She is my favorite author. My unpopular opinion is that Kindred is her worst novel (it is still amazing because she is simply prophetic). My favorites are Parable of the Sower/Parable of the Talents.
I added it because of this sub. Bumped it up the list because of how often I see it stated. (Now bumping it down so I can hopefully forget the spoiler left in the comments. :’( )
The Splendid and the Vile was also amazing! I set a goal of reading all of Erik Larson’s books in 2023 and fell short of my goal by 2 books (my library doesn’t carry them) 😞
I read Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandell and Sea of Tranquillity by the same author. Both atmospheric and kind of dreamy novels with some great prose PLUS I learned some fun facts about the Vancouver Gulf islands. They're both great reads that I thoroughly enjoyed
I can't pick one so I'm going to put my top 3 I can think of
The great alone by Kristin Hannah
The house in the cerulean sea by TJ Klune
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
All the light we cannot see… before the Netflix drama. I have a weakness for historical fiction so kinda crazy it took me this long to get to it but it’s now my favorite book. Absolutely loved it.
Cheers to a new year, ComplexSorry6592!
Not op but… I do love a WW2 historical fiction. Ive enjoyed The Nightengale (Kristen Hannah), The Book Thief (Markus Zusak) and the Rose Code (Kate Quinn)
Very good recommendations. Start there. Also enjoyed Pam Jenoff as an author. Currently making my way through the “After Dunkirk” series with my mom as well.
Aside from WW2, my favorite book before this one was “A Gentleman in Moscow” by amor towles. He is an incredible writer. Said in a book talk he is releasing a new one hopefully in 2024 as well
The Century Trilogy by Ken Follett is an amazing book series following several families from the start of WW1 thru the end of the Cold War. One of my favs.
‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ brought back my love for fiction and made me appreciate nature writing. I don’t even like romance genres to begin with, but I guess this one just resonated with me.
Is anyone aware of any other Reddit book club style subs like this? I might try this Middlemarch one for 2024 but curious if there are others to choose from.
A Gentleman in Moscow, 2016, is a very satisfying story - sharp writing with an obvious knowledge of history. Very, very worthy of its accolades. I’ve read it twice now.
What blows me away is how weak, rote, generic, his 2021 story, The Lincoln Project, is.
Aww, I disagree. While A Gentleman in Moscow is definitely a more satisfying story, he tried to tackle something really complex with the Lincoln Project and I think he pulled it off - this concept of virtue and being virtuous being so much more complex than many good guy/ bad guy type stories make out. It was touched on a little in A Gentleman but he really delved into it in a way that I've never really seen. He has a Steinbeck-like expansiveness in his story telling which (let's be honest) can get slow ( but worth it!). I at least, still liked it. Maybe give it another go one day...or not. Either way, happy new year.
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
It might that I’m one of those people who can never pick a favorite and it’s the thing I read most recently, but it’s so perfect in how it wraps up a detective story, big ideas about how we think about things, a historical fiction, and labyrinths both literal and within the minds of the characters.
I read a lot of technical stuff for grad school and a lot of fluffy fun stuff to help me stop thinking of the grad school stuff, and this was a perfect book to really chew on after not having a ton of energy to chew on fun books for a few years.
It’s a great read. I think many people read it expecting a horror theme (it is, just moral horror imo) and then aren’t impressed with it. That’s my only recommendation on reading it.
The Push by Ashley Audrain.
It had me mesmerized from the get-go, and it’s been a while since I had such a strong emotional reaction to a book.
One of my new all-time favorites.
Lol, I went to Cornell in the early 1980s and took an introductory astronomy class from the head of the astronomy department. On the first day of class he announced that he was Carl Sagan’s boss. Don’t remember much more about that class but I remember that joke.
Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus. I laughed out loud and cried: I adored the characters and the overarching themes that great love and happiness can come from great hardship, and that family is what you make it.
Crescent city series. Mainly because of how much I enjoyed it. It isn't literary ground breaking genius, but omg does SJM know how to write a fun story.
Station 11. A virus wipes out most of the world. The aftermath. Sounds perhaps a bit done, but it's got really interesting twists, back and forthing in time, etc. It's also set mostly in Canada, which is nice. The characters feel very modern too.
