Best book you have read

[Susie]

If you had to say what the best book you have read in the past twelve months was, just off the top of your head without referring to a list, what would it be?

I'll start. A Little Life. No contest.

[Red52]

The English Patient

[Amy]

Marriage of Opposites! Five fat stars!

[Susie]

I'll just have to add it then!

[Susie]

Rina1775, I read it many years ago and loved it too.

[Jen]

A Little Life wasn't the best book I read (because I think it had some significant flaws) but it was probably the most memorable book I read. I did like it a lot and I don't think I will ever be able to forget it.

Two stand out to me as among the best I've read recently:
The Tsar of Love and Techno
A Fine Balance

[Olivermagnus]

I could never pick my favorite because it changes often but the one I still love after twenty years is The Sunne in Splendour.

[Jen]

Ah, but Susie's question is favorite from the last 12 months not ever. I could never pick an all-time favorite

[Nicole R]

What a hard question! Maybe I am swayed a bit because it is still really fresh in my mind, but I am going with The Queen of the Night.

[Olivermagnus]

Jen wrote: "Ah, but Susie's question is favorite from the last 12 months not ever. I could never pick an all-time favorite"

Sorry....I should have said I reread it last year. It reads much better on the Kindle than when I lugged it around in hardback.

[Jen]

Oh, that makes sense. Sorry, responding from my phone app and can't see how to reply directly to you.

[Nicole R]

Oddly, my favorite book ever is way easier to pick than my favorite book in the last 12 months.

It is Gone with the Wind every single time. I LOVE that book.

[Red52]

Susie wrote: "Rina1775, I read it many years ago and loved it too."

Many times I won't read the book after I've seen the movie, but it has been a long time since I'd watched it. I'm really glad I read the book. I also read at the same time Sacred Hunger. I wanted to see why The Booker could not choose between them that year. Both are outstanding

[Booknblues]

The Tsar of Love and Techno

[Olivermagnus]

I'm definitely adding The Tsar of Love and Techno
after so many people have mentioned it.

[Olivermagnus]

Nicole wrote: "Oddly, my favorite book ever is way easier to pick than my favorite book in the last 12 months.

It is Gone with the Wind every single time. I LOVE that book."

I read this when I was 16 and couldn't believe the difference between the book and the movie. I've only seen the movie once because I was so disappointed.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

I had to cheat and go look. I have read 15 5-star books, and I loved each of them. Today I'll say My Name Is Lucy Barton, but I might have a different answer on a different day.

My all time favorite though? The Age of Innocence and a very close second would be Angle of Repose.

[Jennifer]

I'm going to pick the two books that kept me thinking about them the most after I read them. Those two are Fates and Furies and All the Light we cannot see. For pure enjoyment while reading, I'd pick The Forgotten Garden.

[Sarah]

I think it's easier to pick out a book in the last year than pick a favorite of all time. Mine from the last year is Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson.

[Nicole R]

Jennifer wrote: "Those two are Fates and Furies and All the Light we cannot see...."

Fates and Furies keeps flitting on and off my TBR.

[Denizen]

I had to look, too, because the dates I read something grow fuzzy quickly but actually am choosing a book read in 2016. Life After Life!

[LibraryCin]

I have three books that I rated 5 stars in the past 12 months. I'll list all of them, but it's hard to choose one of the three as my favourite, but I will pick this one:
Still Missing / Chevy Stevens

The other two 5 star books in the past 12 months (and so honourable mentions):
Joyland / Stephen King
How to Survive a Horror Movie / Seth Grahame-Smith

[annapi]

Oops, I went and checked my list. Really, I have to, I read over a hundred books a year and I can't remember stuff like I used to in my twenties. I have 5 books that I rated 5 stars last year, and none yet this year, though Under Heaven got 4.5 stars.

Last year of my 5-star reads my favorite was Doc, read in August 2015.

[Blueberry]

Maybe All the Light We Cannot See or The Invention of Wings or Where'd You Go, Bernadette

[LibraryCin]

annapi wrote: "Oops, I went and checked my list. ..."

I had to check my list, as well!

[Jenni Elyse]

The Eternity Key by Bree Despain. It's the second book in the Into the Dark series. It's a retelling of Persephone and Hades and I love Greek mythology. So it was a win/win.

[Book Concierge]

Since I re-read my all-time favorite novel last July it would be easy to pick that ... but I won't.

