The annual "Best Books" thread. Early again, but you have a month to think about it! (there will also eventually be a 4th quarter 'best of' also). The clunker or 'worst of' thread is already in progress.
Please list 5 to 10 highly recommended books from what you have read this year. The numbers 5 and 10 are a guideline. That said, I would suggest you pull out roughly 10 - 15% of your total reading but not more than 15 titles, I think.
It would also be interesting to hear how you would summarize your reading, beyond just numbers, that is.
I'm off to look at my 2008 reading and make a preliminary list and see if I can avoid breaking all my own guidelines:-)
Message edited by its author, Dec 1, 2008, 9:01pm.
This message has been deleted by its author.
This has been a really good reading year for me so far: only two 3-star books, and none below that--a pleasant change from last year! I hope I'm getting better at figuring out what I'll like.
My top books so far, in the order I read them, are:
Elantris
Black ShipsLife as We Knew ItThe Twilight Saga (okay, so maybe I'm cheating a bit by trying to count three books as one--I read the first one last year--but I don't think they would have had the same impact individually)
I'm hoping to read 1-6 more great books this month to complete my list :)
I normally try to stick to a Top 5, but it looks like I'll end up with a Top 6 unless my opinions change pretty drastically over the next month. I also have a niggly feeling that I could end up with a Top 7, if my current read continues on in the same vein.
In the order I read them:
The Secret Countess by
Eva Ibbotson - my only new 5-star book. (I also had three rereads that retained their 5-star ratings, but I don't count rereads in best-of lists). I loved it straight from the first word to the last, and that almost never happens.
Flora Segunda by
Ysabeau S. Wilce - Wilce's Califa is my current setting obsession. I want to know everything there is to know about the place, and it seems that she's happy to oblige; all her novels and stories are set there. I love her use of language, her characters and her world building.
Melusine,
The Virtu and
The Mirador by
Sarah Monette - I'm all about the triad of character/setting/style, and Monette does all three really, really well. Her characters won't get out of my head. Even though none of the books gained a full 5-star rating, I'd consider them the best things I read this year. Of all the books I've read in 2008, these are the ones that have really stuck with me.
Flora's Dare by
Ysabeau S. Wilce - the one that bumped this list from a Top 5 to a Top 6. I loved it just as much as
Flora Segunda, and couldn't think of leaving either book off.
Five of my six picks belong to two series; I considered counting them as series so I could fit a few different books on, but I decided not to bother. I haven't read all that many great books this year, but the ones that blew me out of the water
really blew me out of the water.
I only keep a book after reading it if I love, love, love it (or as I sometimes say, it becomes a part of me). These are the ones that managed to stay on my shelf this year:
The Book of Lost Things I grabbed this off the bargain table on a whim and I am so thankful I did!
Burning Bright My book club chose this, and now I will definitely read more books by Tracy Chevalier.
Prodigal Summer Barbara Kingsolver 4-Ever
And
I'm not done with
A Pirate of Exquisite Mind yet, but it has already rocked my world.
Message edited by its author, Dec 1, 2008, 10:03pm.
My favorite books of all time i dont know their authors but here they are.
Hummer
Twilight
New moon
Eclipse
Breaking Dawn
Revenge of the Witch
Quilty Pleasures
I am the Cheese
Quiet Sensibility ( a book im writing)
How to clean practically anything
This message has been deleted by its author.
So far, my favorites this year are:
The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur by Daoud Hari - an ER book
Duma Key by Stephen King - This may be my favorite King book.
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
World Without End by Ken Follett
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes - This is a reread, but always great!
A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest Gaines - Another reread, but worth every minute.
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens - I'm still reading this one. I read it years ago, but I'm finding it absolutely wonderful this time through.
I'm sure I'll have a couple more to add before the end of the year. My TBR pile is growing with each post! Someone, stop the insanity! :)
Message edited by its author, Dec 2, 2008, 11:49am.
Preliminary list (still working on it...)
Fiction (no particular order)
Where the Line Bleeds by Jesmyn Ward, debut novel set on the pre-Katrina Mississippi coast - by a promising new writer.
Memory of Departure by Abdulrazak Gurnah, earlier novel by a favorite author.
The Hiding Place by Trezza Azzopardi, a grim but riveting and well-crafted story set in 1960s Wales.
Sorry by Gail Jones, the lyrical writing in this Australian author's short novels has made her a favorite.
Children of the New World: A Novel of the Algerian War by Assia Djebar, early novel by a favorite author - one day in the war in one town. Written when she was just 26.
The Outcast by Sadie Jones, another debut novel which made the Orange Prize longlist.
Pillar of Salt by Albert Memmi, a classic by the noted Tunisian author.
Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga, a coming-of-age novel by a Zimbabwean author.
MysteryTough call, but it goes to
Exit Music by Ian Rankin. The Fifth Woman by Henning Mankell (although the Rebus would still be the sentimental favorite).
Short Fiction collectionsWhy the Devil Chose New England for his Work by Jason Brown. A debut collection by a young writer and set not-so-far from the Strout book listed next.
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout, a composite picture of Olive and her surroundings.
Tiny Deaths by Robert Shearman, clever and thoughtful stuff.
Poetry, nonfictionStill working on whittling this down. . .
Message edited by its author, Dec 11, 2008, 9:07am.
>10 Louis, I didn't realize Millhauser had a new novel out! (I've had my head buried in research and am getting behind on the new stuff).
