Favorite and least favorite reads for 2016

[Kris]

Neverwhere is on my list of books to read. I LOVED The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

[Kris]

Oh, and I forgot to add H is for Hawk as one of my favorites of this past year. It really resonated with me and I had my book club read it. Not everyone felt it as deeply as I did, but that was quite alright.

[Miz]

Leah wrote: "To be perfectly honest, my favorite book I read this year was The Run of His Life, Jeffrey Toobin's book about the OJ Simpson trial. I read it after reazding in January that two OJ projects were com..."

Leah, I highly recommend the podcasts from Real Crime Profile on this case ifhavent listened to them already :)

[Alicia]

Kris wrote: "Neverwhere is on my list of books to read. I LOVED The Ocean at the End of the Lane."

I haven't read Ocean, but Neverwhere is fab.

[Bonnie G.]

Kris wrote: "Oh, and I forgot to add H is for Hawk as one of my favorites of this past year. It really resonated with me and I had my book club read it. Not everyone felt it as deeply as I did, but that was qui..."

I loved loved loved H is for Hawk! I listened to it in 2015, and it was my top book for that year. It seriously blew me away. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Third March Sister]

If you're looking for sexy M-F romances, here's a modern love book that was really enjoyable: How Not To Fall by Emily Foster. My small quibble is like that of another reader, who commented that the female protagonist (I'm paraphrasing) goes from virgin to queen of the sex fairies in short order. That said, however, with such a teacher as the male protagonist, one should not be surprised. The author is apparently a therapist who wrote this book in response to the Fifty Shades series, which appalled her. The sequel is coming out in 2017. Enjoy!

[Bonnie G.]

Third March Sister wrote: "If you're looking for sexy M-F romances, here's a modern love book that was really enjoyable: How Not To Fall by Emily Foster. My small quibble is like that of anoth..."

Thanks, I like Emily Foster so I will give it a whirl.

[Alicia]

Third March Sister wrote: "The author is apparently a therapist who wrote this book in response to the Fifty Shades series, which appalled her. ..."

That's enough of a recommendation for me!

[Alicia]

Third March Sister wrote: "If you're looking for sexy M-F romances, here's a modern love book that was really enjoyable: How Not To Fall by Emily Foster. ..."

Excellent recommendation! I really enjoyed it. I mean *yes* to queen of the sex fairies but she did have a bloke put a lot (a lot) of effort into it and at least she was familiar with getting herself off.

[Third March Sister]

Alicia wrote: "Third March Sister wrote: "If you're looking for sexy M-F romances, here's a modern love book that was really enjoyable: How Not To Fall by Emily Foster. ..."

Excel..."

I'm glad you liked it! The sequel is coming out in 2017, titled How Not to Let Go.

[Alicia]

Third March Sister wrote: "I'm glad you liked it! The sequel is coming out in 2017, titled How Not to Let Go. ..."

And SO CLEARLY an antidote to 50SoG! Even the Ana/Annie thing.

The one thing that bothered me though: (view spoiler)[ if I was having sex with someone who had a serious attachment disorder and thought that he was sometimes a breath away from Hulking out and emulating his abusive father, I would, I think, *slightly* want to know about that *before* going into a submissive bondage scene (hide spoiler)]

[Third March Sister]

Alicia wrote: "Third March Sister wrote: "I'm glad you liked it! The sequel is coming out in 2017, titled How Not to Let Go. ..."

And SO CLEARLY an antidote to 50SoG! Even the Ana/Annie thing.

The one thing tha..."

Agreed. That bothered me, too.

[Linda]

Hi, all, catching up and making my first post, with goal of reading and commenting on all GFY novels this year.
favorites:
Commonwealth
Here I Am
The Never Open Desert Diner
The Swans of Fifth Avenue
A Little Life

Non fiction faves (I realized I read more non fiction this year)
Hons and Rebels
The Six: The Lives of the Mitford Sisters
Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh
The Viceroy's Daughters, Lives of the Curzon Sisters
Hamilton, The Revolution (a beautifully designed hardback book, such a treat)

Disappointments
Razor Girl
At Last, The Final Patrick Melrose Novel
Crosstalk (novella length would have better suited content in my mind)


I find when I get stressed I reread favorite novels and series, and 2016 was a rereading year.

A goodly group of friends, all great readers, are obsessed with Hamilton right now, so I'll sign off as
Your obedient servant,
L dot Tay

[Pamela]

Bonnie wrote:
LOL, hooray for smutty smut! I don't usually groove on the paranormal (especially when there are werewolves -- to me its just sex with dogs which ..."

