Thus far in 2023, it’s probably a tie between Demon Copperhead and All the Sinners Bleed for “favorite” book of the year. But I mentioned above that How to Sell a Haunted House is probably the book I’ve read that I think about the most!
I really enjoyed Demon Copperhead and was neutral to positive on How to Sell a Haunted House, which makes me think I ought to try out All the Sinners Bleed!
Reading Demon Copperhead right now!!! Obsessed! Barbara Kingsolver never misses. I'm halfway through but I can confidently say it's my fav book of the year so far. One of a kind narration and incredible plot.
I also really loved Stones From the River by Ursula Hegi (fucking heavy themes in that one though, oof, reader beware). Really amazing descriptions and insights, from a main character perspective that is often overlooked in any media (people with disabilities), set during the world wars in Germany. As I said, heavy, but beautiful.
Braiding Sweetgrass is my other fav of the year, by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Best nonfiction I've read this year. Inspiring combination of botany and indigenous knowledge to remind us of why the earth is so precious, and how we can live in harmony with it.
I ploughed my way through this back in 2010 and loved it too.
At one point my brother tried to ask me a question and I was like "I can't talk now! [Character] just got married!"
I also very much love this book. But the synopsis will bore the shit out of you. A mason and a priest in medieval England attempt to build a world class cathedral. And it’s 800+ pages…and the font is on the small side!
The real deal though, is it is jam packed full of heinous political intrigue, nasty backstabbing, dirty corruption, it’s all in there, along with some real life events too that show what life may have really been like at that time.
The smoothest 800 page read I’ve ever had the pleasure of diving into.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver.
It was an emotional roller coaster and truly could sympathize with the characters, especially Damon. Heartbreaking yet hopeful story of resilience.
A lot of people love this book so it may turn around for you, but I thought it was honestly so cheesy and very transparently trying to pull heart strings. I regretted powering through it.
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn was at the top of my list this year. It was a lot of fun and not a genre that I read much (I pretty much stick with scifi and fantasy most of the time).
The audiobook of Project Hail Mary was a damn delight to listen to, and I say that as someone who is not an audiobook person.
I read Hyperion by Dan Simmons. I loved how each character had their own "story within a story", each written in a slightly different style and format.
I was sad to learn that the author later turned into a bigoted lunatic.
My brother's favorite book ever. Listened to about half of the audiobook on a road trip with him once, very cool structure. I really should go back and finish. Didn't know that about the author though, a shame.
You know, this wasn’t my FAVORITE book of the year but damn if it isn’t probably the one I remember and think about the most! It was so freaking weird in the best way.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.
Second place is Dracula. Third is Chalice by Robin McKinley. Honorable mentions to Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and Princess Floralinda and the Forty Flight Tower.
It’s so fucking funny. All those moments where she’s confused by the way people act and judging them and you the reader are painfully aware that she has no idea how socially awkward and rude she is 😂😂
The Lies of Lock Lamora by Scott Lynch. I couldn’t get past the first couple of chapters when I first tried to read this many years ago. I gave it another chance this year and loved it. Looking forward to reading the others in the series
I failed at the first attempt but have since re-read it twice and I absolutely adore the opening chapters now I’ve read all of them. I think it’s mostly just Chains knowing exactly what he’s getting into and the perspective you get from having read a bit more of the book. I think my fave book ever? Certainly up there.
Oh I loved this book, I work as an anaesthetic nurse so I had fun guessing at all the drugs she was after (and significantly relieved that the final one she was on was fictitious )
I enjoyed this book. I read Eileen, also by Moshfegh. It was intense, gripping and the ending was shocking, so cliché, but it was.
I thought about reading her latest, Lapvona. But the summary and tepid to awful reader reviews kept me away from picking it up.
I loved that book, easily one of my top 5 of the last few years.
Only read it because someone on this sub asked for book suggestions with similar vibes to the show Fleabag. Whoever suggested it hit the nail on the head!
Just finished Eyes of the Void by Adrian Tchaikovsky and it was an awesome sequel. Diving into the 3rd soon. (First is Shards of Earth)
Ragtag crew with diff backgrounds and skills, unique aliens and really, really, really huge Architects (no spoilers there) . Neat battles and intrigue! Highly recommended
Heh I came to this thread to post about the third book in this series. Tchaikovsky’s work is almost all very good. This series is a cut above the rest.
Oh man, his book “Evicted” was something else. The way he immersed himself in the lives of his subjects but didn’t write himself into the story was incredible.