I'm currently reading Proust (into the third volume) and will be for quite some time, so I believe I can submit my list now. That Proust is on my list is a given (esp.
Swann's Way, which is so, so wonderful), but maybe I'll leave it off until next year, when I'll officially finish the book as a whole.
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Famished Road by Ben Okri
The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles
Wizard of the Crow by Ngugi wa Thiong'o
Fifth Business by Robertson Davies
Sexing the Cherry by Jeanette Winterson
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
A Room With a View by E.M. Forster
Galatea 2.2 by Richard Powers
Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (not sure why this one has stuck with me so much, but it has)
...I think. I read so many wonderful books this year, I could easily give a top 25. This year marked my first foray into African literature since reading
Things Fall Apart in high school, and I read more female authors than usual. Both of these ventures have been quite successful (as you can see above). I also decided to delve into science fiction, with mixed results. And Proust. Proust Proust Proust Proust Proust!
Urk. I know this is a good question because it's hard to think of something concise to say.
Orderlessly:
Before I Lose My Style by
Mike Kaspar--relationships writ small, and well, and worth a place in your shopping cart.
A Pirate of Exquisite Mind by the Prestons--fascinating character, reprehensible and unredeemable on some levels, and brilliantly ahead of his time on others.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon--pleasurably Gothic book-passions. 'Nuff said.
My Lucky Star by Joe Keenan--because sometimes ya just need ta yuk it up.
The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham--post-apocalyptic tale that's scarily apropos 58 years on.
Off Armageddon Reef by David Weber--lush, luscious storytelling.
Betcha I think of others before 12/31.
Magnificent books past and present. I name the author if there is more than one book out with the same title.
The Lucky Ones- (Nicolas Sparks)
Wuthering Heights (again)
The Secret Countess
Katherine
Peony in Love
Eternal Love-(Angel Taormina)
The Shack
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
The Secret Garden (:) again... I can't help it)
That makes only 2 on my list that are new. But then there are the ones I read over and over. Flora's Dare was superb as well; and there is another book also called Eternal Love; but it's book of poetry; not a historical romance- but I thoroughly enjoyed that as well.
This was my year for discovering Isabel Allende, and I count the three novels I read by her as one of the best things to happen to me this year. I also joined the LT Early Reviewers group and was privileged to read two amazingly excellent books from that program. I still think about Tigana and Calamity Physics, though I read both quite awhile ago. All in all, it was a very good year...and it's not over yet! I may well add another one or two to the list of 14 before midnight on New Years Eve.
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
Portrait in Sepia by Allende (audio)
Ines of My Soul by Isabel Allende (Audio)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer (LTER)
Mistress of the Art of Death (audio)
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner
Special Topics in Calamity Physics (audio)
Mr. White's Confession by Robert Clark (LTER)
China Road by Rob Gifford (nonfiction)
EDITED to keep list to 10 (plus one non-fiction, which doesn't need to go on a list, I guess). The books I removed are
Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana by Anne Rice (audio),
The Gargoyle by Davidson,
Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell, and
The Gallic Wars by Julius Caesar (nonfiction).
ETA it appears I can't count before my second cup of coffee in the morning. The non-fiction pick actually is the 10th book so should be counted.
Message edited by its author, Dec 9, 2008, 11:04am.
I borrowed Inherit the Stars from a friend many years ago. I remember nothing about it now, except that I enjoyed it.
#32 storeetllr - I have
China Road on my 999 challenge so I'm glad to hear that someone really liked it.
#31 AMQS - ditto
O Pioneers!Here are my best books of 2008 (so far)
Killer Angels by Michael Shaara - Pulitzer Prize Winner of 1974
Independent People by Halldor Laxness - Nobel Prize for Literature 1955
The Road by Cormac McCarthy - Pulitzer Prize Winner of 2007
The Quiet American by Graham Greene
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell
It's been a great year so far, and I have to thank the 75 book challenge and the 888 challenge for inspiring me to search out new categories and new authors.
#37 SilverSummer - Well, I enjoyed it more than any other book I've read in at least the past two and half years, and I've read some wonderful books this year. I don't imagine everyone will love
Out Stealing Horses as much as I did. For me it was cathartic and it just resonated very strongly.
Also, I should note that it won the IMPAC Dublin award in 2007.
Message edited by its author, Dec 3, 2008, 6:25pm.
This message has been deleted by its author.
#38 I've enjoyed everything I've read by Calvin Trillin, but I haven't read
About Alice yet. Something to look forward to.
It's been another great year for book reading, and since joining LT six months ago, the experience has deepened beautifully. Here's my choices, in no particular order:
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
The Known World by Edward P. Jones
March by Geraldine Brooks
Duma Key by Stephen King
World War Z by Max Brooks
Lush Life by Richard Price
What's next year going to be like! Wow!
OOO, thought of another one:
Why We Hate Us by
Dick Meyer. Trenchant, wise, and timely. I wonder what Mr. Meyer, the believer in and preacher of listening more and better, would think of LibraryThing. Most people here seem to be very good cyber-listeners, and respectful of differing opinions. This is a very civil place, on the whole.
#49,
Marchteld, have you read other books by Sarah Waters ? All four of her books are terrific.
Tipping the Velvet is a great favourite of mine and it has one of the best characters I've ever met in literature (Florence Banner). I really envy you, I wish I were discovering her stuff for the first time !
