Marsha - I do have a couple of versions saved on my DVR that I've been waiting to watch once I've finished the book, so I may go ahead and watch one of them. I think part of my problem, though, is that I'm too familiar with the plot because I've seen (and actually enjoyed) the movie Clueless, so my interest level is low because I know what's coming already. I also keep thinking of that movie while I read the book - which is getting pretty annoying, as I'm sure you understand if you've seen Clueless. My other big problem is that I really don't like the character Emma very much. I find it difficult to keep reading about such a big snob! I know it should get better, though, once she starts to understand herself and the errors she's made.

Jamie, sometimes watching the movie helps me with this when there is one available- just because I love to compare & contrast movie/books. Didn't Gwenneth Paltrow star in this a few years back? I haven't seen the movie Emma, but I've had my eye out for it since having my little Austen period a while ago. My movie store either doesn't have it or it wasn't in the couple of times it has occurred to me. There are great BBC/A&E versions of all the Austen novels though, I think. A good movie version always gets me in the mood to read the book.

My favorites this year were:

Persuasion
Northanger Abbey
The Twilight series

I'm planning on reading many of the books mentioned in this thread for 2009 - I can't wait to get started! My only problem is that I seem to be stalled on Austen's "Emma." I just can't seem to get into it, but I still want to finish it before I move on to something new.

Lol - we need to cut off this post now and make this "The best books of 2008" and starta a "best of 2009" thread

-- Wife of GR author Michael J. Sullivan: The Crown Conspiracy (10/08) | Avempartha (04/09)

Okay, believe it or not lots of the books on my "Best of 2008" were not published in 2008--I would like to sincerely thank GR and TNBBC for putting most of these books on my list:

1. A Great and Terrible Beauty
2. Water for Elephants (bought this one for 2 people for Christmas)
3. The Devil and Miss Prym: A Novel of Temptation-Paulo Coelho is one of my new favorite authors (I also read The Alchemist in '08 and it's a close 2nd)
4. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
5. Odd Thomas-well, actually the whole series (okay, all but the last book b/c its on my TBR shelf)
6. The Book Thief-add me to the list
7. Life of Pi
8. The Dead Zone- this one's almost 30 years old
9. The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel-does Setterfield have anything else coming out yet???
10. The Art of Racing in the Rain-I might even like this one better than Marley and Me (which I read in 2005)

Two books, that I read this year, that really stood out:

Fiction: Prodigal Summer: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver lovely, beautiful book.

Non-Fiction:The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Klein this book readjusted my thinking and I am greatful for it.

Two books; two very different experiences.

I love her earlier ones. I like the picture of life she paints in 1920s-30s.

Jeane wrote: "Esther, me too!!!!!! I collect them too and have most in Dutch and French, some in English and then I read sooooo many or better said reread from the library too...I love ehr books. It's true that ..."

Esther, me too!!!!!! I collect them too and have most in Dutch and French, some in English and then I read sooooo many or better said reread from the library too...I love ehr books. It's true that The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is said to be her best and I liked it a lot but there are so many others as least as good, don't you think?

I collect Agatha Christie and have read most of them.

'The Murder of Roger Ackroyd' is reputedly her best but save it until you have read a few of her others and have got thoroughly into her style.


Murder on the Orient Express was the first Agatha Christie book I read, and I'm excited to read some of her other ones. :D

Twilight
Shadow of the Wind
The Book Thief

jamie, that is great! I liked a lot Endless night when I read it the first time. But I adore all her stories!

My favorites were:
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Wicked by Gregory Maguire
Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Murder on the Orient Express was the first Agatha Christie book I read, and I'm excited to read some of her other ones. :D

Add me to The Book Thief lovers.

1000 Splendid Suns was definitely a close second, though.

I liked the alternate Yiddish universe and the noire detective style.
It provided a lot of food for thought but also made me laugh out loud


Robin wrote: "One of these days I have to pick-up 'The Yiddish Policeman's Union' I've heard it is good."

Hayes, Touchstone was a decent read, but no where near as great as the Russell/Holmes series. I've read a couple of other of Laurie King's books outside this favorite series of mine, but they just don't thrill me like Russell and Holmes. However, I haven't read Folly, so I will put it on my list of to-read in 2009.

