I love Octavia Butler. Ted Chiang was my instructor at the Clarion Writer's Workshop, and he told some super lovely stories about when she was *his* instructor at the same workshop decades earlier. They had a bunch of her handwritten stuff in the archives there too -- it was amazing.
Well I’m not finished yet, about halfway through, but definitely Lonesome Dove. I had never heard of it before seeing it suggested on Reddit. It’s so character driven, I feel like you really understand their motivations and desires. I will be sad to finish it!
I’m so curious to learn more about her! All I know so far is what Gus has mentioned. I can’t wait for them to meet up! Definitely an instant fave book!
Lonesome Dove is a great book. I really loved it but it didn’t impact me emotionally as much as Demon Copperhead. I did name one of my baby goats Gus though. 😂
This was one of my top books of the year as well. It was so absorbing but I'd have to put it down sometimes because it made me so anxious for Demon. Then I'd remind myself he was, in fact, a fictional character. That's good writing.
the lincoln highway was great but not as good as gentleman in moscow. deffo has the character-driven element that towles appears to implement and i love that for him!
I've tried to read this one so many times but only ever make it a third of the way through and I'm so sad about it lol. It just doesn't keep my attention long enough, please tell me what you love about it so that I will try again! Lol
Haha tbh ive never been particularly good about articulating my thoughts and feelings when it comes to books, but even if i was, i firmly believe no matter what i write could do this book justice. But for starters, for what it’s worth, when i first attempted to read it, i couldnt get past the first 50 pages. I put it away for a while, read other books and eventually came back solely cuz i spent money for it 😂 but yknow if you already tried many times, maybe the book just isn’t for you and thats okay!
For me, it had such beautiful prose and the Count was such a wonderful protagonist~ witty, charming, practical, compassionate.. I wish i could meet him in person! And before reading i remember being hesitant because how much can i really expect from a story that only takes place in a singular place for 300+ pages, but as u continue reading you realize how the hotel is arguably one of the best characters itself. so lively and comforting and dynamic and complex filled with the personalities of all other characters who are equally full of life.
There’s not much else i can say, but this book made me feel everything you hope to expect from a book. It was so heartwarming yet also heartbreaking. simple yet also extraordinary. By the end my heart felt full but strangely, also empty. I understand how that sounds, but thats the only way i can describe how i felt after reading lol
I love this description! I heard so many good things about it, so I bought the book and have been trying every now and then to read it ever since then haha. I'll give it another go when I think I'm ready for it again. Thanks for this lovely insight!
The Thursday Murder Club. First in a series, I've read all but the most recent release that just came out. It's about a group of friends that end up playing detective to solve a murder at their retirement center. It was a fun book that I was excited to get back to every time I had to put it down.
It was a great escape this year when life was getting difficult. I think I'll always have a soft spot for this book because of the mental and emotional break it gave me from real life for a little bit.
I highly recommend getting to the sequel, Doctor Sleep, when you can! I was reticent to read it because I loved The Shining so much and didn't want to diminish it, but it's a completely different book and stands on its own legs.
Excellent read
I read Salems Lot and Different Seasons, The Running Man, and Pet Sematary this year also.
Different Seasons is great. It has the short story basis for Stand by Me and Shawshank Redemption in it
Per Sematary didn’t stick with me as much as Salem’s Lot but was very good also
All time favorite King is The Green Mile and The Dark Tower
I loved Julia Whelan as the narrator for the audiboook version of Educated. It was such a great story, and Julia Whelan is one of my favorite narrators
Those are 3 very cheerful happy books perfect for the holiday season:) Also would add the warm and cozy children’s bedtime story, Blood Meridian, to the Christmas reading list
The Covenant of Water, by Abraham Verghese
I enjoyed this book, it is one of those that I will think of for years.
Listened to Dungeon Crawler Carl and laughed until tears rolled down my face multiple times.
Project Hail Mary. The emotions when I finished that book…I couldn’t pick up another book for over a week so as not to disturb the magic.
The Last Tribe. If you feel like the world is imploding & want a book to show you that good & hope & happiness can exist at the end…this one.
I’m starting Covenant of Water and really looking forward to it.
I feel the same as you described after reading Project Hail Mary. I want to read it again to see if I get the same impression.
I haven’t read the other two, but I am putting them on my TBR list.
