Book Lists : Your Best and Worst reads of 2024

[Alias Reader]

Lindsey wrote:
"Alias - I did not enjoy The Midnight Library, but I think I'm an outlier. I have many friends who loved and recommend it.
.."

I'm not big on fantasy or science fiction so maybe at some point I'll read the "look Inside" feature on Amazon and see if it calls to me.

[madrano]

Alias Reader wrote: "One of friends absolutely love Theroux's books and this is her favorite. I own it but haven't gotten around to reading him yet. I really should as she really is the only person in my real life who reads non fiction..."

It was John who led me to this book, as i somehow acquired a negative impression of the author, thanks to the publicity around the film The Mosquito Coast. So, thank you, John.

I learned this year that i audiobooks just don't appeal to me the way i thought they would. I think it's because i miss seeing every word. In Theroux's case, i'm particularly glad, as there were some unusual observations.

Alias Reader wrote: ""I was thinking of trying this one even though Google says it is two genre that I don't like. Science fiction and Fantasy. "

I won't disagree with those labels, although i didn't see it as either. Afterall, it's a look at a woman who is dying. Who knows? The science fiction component was infinite lives/universes, made after each choice. I suppose i'm quibbling but because i'm ok (but doubtful) of the science, i was accepting. It didn't seem like Fantasy, but i suspect that my definition would differ from those who decide genres. :-)

Thanks for your comments, Alias.

[madrano]

John wrote: "Regarding Great Railway Bazaar, the audio narration did a lot to make it a five-star experience for me."

I can see how this would make it neat. Personally, i suspect i'd be imagining myself on each train, as the book moved along.

As i mentioned upthread, though, i've given up on audiobooks for now. I wonder if you could smell the smoke & foods as they were related? I couldn't actually do so, of course, but the words set my mind to thinking about travel in general, in connection with those two things.

[madrano]

Lindsey wrote: "Well done with 92! And I loved your breakdown and summaries, thank you for sharing those.

I read Hester after you reviewed it earlier this year and enjoyed it. ..."

Thanks for telling me that, Lindsey. I cannot recall offhand who told me about it, but it was someone here at Book Nook Cafe. Connections!

[Alias Reader]

Re: The Midnight Library

madrano wrote: "I won't disagree with those labels, although i didn't see it as either. Afterall, it's a look at a woman who is dying. Who knows? The science fiction component was infinite lives/universes, made after each choice. I suppose i'm quibbling but because i'm ok (but doubtful) of the science, i was accepting. It didn't seem like Fantasy, but i suspect that my definition would differ from those who decide genres. :-)

I guess at some point I'll just have to read it for myself. :)

[Bella (Kiki)]

Alias Reader wrote: "Lindsey wrote:
"Alias - I did not enjoy The Midnight Library, but I think I'm an outlier. I have many friends who loved and recommend it.
.."

I'm not big on fantasy or science fiction so maybe at..."

Someone tagged it "Magical Realism" which I don't think you like, either, do you? I can take a scene or two of it, but not much.

[Bella (Kiki)]

I'm rereading The Waves by Virginia Woolf because I love it and it's short. LOL Fewer than 200 pages.

[Alias Reader]

The Midnight Library

Bella (Kiki) wrote: Someone tagged it "Magical Realism" which I don't think you like, either, do you? I can take a scene or two of it, but not much."

That is correct. Magical Realism is absolutely not my thing.

[madrano]

I won't comment on that, as i didn't see the book that way. The trend to tag a genre to a title leads to alternatives but what i see as magic realism is different from others. If a person had dreamed all these alternative lives for herself, would that also be considered magical realism? If so, then you have an answer. For me, it was just science fiction, a fresh way to introduce parallel lives to readers.

[Bella (Kiki)]

madrano wrote: "I won't comment on that, as i didn't see the book that way. The trend to tag a genre to a title leads to alternatives but what i see as magic realism is different from others. If a person had dream..."

To me, parallel lives is metaphysics, not science fiction, which shows how personal book tags are.

[madrano]

Indeed.

[Samanta]

Hi, everyone! :)

So far I've read 38 books of which one is not listed on Goodreads because it hasn't yet been published.

My absolute favourites so far:

The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason 5 stars
I loved everything about this book, and I've decided to apply some of the tactics with my finances.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
5 stars

Priče iz Vukovara by Siniša Glavašević (no English translation as far as I know) - stories written by a Croatian journalist, native of Vukovar, who was in Vukovar during the siege (Croatian Homeland war after the fall of Yugoslavia). He was killed by the enemy forces.