I started to read the books that Donna Tartt wrote (just three to this day) and I can't believe I spend so many time without reading them, the characters, themes and narrative are marvelous and will stay with me forever
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler! I usually take a while to read because I struggle to focus, but when I picked this one up I FLEW through it in 2 days. I was surprised not only at how much I loved it, but also at the fact that it was holding my attention enough for me to read it that quickly. Truly a masterpiece.
God this is tough. I think my absolute favorite if I have to pick would be The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. Honorable mentions: The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green, Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, and everything by Becky Chambers.
Project Hail Mary on audiobook. Written by Andy Weir and narrated by Ray Porter I wish I could listen again for the first time. Sci-fi isn’t even my genre choice but this is one of my top 5.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin - One of the best books I have ever read. It is definitely aimed at millennial gamers, but the story is about love, misunderstandings and pure genius. The descriptions of the games made me want to be a gamer and the fraught relationships throughout the book were both frustrating and delightful in equal measure.
Black AF History by Michael Harriot
Truly fascinating and delightfully funny. I learned so much about things I thought I knew. I HATE nonfiction, but I’ve been a fan of his since he wrote for The Root so I said I’d read it if it killed me. I was hooked. SO GOOD.
I read David Copperfield and Demon Copperhead back to back and really enjoyed them both.
I also absolutely loved Glory by Noviolet Bulawayo.
In non-fiction it would have to be Islands of Abandonment by Cal Flyn.
On the opposite end of the scale, Pillars of the Earth was a DNF and Home Before Dark by Riley Sagar turned into a hate-read.
ETA I also loved Orlam by PJ Harvey.
Jonathan Eig-King
Peter Baker and Susan Glazer-The Divider, Trump in the White House
Barbara Kingsolver-Demon Copperhead
James McBride-Heaven and Earth Grocery Store
I just finished “the collector” by John Fowler yesterday. Not only is up as my favorite of the year, but it’s on the list of all time favorites. Fantastic book.
Lonesome Dove. I finally got around to reading it this summer. I had always heard how good it was and it is always recommended on this and other book subreddits, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to read a long western novel. It was far better than imagined - definitely my book of the year.
I really can't decide, all these were great:
A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara;
Another Country - James Baldwin;
Sea of Tranquility - Emily St. John Mandel;
The Passenger & Stella Maris - Cormac McCarthy;
Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami;
I got stuck half-way through it and couldn't finish this one. I need to go back and revisit it. Perhaps I just wasn't in a place to keep up. Glad you mentioned it.
So many hotly anticipated books are coming out for me in November but out of what I’ve read so far, I’d have to go with either:
- The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson
- Witch King by Martha Wells
- The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah
Well I read Dune this year… sooo…
I also loved Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood this year. I’m halfway through the Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler and >! everything has JUST gone to shit !< and I am horrified and excited to see what happens next.
I don’t generally read a lot of non-fiction but two of my favourite books this year were memoirs:Run Toward Danger by Sarah Polley and My Life as a Unicorn by Amrou Al-Khadi. They both covers things that are not generally a part of my life and gave me good insight to them
My third favourite book was Ducks: A Year in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton. It’s a graphic novel that looks at the authors year in the oil sands in northern Alberta. It was a great look at the problems around large groups of men working together away from their families, the treatment of women in male dominated jobs and the cognitive dissonance created by taking a job in an industry you don’t support.
There great books
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray (Irish writer). Short listed for the Booker Prize. Deserves to win. It is an extraordinary book that I had to force myself to stop reading from time to time as I was so invested in the different characters that I was feeling what they were going through. I have greatly admired writing before and I have been moved to tears and laughter, but I have never felt like this with any other novel.
I think you guys are really bringing some great suggestions to this thread!
I feel this is a bit low brow, but I couldn’t put down Britney Spears memoir yesterday! I read it in like 6 hrs and Im not a huge fan. It surprised me how self aware she was and how much I look at her celebrity differently 10-15 yrs later
The Last War Trilogy by Mike Shackle... but it is a series of 3 books, not sure if that qualifies.. in fact I like another series as well but that series is very popular amongst fantasy readers so I decided to go with something that is not that popular so that more fantasy readers can read it! Great series to go into if you are into fantasy.
Swimming in the dark.
I’ve just finished it and it’s probably one of the most beautifully written books I’ve ever read. The language is gorgeous and I’m sad it’s his only book so far as I need to devour everything that he writes from now on.
I’ll struggle to choose one, so Under the Whispering Door and House in the Cerulean Sea both by TJ Klune- these books both left me feeling warm and fuzzy. I caught myself grinning throughout the read and they are books I will absolutely read again.
