I didn't realize that the others hadn't been written yet when I picked it up. I hate waiting for sequels! But it really was a fantastic book.

JG I also loved Name of the wind , I am eagerly waiting for #2 to come out. What a refreshing new Fantasy author!

I'm trying, but I can't choose just one.
Top 3:

Skeletons at the Feast
The Name of the Wind
The Lightning Thief

The Favorite books I've read this year are:

Twilight series!!
Gemma Doyle Trilogy!!!
Uglies/Pretties/Specials series!!
The House of Night series!!

Honestly, all of these series are fab-u-lously addicting!

I am going to be reading that soon I skimmed the first to chapters and nearly fell asleep, good to know it gets better.

That's good to hear Jen cos I'm reading it right now. Everyone keeps raving about it lately (I've noticed that only since starting it.) At the moment though I'm enjoying it and it's getting better as I go along, but to me it isn't rave-worthy as of yet. It's becoming enjoyable but I'm not mad on it yet.

Someone did say it is slow for the first 200 pages though and I'm about 150 pg. in. So, we'll see.

This is a great question and I love to see everyone's responses - so many great titles. Honestly, I'd have a few to list as well, except that I read East of Eden this year and it has become my favorite book of all time. I cannot recommend it enough.

Hey, thanks! Will def. give it a try...

Well the Cathedral does play an integral part but no , the book follows the lives of those who deal with the cathedral as well as other things, I agree with you totally the first few pages are dry as kindling wood , but it gets way better really quickly. Love, loss, life, death, deciet, treachery, hope and despair all play a part.

OK, so it's not all about the building ?

Laura : I don't know if Christine answered your question about Pillars of the Earth. But Yes you should read it ......It is awesome the characters are well written and the story goes by ( as do the pages) more quickly than you realize , I think I finished in a week. Excellent book

I'd have to say The Road by Cormac McCarthy but nipping at it's heels are Blindness by Saramago,The Book Thief and Cider House Rules.

I was beginning to worry when you asked for just one. But am relieved to see comments with several titles.

This year's faves:

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
Down River - John Hart
Suite Francaise - Irena Nemirovsky
Skeleton's at the Feast - Chris Bohjalian
The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein

Very difficult question. I really like all the Wheel of time series. Loved the Book Thief, to Kill a Mockingbird & Of Mice and Men.

Let's see, I have a few:

Water for Elephants
Curse of the Spellmans
On Writing
The Other Boleyn Girl

I can't pick just one.

The Time Traveler's Wife
The Lovely Bones
The whole Twilight series

If I see how you all manage to keep it short...I must be soooo weak.

This is a hard question. I would have to say BLINDNESS. This book really stayed with me. But also stayed with me...
THE ROAD
FALLEN
THE BOOK THIEF
SHANTARAM
THE RICE MOTHER
THE PRESERVATIONIST
PILARS OF THE EARTH
WORLD WITHOUT END

Gosh, the list goes on and on...

It may be The Garden for me. I forget the authors name...It's the one where Adam and Eve are born and live in the garden learning about the world from the serpent (Eve) and God (Adam). And Eve goes traveling outside the borders of Eden with the serpent...good book.

And Cat' Eye by Margaret Atwood. Loved it!

For me it has been, in no particular order:

Marley & Me - John Grogan
For One More Day - Mitch Albom
Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts
Blindness - Saramago

This year there would be three that tie for first place :
The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos ruiz Zafon
The Meaning of Night: A Confession
The Name of the Wind

The Things They Carried

I was surprise to see this is the only book I gave 5 stars to this year.

I have to go with Jessica. "The Book Thief, hands down."

Of the ones I've read possibly one of Dark Fire, Sovereign: A Matthew Shardlake Mystery, or Revelation, all by C. J. Sansom.

Or it may be the one I'm reading right now - Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. It is excellent so far (I'm about 600 pages in, I think).

I keep hearing about that one! I think I'll add it to my TBR. Thanks, Dave.

The Master Planets I very much enjoyed The Master Planets by Donald Gallinger. It's a real page-turner. I've recommended it to all my friends to the point where they've commanded me to stop it.

Great, let me know how you like it!

Ahhh, I understand now! I bet you can't wait for Blindness the movie! When is it coming out?

My favorite for 2008, so far (it might change in the next month or two)? Wow, that is hard. I'm torn between 2 very different books:

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen (This was my first Austen and I loved it! I can't wait to read more!)
Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (This reawakened my love of greek myths and I was completely carried away!)

Emma, The Third Policeman was a really trippy novel, and stuck with me more AFTER i read it, but Yeah, it was really strange and interesting when I was reading it!!!

Loved the new Saramago book!

OMG! If you asked me the top 10 of 2008, I might be able to narrow it down easier. I really picked up my reading this year, and I've gotten so many good recommendations here....