I have not compiled my list yet as I am reading some very good ones right now and will definitely want to add them. But...I am seeing many books listed here that are sitting, as of yet, unread on my shelf. This tells me next years reading is going to be as good as this years. Of course, as per usual, I have now also added books to my wishlist. I'll never catch up!
I read hardly anything in the first part of the year followed by quite a lot of reading since then. Unsurprisingly, with one exception, my favourites have come from the last 5 months.
My favourites so far have been:
Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro (which I see is on a few lists here)
Three to See the King - Magnus Mills
Fup - Jim Dodge
Naive, Super - Erlend Loe
Light of Day - Graham Swift
The Hypocrisy of Disco - Clane Hayward
The Year of Magical Thinking - Joan Didion
Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes
84 Charing Cross Road - Helene Hanff
Choke - Chuck Palahniuk
I discovered lots of writers for the first time this year, and my reading was influenced by recommendations on here, another book site and by one friend in particular. I also discovered the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die which has also had some bearing on my reading.
Message edited by its author, Dec 4, 2008, 12:26pm.
After enjoying the responses on this thread, I realized I have no list of my own reading for the year. Is there a way to keep track on LT? I know I should have a notebook to do this, but online would be easier. Would appreciate any advice.
There are many ways. You can keep a journal in the
50 Book Challenge or
75 Book Challenge.
Or you could use the "Date Read" fields for your book and keep a date log in your library. (Check out my library, recommended viewing style, if you want to see an example). You can then click on the column heading to sort by date to get the order in which you read the book.
You could also simply tag the books you read "read2008" or something like that and filter by that tag to get the books you read in 2008. If you use a tag like that, you wouldn't be preserving the order you read the books, but that may not be important to you.
I'm sure there are many other ways that other people could suggest. . .
Message edited by its author, Dec 4, 2008, 2:48pm.
The following novels were my 4-1/2 to 5 star books so far this year:
The Given Day - Dennis Lehane
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle - David Wroblewski
The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse - Louise Erdrich
The Master Butcher's Singing Club - Louise Erdrich
O Pioneers - Willa Cather
Tom Bedlam - George Hagan
and
the last 4 Harry Potters - J.K. Rowling
I always vow I'm going to read more nonfiction, but it never happens. I'm just a sucker for losing myself in an imaginary world.
kerrlm, I used to keep track of the books I'd read in my Outlook calendar. A few months ago, someone on LT recommended the website evernote.com and I've been keeping track there ever since. This is nice if you use more than one computer or you use outlook for work (I don't). There are other gadgets that are really cool on there, too, but I really just use it to track books. Check it out.
BTW - I'm not ready to make my list yet because I have about sixteen books from the library and there are quite a few that look like they may make the list.
Message edited by its author, Dec 4, 2008, 11:17pm.
Seconding the plug for evernote.com!
My favorite reads from 2008 so far have probably been:
19 Paula Spencer
Roddy Doyle 1/15/2008 ****
23 The Siege Of Krishnapur
J.G.Farrell 2/2/2008 *****
36 Dylan Thomas In America
John Malcolm Brinnin 4/6/2008 *****
62 The Trouser People
Andrew Marshall 10/3/2008 Nonfiction *****
71 Eugenie Grandet
Balzac 11/23/2008 *****
75 South Of The Border West Of The Sun
Haruki Murakami 12/3/2008 *****
70 The Woman Who Walked Into Doors
Roddy Doyle 11/20/2008 *****
The dates after the authors are my finish dates. I have to say that once I had gotten into 'Dylan Thomas in America' I found it gripping. The emotional impact upon me was huge, I found that afterward I wanted to read 'Under Milkwood' which I did while listening to the live recording of Dylan's performance of that play. Devastatingly good. Soul wrenching.
I think I'm ready to post my nonfiction and poetry favorites:
I read nine volumes of poetry this year, all women poets as it happens, all living except for Anne Bradstreet. I enjoyed them all. One tends to like some poems in a collection more than others much like one does with music compilations, but for excellent poetry and intriguing subject matter, the winner is:
Poetry: The Anatomy Theater : Poems by Nadine MeyerMy
nonfiction reading was of older works, many relating to the research I'm doing. It is very difficult to pick the 'best', but the winners are:
Louisa May: A Modern Biography by Martha Saxton
In the Devil's Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692 by Mary Beth Norton
Fevered Lives: Tuberculosis in American Culture since 1870 by Katherine Ott.
A contemporary memoir I enjoyed was
Socialism is Great! by Lijia Zhang.
The other book that I have not finished yet, destined to make the 2009 list is
Gregory Rabassa's
If This Be Treason about his life as a translator.
Message edited by its author, Dec 7, 2008, 10:16am.
I don't have any best books this year which is really sad!
I didn't read much this year because I was really busy so 2009 may be better as I won't have much on.
Also I didn't discover any 'wow' books... As comparison in 2007 I 'discovered'
Sharon Penman books. Wow. Looking at 2008 nothing really compares, there were lots of 'nice' books but none that made me stay up late reading because I HAD to.
Reading war and Peace for most of the past year. I read it for a while, put it down and read something else then come back to it. It is becoming quite the commitment on my part.
The Lovely Bones by
Alice Sebold - I read it in two days, which is saying quite a lot for a book these days, if I can get through it that quickly.
Violin Dreams by
Arnold Steinhardt - it's about music, the violin and Bach's Chaconne - who could resist?