Prior to this year, J R Ward's Brotherhood of the Black Dagger are HOT vampire books. However the one that came out last summer is top of the Worst Reads list for the year. But until then, so hot!

[Pamela]

Thanks to Goodreads for making this easy!

BEST
The Museum of Extraordinary Things
People of the Book
Fates and Furies
Behold the Dreamers
The Underground Railroad
Rules of Civility

Worse
The Beast
A Confederacy of Dunces
The Eyre Affair
The Rumor

I know F&F is controversial but I read it after the backlash, so was expecting something not good, Plus, I read it a week after touring the artist colony he goes to in the book, so that really made it real!
And I know people love Confederacy, but I did the audio book and the reader made the protagonist the most annoying thing on earth!

I'm so excited to read Homegoing and The Nix this year- among others! Finished Jacqueline Woodson's Another Brooklyn yesterday and it was a good start to the year!

[Bonnie G.]

Pamela wrote: "Thanks to Goodreads for making this easy!

BEST
The Museum of Extraordinary Things
People of the Book
Fates and Furies
[book:Behold the Dreamers|26025..."

We like a lot of the same things (also good to share a dislike of The Eyre Affair with someone -- most people love it), so I am looking forward to reading the things on your list I have not gotten to. I urge you to try Confederacy of Dunces again and in print. It is SO good.

[Pamela]

Bonnie wrote: We like a lot of the same things (also good to share a dislike of The Eyre Affair with someone -- most people love it), so I am looking forward to reading the things on your list I have not gotten to. I urge you to try Confederacy of Dunces again and in print. It is SO good. .."

My issue with the Eyre Affair is he spends the whole time building the world and there's not much room left for the story.

Alot of people really love Confederacy of Dunces, including my mom who I normally agree on books about. So maybe one day. But there's so many good books out there!

[Bonnie G.]

Pamela wrote: "Bonnie wrote: We like a lot of the same things (also good to share a dislike of The Eyre Affair with someone -- most people love it), so I am looking forward to reading the things on your list I ha..."

I get that. I almost never reread for the same reason, though I do sometimes return to things I read when I was at a very different point in my life. It is interesting to see the contrast. For instance in middle age I have come to love Faulkner, but I loathed him in college. Also, every couple years I go back to Pride and Prejudice. I have read it at least a dozen times and I still find something new every time.

[Pamela]

Bonnie wrote: "I get that. I almost never reread for the same reason, though I do sometimes return to things I read when I was at a very different point in my life. It is interesting to see the contrast. For instance in middle age I have come to love Faulkner, but I loathed him in college. Also, every couple years I go back to Pride and Prejudice. I have read it at least a dozen times and I still find something new every time. ."

I am returning to Possession in a few weeks for my Goodreads 52 book challenge, so we'll see. I hated it when I read it when I was in my early 20s so here's hoping I can change my mind!

I reread Brideshead Revisited every few years. And I guess I do reread P&P often as well. What is sad is when you go back to a beloved book and it's really not so good anymore. My book group read Little Women a few years ago. I read it over and over when I was a kid I wrote my college admissions essay about it! But when we reread it when I was 40, I found it too sentimental.

Ooo, Faulkner. I have never understood the phobias and hatreds of him. I took a whole class on him in college (reading Faulkner in the UK, that was an adventure!) so maybe that gave me a comfort of him.

[Bonnie G.]

Pamela wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "I get that. I almost never reread for the same reason, though I do sometimes return to things I read when I was at a very different point in my life. It is interesting to see the con..."

I swear to God when I wrote my comment I was going to type the same thing about Little Women and how I had regretted going back to it! Ditto on The Catcher in the Rye. I loved that book when I was 13 and then I reread it in my 40's and wanted to smack that little brat repeatedly.

Tell me what you think of Possession. I read it in my 30s and was not a fan.

[Pamela]

Bonnie wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "I get that. I almost never reread for the same reason, though I do sometimes return to things I read when I was at a very different point in my life. It is interesting..."

I was so excited to go back to Little Women having learned all about the Existentialists and read biographies about her and felt I would see new aspects of it. So disappointed! However, her Work: A Story of Experience is really good! I will say, my other favorite book as a child, Anne of Green Gables, does hold up! We made lots of new Friends of Anne when we read it in book group (we always read a childrens classic in December if you're wondering why we have immature taste!)

I know better than to return to Catcher in the Rye!

We'll see about Possession. I'll give it 100 pages. There's so many reasons I should love it. Course, there were in 1993 as well. Although I'm not out partying every night and only reading on hung over Sundays anymore. Such the pity!

