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What has been the best book you've read so far this year?
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Krista
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Aug 29, 2011 05:30PM
Have you had any book that you've really, really enjoyed this year (it doesn't have to have been published this year)?
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I just finished The Language of Flowers and have to say it was amazing. The story flips between present day and 10 years ago. Victoria was shuttled between foster homes and is labeled a "difficult" child until she ends up on a vineyard with a single woman named Elizabeth, who was a difficult child herself. Elizabeth teaches Victoria about plants and their meanings, which is in some instances the only way Victoria knows how to communicate. Haunting and beautifully told.
"The Peach Keepers" by Sarah Addison Allen is the first to come to mind. I keep a list, and I star the really awesome ones. I also just finished "The Help," which I really loved, but I'm not sure yet if it merits a star.
"Ruby Red" by Kerstin Gier. Awesome Teen book. I could not put it down! Too bad the next one does not come out till Summer 2012 :(
The Help was also at the top of my list. And I thought the movie did an excellent job of portraying the characters and of presenting most of the major themes in the book well.
Ready Player One....Loved this book. Once again the youth of the world have to try and save the day.
Hillenbrand's Unbroken is the best, by far. Also started Lee Child's Jack Reacher series this year. Those are very enjoyable.
The best book that I have read this year is one that was the best book I read several years ago. I just re-read "The Promise" by Danielle Steel. It is the book that changed me from a reader of only mysteries and spy stories to be also a reader of romance. I know that a lot of men wouldn't admit to being a reader of romance, but I am both a reader and an author of same."The Promise" is truely one of the best plotted and best written stories I have ever encountered, and even though I knew what was going to happen, I enjoyed the story immensely. I highly reccommend it to any one who has not read it and reccommend a re-read to those who read it years ago.
I had to really think about this!The best book I read this year was Jane Eyre. I had been resisting this book for a long time because I had seen many films based on the book and thought I knew the story. When my book club picked it, I grumbled. I was so surprised with how much I liked it and how unprepared I was for the ending. It was great!
After that I really enjoyed The Shadow of the Wind. A great story about a time and place I knew little about. Really well written with some interesting, unforgettable characters.
I want to read Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption since I've heard nothing but great things about this book. I'm trying to get my hands on a copy before the year is over.
Born to Run, without a doubt!Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
"The werewolf, the librarian and I" By: Erin Rambeau
I recently finished Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin. This was just an incredibly impressive story about his years at the Beiing Ballet Academy, his defection to the West and the struggles of his family. Mao and his infamous "buddies" may be gone, however, there is really still not a great deal of freedom for those in the creative world in China.
I recently read 3 books I really enjoyed - a trifecta - due to a lot of airport time. They are Bell Canto by Ann Patchett, The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Margaret Barbary, and The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes. Now, I'm into 11/22/63, by Stephen King, and enjoying it so far.
Mere Christianity by CS Lewis. Without a doubt. Possibly the best book I've EVER read.
I would have to say "The Fault in our Stars" by John Green.
Just finished re-reading 'Pig Boats' a really excellent history of the US Navy Submarine force in WW2. It should be a Must Read for anyone interested in WW2 history. Few people have an understanding of how much our strategy early in the Pacific War depended on our Submarines after most of the fleet was destroyed or heavily damaged on Dec 7 1941. Reads like a non-fiction, but it is not-in fact it was origninally written as a naval report. Highly reccommended.
I enjoyed Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King. One voice throughout, an interesting approach to fiction. Not horror, but a long confessional told with good backstories.
I would like to reccomend "The Reagan Diaries" -- you do not have to like the man or be in agreement with his politics to get a lot out of this book -- it is a facinating look at the day to day operation of the Presidency. As a former government tacher, I highly reccommend it. ----- and as a sidenote to you readers and writers of romance as I am-- it is a really intersting look at the marriage of he and Nancy and a romance as good as that of most authors.