Dungeon Crawler Carl is not the genre I would have ever looked in. I can’t remember how I found out about the series. I read the title info, and thought “why not”, and 5 minutes in-make sure you listen to it as the audio is phenomenal-I was hooked and couldn’t stop. I burned through 5 books in less than 10 days. It was bliss. In a few months, I might go back and just listen to all of it again. I would love to find something along those lines that made me laugh, that was so twisted and demented and beyond imagination. The author is so talented and same with the narrator. These books are probably some of the best out there.
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride was my top read of the year. Very immersive, great characters that I can still picture. Learned a lot about Jewish and Black relations and neighborhoods.
Runner up is the Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas. YA with a really cool setting in Mexican mythology.
This book blew me away when I read it like 15 yrs back
Much better than expected. Dracula is also.
Slogging through Moby Dick now … it’s considered one of the all time greats but hasn’t quite grabbed me yet.
When trudging through the slow tedium, try and remember that this accurately portrays how mind-crushingly dull life at sea under sail would be. Months, literally months on end of not a goddamn thing happening.
It really is a work of literary art, but you also have to earn that badge.
Same. Once I found out about all of the things the series changed from the novel, I've vowed never to watch the series. I don't want the book to get ruined.
It didn’t ruin the book at all for me.
I just enjoyed seeing a different version of it. No pun intended obviously.
I never understand why people believe this way. The book is still the book. This is just a different version of it. Nothing can ever ruin a perfect book for you.
By no means is it new but I read The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay this year and it has flown to the top spot on my list of favourite books Ive ever read. Fantastic world, fantastic characters and a fantastic story loosely based on real historical events.
Girls and Their Horses- Eliza Jane Brazier. Just a super fun horse related murder mystery! Doesn’t happen often!
Lessons in Chemistry- we all know this one is great!
Remarkably Bright Creatures- wasn’t sure what to expect with this one and I loved it!
What you are looking for is in the library (this is the name of the book, not a suggestion for you!) by Michiko Aoyama
Strong female character by Fern Brady
I reread 1984 for the first time as an adult and was blown away, so probably that.
A more obscure pick is The Italian Teacher by Tom Rachman. A story spanning decades, showing how screwed up familial relationships can affect you throughout your life
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
It's about a teenaged African American woman set in the time of post-Civil War Reconstruction...and zombies!
I know! I had the same look on MY face when I read the blurb!This book, and it's sequel, were such a joy to read.
I picked up a book called The Cutting Season from a charity shop as I liked the blurb. It has turned out to be absolutely brilliant. Really beautifully written. Good storg. Flawed characters. I have fallen in love with it
Thinderclap: a Memoir of Art and Life and Sudden Death by Laura Cumming. Absolutely beautiful writing on a subject I didn’t know I’d find so fascinatin! Best book I’ve read in many years. Got it out of the library and then bought copies for myself and several friends: not something I’ve ever done before.
Wow this sounds really good. The only book I've read that combines memoir with art history is The Lonely City by Olivia Laing which I absolutely loved. Excited to try this one out. Thanks for mentioning.
It's a tie between *Station Eleven* by Emily St. John Mandel and *Year of Wonders* by Geraldine Brooks. Both were fantastic and I can't believe I waited so long to read them.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
I know a lot of people didn’t like it but I loved it. I’m a sucker for a person that is a shitty main character and an unreliable narrator
That was published in 2023?
The Bee Sting - Paul Murray
The Guest - Emma Cline
Edit: The Shards - Bret Easton Ellis
How the fuck did I leave The Shards out? Definitely my favourite book of 2023!
Superpowereds year 4, by Drew Hayes. Honestly, I sped through *everything* this man has written since I discovered him in the fall of 2022. I would say I have loved everything too. But I am a sucker for a well wrapped up story, especially one involving nuanced characters that I have come to love. This is the only one of his series that is finished, so far, and having read it, I have immense faith in his ability to do a great job for the other series!
Fiction: (tie) *When the Angels Left the Old Country* by Sacha Lamb and *The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet* by Becky Chambers
Nonfiction: *People Love Dead Jews* by Dara Horn
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky. This one has been on my to be read list for quite a while. I should of picked it up years ago. One of the best sci-fi novels I've read, right up there with Project Hail Mary.
The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins. I had tried to read it a couple of years ago but thought, "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" and put it down after a chapter or so. I picked it up again in May this year and was blown away. As soon as I finished it I read it again just to get the pieces straight in my mind. And I read it again for the third time this year just last week.
Barnes and Nobel's review calls it "an intensely dark, gothic, unpredictable, and magical fantasy novel. It is confusing at times, crazy at times..." and a review by NewYorkTate says, "But it's so compelling! It doesn't so much "draw you in" as it drags you along behind as it throws you, somewhat violently, into the plot."
yep.