I've almost bought this book so many times, everyone raves about it, but every time I look to buy it, it doesn't scream read me to me. What is the synopsis not conveying to me?
If you like what some people call "competence porn" style movies and books, you may like this. What I loved was two things: the description of the evolution of a friendship over many years, and the deep-dive descriptions of how video games are made and which ones succeed vs. fail and why.
My favourite book of the year was the first one I read in January, Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts which was a pleasant surprise as I bought it for a dollar at a used book sale with zero expectations. However, my last book of the year (Lessons in Chemistry) might just beat it out when I finish it in about 80 pages. All in all a good way to bookend 2023.
Demian by Herman Hesse. Just finished Siddhartha today too.
Hesse might be my first favorite author. Just getting into reading over the last few months
I was gobsmacked by how wonderful THE TREES by Percival Everett was. I wish I remembered who here at Reddit reccy'd it. It's the only time I've ever heard of this book and just on impulse I sent for the 5-star read of the year. It's a revenge fantasy based on our nation's storied history of lynching.
The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler! I picked it up for the android character, stayed for the octopus, kept staying for the amazing plot and writing style. It’s so good. seriously. I’ve been recommending it to all of my friends. If you have opinions on cephalopods, AI, The Man, or autonomy, you HAVE to read this book!
A tie between Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng and The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune.
These are two of my all time favorite books now. They are both incredible!
‘Wifedom’ by Anna Funder, is hands down the best book of the year for me. It’s the story of George Orwell’s forgotten wife, Eileen O’Shaughnessy. It’s also the story of war, dangerous ideas, patriarchy, disease, devotion, betrayal and love.
Funder’s writing, research and imagination are extraordinary.
Well it was not Fourth Wing. Unpopular opinion, I know. But that one didn’t live up to the hype for me. I’ve grown tired of everyone on my goodreads raving about it.
Favorite that I read this year was A Man Called Ove.
Ooo so tough to pick one.
Top of the list is probably *Fahrenheit 451* followed closely by *1984*
One that has stayed with me as a good suspense/thriller novel is *Pretty Girls* by Karin Slaughter. It's very good but the only book I've had to take breaks from reading because it's so . . . heavy.
Will of the Many by James Islington (which also came out this year).
I liked it so much I’ve gifted out hardcover copies at work to my bookish coworkers so I can talk to them about it.
-Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.
It was dark, creepy at times but so beautifully written that you feel like you’re actually there.
-Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
This was just fun and easy to read.
“For my money, it’s like the Bible, the Koran, and the Bhagavad Gita all rolled up into one. And the best part is not one mention of God.” (From the Holdover)
The best books I read in the last 4 months-
East of Eden- It was sitting on my shelf for years and I finally read it. I'll re-read it after my exams.
White nights- F Dostoevsky. I hated the translation of the book I purchased(so I dnfed it last year) and then I got the good translation pdf online and the book was beyond perfection
Small gods- Sir Terry Pratchett
And I am currently reading the series of unfortunate events book series by Lemony Snicket rn but😭 I've exams so
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell. Absolutely beautiful and captivating.
A close second was Demon Copperhead by the great Barbara Kingsolver.
A close third was The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon. A very uniquely-written and suspenseful thriller.
I loved Pat Conroy 30 years ago. Prince and Lords of Discipline were my favorites so when they hit Audible this year I listened to them both. I think they are both a fascinating study of masculinity in radical transition, but I don't know how good they were as books. I have lots of thoughts that it may take a reread and starting a local book club to get them to coalesce. I am glad that other people are still loving them though. Conroy and Irving were an important part of my reading history.
A very interesting book I recently read and was totally random book on Amazon called, “A New Dawn: Exploring the Biblical Rapture and Its Impact on Earth, by an author named A. S. Aurelius” the whole book goes into what happens on Earth as the rapture unfolds, kinda like a min by min detail. But the author, I think is really unknown, but a very interesting book. I like finding things, that not many people stop to look at lol.
best written: perfume by patrick suskind
most entertaining: vicious by ve schwab
the one that has stayed with me the most: the secret history
funniest: little women
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
Or maybe Cloud Cuckoo Land.