New Release-The Art of Racing in the Rain

YA-The Book Thief

Catching up on old reads-The Dead Zone

"Everyone's talking about it": Life of Pi or Water for Elephants

Philosophical-The Alchemist

Non-fiction-On Writing

Thanks Christine!

Lori, how did you manage to make such a nice, short comment if you start like me, freaking out that you can only choose one!!!! Did you see my comment??? I need to know how you do it!!!!!!

I've given two 5-star reviews this year (not counting graphic novels):

The Quiller Memorandum, by Adam Hall
Tide Running, by Oonya Kempadoo

Christine - Pillars was recommended to me by someone I really respect (because she suggested Guernsey, which I LOVED) but looking at the first few pages on Amazon, it seems so dry and like, about a building mostly and I'm wondering if I should try it because it's so LONG and I'm wondering how long it takes to get into that one??

Thanks Jackie. I'll stop tomorrow... :o)

It is hard to pick just one. But I was soo blown away by Perfume. I would also recommend:

Jane Eyre - one of my all-time favorites
Love in the Time of Cholera
Pillars of the Earth - this was soo engrossing, it kept me up night after night :o)
The Thirteenth Tale - very good story, swept me up from page one

At first I thought this question would be hard to answer but I have to say it was Beastly by Alex Flinn.

I can't name just one...

Favorite Memoir published this year
Audition: A Memoir by Barbara Walters

Others...Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer

Favorite UK book
A Special Relationship by Douglas Kennedy

Favorite Fiction Published this year
Certain Girls Jennifer Weiner

Infidel Ayaan Hirsi Ali

The Crazyladies of Pearl Street by Trevanian

Favorite Book by a Christian Author - Abomination by Colleen Coble

Favorite Para-romance Book - The Accidental Werewolf by Dakota Cassidy

Favorite Paranormal YA Book - Twilight (I think I just first read it this year...)

Favorite Suspense Book - Vanished by Karen Robards

Favorite Non-Fiction Book - Marley Me (although I think I may have read this at the end of 2007)

Favorite ChickLit Book - Rosie Dunne by Cecilia Ahern (I think that's the author)

Okay, I think that covers the bulk of the genres I've been reading this year.

If you go to Blockbuster you can find the movie Perfume. I read the book for another bookclub and although I liked the book I've been hestitating to see the movie. Someone had commented to me that the orgy scene is a bit in your face in the movie. One day I will see it though.

I still have to think about this question...it's so hard to pick just one!

The Third Policeman? I thought you had mixed feelings on that one. Oh, you liked Saramango's other book?

I just can't believe that I missed that movie... geesh.

Jeane - I would highly recommend the book. And I'm going to search high and low for the movie to rent. I'm no longer a Netflix subscriber... :o(

Oooh I don't know.

I'd say it's a mix.

All Quiet on the Western Front

Gatty's Tale

The Stand

and

To Kill a Mockingbird

I can't make the choice. I loved all these books so far this year.

oh no... ONE BOOK???? ive read so many good ones this year....

Death W/Interruptions by Saramago
The Cave by Saramago
Mysterious Island by Verne
The Third Policeman by O'Brien


thats only the first 4 to pop into my head.....

I agree Laura The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pell Pie Society is very good! I read it not long ago and I really liked it! :O)
Anita

Oooh!!! I like that Laura! In fact, no one has. Gemma Emma. Hehhe. I'll have to consider that one!

The Master Planets by Donald Gallinger. Amazing.

Brenda, only one for the whole year????

I thought I would be able to do that,but if you noticed in my other comments I never manage...

I saw that I read many patricia Cornwell books and there are so many of my favourites in but ...okay not going to mention does.

Then I saw Maya by Jostein gaarder and thought, okay that's the best book I read this year. Till I thought about the one I recently finished by this author:solitairy mistery...that was such a great book.

when I was reading Pompei by Robert Harris I found it so difficult to put the book down and stayed up late one evening just to finish it!

This year I read Marley and Me, so wondeful, but I also read The historian which I really liked...

one book only????

My life by Bill Clinton was really good, just like I enjoyed so much the book by madeleine Albright.... and there is still Pride and prejudice...

one book..... I can do it! I really can...will try... uhm....

Pompei by Robert Harris..no, wait..Marley and Me


Aaaargghh, you know what...I don't know!!!! If I take Pompei it is because how wonderful I felt after and during reading it. I felt my love for everything related to Italy so strong in me...
Marley and Me I would choose because I laughed so much and enjoyed it more than i thought I would. The books by Jostein gaarder are always real jewels... sooo

better hadn't thought I was going to ba capable of doing this..one book..only..for the whole year....
you are all soooo brave!

Christine, haven't read Perfume yet but the movie is really good.

Emma - I'm sure someone else has suggested this, but have you thought about changing your GR name to (G)Emma????