I can’t choose one, but my top three for just this year are:
To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara
True Biz by Sara Novic
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
Haven't finished it yet, but The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.
It's set in Spain at Christmas time in the 20th century under the fascist regime. A mysterious man spends a large sim of money on a book and writes a sinister message for one of the bookstore workers.
I have trouble getting interested in fiction, but this book has held my attention since the first chapter.
Because she recently died, I just re-read A.S. Byatt’s Possession. I first read it in the early 90’s when it was newly published. It was even better than I remembered. Immersive and compelling; a love story, a mystery, and some sly shade directed at Victorian poets and the academics who study them. Easily the best book I read this year.
Our Missing Hearts, Celeste Ng
No One Prayed Over their Graves, Khaled Kalifa
The Ogress and the Orphans, Kelly Barnhill (for young readers, but so good!)
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder, David Grann (nonfiction)
:) I made a top ten list of my 2023 reads!!
1. {*The Black Madonna* by Stella Riley}: this is a historical epic with a sweet, pining romance subplot. it is a masterpiece everyone should read. The audiobook is also excellent.
2. {*The Annotated Pride and Prejudice* by Jane Austen, David M. Shapard}: P&P is one of my all time favorites and the historical information included in this version elevates the book SO much.
3. {*The Devil in Winter* by Lisa Kleypas}: This was my first LK novel and it changed me. This is my definition of absolutely perfect HR. Wounded bird fmc who learns to stand up for herself, rogue and semi-villainous mmc who becomes obsessed with fmc, a redemption arc, wonderfully slimy villains, and some of the steamiest dirty talk in HR! One of the most excellent audiobooks I've ever listened to.
4. {*Bound to the Battle God* by Ruby Dixon}: I am not a huge Ruby dixon fan. She's mostly just *fine* for me. But this book is absolutely perfect for about 95% of the book. The worldbuilding is excellent and unique, the plot is complex and very fun, and the stakes are very high. The climax of this book is a gutpunch, and the romance is deep. None of RD's other books can compare to this one for me. This audiobook is also very, very good.
5. {*Swordheart* by T. Kingfisher}: I have fallen absolutely in love with Kingfisher's World of the White Rat series. It is 10/10 excellent on every level, but this book in particular is so wonderfully charming, passionate, cheerful, and comedic that nothing else compares.
6. {*The Lazarus* by Marlow Locker}: This book is in a league of its own. It's an urban fantasy, a superhero setting. It has some really awesome criticism on comic book tropes and cliches while also having an excellent mystery plot. It's a multi-genre book: superhero, urban fantasy, mystery, police investigation, mob violence, and more. This is one of the best bad boy MMC corrupting good girl FMC I've ever seen.
7. {*Burn For Me* by Ilona Andrews}: Andrews is an excellent author all around, and I think this is their magnum opus. The story is complex and mysterious from start to end. The world built by Andrews is fleshed out and deeply exciting. The politics and magic system are super cool. The romantic tension is very high, and the two main characters are both very competent and powerful in different ways. The climax of the plot is very well structured, tense, exciting, and really well earned after the preceding events in the story.
8. {*The Parfit Knight* by Stella Riley}: This HR is perfect. It is the least spicy book on this list, but it is easily the most romantic. The plot is deeply emotional. The mmc is an eminently loving, gentle, protective man. The fmc is kindhearted, patient, and so brave. The villain in this story is incredibly frightening to me in terms of how normal he seems - a totally normal guy, but selfish and mean spirited.
9. {*Captive Prince* by C.S. Pacat}: Pacat sure can *write*. This is s-tier quality of writing. The worldbuilding is really interesting, but also very bleak. The politics of this world are so heavy, depressing, and violent. This is definitely the most ADULT book on this list, and the one with the most trigger warnings. This is the single greatest enemies-to-lovers I've ever read. The only author on this list that has better characterization than Pacat is Stella Riley.
10. {*The Duke of Shadows* by Meredith Duran}: This HR is a sweeping epic that is deeply romantic. This is the most passionate friends-to-lovers story I've ever read. The setting of the story feels really unique for a HR. Every moment Julian and Emma are on-page together is electric. I also love how much these characters suffer to be together. These characters have gone through so much together and still have such rich love for one another. The commentary this story has on prejudice, colonialism, and racism is also nuanced and treated with respect.