The Rebirth of Witchcraft by
Doreen Valiente - she left me feeling hopefully that the Craft will flourish and grow, even if it changes.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - This was the first selection I read with my book club. It started off with such promise! Oh, well. The book was good.
Bitter is the New Black by
Jen Lancaster - She laughs at other people, but most of all, she laughs at herself.
Porn for Women by
Cambridge Women's Pornography Cooperative - I read this one when I was feeling depressed and needed some cheering up.
I attempted some serious books this year:
A Russian Diary by Anna Politkovskaya,
The End of America by
Naomi Wolf and now I'm in the midst of three (count 'em, THREE) books:
In Defense of Food by
Michael Pollan,
Girls Like Us by
Sheila Weller and
Mysteries of the Dark Moon by
Demetra George. Will I finish any of these before year's end and add them to this list? We shall see!
I haven't looked at my 2008 list yet to see books farther back in time, but those I just recently finished:
The Shack by William P. Young
Emotionally searing, and very thought and discussion provoking.
Tengu by John Dodnhue
3rd book in a series. Love the characters and the construction of the stories, mystery/thriller Asian overtones, martial arts, and Japanese history and culture.
Forgot:
The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill
Start of a mystery series set in Laos in 1978 after the communists take over. Very well done.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Story told by an autistic teen, about his life, and the mysterious murder of a neighbor's dog.
.
Message edited by its author, Dec 8, 2008, 12:28am.
#73 Iudita
Did you read the entire
Dark Is Rising series, or just the one book by that name, which is the 2nd book in the series?
Is anyone else having a problem with this thread?
There are so many books being listed that I'm having a hard time really deciding which were the best books that people read in 2008.
Yes, more than 5 or so and I'm not bothering looking. Usually I take the thread and make a list of all the books to come up with a top ten list, but I'm not sure I'm going to do it this year. The lists are just too long for my summary to be all that helpful.
#79: I'm approaching it the same way I usually approach the weekly reading threads in this group--look for the people whose tastes I know are similar to mine, and zero in on their picks. If I remember properly, after the best of 2007 thread had picked up a couple of hundred replies, one of the users went back and made a list of the books that received more than one mention.
ETA: Need more coffee. Looked up the thread--obviously you & Morphidae know what's up. Also, what is wrong with my internet connection this morning? *wanders off grumbling*
Message edited by its author, Dec 9, 2008, 8:23am.
>81 Yep, that was me that made the list. It's a real pain because I have to copy/paste then edit most lines. It wasn't too bad when people stuck to 5 to 10 books, but these lists are way too long. I don't have the time or inclination.
ETA: *looks over the lists again - waffles in her decision*
Message edited by its author, Dec 9, 2008, 8:43am.
Okay, now I feel guilty. I will whittle my list down to ten.
I edited mine (#32 above) down to 10 fiction and one non-fiction to make it easier to use in a compilation, if Morphidae decides to do one this year.
In case I haven't said so before, Morph, thank you for doing the compilation in prior years. I always found it very interesting ~ I like seeing how my favorites stack up.
ETA I can't count (need my second cup of coffee for higher mathematics). I actually got it down to 10 total, including the non-fiction. Yo!
Message edited by its author, Dec 9, 2008, 11:02am.
Just in case anyone is interested here is the "Top 5 of 2007" thread link:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/24770#...I didn't want to bump it and cause any confusion. I couldn't find Morph's best of list though :( It's probably in a totally obvious place I'm overlooking.
I felt guilty too so I edited my message (#12) and kept only 10 books. It's a bit silly because it's not my fault if I've read 20 particularly excellent books this year but I'll post the real comprehensive list on my journal.
Message edited by its author, Dec 9, 2008, 11:42am.
Hey, for every category you can come up with, there are at least 20 schools out there calling themselves top 10 schools. So if someone wants to list 20 top tens, it's OK by me.
So here are my top ten:
1. James Agee,
A Death in the Family2.
Light in August,
William Faulkner3. Miguel de Cervantes,
Don Quixote4.
Dylan Thomas,
Under Milk Wood5.
Beowulf6.
Crime and Punishment7. Halldor Laxness,
The Fish Can Sing8. Naguib Mahfouz,
Palace Walk9.
Menocal Ornament of the World
10.
Kalidasa,
Recognition of Sakuntala11.
Cheng'en Wu,
The Monkey King12.
SauptikaparvanI'm sure there are a few others.
THE SHORT LIST HERE:
I missed that we were shortening for a Good Reason! If we need a very short list for an absolute "tops" summary, I'd suggest
The Monkey King,
The Fish Can Sing,
Recognition of Sakuntala and
Crime and Punishment as perhaps standing out. But, hey, no one else is going to suggest any of mine, anyways!
Message edited by its author, Dec 9, 2008, 1:41pm.
>86 Post 220 has the list.
In the next couple of days, I'll start the summary. If people keep it to 5 to 10, it should be manageable.
I think I see an easier way to manage the summary - I can paste the "touchstone works" into a spreadsheet and then sort them alphabetically. Then it just becomes a matter of checking a box each time the name appears.
Of course, if a touchstone doesn't take, we have to add it, but that's not so bad every now and then. And touchstones add to the bottom, so it should be pretty easy to add subsequent posts.
If you'd like, since you did it last year, I could run it this year.
FYI, there are 473 works in the touchstones thus far!