One of these days I have to pick-up 'The Yiddish Policeman's Union' I've heard it is good.

I read Shadow of the Wind in 2007 it was definitely best read of the year.
The Book Thief is one my TBR pile it will be one of my first reads of 2009.

Linda wrote: "Yeah to all The Book Thief lovers. Between The Book Thief and Shadow of the Wind, it doesn't get any better then that."

Linda, since I am one of those Book Thief lovers, I looked up Shadow of the Wind. It looks great! I am going to have to check it out!

Yeah to all The Book Thief lovers. Between The Book Thief and Shadow of the Wind, it doesn't get any better then that.

God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

I did read several other good ones as well but these are the ones that I liked the most. Although I gave Breaking Dawn only a 4, I valued the reading experience a great deal.

Looking back I haven't managed to read much this year but what I have read has been good.
Honorable Mentions go to 'The Yiddish Policeman's Union' and 'The Thirteenth Tale' but my favourites this year

Infidel - Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Fallen Leaves - Adeline Yen Mah
Out - Natsuo Kirino
The History of Love - Nicole Krauss

Lol - I just added Book Thief to my reserve list at the library and I'm 1st in queue - Woo hoo! Out of curiosity I added Gursney (I've alredy read it just wanted to see where I would come up - I was 95 in queue). I'm 9 for eclipse and 72 for breaking dawn and 76 for Obama's book "Dreams from my father : a story of race and inheritance.

For me, it has been a great year. The top books I would have to say are...
BLINDNESS
THE BOOK THIEF
THE RICE MOTHER
MEMORIRS OF A GESHIA
MIDDLESEX
PILLARS OF THE EARTH
Just to name a few.

I've reserved Book Thief and Guernsey Literary at my library and will start them ASAP. I'm with you Angela...I hope they are as good as everyone has proclaimed them to be.

I am going to start the Book Thief tomorrow... I hope it lives up to everyone's hype!! :>

That's it. I've ordered THE BOOK THIEF.

I'd have to say Book Thief and Guernsey!

Just finished The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb and loved it, so I will add this to my favorite of 08.

OK, so I didn't read this in 08, but The Book Thief made such an impression on me that I recommend it to everyone. I gave my mother a copy for Christmas (last year) and bought myself a copy today. (I really enjoyed I Am The Messenger too, but The Book Thief was just amazing!)

The Thirteenth Tale was also a really great read for anyone who loves books and/or gothic style mysteries. (I had full reading rights as a kid like Margaret Lea did, but I never had a full book-shop at my disposal. *Envy*)

I have quite a few books that have been mentioned on this thread sitting unread in my bedroom bookcases (yep, I have three -it's a wonder I even have a bed in there!) so I need to get busy!

Very difficult...I would have to go with

1. Betty Blue, by Philippe Dijan (LOVED this book)
2. Mudbound, by Hillary Jordan
3. The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein

Hey, these didn't have to be books PUBLISHED in 2008, did they? Just READ in 2008?

1. The Shipping News : A Novel, by E. Annie Proulx.
"'What do you think,' she said. Her voice was rapid. 'You want to marry me, don't you? Don't you think you want to marry me?' Waited for the wisecrack. As she spoke she changed in some provocative way, seemed suddenly drenched in eroticism as a diver rising out of a pool gleams like chrome with a sheet of unbroken water for a fractional second."

2. She Got Up Off the Couch: And Other Heroic Acts from Mooreland, Indiana, by Haven Kimmel.
"He sang like an angel, he was faithful to God and he waited honorably for the wife he believed God chose for him. He made two daughters who shone like mirrors in the direct sun; he blazed his path with a scythe and his broad shoulders, and he was who he chose to be, which is the hardest and bravest thing a man can do. He looked at us, his parents, his sisters, his whole crooked family, and he flexed his jaw muscles, packed up his truck, and drove away."

3. The Master Planets, by Donald Gallinger.
"Time collapsed into a delicate dark pencil brushed against our eyebrows, the emergent rumble of crowds gathering above our heads. We slid into our costumes. Pirate, outlaw, futuristic rebels. Red, purple, gold. Chains hanging from our belts, tight black trousers. We were moved upstairs, closer to the stage. Finally, we heard the cannon's roar: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome... Tanzar recording artists... THE MASTER PLANETS!" The world shot forward. We stepped into the spotlight."