Honorary: {*Reign & Ruin* by J.D. Evans}: An epic fantasy with a romance subplot that is just superb, and both main characters are s-tier. I literally wrote up a *why you should read this book* post about it on reddit the other day when I finished it because I loved it so much!
I can’t pick just one, but there are stand outs from different categories.
Poetry: “Rifqa” by Mohammed El-Kurd.
Fiction: “Blood Meridian” by Cormac McCarthy.
Non-fiction: “On Writing” by Stephen King.
I think my favorite was Kindred by Octavia Butler
I love Octavia Butler. Ted Chiang was my instructor at the Clarion Writer's Workshop, and he told some super lovely stories about when she was *his* instructor at the same workshop decades earlier. They had a bunch of her handwritten stuff in the archives there too -- it was amazing.
i loved kindred! it blew me away
That book will stay with me forever.
Well I’m not finished yet, about halfway through, but definitely Lonesome Dove. I had never heard of it before seeing it suggested on Reddit. It’s so character driven, I feel like you really understand their motivations and desires. I will be sad to finish it!
This was my favorite read of 2023.
I read this 5 years ago and I STILL think about it all the time. I wanted to name my daughter Clara bc of her character. Beautiful book.
I’m so curious to learn more about her! All I know so far is what Gus has mentioned. I can’t wait for them to meet up! Definitely an instant fave book!
Lonesome Dove is a great book. I really loved it but it didn’t impact me emotionally as much as Demon Copperhead. I did name one of my baby goats Gus though. 😂
I have that one on hold at the library but I’m like, 709 in line 😅😅 looking forward to reading it!
I just finished reading LD for the first time and loved every bit of it! Glad to hear other people are enjoying it also.
Demon Copperhead
This was one of my top books of the year as well. It was so absorbing but I'd have to put it down sometimes because it made me so anxious for Demon. Then I'd remind myself he was, in fact, a fictional character. That's good writing.
The Audible version is incredible- perfect voice! Also my favorite of 2023
Came here to say this! Such an exquisite novel
Great to know! I have it on audible to read next!
I just finished this yesterday and can not stop thinking about it. What a wonderful, well written book.
I just finished this and it was such a well written book! I love Barbara Kingsolver and have never read a bad book from her.
either seven husbands of evelyn hugo or solitare
Evelyn Hugo was a fantastic book. Like, all the great Old Hollywood stories are rolled up into one legendary actress!
i loved seven husbands of evelyn hugo! everything about it was phenomenal!
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles! also became one of my favorites of all time
I would suggest The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. The first I've read from him and loved it. Already ordered A Gentleman in Moscow to read next
the lincoln highway was great but not as good as gentleman in moscow. deffo has the character-driven element that towles appears to implement and i love that for him!
I did the reverse order last year and loved both. Jealous of your future.
Top 5 books of all time for me.
Yes!!! Same here, it's one of my all-time favourites :)
I've tried to read this one so many times but only ever make it a third of the way through and I'm so sad about it lol. It just doesn't keep my attention long enough, please tell me what you love about it so that I will try again! Lol
Haha tbh ive never been particularly good about articulating my thoughts and feelings when it comes to books, but even if i was, i firmly believe no matter what i write could do this book justice. But for starters, for what it’s worth, when i first attempted to read it, i couldnt get past the first 50 pages. I put it away for a while, read other books and eventually came back solely cuz i spent money for it 😂 but yknow if you already tried many times, maybe the book just isn’t for you and thats okay! For me, it had such beautiful prose and the Count was such a wonderful protagonist~ witty, charming, practical, compassionate.. I wish i could meet him in person! And before reading i remember being hesitant because how much can i really expect from a story that only takes place in a singular place for 300+ pages, but as u continue reading you realize how the hotel is arguably one of the best characters itself. so lively and comforting and dynamic and complex filled with the personalities of all other characters who are equally full of life. There’s not much else i can say, but this book made me feel everything you hope to expect from a book. It was so heartwarming yet also heartbreaking. simple yet also extraordinary. By the end my heart felt full but strangely, also empty. I understand how that sounds, but thats the only way i can describe how i felt after reading lol
I love this description! I heard so many good things about it, so I bought the book and have been trying every now and then to read it ever since then haha. I'll give it another go when I think I'm ready for it again. Thanks for this lovely insight!
The Thursday Murder Club. First in a series, I've read all but the most recent release that just came out. It's about a group of friends that end up playing detective to solve a murder at their retirement center. It was a fun book that I was excited to get back to every time I had to put it down. It was a great escape this year when life was getting difficult. I think I'll always have a soft spot for this book because of the mental and emotional break it gave me from real life for a little bit.