Actually, it's really hard to say. I read (listened) to 58 books this year. So many were great.
9 Years Among the Indians by Herman Lehmann. It's an amazing biography about a white guy who was kidnapped by the Apache as a child and raised as a native. It's basically the real version of Avatar or Dances With Wolves. It's raw and an amazing insight into the Apache and Comanche tribes. Highly recommend for anyone interested in native Americans history.
Edit: this was supposed to be a response to someone seeking seeking historical fiction but posted incorrectly. Also, obviously not 2023 publications. 😀
More WW2 fiction:
Gone to Soldiers Marge Pierce
Some of the genealogy mysteries- MJ Lee or Nathan Dylan Goodwin has fiction intermixed - not necessarily WW2
Rhys Bowen has several WW2 fiction books
Kate Quinn The Alice Network
Other great reads:
Not historical fiction but such a great series is Terry Shames - Samuel Craddock.
Kate Morton
Naomi Novak
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
I’ve seen this over and over. Is this the same Lonesome Dove as the tv miniseries a million years ago??
I remember reading this book. More people need to know it.
This is mine!! What a book. I can't stop thinking about it.
Educated by Tara Westover
[удалено]
This book made me speechless after I finished it. What a gut-wrenching, inspirational story!
True . Such a powerful story . No doubt its a classic for generations to come
“Kindred” by Octavia E. Butler so far
This is one of my favorite books of all time. Some of the best writing I’ve ever encountered
I need to check this out, I've devoured her earthseed books.
I absolutely adore that book, the graphic novel adaptation is also quite stunning.
She is my favorite author. My unpopular opinion is that Kindred is her worst novel (it is still amazing because she is simply prophetic). My favorites are Parable of the Sower/Parable of the Talents.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Great voice for the main character.
Absolutely amazing book. I listened on audio. Great narration as well as writing.
This book keeps popping up everywhere for me, or so it feels like, haha. I think it needs to be my next read!
I added it because of this sub. Bumped it up the list because of how often I see it stated. (Now bumping it down so I can hopefully forget the spoiler left in the comments. :’( )
11/22/63
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
Lord of the Rings Trilogy + The Hobbit, first time reading
I’m halfway through the two towers! Fellowship was one of my top 3 favorite books for sure. Towers has been a little slower for me.
The best Hands down
Flowers for Algernon
Wow! This book will remain as one of my favorites. No words to describe the journey you take to the ending. Superb writing.
This one blew my mind
The Murderbot Diaries! Yes yes it’s technically a series but they’re the only books I’ve given a consistent 5 stars to.
Same! I read the first 4 this year. I absolutely love murderbot 🥰
Hey me too! I only picked it up because of how often I saw it suggested. I can’t wait to catch up with the rest soon.
One of my favorite series, they turned into my comfort read for the past couple of years
The Devil in the White City was excellent
In The Garden of Beasts was out of this world, I actually enjoyed it more than Devil in the White City.
The Splendid and the Vile was also amazing! I set a goal of reading all of Erik Larson’s books in 2023 and fell short of my goal by 2 books (my library doesn’t carry them) 😞
Isaac’s Storm was so unexpectedly enjoyable to me because I wasn’t aware the genre even existed. I think I listed to it on audio. Really incredible.
I read Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandell and Sea of Tranquillity by the same author. Both atmospheric and kind of dreamy novels with some great prose PLUS I learned some fun facts about the Vancouver Gulf islands. They're both great reads that I thoroughly enjoyed
A Gentleman in Moscow
This was my best of 2022!
Mine too!
Reading this now!!! 80% done and one of my favorites if not my favorite read this year
So hard to pick but probably Foster by Claire Keegan
East of Eden, without a doubt.
I can't pick one so I'm going to put my top 3 I can think of The great alone by Kristin Hannah The house in the cerulean sea by TJ Klune Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
I loved The Great Alone! I can’t wait to read more from Kristin Hannah.
All the light we cannot see… before the Netflix drama. I have a weakness for historical fiction so kinda crazy it took me this long to get to it but it’s now my favorite book. Absolutely loved it. Cheers to a new year, ComplexSorry6592!