Stories for Children by Isaac Bashevis Singer Educational stories filled with Jewish and Slavic tradition and mythology. Good for adults, too. 5 stars

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese
Beautiful prose and a very empowering story. 5 stars

Travels with Epicurus: A Journey to a Greek Island in Search of a Fulfilled Life by Daniel Klein
A gem I accidentaly discovered in my favourite local library that filled one of the 2024 prompts perfectly. 5 stars

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
The prose, and the words, and the messages this man could write are just out of this world. Gave the edition I had 4 stars, but Gibran gets a 5.

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa 5 stars
This one made me cry.

Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien 5 stars
I have been a Tolkien fan since I read Hobbit in high school, but this is special. Without giving you spoilers, I envy the Tolkien children for having Tolkien as their father.


Absolute worst reads so far:

Začuđeni svatovi by Eugen Kumičić - I did not finish this book. I realised I have a problem with Croatian classics from 19th century written by men. I am also a bit ashamed to admit that I do not like the 19th century version of Croatian language. I find it to be all over the place, the conjugations, declination, etc. The writing style is too dramatic, at least in the books I've read so far. I prefer the language we speak today, although many do not agree with me.

The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts by Louis de Bernières - DID NOT FINISH
This is supposed to be a satire, and it fulfills that purpose, but I just couldn't get into it.

The Romance of Tristan and Iseult by Joseph Bédier 3 stars, but I could have easily given less. I finished it, but it was difficult.

The Eyes by Edith Wharton 3 stars.
I finished it, but I don't know what I read.

[Lindsey]

Samanta wrote: "The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa 5 stars
This one made me cry."

I've been wanting to read this one too! Glad you enjoyed it.

I laughed at your last comment: "I finished it, but I don't know what I read." :)

[Samanta]

Lindsey wrote: "Samanta wrote: "The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa 5 stars
This one made me cry."

I've been wanting to read this one too! Glad you enjoyed it.

I laughed at your last comment: "I finis..."

Hahahaha. Honest to God truth. :D

[Alias Reader]

Samanta wrote: "
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
5 stars

Agree. The movie is also wonderful !

I have to check out some of the titles on your best of list. Thank you!

[madrano]

Samanta wrote: "Hi, everyone! :)

So far I've read 38 books of which one is not listed on Goodreads because it hasn't yet been published.

My absolute favourites so far..."

Thank you for sharing your favs & not with us, Samanta. I've learned much by reading your Challenge selections and comments this year.

A fine example is the first in your "worst". I was unaware that the Croatian language had changed dramatically. Many readers complain about the thickness of the language in 19th & early 20th century British & American classics, but i don't know if that is similar to the changes you mean.

I've not read Wharton's story "The Eyes". I see Goodreads calls also lists it under "horror" and "gothic". Interesting. It doesn't call to me, more so given your terrific assessment.

Thanks for sharing your list. I heartily endorse both Mockingbird & Hester. The former more than the latter but it's a different era, eh? And, of course, Gibran!

[Samanta]

madrano wrote: "Samanta wrote: "Hi, everyone! :)

So far I've read 38 books of which one is not listed on Goodreads because it hasn't yet been published.

My absolute favourites so far..."

Thank you for sharing y..."

I love reading English-language classics (British more so than American), but as a non-native speaker, I am not sure what people mean by thickness. As for Croatian, 19th century is the time when we developed the standard version of Croatian language (a bit of a complicated topic to explain here). It differs a lot from the language we speak today because it still did not have consistent rules as it has today, and it has many words (or versions of words) that we do not use today, but our neighbours in Serbia and Bosnia and Hercegovina do. The 19th century was the time of struggle for preserving national identity for all of us here, and it was more about a joint South Slavic effort than a separate national effort, and we spoke that way until we left Yugoslavia and officialy stopped using the now outdated Serbo-Croatian language, the official language of the post WWII Federation of Yugoslavia.

[madrano]

Samanta wrote: "It differs a lot from the language we speak today because it still did not have consistent rules as it has today, and it has many words (or versions of words) that we do not use today, but our neighbours in Serbia and Bosnia and Hercegovina do..."

Thank you for sharing this information, Samanta. As i've read books on early US/colonial history, i learn there were some changes in words, sometimes for political & economic reasons, over the transfer in power. I suppose this happens more often than many of us are aware.

It's fascinating to learn the hows & whys of developments in our basic languages. And it's a topic that is still lively today, thanks for the Internet and social media. Again, i appreciate that you took the time to explain this.