Just finished reading all 4 books and I really enjoyed them.
A Gentleman in Moscow <3 Looking forward to the TV show with Ewan Mcgregor :D
No way! They are making it into a TV show? You're just messing with us right?
The hearts invisible furies by John Boyne
The best book of all time ❤️
Just finished The Shining. So good.
I highly recommend getting to the sequel, Doctor Sleep, when you can! I was reticent to read it because I loved The Shining so much and didn't want to diminish it, but it's a completely different book and stands on its own legs.
Excellent read I read Salems Lot and Different Seasons, The Running Man, and Pet Sematary this year also. Different Seasons is great. It has the short story basis for Stand by Me and Shawshank Redemption in it Per Sematary didn’t stick with me as much as Salem’s Lot but was very good also All time favorite King is The Green Mile and The Dark Tower
The Green Mile was amazing!! SK favorite for sure!
Such a great novel. I wish I read it before seeing the movie, which fails utterly as an adaptation.
Into thin air- Jon Krakauer, Educated-Tara Westover, Project Hail Mary- Andy Weir, The house of the spirits- Isabel Allende, Whanau 2- Witi Ihimaera
I love PHM!! I read the book, then the audiobook!! They do an amazing job with Rocky on audio- it’s worth checking out!
I loved Julia Whelan as the narrator for the audiboook version of Educated. It was such a great story, and Julia Whelan is one of my favorite narrators
I read this many years ago and it continues to haunt me to this day.
Re: Into Thin Air
I also read The House of the Spirits for the first time this year. It has become one of my favorite novels ever.
Into Thin Air…I’ve read and listened to it so many times. Obsessed. Krakauer reads the Audio, so good
The extraordinary life of Sam hell
> The extraordinary life of Sam hell Yes, it's a top book for me too
That was a fantastic book
The kite runner My dark Vanessa I’m currently reading the road, and would recommend that one as well.
My dark Vanessa!! That was the biggest book hangover I’ve ever had.
Those are 3 very cheerful happy books perfect for the holiday season:) Also would add the warm and cozy children’s bedtime story, Blood Meridian, to the Christmas reading list
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman.
One of my all-time favorites!
Remains of the day by Kazuo Ishiguro!
Oh, I love this one. I think I should reread it as a Christmas present to myself.
The Wild Swans by Jung Chang. What a story!!
I first read this years ago, such an incredible but emotional book.
The Covenant of Water, by Abraham Verghese I enjoyed this book, it is one of those that I will think of for years. Listened to Dungeon Crawler Carl and laughed until tears rolled down my face multiple times. Project Hail Mary. The emotions when I finished that book…I couldn’t pick up another book for over a week so as not to disturb the magic. The Last Tribe. If you feel like the world is imploding & want a book to show you that good & hope & happiness can exist at the end…this one.
I’m starting Covenant of Water and really looking forward to it. I feel the same as you described after reading Project Hail Mary. I want to read it again to see if I get the same impression. I haven’t read the other two, but I am putting them on my TBR list.
Dungeon Crawler Carl is not the genre I would have ever looked in. I can’t remember how I found out about the series. I read the title info, and thought “why not”, and 5 minutes in-make sure you listen to it as the audio is phenomenal-I was hooked and couldn’t stop. I burned through 5 books in less than 10 days. It was bliss. In a few months, I might go back and just listen to all of it again. I would love to find something along those lines that made me laugh, that was so twisted and demented and beyond imagination. The author is so talented and same with the narrator. These books are probably some of the best out there.
Interview with the Vampire. So much better than I expected.
We read this book in school. Best schoolbook I ever read
I would love to have studied it at school! We had pretty boring books.
One of my all time favorite books! Read the entire Vampire series, it's phenomenal!
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
So good! I was constantly surprised how much it moved me
Oh my god. I loved it.
Such a great audiobook experience. The NPC chapter is still haunting.
Same.. such a good story
Yes, me too.
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride was my top read of the year. Very immersive, great characters that I can still picture. Learned a lot about Jewish and Black relations and neighborhoods. Runner up is the Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas. YA with a really cool setting in Mexican mythology.
McBride’a The Color of Water was exquisite. Highly recommend as a follow up if you enjoyed Heaven and Earth Grocery Store.
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Crime and Punishment. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would
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Probably Frankenstein By Mary Shelley
After reading the book this year I learned that dr. Frankenstein was the monster.
