Tune In by Mark Lewisohn, £120
The first volume of Mark Lewisohn’s three-part biography tells the story of The Beatles’ early days and their rise to fame, ending in December 1962 when their first single climbs the charts. This account spares no detail and tells all with sparkling accuracy; a gripping page-turner for Beatles fans.
28. Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop by Bob Stanley, £20
Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop by Bob Stanley chronicles the rise of the modern pop era from the ‘50s to the millennium, inclusive of the artists, the genres, the music press, the radio and television programmes as well as the recording methods. It heralds all the changes from vinyl to digital switchover, from the birth of rock to soul, punk, hip hop, indie and many more besides. A retrospective diary of an era.
29. Northern Soul: An Illustrated History by Elaine Constantine and Gareth Sweeney, £20
Northern Soul: An Illustrated History by Elaine Constantine and Gareth Sweeney, centres around a cultural movement of almost-evangelical proportions for its followers, which saw young Northerners take to the dance floor to recreate the distinctive moves that defined the genre, slavishly mimicking their idols' costumes and reliving the style as much as the soundtrack of their 60s American Soul Idols. Great photography totally sets the scene.
30. Sounds Like London: 100 Years of Black Music in the Capital, by Lloyd Bradley, £12.99
This delivers exactly what the title promises; an homage to the City's immigrant communities whose music and culture enriched the capital's music venues and clubs with a rich tapestry of styles from their native homelands. It tells the story of the music genres and the larger- than-life characters that bring it to life here in Britain for an ever-widening audience. It starts with Soho and Jazz and takes us right through the various venues and genres up to the present day.
FOOD
31. Le Livre Blanc by Anne-Sophie Pic, £45
Anne-Sophie Pic is the only woman in France with three Michelin stars, and her cookbook, Le Livre Blanc, is as stellar as her food. Hailed as the world’s best female chef, Pic comes from a long line of celebrated chefs. Le Livre Blanc tells Pic’s extraordinary story and shares unique recipes and exclusive culinary insights.
32. Historic Heston by Heston Blumenthal, £125
Fancy a spot of mock turtle soup (1892), followed by some quaking pudding (1600)? The king of cutting-edge cuisine, Heston, is back with this beautifully-bound idiosyncratic history of British dishes. Heston has ferreted out some of Blighty’s long-lost gastronomic treasures, with recipes from the mediaeval to late-Victorian period.
33. One: A Cook and Her Cupboard by Florence Knight, £26
Move over Nigella, Florence Night is the next big thing in cooking. Knight goes back to basics with her first cookbook which celebrates store cupboard ingredients and seasonal produce. With each chapter in One named after a particular larder cupboard ingredient, the head chef at Polpetto proves that even the simplest ingredients can be transformed into the most sumptuous of suppers.
34. Daylesford: A Love for Food, £30
The stomping ground of Cotswold foodies, Daylesford is the acme of all things epicurean. This is the story of the Gloucestershire farm turned sustainable enterprise and mainstay of the organic movement. Each character in the business, from cheesemaker to farmer, tells their own story, in this nosegay of recipes and inspiration.
35. Eat: The Little Book of Fast Food by Nigel Slater, £26
Written to mark the 21st birthday of his first book, Nigel Slater’s Eat: The Little Book of Fast Food proffers over 150 recipes for simple lunches and dinners. This is not a frantic scramble to put food on the table; these are hearty feasts of organic victuals which take an hour to prepare.
36. The Vintage Sweets Book by Angel Adoree, £16.99
Anyone with a sweet tooth will love The Vintage Sweets Book by Angel Adoree. Jam-packed with retro recipes, all you need is a ‘spoonful of sugar’ and a splash of imagination and you’ll be on your way to vintage confectionary in no time at all. With The Vintage Sweets Book, you’ll find out how to make parma violets, love hearts, sugared mice, wine gums, with a few cocktails thrown in for good measure.
37. Gastronomy of Italy by Anna del Conte, £30
Do you know your abbacchio from your ossobuco? Anna del Conte’s comprehensive encyclopaedia of Italian food, originally published in the 1990s, has been revised for a new generation of cooks with this updated edition. Conte’s seminal work is a detailed voyage of discovery through Italian provender, with little-known regional specialities as well as Italian classics.
38. From India by Kumar and Suba Mahadevan, £25
Husband and wife duo Kumar and Suba Mahadevan offer a rich, colourful journey into Indian cuisine in From India. A marriage of rustic recipes and modern dishes, From India is bursting with beautiful photography. The perfect gift for lovers of Indian cuisine.
39. Ceviche: Peruvian Kitchen by Martin Morales, £25
For Peruvian restaurateur Martin Morales, it started with a tweet, followed by an invitation to a supper club in his home. After a series of successful pop-up restaurants, he opened his highly-acclaimed restaurant in Soho in 2012. Morales has searched high and low in Peru to unearth the country’s greatest dishes for this unique book, from superfood quinoa salads to succulent saltados to sweet coca cola chicken.
40. The Taste of America by Colman Andrews, £24.95
There is no such thing as American cuisine. The melting pot nation is a synthesis of different cultures with recipes inherited from elsewhere, but here, Colman Andrews focuses on the American approach to food. From the author of Catalan Cuisine, hailed as one of the 50 greatest cookbooks of all time, Colman Andrews returns with this compendium of the best food in the USA.