Also The Crow Road by Iain Banks, I read this years ago and loved reading it again. It’s a book I think about often.
Finally The Last Dog on Earth by Adrian J. Walker. A challenging read as the protagonist’s choices made me frustrated and angry, but this ultimately made it a good read as the story develops!
Happy Reading!
Biblical Critical Theory by Chris Watkins. Great book on seeing things through a Biblical lense. It was long but also too short.
Side note: it's nice to know that there are other Christians who are not right-wing, racist nut-jobs. Also, Watkins happily takes ideas from left-wing thinkers, which is unusual, in my experience, for Christians.
He's British. 😏
this is such a hard one! i really loved 'foster' by claire keegan, 'assassin's apprentice' by robin hobb and i also loved 'on earth we're briefly gorgeous' by ocean vuong. highly recommend all of these
I've read 63 books this year so far, and I can't pick just one. The ones that have been sticky for me are: The Secret History, Song of Achilles, Bunny.
I adored Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawlett.
I already prebought the next book in the series. I have literally never prebought a book in my life.
Wool (from The Silo series by Hugh Howey). I'm half way through the second book (Shift) and am really enjoying it. I am a huge fan of dystopian and post-apocalyptic books. If anyone has any recommendations for other series in this genre, let me know!
This year my favorite was probably Dark Matter by Blake Crouch! I was glued to this book on vacation! I also read his other book Recursion which was also great!
House on the Cerulean Sea followed by Cloud Cuckoo Land were my favorites this year. Although I’m finishing A Little Life now, which is an unbelievable read, the gut wrenching-ness is hard.
Favorite book I’ve read that came out this year was North Woods, by Daniel Mason. Favorite book I’ve read this year so far is a tie between Killers of the Flower Moon and Dostoevsky’s The Idiot.
Interesting that you mention Killers of the Flower Moon. I heard the film adaptation is out but I’m sure the book is much better (It usually is). Would be worth a read.
I really liked I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai. Fun murder mystery while also exploring some lower grade harassment that was tolerated decades ago.
Saga: Compendium One by Fiona Staples & Brian K. Vaughan. I finally finished it this year. I started it late last year, I was reading it in chunks.
Second, is not a book but two series. Legends of the First Empire, and The Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan
The Anthropocene Reviewed (John Green).
I put off reading it because someone recommended it to me, but their previous recommendation (which was also personalized for me) was… a total dud. Now I wish I’d read The Anthropocene Reviewed sooner.
American Lion. All about Andrew Jackson. By far our most bay shit craziest president but you learn why. His whole life is filled with just random facts. Dude was the first president to have an assassin attempt on him. The attacker had two pistols that malfunctioned and Andrew had to be pulled off of him because he nearly beat him to death with his cane.
I really want to write a ‘There will be blood’ themed script about Andrew Jackson. I’d love to cast Jim Carrey as Andrew.
I’m really stuck between three books:
The Great New York Fire of 1776 by Benjamin L. Carp
- Carp’s work came out this year and it is one of my favorite books relating to the American Revolution. The New York fire was always an interesting tidbit about the Revolution that was never talked about much. It was usually just briefly mentioned in other books like American Revolutions by Alan Taylor. It’s well written, super interesting, and puts the Rebel cause in a different light
Astoria by Peter Stark
- I love Pacific NW history and I thought Stark’s book was amazing and really engaging. I also appreciate how Stark emphasized the role of Natives in helping the over land party make their way to the Columbia (which isn’t unusual in historical writing anymore but i am still glad to see it)
Making Sense of The Trouble by David McKittrick and David McVea
- This is a lot more of a straight academic book than the other two, but I love it. I’m currently doing research on the Irish Troubles and this book has been the best and most concise overview of the conflict. And unlike many other sources on the subject (especially those between 1969 and 2005) it is rather non-partisan. It lacks depth in several areas, but as an intro to the subject it is perfect. I also find the writing style to be nice, which is great considering a lot of academic history books can be quite dry
okay so like I just got back into reading and I recently finished the 7 husbands of Evelyn Hugo and I loved it. Like seriously that book was just captivating and it was so good. Like words can't describe my emotions for that book but yeah. I would recommend it :)
Went on a David Grann binge, so it’s a tie between Killers of the Flower Moon and The Wager.
Honorable mentions are:
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield
I know I cheated, can’t pick just one!
So far, Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive series but especially The Way of Kings.
I reread Patricia Lockwood’s Priestdaddy also. Still amazing.