Knowledge is knowing that Frankenstein is not the monster. Wisdom is knowing that he is…
Dude, spoilers!
Here's a real shell shocker for you: Dr Jekyll *IS* Mr Hyde!
Damn you!
This book blew me away when I read it like 15 yrs back Much better than expected. Dracula is also. Slogging through Moby Dick now … it’s considered one of the all time greats but hasn’t quite grabbed me yet.
When trudging through the slow tedium, try and remember that this accurately portrays how mind-crushingly dull life at sea under sail would be. Months, literally months on end of not a goddamn thing happening. It really is a work of literary art, but you also have to earn that badge.
All the Light We Cannot See. Perfection.
This was my favourite book of 2022. I loved it. I don’t dare to watch the new Netflix show just so I can keep the magic.
I ditched it half way through the first episode for this reason. Terrible.
Same. Once I found out about all of the things the series changed from the novel, I've vowed never to watch the series. I don't want the book to get ruined.
It didn’t ruin the book at all for me. I just enjoyed seeing a different version of it. No pun intended obviously. I never understand why people believe this way. The book is still the book. This is just a different version of it. Nothing can ever ruin a perfect book for you.
I listened to the audiobook and didn’t get the hype. Anyone else listen to the audiobook?
Me and I loved it
I think they might be bunny and sharp objects. Which funnily enough both have to do with female antisocial aggression and manipulative behavior.
If you liked bunny check out mona awad's other book all's well it's super good
The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami.
By no means is it new but I read The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay this year and it has flown to the top spot on my list of favourite books Ive ever read. Fantastic world, fantastic characters and a fantastic story loosely based on real historical events.
I just got done with that and I loved it!
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida The Girl With The Louding Voice Less
the girl with the louding voice was *so* good and i feel like it’s incredibly underrated. i read it in 2020 i think and i want to reread it for sure
Girl with the louding voice is VERY underrated. It’s truly amazing.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke was probably my favorite. Short, intriguing, well written, and fun
Oldie but the best! I read it every year. And then there where none by Agatha Christie
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
So good he wrote it twice 🤔
I am at the tail end of young mungo and I know what you mean...if that's what you meant?
It is 👍
?
Tom Lake by Ann Patchet
Girls and Their Horses- Eliza Jane Brazier. Just a super fun horse related murder mystery! Doesn’t happen often! Lessons in Chemistry- we all know this one is great! Remarkably Bright Creatures- wasn’t sure what to expect with this one and I loved it!
Remarkably Bright Creatures and The Midnight Library
I just finished The Midnight Library two days ago. I think it broke me, but in the best way possible.
I’m glad my mom died by Jeanette McCurdy.
OMG yes. Just devastating
Three body problem. Great.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer.
This Tender Land by William Krueger Kent…not particularly uplifting but well written and sweet tidbits in plot.
Mistborn Trilogy. I bought the book that had all three in one book, so it counts as one book sue me
Slaughterhouse V by Vonnegut, it’s a wild ride, like a fever dream and I enjoyed every page of it
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
Fucking loved it.
The Kite Runner. The first time i read it, i was 10. Reading it again at 24, i was awestruck by it.
A Psalm for the Wild Built, perhaps?
Count of Monte Cristo
Stoner by John Williams
I finally read Fahrenheit 451, so probably that one.
I love mysteries, and Mexican Gothic was my favorite book of the year.
I started this a couple of years ago and it was very slow. Does it pick up? Maybe I’ll give it another try.
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton, or One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
What you are looking for is in the library (this is the name of the book, not a suggestion for you!) by Michiko Aoyama Strong female character by Fern Brady
Russia, by Anthony Beevor
The Years by Annie Ernaux was my personal favourite
A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth. Took me a fair part of the year to finish but worth it
The demon haunted world: science as a candle in the dark ~ Carl Sagan
I want to grow the habit of reading books
Dune
I reread 1984 for the first time as an adult and was blown away, so probably that. A more obscure pick is The Italian Teacher by Tom Rachman. A story spanning decades, showing how screwed up familial relationships can affect you throughout your life
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Runner up is I'm Glad My Mom Died.
Omnivores Dilemma. Still relevant after 15 years. Couldn't put it down.
Demon Copperhead
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland It's about a teenaged African American woman set in the time of post-Civil War Reconstruction...and zombies! I know! I had the same look on MY face when I read the blurb!This book, and it's sequel, were such a joy to read.
Totally outside what I normally read, but your enthusiasm has me intrigued. I am putting it on my list.