[Leah]

Linda wrote: "Hi, all, catching up and making my first post, with goal of reading and commenting on all GFY novels this year.
favorites:
Commonwealth
Here I Am
The Never Open Desert Diner
The Swans of Fifth Ave..."

Hear hear to the idea of a stressful 2016 being re-reading year. This year was both stressful and distracting, and I found myself re-reading (Brooklyn, The Blue Castle, and more) more than I've done in years, as well as starting many books I hard time staying focused on.

And boy oh boy, I loved Rules of Civility too!

[Bonnie G.]

Pamela wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "I get that. I almost never reread for the same reason, though I do sometimes return to things I read when I was at a very different point in my life. It..."

LOL, pity indeed. Maybe the slowdown in your own witching hour adventures will improve Possession. By the time I read Byatt I had long left my NYC club kid days and it still didn't work for me. I confess that I like my smut less literary. You can take your Nicholson Baker and A.S. Byatt, I will take my straight up bodice ripping kink fest.

[Alicia]

Bonnie wrote: "(also good to share a dislike of The Eyre Affair with someone -- most people love it),..."

My people!

I really didn't like it - although I read the first 3 and re-read the first 1 just to see if I was wrong and could convince myself. I thought it was clever but trying too hard to be clever. I was pretty familiar with a couple of the books referenced but not enough to get all the allusions so I think I missed a lot of the jokes. And being aware that I was probably missing things made me grumpy.

[Pamela]

Bonnie wrote: "LOL, pity indeed. Maybe the slowdown in your own witching hour adventures will improve Possession. By the time I read Byatt I had long left my NYC club kid days and it still didn't work for me. I confess that I like my smut less literary. You can take your Nicholson Baker and A.S. Byatt, I will take my straight up bodice ripping kink fest."

It's smutty? Well, now it's looking up!

[Kerry]

Bonnie wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Bonnie wrote: We like a lot of the same things (also good to share a dislike of The Eyre Affair with someone -- most people love it), so I am looking forward to reading the things on..."

I too wrote part of my college admissions essay on Little Women and was so sad upon rereading how much less I liked it. LM Montgomery does hold up better - maybe because she spends less time moralizing

[Bonnie G.]

Alicia wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "(also good to share a dislike of The Eyre Affair with someone -- most people love it),..."

My people!

I really didn't like it - although I read the first 3 and re-read the first 1 ..."

We could start a club! I loved the first 5 pages or so, but after that the book just tried SO HARD to be clever. It was exhausting. I once dated a standup comic, he was fine most of the time, but when he was around other comedians they would spend hours trying to one up each other until you just wanted to start handing out ball gags or Lunesta, anything to make it just stop. The Eyre Affair was the literary version of that.

[Bonnie G.]

Pamela wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "LOL, pity indeed. Maybe the slowdown in your own witching hour adventures will improve Possession. By the time I read Byatt I had long left my NYC club kid days and it still didn't w..."

Well it is smutty in a literary way. I do not get aroused by even the hottest Rimbaud has to offer, but other people disagree. My son is a high school senior and his AP class has an erotic poetry selection "His Coy Mistress." You might know it but I had never heard of it. He called and read t to me and we could not stop laughing at what people find hot. I'm sorry, I like crude. The following did not work for me:

Now let us sport us while we may;
And now, like am’rous birds of prey,
Rather at once our time devour,
Than languish in his slow-chapp’d power.
Let us roll all our strength, and all
Our sweetness, up into one ball;
And tear our pleasures with rough strife
Thorough the iron gates of life.
Thus, though we cannot make our sun
Stand still, yet we will make him run.

[Kris]

Bonnie wrote: "Now let us sport us while we may;
And now, like am’rous birds of prey,
Rather at once our time devour,
Than languish in his slow-chapp’d power.
Let us roll all our strength, and all
Our sweetness, up into one ball;
And tear our pleasures with rough strife
Thorough the iron gates of life.
Thus, though we cannot make our sun
Stand still, yet we will make him run. ."

In the immortal words of Paris Hilton, "That's hot."

[Alicia]

I would have thought Marvell would be surprised to hear his work described as erotic! I thought it was about seizing opportunities while they present themselves, rather than actually getting laid.

[Pamela]

Bonnie wrote: "My son is a high school senior and his AP class has an erotic poetry selection "His Coy Mistress." You might know it but I had never heard of it. He called and read t to me and we could not stop laughing at what people find hot. I'm sorry, I like crude. The following did not work for "

We read that in high school. We didn't have to get permission slips although boy did the teacher take it apart! We did have to get parental permission to read Catullus in latin class because the teacher wants to read the smutty ones but I don't remember being shocked by them.