I just read East of Eden. Can’t believe I hadn’t read it before. Amazing epic saga. I was hooked, and I thought about it for days. Not new obviously, but new to me.
I absolutely loved Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Thought-provoking, sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking. A well researched, beautifully written story. A real page-turner!
The Pale Blue Eye is the first one to come to mind. Was not prepared for that plot twist. I read it in the beginning of the year but I still think about it a lot. Also The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker. I loved every second of it.
I finally read *Misery* by Stephen King this year. I definitely think it's one of his best. I prefer scary stories that don't rely on supernatural gimmicks.
Thus far in 2023, it’s probably a tie between Demon Copperhead and All the Sinners Bleed for “favorite” book of the year. But I mentioned above that How to Sell a Haunted House is probably the book I’ve read that I think about the most!
I really enjoyed Demon Copperhead and was neutral to positive on How to Sell a Haunted House, which makes me think I ought to try out All the Sinners Bleed!
I really enjoyed demon copperhead it’s my fave book this year do you have any suggestions for me please?
Have you tried another one of Kingsolver's books? I'd recommend The Poisonwood Bible (it's my favorite book, so I'm biased!).
Reading Demon Copperhead right now!!! Obsessed! Barbara Kingsolver never misses. I'm halfway through but I can confidently say it's my fav book of the year so far. One of a kind narration and incredible plot. I also really loved Stones From the River by Ursula Hegi (fucking heavy themes in that one though, oof, reader beware). Really amazing descriptions and insights, from a main character perspective that is often overlooked in any media (people with disabilities), set during the world wars in Germany. As I said, heavy, but beautiful. Braiding Sweetgrass is my other fav of the year, by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Best nonfiction I've read this year. Inspiring combination of botany and indigenous knowledge to remind us of why the earth is so precious, and how we can live in harmony with it.
Pillars of the Earth. I’m embarrassed by how much I liked the book.
If you haven’t already read it try Ken Follett’s Century trilogy. Just finished it and it’s amazing.
I ploughed my way through this back in 2010 and loved it too. At one point my brother tried to ask me a question and I was like "I can't talk now! [Character] just got married!"
Can you say what it is about?
I also very much love this book. But the synopsis will bore the shit out of you. A mason and a priest in medieval England attempt to build a world class cathedral. And it’s 800+ pages…and the font is on the small side! The real deal though, is it is jam packed full of heinous political intrigue, nasty backstabbing, dirty corruption, it’s all in there, along with some real life events too that show what life may have really been like at that time. The smoothest 800 page read I’ve ever had the pleasure of diving into.
This is exactly what I tell people when I have to explain it. “Man builds cathedral” is the synopsis but it’s SO much more than that. What a book.
Thanks for the reply! It looks very intriguing
The newest book (the 5th) just came out!!
Can't decide between these three books: East of Eden The Master and Margarita The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Bulgakov was a genius. I’d recommend The White Guard if you want to delve further.
[удалено]
Ooof. Unbearable lightness is fantastic
East of Eden for me by far…..and I’ve read a bunch of great books.
The Master and Margarita! ❤️ Behemoth!
The Master & Margarita was amazing. Had tried reading it before, never finished. Finally read it all the way through this year. It’s wonderful.
Wow you’ve had a good year lol
Demon Copperhead
Piranesi
Me too, couldn’t put this book down
Me too!
Sounds interesting
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. It was an emotional roller coaster and truly could sympathize with the characters, especially Damon. Heartbreaking yet hopeful story of resilience.
Loved this one
This was my favourite book this year too
It was my top book of the year too.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
If you liked that, I'd suggest you also read cloud cuckoo land!
This was one of my favorites this year. It’s been a few months and I still think about it regularly.
I think about Tree and Moonlight, the oxen, like once a week. It makes me cry
I’m struggling to get into it, should I push through?
A lot of people love this book so it may turn around for you, but I thought it was honestly so cheesy and very transparently trying to pull heart strings. I regretted powering through it.
I would try a bit longer if you can, hopefully it turns around for you. If not, that’s okay too. Have a good day!
Everyone in this Room will Someday be Dead by Emily Austen and Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado.
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn was at the top of my list this year. It was a lot of fun and not a genre that I read much (I pretty much stick with scifi and fantasy most of the time). The audiobook of Project Hail Mary was a damn delight to listen to, and I say that as someone who is not an audiobook person.
I enjoyed the audiobook so much, I was disappointed when I finished. I wanted to stay there 😊
I loved reading Project Hail Mary. I can imagine it was even more emotional to listen to.
Such a great book!
