The independent reading charity Booktrust have compiled a list of the most recommended books of the year as chosen by newspaper critics, comprising over 1300 books tipped as the best of 2007 during the festive season. It's a list that "goes some way towards disproving the myth that publishers are dumbing-down", naming Irene Nemirovsky's Suite Francaise as this year's most popular book with 16 nominations.
In second place with nine nods is Sarah Waters with her wartime novel The Night Watch, previously tipped as the favourite for last year's Man Booker. Kiran Desai, the actual winner of the award with Inheritance Of Loss, is just behind with eight mentions.
But the fun really starts when you compare the Booktrust list with the shortlists for the Costa award. Only three of the Costa-shortlisted books make it onto Booktrust's round up at all: William Boyd's Restless, Maggie Fergusson's life of George Mackay Brown and Seamus Heaney's District and Circle. Costa category winners Brian Thompson, John Haynes, Stef Penney and Linda Newbery receive no mention at all.
So which list rings true? Should we follow the friendly recommendations of the literary great and good, pay attention to the winners in the Darwinian struggle for prize glory, or clear our heads of all the lists and head down to our local bookshop for a spot of old-fashioned browsing?