Really beautiful writing coupled with a compelling story is such a rare thing! I love when a story has both momentum AND complexity, and the writing is poetic without drawing attention to itself.

Can anyone suggest more books like this? Please? Pretty please?

I'd forgotten about The Red Tent. I read that a few years ago and thought it was really well done.

Glad to hear your hubby liked "The Art of Racing in the Rain" also Linda. I'm going to buy it in hard back and then my hubby will read it also. I think he'll like it too.

Changed my mind... what I'm reading now is the best: "Caged Bird", the 1st Maya Angelou autobio. I'm re-confirming to myself what I have always known... Fiction (unless it's a mystery) is tough for me. I don't really like reading fiction. Just like my mother I guess; I remember that she read very little fiction too.

I read so much I tend to forget quickly but this year I really liked:
The Seamstress of Hollywood Boulevard- Erin McGraw
Home: A Novel -Merilynne Robinson
Change of Heart - Jodi Picoult
Marley Me - John Grogan

And boy do I love my books !! I always joke that my book habit is probably way more expensive than a crack habit! but luckily better for you!

Paula wrote: "I haven't gone through my total list yet but I think my favorite is going to be "The Art of Racing in the Rain"."

The Art of Racing in the Rain is just one of those books to make you laugh, make you cry, and fill you with a wonder that stays. It is the kind of read that keeps on giving. Loaned it to my husband (the non-book reader, can you believe it) and he loved it as well.

Mari Anne wrote: "Wow just realized how many times I over used the word fascinating! Apologies!"

No problem with your enthusiasm. Gotta love someone who loves her books.

Kathy wrote: "I read several new books this year that I really liked....Duma Key by Stephen King, for example. But I would have to go with The Book Thief. It really stayed with me and made a lasting impression."

Kathy, Totally agree with you on The Book Thief. What a haunting tale. I keep trying to recommend it to my book club, but the subjectmatter keeps getting in my way. Some people just don't want anything that might smack of depressing. Guess I need to find another club.

I haven't gone through my total list yet but I think my favorite is going to be "The Art of Racing in the Rain".

Wow just realized how many times I over used the word fascinating! Apologies!

Thanks Linda-- The Flamboya Tree is a fascinating story of a mother's survival in a Japanese internment camp on Java. Before I read this I never even knew that there were Europeans interred on Java. It's really fascinating and falls in the category of books that is a fascinating and pleasant read but also teaches you something. BTW it was one of my Christmas books this year. I usually only give away my absolute favorites for Christmas!

Shadow Divers was also a fascinating non-fiction book about deep wreck divers and the dangers that they face.

These didn't come out this year but I thought they were good:
*Marley and Me
*The Things I Want My Daughters To Know
*Tell No One

Mari Anne wrote: "Favorites this year:

1. The Art of Racing in the the Rain
2. Middlesex
3. Water for Elephants
4. The Flamboya Tree
5. The Last Lecture
5. Shadow Divers"

Great list. Have not read The Flamboya Tree or Shadow Divers, but thought the others were great.

hard, my top list is:
the fabulos flame of queen loana by Umberto eco
Captain alatriste series by Perez-reverte
the books of blood by clive barker
the true story of hansel and gretel by louise Murphy
somoke and mirros by neil gaiman
sunshine by robert mcinley
the whitching hour by anne rice
never let me go by K. ishiguro

I could go one...

Becoming a Tiger: How Baby Animals Learn to Live in the Wild. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19641...

An amazing mix of science and anecdotal observation told in a very readable and entertaining way. That definitely stood out for me.

Linda wrote: "Picking just one is too tough. No fear, I won't go on and on, but:

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
Just one look - Harlan Coben
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle - David Wroblewski
Skeletons at the ..."

Linda,
Ditto on the Coben and Walters ones for me too!! Yay!

Ooops forgot
6. A Thousand Splendid Suns

Favorites this year:

1. The Art of Racing in the the Rain
2. Middlesex
3. Water for Elephants
4. The Flamboya Tree
5. The Last Lecture
5. Shadow Divers