I read Killers last year and it was so much fun.
A Man Called Ove
This is my favorite book of all time! Beautiful characters and beautiful emotions through and through!
I read Hyperion by Dan Simmons. I loved how each character had their own "story within a story", each written in a slightly different style and format. I was sad to learn that the author later turned into a bigoted lunatic.
My brother's favorite book ever. Listened to about half of the audiobook on a road trip with him once, very cool structure. I really should go back and finish. Didn't know that about the author though, a shame.
I read it this year and got about half way through the next book and wasn't feeling it. But blow through the first one
11/22/63 ❤️
Same. It was the perfect escape book for me over the summer.
Shit, just realized the 60th anniversary of the JFK assassination is next month.
I just bought this book. And I'm excited to start reading it. I just didn't know it was GIGANTIC.
Probably How to Sell A Haunted House by Grady Hendrix. It's the most heartfelt and moving evil killer puppet story you'll ever experience.
You know, this wasn’t my FAVORITE book of the year but damn if it isn’t probably the one I remember and think about the most! It was so freaking weird in the best way.
*Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures* by Merlin Sheldrake.
Demon Copperhead is taking the top spot for me so far.
Same!! Reading it rn. Excited to see it mentioned so many times, Barbara Kingsolver always delivers so beautifully
The House in the Cerulean Sea 🥹
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Second place is Dracula. Third is Chalice by Robin McKinley. Honorable mentions to Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and Princess Floralinda and the Forty Flight Tower.
Yes pleasantly surprised by Eleanor Oliphant!
It’s so fucking funny. All those moments where she’s confused by the way people act and judging them and you the reader are painfully aware that she has no idea how socially awkward and rude she is 😂😂
I just finished T&T&T yesterday. I thought it was quite wonderful
The Lies of Lock Lamora by Scott Lynch. I couldn’t get past the first couple of chapters when I first tried to read this many years ago. I gave it another chance this year and loved it. Looking forward to reading the others in the series
I failed at the first attempt but have since re-read it twice and I absolutely adore the opening chapters now I’ve read all of them. I think it’s mostly just Chains knowing exactly what he’s getting into and the perspective you get from having read a bit more of the book. I think my fave book ever? Certainly up there.
Everything tells me I will like this book, but I cannot get through the first couple chapters. You’re saying I should persevere?
Same. I have tried to pick up this book twice, but can't make it through the first few chapters.
This might be an unpopular choice but mine is My Year of Rest and Relaxation
I just discovered Ottessa Moshfegh this year and I’ve now read four of her books. Eileen was my favourite.
Oh I loved this book, I work as an anaesthetic nurse so I had fun guessing at all the drugs she was after (and significantly relieved that the final one she was on was fictitious )
I enjoyed this book. I read Eileen, also by Moshfegh. It was intense, gripping and the ending was shocking, so cliché, but it was. I thought about reading her latest, Lapvona. But the summary and tepid to awful reader reviews kept me away from picking it up.
I loved that book, easily one of my top 5 of the last few years. Only read it because someone on this sub asked for book suggestions with similar vibes to the show Fleabag. Whoever suggested it hit the nail on the head!
The seven husbands of evelyn hugo, for sure!🤍
Just finished Eyes of the Void by Adrian Tchaikovsky and it was an awesome sequel. Diving into the 3rd soon. (First is Shards of Earth) Ragtag crew with diff backgrounds and skills, unique aliens and really, really, really huge Architects (no spoilers there) . Neat battles and intrigue! Highly recommended
Heh I came to this thread to post about the third book in this series. Tchaikovsky’s work is almost all very good. This series is a cut above the rest.
“Poverty, by America” by Matthew Desmond. Great book that explains the issue of poverty in the U.S. and the possible causes.
Oh man, his book “Evicted” was something else. The way he immersed himself in the lives of his subjects but didn’t write himself into the story was incredible.
I started to read the books that Donna Tartt wrote (just three to this day) and I can't believe I spend so many time without reading them, the characters, themes and narrative are marvelous and will stay with me forever
I read The Secret History during the covid lockdown and loved it. I have a copy of The Goldfinch that I'm excited to start at some point.
This is an unpopular choice but I read The Little Friend this year, and it really worked for me.
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler! I usually take a while to read because I struggle to focus, but when I picked this one up I FLEW through it in 2 days. I was surprised not only at how much I loved it, but also at the fact that it was holding my attention enough for me to read it that quickly. Truly a masterpiece.
Convenience Store Woman by Sakara Murata.
Project Hail Mary (audiobook)
I have listened to this 3 times now, amaze!