Message edited by its author, Dec 9, 2008, 1:50pm.
>91 It works for me. Feel free to take it on this year. I was stressing about when I would get it done.
This message has been deleted by its author.
92, you're off the hook. With thanks for last year!
Now I have to figure out if there's a solution that's funkier and higher tech still.
I take full responsibility for the long lists of books this year. It seems that I failed to follow my own previous example "Top Five of 2007" thread, and the previous 2006 thread started by amandameale. I didn't create the thread with a thought about a year end summary. Apologies. However, that said, it would have been nice for those of you unhappy about the lists to have come in here and taken a less critical approach by offering a positive suggestion and explaining one's reasoning first. There is no need to make others feel bad about their enthusiasm (speaking as someone who failed to name just five or ten or even 15 books, come to think of it). Thanks to Sam for coming up with a helpful solution.
I would suggest now that, if you like, someone could create a "Top Five of 2008" thread (with explanation as to why just five titles) and link this one to that one. I think most would repost and there will be plenty of new posters as the year ends. My further suggestion would be that you solicit just fiction choices for simplicity's sake. It is difficult enough to choose between books of like genre, then to have to choose between all kinds of literature as if they can be measured on the same scale.
Will do.
What's with people feeling guilty? Librarything is for pleasure!
I wasn't feeling guilty. I just wanted to help make it easier for the compilers of the Best of 2008 List. :)
--> 95
My post (# 79) wasn't to make anyone feel guilty. In fact, I'm glad there were so many worthwhile reads. It's just that I, personally, found it difficult to sort out the best reads with so many books listed.
I posted my top 5 reads in hemlokgang's thread and will look forward to reading A_Musing's compilation.
Sorry if anyone took offense. My apologies.
I've enjoyed this thread and I hope people will still continue to post their longer lists here as well as contribute to the Top 5 List.
I can see how these lists were a bit overwhelming but the way I approached them was to look for people with books in their lists that I've enjoyed myself and then see what else they were recommending.
I'd like to thank everyone here for being a tremendous help this morning, especially those of you with longer lists. ;) My husband gives books as Christmas gifts to all his staff and he asked for my help with compiling a list to shop from. I went down every single post and pulled out a really healthy list of suggestions from all of your faves. Very much appreciated.
My top TEN for 2008: HUGE EDIT HERE AS I WENT OVER MY READS SO FAR THIS YEAR
1.
The Master by Colm Toibin...his writing knocked my socks off
2.
The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa...what a beautiful story
3.
The Brontes went to Woolworths by Rachel Ferguson
4.
Miss Mole by E.H. Young
5.
Jenny Wren by E.H. Young...fascinating look at class differences in England
read as a pair with6.
The Curate's Wife by E.H. Young
7.
Tea with Mr. Rochester by Frances Towers...what a fey, quirky, wonderful set of stories
8.
84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff...I loved this little book, just loved it
9.
Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? by Anita Rau Badami
10.
Embers by Marai Sandor
Message edited by its author, Dec 11, 2008, 1:08pm.
I feel bad, too. I'll go through and cut down to five or ten.
i am reading right now The Lost Estate (Le Grand Meaulnes).and after that i'll finish my Twilight book
>106 ellevee, don't feel bad! enthusiasm is a wonderful thing. I would leave your list here as it is, but perhaps you might like to pick five novels for the other thread (I know, I know. It's torture).
*whines* But I actually need to ADD to that list! Is it my fault I pick good books?! (Don't answer that)
OK, you're going to be stranded on an island and your captors have allowed you to take only five of those books. Which five do you pick? (it is so much easier to ask these questions than to answer them).
Not including re-reads here are the best of the year.
5 stars –
John Adams by David McCullough
As an American who isn’t ashamed of being so, perhaps my view is a bit biased, but this is a powerful book that documents one of the most world-changing events in history; the creation of a government by its own people. We went from being subjects to citizens and it was a difficult process requiring sacrifice and valor that probably doesn’t exist anywhere anymore. Adams was an interesting figure and his relationship with Abigail is one to envy.
5 stars –
Duma Key by Stephen King
Wow. I haven’t liked one of King’s books this much since Needful Things. DK was published just after Lisey’s Story and isn’t as choked and forced as that one feels. This one just flows and wraps around you like a blanket. As are a lot of his books, this one is about friendship overcoming evil. It’s well paced and features characters so likable that you wish you could join them down on Duma Key. Well, not really. I am hopeful that Mr. King is indeed back.
4 ½ stars – The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles
Very different than I thought it would be and very enigmatic. FLW is structured in such a way that the author tells you about the tale he’s going to tell. The commentary approach isn’t the only unique thing about it though; the multiple endings is also fairly uncommon. Some didn’t like the ambiguity of it, but I figure why should authors all tell their tales the exact same way. None of the players is entirely likeable, but that’s another thing that works in Fowles’s favor.
4 ½ stars –
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
So yeah, this is a soap opera set in the middle ages, I still liked it and found it very compelling. Overall it is a historical novel, full of details surrounding government and religion at the time as well as the intricacies of cathedral building. The way these facts were woven into the tale keeps them from falling into monologue or lecture territory. A stellar work whose follow-up fell far short of.