I think I'd say my favorite in the past year would be Not Becoming My Mother: and Other Things She Taught Me Along the Way by Ruth Reichl

[Anita]

Nicole wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Those two are Fates and Furies and All the Light we cannot see...."

Fates and Furies keeps flitting on and off my TBR."

I'm three quarters of the way through. I don't think you'd like it, but it is outstanding. Sara, Nicole D., Susie, Jen - - especially Jen - - I think if you haven't read it, you need to.

Warning: The Furies part is better than the Fates part (which is first).

Um, you too Kristel.

[Jen]

Thanks Anita. I do plan to read it soon :). It's been sitting on my end table waiting for me

[Anita]

I was going to go with The Housekeeper and the Professor, but had to double check and it just fell outside of the 12 month mark.

So, I'm going to second A Little Life for fiction. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption would be my non-fiction pick (and second place overall).

[Anita]

Jen wrote: "Thanks Anita. I do plan to read it soon :). It's been sitting on my end table waiting for me"

It's a literary fiction lover's delight. (Note: LibraryCin do not read). Outstanding. Something earthshaking will have to happen for me to end up not loving it. I'll keep you posted.

[Anita]

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I had to cheat and go look. I have read 15 5-star books, and I loved each of them. Today I'll say My Name Is Lucy Barton, but I might have a different answer on a different day.

My..."

My Name Is Lucy Barton is up next for me. Can't wait.

[Anita]

Jen wrote: "A Little Life wasn't the best book I read (because I think it had some significant flaws) but it was probably the most memorable book I read. I did like it a lot and I don't think I..."

A Fine Balance is one of my overall favorites - - but read it outside the time window. By a lot.

[Susie]

So many of these are on my baseball list so I have to wait. It is very difficult! Fares and Furies is there. I'm really looking forward to it now.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Anita wrote: "A Fine Balance is one of my overall favorites - - but read it outside the time window. By a lot. "

One of my all time favorites also.

[Ellen]

My fiction favorite (read in December)
The Martian

My non-fiction favorite (read last week)
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

[Kathy]

In the last 12 months, it would have to be The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult.

[Barbara M]

Amy wrote: "Marriage of Opposites! Five fat stars!"

Ohhh, I want to read that one soon! As for the last 12 months, I think it would be The Art of Hearing Heartbeats

[LibraryCin]

Anita wrote: "It's a literary fiction lover's delight. (Note: LibraryCin do not read)...."

Haha! Thank you! I was guessing that based on who you were recommending it to! :-)

[JoLene]

I'm going to say Night Film, I then checked and noticed it was more like 13 months ago ;-)

[Sara]

Anita wrote: "Nicole wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Those two are Fates and Furies and All the Light we cannot see...."

Fates and Furies keeps flitting on and off my TBR."

I'm three quarters of the way through. I do..."

Well, better add this one to my list then. If I ever have time to read again.

[Sara]

It is hard for me to pick, but I am going to say Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow. I almost typed The Painter by Peter Heller though. Very different books, but both really hit me in the gut.

[Ladyslott]

City on Fire

This book resonated with me because of the time frame which was a big part of my life. Any 900+ page book that I can read in a week(while sick) has to be good.

[[deleted user]]

Without giving it too much thought, I would say Circling the Sun was my favorite book read within the past year.

[Anita]

❁Lisa Ann❃ wrote: "Without giving it too much thought, I would say Circling the Sun was my favorite book read within the past year."

I loved the Paris Wife and really need to get to this one.

[Anita]

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I had to cheat and go look. I have read 15 5-star books, and I loved each of them. Today I'll say My Name Is Lucy Barton, but I might have a different answer on a different day.

My..."

I am LOVING Lucy Barton . . .but it is reading way too fast. I don't want it to end.

[Susie]

I love this thread! Thanks everyone. :-)

[Jennifer]

I loved The Paris Wife too. I liked Circling the Sun less, but maybe because I like colonial Africa less than Paris. I've heard people liked Beryl's own book (a pbt nf100 book--West with the night??) better.

[Tricia]

A Man Called Ove by Frederick Backman

Hands down....lots and lots of stars.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Anita wrote: "I am LOVING Lucy Barton . . .but it is reading way too fast. I don't want it to end. "

Yes, it was barely a 2-day read for this very slow reader. Strout has such an easy style of writing.