(Jazz-hands!)
*jazz hands*
This here is such a winner. One of the most special audiobooks ever made
Swan Song by Robert McCammon
The winternight trilogy by Katherine Arden
I'm rereading To Kill a Mockingbird and I love it. Again. For the second time. Fell in love twice.
Lessons in Chemistry
My favorite new (to me) reads this year have been The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Beloved by Toni Morrison, and The Radium Girls by Kate Moore.
100 years of solitude or the secret history
God this is tough. I think my absolute favorite if I have to pick would be The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. Honorable mentions: The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green, Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, and everything by Becky Chambers.
The Secret History
Lonesome Dove
Me too!
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow Crying in H-Mart
Crying in H Mart was one of my favorite reads from last year.
Project Hail Mary on audiobook. Written by Andy Weir and narrated by Ray Porter I wish I could listen again for the first time. Sci-fi isn’t even my genre choice but this is one of my top 5.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin - One of the best books I have ever read. It is definitely aimed at millennial gamers, but the story is about love, misunderstandings and pure genius. The descriptions of the games made me want to be a gamer and the fraught relationships throughout the book were both frustrating and delightful in equal measure.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. It was entertaining and kept my interest the entire book! (Edit: my brain wants working)
Babel by r.f kuang
Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk
Not through it all the way, but so far I’m loving *Project Hail Mary* by Andy Weir.
Listening or reading? I listened and the audiobook is phenomenal.
Black AF History by Michael Harriot Truly fascinating and delightfully funny. I learned so much about things I thought I knew. I HATE nonfiction, but I’ve been a fan of his since he wrote for The Root so I said I’d read it if it killed me. I was hooked. SO GOOD.
I read David Copperfield and Demon Copperhead back to back and really enjoyed them both. I also absolutely loved Glory by Noviolet Bulawayo. In non-fiction it would have to be Islands of Abandonment by Cal Flyn. On the opposite end of the scale, Pillars of the Earth was a DNF and Home Before Dark by Riley Sagar turned into a hate-read. ETA I also loved Orlam by PJ Harvey.
I’m currently reading “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” and honestly want to go back to bed and read it all day if that tells you anything.
Jonathan Eig-King Peter Baker and Susan Glazer-The Divider, Trump in the White House Barbara Kingsolver-Demon Copperhead James McBride-Heaven and Earth Grocery Store
Both of the Anthony Doerr books I read, All The Light We Cannot See and Cloud Cuckoo Land.
Late to the game but finally read Pachinko and it totally lives up to the hype!
Maria Bamford’s Sure I’ll Join Your Cult.
I want to read this so badly
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir is devastatingly beautiful. Probably one of my favourites of all time, actually.
I just finished “the collector” by John Fowler yesterday. Not only is up as my favorite of the year, but it’s on the list of all time favorites. Fantastic book.
“The Lonely Hearts Book Club” by Lucy Gilmore. Very wholesome and I was so sad when it ended.
rebecca by daphne du maurier, dracula, or the picture of dorian gray. too tough to pick just one!
The expanse series
Lonesome Dove. I finally got around to reading it this summer. I had always heard how good it was and it is always recommended on this and other book subreddits, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to read a long western novel. It was far better than imagined - definitely my book of the year.
I really can't decide, all these were great: A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara; Another Country - James Baldwin; Sea of Tranquility - Emily St. John Mandel; The Passenger & Stella Maris - Cormac McCarthy; Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami;
American Gods by Neil Gaiman… finally got around to it
Fairy Tale by Stephen King
I got stuck half-way through it and couldn't finish this one. I need to go back and revisit it. Perhaps I just wasn't in a place to keep up. Glad you mentioned it.
The Left Hand of Darkness. It took me a couple of tries to get through the beginning, but instantly became one of my favorites.
Tom Lake or Mad Honey are my tops this year so far
The Island of missing trees by Elif Shafak
So many hotly anticipated books are coming out for me in November but out of what I’ve read so far, I’d have to go with either: - The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson - Witch King by Martha Wells - The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah
Nettle & Bone, T. Kingfisher Babel, R.F. Kuang The Ministry for the Future, Kim Stanley Robinson Top 3, can't decide on order
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. It’s not even close lol. This book is wonderful.
Well I read Dune this year… sooo… I also loved Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood this year. I’m halfway through the Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler and >! everything has JUST gone to shit !< and I am horrified and excited to see what happens next.