4 ½ stars –
The Whiskey Rebels by David Liss
Again, my American status may affect my judgment, but I thoroughly enjoyed this tale connected to the establishment of a fiscal foundation for the newborn United States. The two narratives enmesh sinuously at first and then collide resoundingly with plenty of action, intrigue and violence. Again there are historical details aplenty, but very little lecturing the reader (something I can’t abide). Also, some familiarity with the characters and their places in history is assumed – a nice touch.
Close finishers - all four stars
The Likeness by Tana French
The Maltese Falcon by Dasheill Hammett
In the Woods by Tana French
The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber
Twilight at Mac’s Place by Ross Thomas
The Bridesmaid by Ruth Rendell
The Forgery of Venus by Michael Gruber
New England White by Stephen L. Carter
What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman
>113 that is a nice book, jhedlund. Did you know Enger has a new novel out?
avaland, as a matter of fact, yes. I have a signed copy. He came to our local bookstore when I was on a business trip and I made my husband go get the book, get it signed, and give him a letter about how much I loved
Peace Like a River. I haven't read the new one yet, which by the way is
So Brave, Young and Handsome. I loved Peace so much that I fear being disappointed. That being said, I do have it on my tbr list for 2009.
Top 5 Fiction:
Steinbeck, John:
Of Mice and Men I’m at a loss how to describe this beautiful, haunting story. The setting is near Soledad, California during the 1930s on a farm where most of the workers are drifters who work for a while to earn a little money and then move on until they need more money and go to another place. Steinbeck writes so descriptively that I almost feel as if I were there observing places and events in person.
Crane, Stephen:
The Red Badge of Courage I’m not sure how I managed to miss reading this for so many years because it is one of the most well known American classics about the Civil War. It was never a reading assignment for me in school for which I am now glad because I’m sure I enjoyed it more as an adult than I would have as a student.
Winspear, Jacqueline:
Birds of a Feather The second book in the Maisie Dobbs series, this story deals with a case of finding a young woman in her 30’s who runs away from her father’s house and the wealthy father wants her returned. As Maisie searches for the girl she finds a connection with 2 murders that the police are investigating and also with a supposed suicide. This series has reawakened my interest in the period around WWI and between the wars.
Orwell, George:
Down and Out in Paris and London This was the first novel that Orwell wrote and is seems to be more autobiographical than fiction. Although the subject matter is definitely not a happy one this was a fascinating and compelling read. In Paris we learn about the seamy side of working behind the scenes in restaurants (I may never want to eat in a French restaurant again!) and in London we learn about the life of tramps (homeless people who must stay on the move if they don’t want to end up in jail). We see great misery and depression of people barely able to find enough food to keep themselves alive but we also see people who are trying to make the best life for themselves that the circumstances allow. Even more important we see them as individual people with the same kind of attributes of goodness and evil that we all have.
Chesterton, G.K.:
The Man Who Was Thursday A fantastical story with more twists and turns than a labyrinth. The story is about a man who has been recruited to track down a master criminal—but that is only the tip of the iceberg. He infiltrates the ranks of the criminal by impersonating the person whose code name was Thursday—hence the title. I was able to anticipate some of the “surprises” but that in no way diminished my pleasure and the ending was magnificent—although many reviewers disliked it because it did not neatly tie up all the loose ends. However, this book was not about answers but questions.
Top 5 Nonfiction:
Mortenson, Greg & David Oliver Relin:
Three Cups of Tea Everybody should read this book! It is such a good story with so much to teach us on many levels. The story is how Greg Mortenson, a young man who was a trained nurse with a passion for mountain climbing but not much direction for his life turned a failed quest to honor his dead sister into a life changing occupation. On one level it is an inspiring tale of how one person with determination and perseverance can “change the world.” This alone makes it worth reading and discussing. However, for me, it was being taken on this journey with him and discovering so much about the area in which he worked, Pakistan and, later, Afghanistan, that had the biggest impact.
Preston, Diana & Michael:
A Pirate of Exquisite Mind This was the story of William Dampier, explorer, naturalist, and buccaneer who lived from 1651 to 1715. He was one of the most accomplished navigators at sea and circumnavigated the world 3 times; he took meticulous notes of what he observed of wild life, botanical specimens, and native peoples. Some of his botanical specimens can still be seen in collections in Great Britain. He also made detailed maps of unexplored places that were helpful to those who came after him. He was a celebrity in his time but faded into obscurity for future generations until Diana Preston wrote this book.
Corson, Trevor:
The Secret Life of Lobsters (LT Author)
Science, sex, and politics. What more could you want? Of course, it’s lobster sex we are talking about.
Corson does a magnificent job giving us glimpses into the live of the fishermen and their families as well as a wonderful over-view of much of the science that has been conducted researching lobsters and the politics involved in trying to keep lobster fishing a viable business. He reveals so much about lobsters, how they live, reproduce, and behave that the reader is amazed at how intricate the lives of these creatures are. Also fascinating is the number of scientific experiments that have been going on for years and the variety of intricate apparati that have been developed to aid this research. But all this explanation of what the book covers doesn’t begin to describe the joy and satisfaction the reader feels as he reads this story. This book deserves to become a classic and I will be encouraging everyone I know to read it. It is an absolute pleasure and a literary treasure.