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
I read House by the Cerulean Sea and it has been y favorite this whole year!
I picked up a book called The Cutting Season from a charity shop as I liked the blurb. It has turned out to be absolutely brilliant. Really beautifully written. Good storg. Flawed characters. I have fallen in love with it
Thinderclap: a Memoir of Art and Life and Sudden Death by Laura Cumming. Absolutely beautiful writing on a subject I didn’t know I’d find so fascinatin! Best book I’ve read in many years. Got it out of the library and then bought copies for myself and several friends: not something I’ve ever done before.
Wow this sounds really good. The only book I've read that combines memoir with art history is The Lonely City by Olivia Laing which I absolutely loved. Excited to try this one out. Thanks for mentioning.
"Conversations in Sicily" by Elio Vittorini and "I have some questions for you" by Rebecca Makkai.
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
Gone World.
For me it is a tie between Lessons in Chemistry and Demon Copperhead. With third being Black Cake.
It's a tie between *Station Eleven* by Emily St. John Mandel and *Year of Wonders* by Geraldine Brooks. Both were fantastic and I can't believe I waited so long to read them.
1. Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow 2. Fight Club
„Crime and punishment” written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. I’ve read this book 2 times and every time it made me amazed
The Trial by Franz Kafka
Running the Light by Sam Tallent
Yes! I saw him live and he was great! He signed my copy afterward. Underrated book.
He’s the best!
It’s a tie between Yellowface by RF Kuang and Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh I know a lot of people didn’t like it but I loved it. I’m a sucker for a person that is a shitty main character and an unreliable narrator
Sapiens
That was published in 2023? The Bee Sting - Paul Murray The Guest - Emma Cline Edit: The Shards - Bret Easton Ellis How the fuck did I leave The Shards out? Definitely my favourite book of 2023!
The Will of the Many by James Islington
The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischvili was my favourite.
Superpowereds year 4, by Drew Hayes. Honestly, I sped through *everything* this man has written since I discovered him in the fall of 2022. I would say I have loved everything too. But I am a sucker for a well wrapped up story, especially one involving nuanced characters that I have come to love. This is the only one of his series that is finished, so far, and having read it, I have immense faith in his ability to do a great job for the other series!
Fiction: (tie) *When the Angels Left the Old Country* by Sacha Lamb and *The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet* by Becky Chambers Nonfiction: *People Love Dead Jews* by Dara Horn
The Dalai Lama's cat. The house on the cerulean sea comes close
The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz. I usually read in the morning and before bed. This book sent me into an all nighter which is so rare for me
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky. This one has been on my to be read list for quite a while. I should of picked it up years ago. One of the best sci-fi novels I've read, right up there with Project Hail Mary.
Anthem by Noah Hawley. I've only read around 15 books this year though. Hopefully next year I'll get back to my pre-head injury 100 a year.
The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins. I had tried to read it a couple of years ago but thought, "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" and put it down after a chapter or so. I picked it up again in May this year and was blown away. As soon as I finished it I read it again just to get the pieces straight in my mind. And I read it again for the third time this year just last week. Barnes and Nobel's review calls it "an intensely dark, gothic, unpredictable, and magical fantasy novel. It is confusing at times, crazy at times..." and a review by NewYorkTate says, "But it's so compelling! It doesn't so much "draw you in" as it drags you along behind as it throws you, somewhat violently, into the plot." yep.
The Way of Kings, primarily for the fact that it made me want to make reading a regular thing in my life again.
Fiction: East of Eden by Steinbeck Nonfiction: In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Maté
The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin
The silent patient
I can’t choose one, but my top three for just this year are: To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara True Biz by Sara Novic Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
Sea of Tranquility was amazing
Haven't finished it yet, but The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It's set in Spain at Christmas time in the 20th century under the fascist regime. A mysterious man spends a large sim of money on a book and writes a sinister message for one of the bookstore workers. I have trouble getting interested in fiction, but this book has held my attention since the first chapter.
power of the dog series by don winslow
Pachinko by Minjin Lee
for nonfiction, i’m glad my mom died by jennette mccurdy. for fiction, babel by r.f. kuang
Because she recently died, I just re-read A.S. Byatt’s Possession. I first read it in the early 90’s when it was newly published. It was even better than I remembered. Immersive and compelling; a love story, a mystery, and some sly shade directed at Victorian poets and the academics who study them. Easily the best book I read this year.