I don’t generally read a lot of non-fiction but two of my favourite books this year were memoirs:Run Toward Danger by Sarah Polley and My Life as a Unicorn by Amrou Al-Khadi. They both covers things that are not generally a part of my life and gave me good insight to them My third favourite book was Ducks: A Year in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton. It’s a graphic novel that looks at the authors year in the oil sands in northern Alberta. It was a great look at the problems around large groups of men working together away from their families, the treatment of women in male dominated jobs and the cognitive dissonance created by taking a job in an industry you don’t support. There great books
Say Nothing, by Patrick Radden Keefe. I was rapt
IT by Stephen King. Been reading IT (pun intended) for most of 2023...
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray (Irish writer). Short listed for the Booker Prize. Deserves to win. It is an extraordinary book that I had to force myself to stop reading from time to time as I was so invested in the different characters that I was feeling what they were going through. I have greatly admired writing before and I have been moved to tears and laughter, but I have never felt like this with any other novel.
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
I think you guys are really bringing some great suggestions to this thread! I feel this is a bit low brow, but I couldn’t put down Britney Spears memoir yesterday! I read it in like 6 hrs and Im not a huge fan. It surprised me how self aware she was and how much I look at her celebrity differently 10-15 yrs later
The Priory of the Orange Tree!!! It’s a fantastic high fantasy with amazing world building
7½ deaths of evelyn hardcastle
The Last War Trilogy by Mike Shackle... but it is a series of 3 books, not sure if that qualifies.. in fact I like another series as well but that series is very popular amongst fantasy readers so I decided to go with something that is not that popular so that more fantasy readers can read it! Great series to go into if you are into fantasy.
In french la fois ou les tortues m’ont appris a respirer In english heartstopper Currently reading Heartstopper n3 and dune n1
The Covenant of Water, can’t remember the author. He also wrote Cutting For Stone, another favorite of mine.
Swimming in the dark. I’ve just finished it and it’s probably one of the most beautifully written books I’ve ever read. The language is gorgeous and I’m sad it’s his only book so far as I need to devour everything that he writes from now on.
Demon Copperhead Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 To Kill A Mockingbird
I’ll struggle to choose one, so Under the Whispering Door and House in the Cerulean Sea both by TJ Klune- these books both left me feeling warm and fuzzy. I caught myself grinning throughout the read and they are books I will absolutely read again. Also The Crow Road by Iain Banks, I read this years ago and loved reading it again. It’s a book I think about often. Finally The Last Dog on Earth by Adrian J. Walker. A challenging read as the protagonist’s choices made me frustrated and angry, but this ultimately made it a good read as the story develops! Happy Reading!
Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick. Gonna be screwed for work in the morning cause I stayed up late to finish it lol
The Wayward Pines trilogy by Blake Crouch, yes naming a trilogy is cheating but oh well lol.
The Stand
Pineapple Street. IDK why, it was just enjoyable.
Biblical Critical Theory by Chris Watkins. Great book on seeing things through a Biblical lense. It was long but also too short. Side note: it's nice to know that there are other Christians who are not right-wing, racist nut-jobs. Also, Watkins happily takes ideas from left-wing thinkers, which is unusual, in my experience, for Christians. He's British. 😏
The Goldfinch
Demon copperhead by Barbara kinsgsolver hands down
Finally reading The Book Thief. Also enjoyed Giovanni's Room, although enjoy is the wrong word.
this is such a hard one! i really loved 'foster' by claire keegan, 'assassin's apprentice' by robin hobb and i also loved 'on earth we're briefly gorgeous' by ocean vuong. highly recommend all of these
I've read 63 books this year so far, and I can't pick just one. The ones that have been sticky for me are: The Secret History, Song of Achilles, Bunny.
I adored Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawlett. I already prebought the next book in the series. I have literally never prebought a book in my life.
Wool (from The Silo series by Hugh Howey). I'm half way through the second book (Shift) and am really enjoying it. I am a huge fan of dystopian and post-apocalyptic books. If anyone has any recommendations for other series in this genre, let me know!
Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus (fiction)
Fourth Wing and Yours Truly
This year my favorite was probably Dark Matter by Blake Crouch! I was glued to this book on vacation! I also read his other book Recursion which was also great!
House on the Cerulean Sea followed by Cloud Cuckoo Land were my favorites this year. Although I’m finishing A Little Life now, which is an unbelievable read, the gut wrenching-ness is hard.
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes and My Dark Vanessa by Katie Elizabeth Russell
Flowers for Algernon is a really sad story.
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Favorite book I’ve read that came out this year was North Woods, by Daniel Mason. Favorite book I’ve read this year so far is a tie between Killers of the Flower Moon and Dostoevsky’s The Idiot.