41. Hidden Kitchens of Sri Lanka by Bree Hutchins, £20
Adventurer Bree Hutchins spent a year travelling around Sri Lanka, voyaging off the beaten track to meet local people and discover authentic Sri Lankan cuisine. Recipes are intertwined with photographs and touching stories of the generous people who welcomed Hutchins into their homes and kitchens during her travels.
FASHION
42. Amber, Guinevere, and Kate Photographed by Craig McDean: A Decade of Fashion Photography, £60
No stranger to the front cover of Vogue, Craig McDean’s photographs are everywhere. Here, the iconic photographer focuses his lens on three anti-supermodels – McDean is loathe to use the word muse – who reigned during his three decade long career. Kate Moss, Guinevere van Seenus and Amber Valletta are the grungy subjects of this fabulous new coffee table book.
43. Dior Glamour by Mark Shaw, £70
In Dior Glamour, legendary photographer Mark Shaw unveils one of fashion’s most groundbreaking periods, from 1952 to 1963, also known as the fashion house’s ‘Divine Decade’. Shaw documents his time spent working closely with the iconic label, capturing intimate moments during shows and fittings, and photographing socialites, models and actresses donning spectacular ballgowns and couture collections.
44. Brassaï: Paris Nocturne by Sylvie Aubenas and Quentin Bajac, £48
Midnight in Paris was first captured by Brassaï. Indeed, Brassaï was the first photographer to unearth the mysterious, surreal and erstwhile invisible world of nocturnal Paris. In this world of dimly-lit streets, we see libertines, femmes de la nuit, showgirls. Brassaï captures the beauty and bleakness of Paris’ gritty nocturnal side.
45. Lee Miller in Fashion by Becky E. Conekin, £19.95
When Lee Miller was 19 years old, she walked out of her apartment building on West 48th Street in New York. In a daze, she stepped off the curb into the path of an oncoming car, only to be swept to safety by publisher Condé Nast. A chance encounter which propelled her into a career as a Vogue covergirl and, later, an illustrious career in photography. Lee Miller in Fashion looks back on her extraordinary life.
HUMOUR
46. The Moaning of Life: The Worldly Wisdom of Karl Pilkington by Karl Pilkington, £20
Pilkington the loveable philistine is forty years old and in the midst of an existential crisis. In his fourth book, The Moaning Of Life, Karl goes out in search of a spiritual purpose. Prepare yourself for some fascinating insights from Britain’s favourite ‘idiot’: “my head is too fat. People say black is slimming but not for a head, it isn’t.
47. Damn You Autocorrect! 2 by Lyndsey Saul, £6.99
We’ve all been there. If autocorrect is the bane of your life, then stow away your embarrassment and read this book. Damn You, Autocorrect! is back with a second volume of hilariously awkward and cringe-worthy autocorrect fails.
48. The Great Book of Mobile Talk by Andrew Barrow, £7.99
Eavesdropped mobile phone conversations are a strange thing. In this age of modern technology, one can’t seem to escape being involuntarily privy to other peoples’ conversations, be they tantrums, office politics, dinner menus, money matters, amourous overtures or gossip. Here, Andrew Barrow has curated a anthology of wonderful overheard mobile conversations, beautifully illustrated by Posy Simmonds.
49. We're Going On A Bar Hunt: A Parody by Emlyn Rees and Josie Lloyd, £11.99
Any parents of young children will appreciate this parody of Michael Rosen’s We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. Written by parents and bestselling authors Emlyn Rees and Josie Lloyd, We’re Going on a Bar Hunt tells the story of two parents who set off into the night to paint the town red.
50. H is for Hummus: A Modern Parent's ABC by Joel Rickett, £7.99
If you liked Go the F**k to Sleep, then you’ll love this. Average ABC books don’t quite cut it anymore in the world of modern parenting. A is for Allergy, B is for Babyccino and C is for Controlled Crying. This is the modern, middle-class parents' ABC which guides us from Active Birthing right through to Zumba.
51. The Biteback Dictionary of Humorous Literary Quotations, £8.99
The Biteback Dictionary of Humorous Literary Quotations is exactly what it says on the tin. If you’re looking for a present for a bibliophile, then you could do worse than this classic collection of literary quotations. Want to hear what Woolf thought of her critics, or how about what T.S. Eliot had to say about becoming a great writer? Well, reader, this one’s for you.
52. Dog Shaming by Pascale Lemire, £8.99
Dogs: they’re our best friends, but they can also be our worst nightmares. Whether it’s your favourite pair of shoes they’re chomping, the new cream carpet they’re staining, or the sleeping baby they’re waking, Dog Shaming has found the funny in these daily doggie disasters. Following its web success, Dog Shaming features hilarious photos of petulant pups alongside notes detailing their misdemeanours.
53. Eddie Braben's Morecambe and Wise Book, £12.99
For anyone of a certain age, it isn’t Christmas without an episode of the Morecambe and Wise Show. This is the definitive illustrated Morecambe and Wise book, written by the third man in this famous comedy duo, Eddie Braben, who died this year.
SPORT
54. I Am Zlatan Ibrahimovic by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, £8.99
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