Just finished The Witness by Nora Roberts---she has many, many books, and I have read quite a few----this is one of the very best novels I have read.
"Radical" by David Platt is a call for Christians to ditch their middle-class complacency. A life-changing read!
"Gödel's Proof" by Ernest Nagel and James R. Newman. I've read several books about Gödel, all good (some perhaps better than this particular book about Gödel), but this is the only thing I've read about Gödel this year. I've read some other interesting books this year (The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout, Control Your Dreams by Jayne Gackenback, The Hot Garden by Scott Calhoun, Personal Development for Smart People by Steve Pavlina, Why Him? Why Her? by Helen Fisher... ), but I'm still so enamored with all things Gödel that that book was probably still my favorite for the year.
If you're a scifi fan -- check out John Scalzi's new book Redshirts. SUPER FUN.
I've read so many good ones it would be hard to pick!The Help was certainly excellent and I recommend it to anyone.
Atlas Shrugged is deep and wordy and lengthy and not for everyone, but it has some wonderful and thought-provoking things to say, even if one doesn't agree with all of them.
Defending Jacob was thought-provoking and disturbing and a good mystery to boot.
I just finished The Diary of Mattie Spenser and was not expecting much going into it, but it turned out to be very good indeed, especially since it's set when the Colorado Territory was being settled and her feelings about the terrain and the blending of very different types of people is very interesting!
The Poisonwood Bible is an excellent telling of culture and religion shock and how people's perceptions can be vastly different, but still the same. It's longer, but such a good book.
I'm sure there are others, but those are all I can think of off the top of my head.
I've got a long list of great books I've read 2012. The Spirit BoxThe Devil's Fire
Pride and Prejudice and Vampires
There were many others also.
Three of my favorites this year have been The Help, The Shadow of the Wind and The Fault in Our Stars. All excellent books I have recommended to several people already.
I discovered the Inspector Gamache mystery series by Louise Penny this year and read all of them. This is an excellent series with well developed characters.
The best books I've read this year are The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay. An absolutely fantastic series!I also absolutely loved the Black Dagger Brotherhood series: Dark Lover, Lover Eternal, Lover Awakened, Lover Revealed, Lover Unbound...
I enjoyed reading The Haunting of Hill House. Strange book. Now I'm reading another of Shirley Jackson's books, The Bird's Nest. I plan to read all her novels. Love discovering new authors, even if they're old classics.
So far this year I've liked Me Before You and Out of the Easy. Speaking from Among the Bones was also pretty good, not the strongest in the series, but not bad. I also like The Madman's Daughter, a retelling of The Island of Dr. Moreau for the YA set.Still waiting on that stellar-knock-out-5-star book of the year. Maybe Neil Gaiman's new book will be the one? Has anyone read it yet?
Homefrontgirl wrote: "So far this year I've liked Me Before You and Out of the Easy. . .I just finished Me Before You and I agree...it was one of my favorites this year too!
Christina,I, too, am a huge fan of Louise Penny's series!
My favorite suspense novels that I've read recently were Defending Jacob and Gone Girl.
Loved Gone Girl. Sent shivers down my spine!
I'd have to say Gone Girl. I saw the movie before I read the book, and I was still able to love it, despite already knowing the twist.
Have read several in different genres Unbroken, Franklin and Winston, Small Blessings, The Wright Brothers.
These have been my 2 favorites for the year: Sand Omnibus and Smarter Than You Think: How Technology is Changing Our Minds for the Better
"All the Light We Cannot See" is hands-down my favorite book this year.
Another vote for All the Light We Cannot See. I loved the story, the storytelling, the characters, even the cover art. Pretty great book.
Pikes Peak Library District
Books mentioned in this topic
All the Light We Cannot See (other topics)Sand (other topics)
Smarter Than You Think: How Technology is Changing Our Minds for the Better (other topics)
Gone Girl (other topics)
Defending Jacob: A Novel (other topics)
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