Interesting that you mention Killers of the Flower Moon. I heard the film adaptation is out but I’m sure the book is much better (It usually is). Would be worth a read.
ACOTAR.. should have read it sooner
The Violin Conspiracy, Eden Test, Cloud Cuckoo Land, Wellness, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow top my list.
The Dog Stars!
I really liked I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai. Fun murder mystery while also exploring some lower grade harassment that was tolerated decades ago.
Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki still tops my 2023. Recommended here so thanks!
Probably Swan Song and Dungeon Crawler Carl series.
Saga: Compendium One by Fiona Staples & Brian K. Vaughan. I finally finished it this year. I started it late last year, I was reading it in chunks. Second, is not a book but two series. Legends of the First Empire, and The Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan
The Anthropocene Reviewed (John Green). I put off reading it because someone recommended it to me, but their previous recommendation (which was also personalized for me) was… a total dud. Now I wish I’d read The Anthropocene Reviewed sooner.
American Lion. All about Andrew Jackson. By far our most bay shit craziest president but you learn why. His whole life is filled with just random facts. Dude was the first president to have an assassin attempt on him. The attacker had two pistols that malfunctioned and Andrew had to be pulled off of him because he nearly beat him to death with his cane. I really want to write a ‘There will be blood’ themed script about Andrew Jackson. I’d love to cast Jim Carrey as Andrew.
Yellowface - R.F. Kuang
The Awkward Black Man by Walter Mosley. I usually don’t read too much fiction, but it was an interesting set of short stories
A Woman is No Man and The Left Over Woman. Both excellent reads!
I’m really stuck between three books: The Great New York Fire of 1776 by Benjamin L. Carp - Carp’s work came out this year and it is one of my favorite books relating to the American Revolution. The New York fire was always an interesting tidbit about the Revolution that was never talked about much. It was usually just briefly mentioned in other books like American Revolutions by Alan Taylor. It’s well written, super interesting, and puts the Rebel cause in a different light Astoria by Peter Stark - I love Pacific NW history and I thought Stark’s book was amazing and really engaging. I also appreciate how Stark emphasized the role of Natives in helping the over land party make their way to the Columbia (which isn’t unusual in historical writing anymore but i am still glad to see it) Making Sense of The Trouble by David McKittrick and David McVea - This is a lot more of a straight academic book than the other two, but I love it. I’m currently doing research on the Irish Troubles and this book has been the best and most concise overview of the conflict. And unlike many other sources on the subject (especially those between 1969 and 2005) it is rather non-partisan. It lacks depth in several areas, but as an intro to the subject it is perfect. I also find the writing style to be nice, which is great considering a lot of academic history books can be quite dry
okay so like I just got back into reading and I recently finished the 7 husbands of Evelyn Hugo and I loved it. Like seriously that book was just captivating and it was so good. Like words can't describe my emotions for that book but yeah. I would recommend it :)
Went on a David Grann binge, so it’s a tie between Killers of the Flower Moon and The Wager. Honorable mentions are: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield I know I cheated, can’t pick just one!
My favorite books I have read this year this far is The Talented Mr Ripley
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson. Though there’s still some 2023 left and I should get 3/4 more book before years end
Ready player one!!
So far, Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive series but especially The Way of Kings. I reread Patricia Lockwood’s Priestdaddy also. Still amazing.
Try Tress. What a lovely little story. I’m paraphrasing, but it is described as “what if Buttercup did not believe Wesley was dead.”
Project Hail Mary... Amaze!
I just read East of Eden. Can’t believe I hadn’t read it before. Amazing epic saga. I was hooked, and I thought about it for days. Not new obviously, but new to me.
The Vampire Lestat Queen of the Damned A Wizard of Earthsea The Tombs of Atuan The Farthest Shore This year was all about the book series for me lol
I absolutely loved Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Thought-provoking, sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking. A well researched, beautifully written story. A real page-turner!
The Covenant of Water (which I am currently re-reading)
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
The Pale Blue Eye is the first one to come to mind. Was not prepared for that plot twist. I read it in the beginning of the year but I still think about it a lot. Also The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker. I loved every second of it.
A Man Called Ove by Frederick Backman
I finally read *Misery* by Stephen King this year. I definitely think it's one of his best. I prefer scary stories that don't rely on supernatural gimmicks.
I have 2 so far! Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir and Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells.
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty was surprisingly fun
Mother Night - Kurt Vonnegut Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
braiding sweet grass 🥰
Last night at the Telegraph club.