Wiesel, Elie:
Night It is difficult to understand how something this horrendous could have happened in my lifetime. No wonder the people of Sighet couldn't believe Moishe the Beadle when he tried to warn them about what happened to him when he was taken by the Gestapo. If he had escaped, could it have been that bad, people reasoned. While reading this book I had a hard time coming to terms that these events actually happened and not to just a few but to millions of people. The mind can hardly grasp evil on that magnitude. Yet, we must be aware that this can happen and that today similar atrocities are occurring. It is important that we never forget what can happen if good people turn a blind eye and deaf ear to acts of oppression just because it doesn't affect us. Everyone should read this book, as painful as it is. Wiesel kept his account of that terrible year (spring of 1944 to April 10, 1945) short--if he could live it we at least can read about it.
Ali, Ayaan Hirsi:
Infidel Before I read this memoir I was naïve about the Muslim practice in Africa and the Middle East. I assumed that the fundamentalists and terrorists were a small minority in this large group of people who consider themselves Muslim. When I read Reading Lolita in Tehran I was appalled by what was happening to some of the women as the Ayatollah started enforcing Muslim rules for women. But we were led to believe that this was not the normal way for Muslims and at the time that book was written the transformation of Iran was just beginning so I did not get the full impact that Ayaan reveals. As I read Infidel I realized that in Africa and the Middle East this treatment of women is not an aberration but widely practiced. If noting else, this book can open our eyes to how a large segment of the world’s population is living by 3rd century standards, especially where the treatment of women are concerned.
#111 Bookmarque
Loved your review on
John Adams. It was in my top 5 last year. It's one of the best biographies I've ever read and really gives the reader insight into the making of this country. It's better than any history course I ever had! BTW Have you read his "companion" book,
1776? It's a very fast read but it is also fascinating and helps one understand what a "miracle" it was that we ever became a nation! You learn a lot about George Washington.
I remember studying about the Whiskey Rebellion in school. After reading your review, I'm going to find
The Whiskey Rebels. I think I may learn more about that part of our history, too!
Thanks MusicMom. I do have 1776, but as it's a big huge coffee table book with lots of maps and illustrations and envelopes with document reprodcutions in them, it doesn't lend itself to easy reading. I should tackle it though. I meant to this past Independence Day, but had an attack of lameness and didn't, merely limited myself to reading the Declaration of Independence out loud to my husband.
Whiskey Rebels is worth finding. Enjoy.
Message edited by its author, Dec 11, 2008, 3:17pm.
Wow! Where did you get that edition of it? Mine is just an ordinary HC edition--and not so thick that it is hard to carry around. It went with me everywhere for the 2 days it took to read. Check it out of the library and keep your "collectors" edition in pristine condition!
Book of the Month club. it's pretty impressive. Slipcase...about 12x18". Many maps and envelopes full of letters and stuff. I should really read the silly thing.
>115 the new one got a great review in Publishers Weekly, if I remember correctly.
My
Peace Like a River is signed. I got to sit at his table at the American Booksellers "Booksense Awards" the year it won. I hadn't read the book at that time, but he impressed me with what he had to say about the book and the writing it; and he was notably self-effacing (or perhaps just humble). I read it shortly thereafter. I miss those kind of 'perks':-)
This message has been deleted by its author.
>Bookmarque& Musicmom- Nice job on presenting your choices! I just listed my book titles! Boring!
> jhedlund- I have both Leif Enger books in my tbr pile. Looks like I'll go to
Peace Like a River first! January is starting to fill in!!
avaland - perks indeed! I'm jealous! msf59 - do go to
Peace Like a River. I have yet to meet someone who doesn't love this book.
I'll add my endorsement for
Peace Like a River -- I stayed up late one night to finish it, and then turned back to the first page and re-read the whole thing in one sitting. Yes, I was up most of the night. Yes, it was worth it.
> AMQS- Wow, what an endorsement! thanks!
The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis
I’ve always been fascinated by chess, but I have not the right mind to play the game. For the first ten... fifteen minutes I strain myself to follow a pattern, to keep the control of the middle of the board to protect my pawns and so on, but after a little while my mind gives way to my restlessness, and I start charging headlong. Useless to say the outcome is always the same, my pieces are scattered all around the board, as sacrificial prey for the enemy. (Having watched “The Charge of the Light Brigade” when I was a kid, didn’t teach me anything about military strategy.)
The Queen’s Gambit is not only a book describing a chess player mind , as
The Defense by
Vladimir Nabokov and others, but there long and detailed descriptions of the game, and even if I couldn’t figure out the position of the various pieces, while they were moved by the players, I kept on reading , as though I was listening to a football or soccer game on the radio.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
This book is really good, , the story is poignant and believable, the characters are all well developped, and the idea of death telling the story is original. But waht captivated me most, maybe because I am not a English mother tongue, was the figurative use of English, I found a lot of expressions, I was sure I wouldn’t find on the dictionary, but the meaning was plain to understand.
I would recomend it to foreigner learners to improve their vocubalary and the use of words.
Pictures from Italy by Charles Dickens
I’m reading it at the moment toghether with other stuff. Also if his English is a little challenging for my grammatical and reading skills (I can’t say I manage to get the whole meaning of a few sentences, sometimes). It is fascinating for me to read about a country where I was born and live, but I had never known. I can immagine the places, at least some of them, as they are now, not as they were, and especially, from a foreigner’s point of view. Tricky!!!!
Message edited by its author, Dec 12, 2008, 11:58am.
Your link to
The Queen's Gambit is incorrect, btw. I remember reading that ages ago, but can't remember what it was about unfortunately.
thanks a lot Bookmarque, for correcting it
Message edited by its author, Dec 12, 2008, 1:34pm.
