The time of year for lists

I wonder whether or not the lists of books of the year, that crop up in numerous national supplements, ever really have an impact. They certainly don’t on me. The idea that just because an author likes a book somehow you should aspire to share their taste has always bemused me.

In the web 2.0 era these lists of books of the year look like the old fashioned pontificating from high with the selected names from the literati world telling us what we should read. It all seems slightly irrelevant I’m afraid.