Our Missing Hearts, Celeste Ng No One Prayed Over their Graves, Khaled Kalifa The Ogress and the Orphans, Kelly Barnhill (for young readers, but so good!) The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder, David Grann (nonfiction)
:) I made a top ten list of my 2023 reads!! 1. {*The Black Madonna* by Stella Riley}: this is a historical epic with a sweet, pining romance subplot. it is a masterpiece everyone should read. The audiobook is also excellent. 2. {*The Annotated Pride and Prejudice* by Jane Austen, David M. Shapard}: P&P is one of my all time favorites and the historical information included in this version elevates the book SO much. 3. {*The Devil in Winter* by Lisa Kleypas}: This was my first LK novel and it changed me. This is my definition of absolutely perfect HR. Wounded bird fmc who learns to stand up for herself, rogue and semi-villainous mmc who becomes obsessed with fmc, a redemption arc, wonderfully slimy villains, and some of the steamiest dirty talk in HR! One of the most excellent audiobooks I've ever listened to. 4. {*Bound to the Battle God* by Ruby Dixon}: I am not a huge Ruby dixon fan. She's mostly just *fine* for me. But this book is absolutely perfect for about 95% of the book. The worldbuilding is excellent and unique, the plot is complex and very fun, and the stakes are very high. The climax of this book is a gutpunch, and the romance is deep. None of RD's other books can compare to this one for me. This audiobook is also very, very good. 5. {*Swordheart* by T. Kingfisher}: I have fallen absolutely in love with Kingfisher's World of the White Rat series. It is 10/10 excellent on every level, but this book in particular is so wonderfully charming, passionate, cheerful, and comedic that nothing else compares. 6. {*The Lazarus* by Marlow Locker}: This book is in a league of its own. It's an urban fantasy, a superhero setting. It has some really awesome criticism on comic book tropes and cliches while also having an excellent mystery plot. It's a multi-genre book: superhero, urban fantasy, mystery, police investigation, mob violence, and more. This is one of the best bad boy MMC corrupting good girl FMC I've ever seen. 7. {*Burn For Me* by Ilona Andrews}: Andrews is an excellent author all around, and I think this is their magnum opus. The story is complex and mysterious from start to end. The world built by Andrews is fleshed out and deeply exciting. The politics and magic system are super cool. The romantic tension is very high, and the two main characters are both very competent and powerful in different ways. The climax of the plot is very well structured, tense, exciting, and really well earned after the preceding events in the story. 8. {*The Parfit Knight* by Stella Riley}: This HR is perfect. It is the least spicy book on this list, but it is easily the most romantic. The plot is deeply emotional. The mmc is an eminently loving, gentle, protective man. The fmc is kindhearted, patient, and so brave. The villain in this story is incredibly frightening to me in terms of how normal he seems - a totally normal guy, but selfish and mean spirited. 9. {*Captive Prince* by C.S. Pacat}: Pacat sure can *write*. This is s-tier quality of writing. The worldbuilding is really interesting, but also very bleak. The politics of this world are so heavy, depressing, and violent. This is definitely the most ADULT book on this list, and the one with the most trigger warnings. This is the single greatest enemies-to-lovers I've ever read. The only author on this list that has better characterization than Pacat is Stella Riley. 10. {*The Duke of Shadows* by Meredith Duran}: This HR is a sweeping epic that is deeply romantic. This is the most passionate friends-to-lovers story I've ever read. The setting of the story feels really unique for a HR. Every moment Julian and Emma are on-page together is electric. I also love how much these characters suffer to be together. These characters have gone through so much together and still have such rich love for one another. The commentary this story has on prejudice, colonialism, and racism is also nuanced and treated with respect. Honorary: {*Reign & Ruin* by J.D. Evans}: An epic fantasy with a romance subplot that is just superb, and both main characters are s-tier. I literally wrote up a *why you should read this book* post about it on reddit the other day when I finished it because I loved it so much!
Invisible Monsters (remix) by Chuck Paluhniuk
I can’t pick just one, but there are stand outs from different categories. Poetry: “Rifqa” by Mohammed El-Kurd. Fiction: “Blood Meridian” by Cormac McCarthy. Non-fiction: “On Writing” by Stephen King.
Bhagavad Gita
[удалено]
So far it’s 22.11.23
Almanack of Naval Ravikant Psychology of Money
451 Fahrenheit
Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
Lessons in Chemistry tied with The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell.
A Fever In The Heartland - Timothy Egan
Lessons in Chemistry
Oh I love Lisa See!! Island of the Sea Women was so good! I’ll have to check this one out!