I've never been a huge fan of science fiction, but this series has blown my mind! It is so unique and different than almost anything I've read. I highly recommend it!
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
I reread
The Master and Margarita this year and it's one of my all-time most favourite books. Didn't count it because it was a reread.
I'm trying to remember. I can't get to my list of "50 books" because the "next" button doesn't work. So some of these might be from 2007.
The Heaven Tree Trilogy by Edith Pargeter. On of the best books set in Middle ages.
the Road by Cormac McCarthy Scarey because we keep coming closer & closer to this destination.
Empire Falls Richard Russo. A good reead & well-written.
The March by E. L. Doctorow. Actually I was a bit disappointed in this but it was still a good story.
The Gathering Ann Enright. A subject that hit maybe too close to home, but a well written book.
I just got done reading Guilty Pleasures by Laura k. hamilton and it was AWESOME!!! a little confusing but awesome. now im reading
The Laughing Corpse also by her and i like the first page!!!
This message has been deleted by its author.
I can't swear with any certainty that I didn't read one of these titles in late 2007. Also, my memory doesn't permit me any certainty that something I loaned out shouldn't be on this list. Both are among the reasons I just joined LT!
Anathem by Neal Stephenson
What is the What Dave Eggers
Black Swan Green by David Mitchell
The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon
The Time Traveler's Wife Audrey Niffenegger
All compelling and well written. Black Swan Green frustrated me initially with the abundance of British slang - but once Mr. Green had used up his inventory of colloquialisms and I was able to proceed at a normal pace, I was glad I stuck with it. Perhaps surprisingly, I was not frustrated with Anathem, despite the necessary glossary, and several geometry-heavy supplements.
Alright, I think it's late enough in the year that I can safely create this list and not find it necessary to tweak it later (though I reserve the right to do so, of course). :-) Here goes, in the order I read them:
Fiction:
Book of a Thousand DaysBloody JackThe Name of the WindJonathan Strange and Mr. NorrellPrincess BenVictory of EaglesThe Shadow of the WindFlora's DareThe Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie SocietyNonfiction:
84, Charing Cross RoadUnderstanding Manga and AnimeWord FreakEx Libris: Confessions of a Common ReaderReading the OED: One Man, One Year, 21,730 PagesManga:
TsubasaHer Majesty's DogOuran High School Host ClubI kept it down to, um, 15-ish top titles, right? It was extremely hard to narrow it down even to this, and I'm finding that it's really hard to measure a nonfiction title against fiction for a "favorite" read. (Maybe next year I should separate by genre...) A surprising number of nonfiction made my "top" list this year, especially considering I only read about 1-2 nonfiction titles a month. My fiction favorites are typical of what I chose to read, so pretty unsurprising.
Ive read alot of good fiction books but fiction books are about the only books i read.
This month my favorites are:
The Frog Princess
Dragon's Breath
Once Upon A Curse
No Place For MAgic
Salamander Spell
Dragon Princess
Twilight
New Moon
Eclipse
Breaking Dawn
Firehorse
Eragon
Eldest
Brisingr
Top 5 Fiction:
Steinbeck, John:
Of Mice and Men Crane, Stephen:
The Red Badge of CourageWinspear, Jacqueline:
Birds of a FeatherOrwell, George:
Down and Out in Paris and London Chesterton, G.K.:
The Man Who Was Thursday Top 5 (oops! 6) Nonfiction:
Wolf, Maryanne:
Proust and the Squid Mortenson, Greg & David Oliver Relin:
Three Cups of Tea Preston, Diana & Michael:
A Pirate of Exquisite Mind Corson, Trevor:
The Secret Life of Lobsters LT Author
Wiesel, Elie:
Night Ali, Ayaan Hirsi:
Infideledited to make easier to read! and correct a touchstone.
Message edited by its author, Dec 31, 2008, 10:31pm.
My personal 2008 Book Awards:
Best/Favourite Book of the Year:
Shriek: An Afterword by Jeff VanderMeer
Honourable Mention
The Sandman: Endless Nights* by Neil Gaiman
Unexpected Favourite: Declare by Tim Powers
Most Humorous: The Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric & Discredited Diseases by Mark Roberts
Most Original/Creative:
Snake Agent by Liz Williams
Quickest Read:
Crooked Little Vein by Warren Ellis
Author of the Year: John Scalzi (Old Man’s War, Ghost Brigades, The Last Colony, Zoe’s Tale)
Best new-to-me Author: Liz Williams (Snake Agent, The Demon and the City)
Best Fantasy: Shriek: An Afterword by Jeff VanderMeer
Best Dark Fantasy:
No Dominion by Charlie Huston (2nd in Joe Pitt series)
Honourable Mentions
Fangland by John Marks; Violent Messiahs – Book of Job* by Joshua Dysart
Best Sci-Fi: Zoe’s Tale by John Scalzi (free Library Thing review copy)
Best Non-genre fiction:
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
Best Mystery/Thriller: The Coroner’s Lunch by Colin Cotterill
Best Non-Fiction:
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester
* - Graphic Novel
Message edited by its author, Jan 3, 2009, 9:36pm.
Thackery is pretty funny. I thought Shriek! also quite good . . .
I have to say that the 2 books I read in 2008 that stand out in my mind are both very different from the fiction and mysteries I normally read. They are Devil in the White City and The Road.
dmjhart ~ Two of my favorites from 2007!
(back to top)