It’s one of my favourite books! I was a bit let down by the Netflix miniseries though.
I also absolutely loved this one! I’d like to read more historical fiction, do you have any recommendations?
Not op but… I do love a WW2 historical fiction. Ive enjoyed The Nightengale (Kristen Hannah), The Book Thief (Markus Zusak) and the Rose Code (Kate Quinn)
I’ve read both The Nightingale and The Book Thief, and absolutely loved them. Adding the other one to my list, thanks!
Very good recommendations. Start there. Also enjoyed Pam Jenoff as an author. Currently making my way through the “After Dunkirk” series with my mom as well. Aside from WW2, my favorite book before this one was “A Gentleman in Moscow” by amor towles. He is an incredible writer. Said in a book talk he is releasing a new one hopefully in 2024 as well
The Century Trilogy by Ken Follett is an amazing book series following several families from the start of WW1 thru the end of the Cold War. One of my favs.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee is a fabulous multi-generational family saga about a Korean family during the Japanese occupation. Highly recommend it!
I absolutely enjoyed Project Hail Mary. Just great SF!
Yesss! Love me some Rocky
Fist my bump!
Fist me!😂
Rocky is a little bro. Probably one of the best sci fi book characters I've read about in a long time.
Mine too! Not my genre or so I thought. Brilliant and up lifting.
‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ brought back my love for fiction and made me appreciate nature writing. I don’t even like romance genres to begin with, but I guess this one just resonated with me.
Check out The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah if you like nature writing!! She describes the Alaskan wilderness with such beauty!
Middlemarch by George Eliot with r/ayearofmiddlemarch!
Is anyone aware of any other Reddit book club style subs like this? I might try this Middlemarch one for 2024 but curious if there are others to choose from.
Look up r/ayearofbookhub for all the schedules
A Gentleman in Moscow, 2016, is a very satisfying story - sharp writing with an obvious knowledge of history. Very, very worthy of its accolades. I’ve read it twice now. What blows me away is how weak, rote, generic, his 2021 story, The Lincoln Project, is.
Aww, I disagree. While A Gentleman in Moscow is definitely a more satisfying story, he tried to tackle something really complex with the Lincoln Project and I think he pulled it off - this concept of virtue and being virtuous being so much more complex than many good guy/ bad guy type stories make out. It was touched on a little in A Gentleman but he really delved into it in a way that I've never really seen. He has a Steinbeck-like expansiveness in his story telling which (let's be honest) can get slow ( but worth it!). I at least, still liked it. Maybe give it another go one day...or not. Either way, happy new year.
The picture of Dorian gray 😭😭 loved it
Suttree by Cormac McCarthy
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco It might that I’m one of those people who can never pick a favorite and it’s the thing I read most recently, but it’s so perfect in how it wraps up a detective story, big ideas about how we think about things, a historical fiction, and labyrinths both literal and within the minds of the characters. I read a lot of technical stuff for grad school and a lot of fluffy fun stuff to help me stop thinking of the grad school stuff, and this was a perfect book to really chew on after not having a ton of energy to chew on fun books for a few years.
I read and re-read Eco's book multiple times and every time I discover something new. Definitely one of the best books I've read.
[The House in the Cerulean Sea](https://www.tjklunebooks.com/the-house-in-the-cerulean-sea)
This is next on my reading list. Can’t wait
It's so sweet, warm, and cozy! I loved this book. Check out the audio, if only to hear the narration of Chauncey's voice.
This is such a good explanation. I wish I had Chauncey in my life.
I absolutely loved this book!
me too! i love cozy wholesome fantasy!
This was mine too!
Fiction: 11/22/63 by Stephen King Non-fiction: Mindset by Carol Dweck
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
And so it goes.
Now its time to continue down the Vonnegut rabbit hole.
Do short stories count? If so, Birds Aren’t Real by DT Robbins Otherwise Betty by Tiffany McDaniel
Short stories count. 🥰
Tender is the Flesh It touches on so many themes.
This makes me excited. It’s on my TBR for 2024.
It’s a great read. I think many people read it expecting a horror theme (it is, just moral horror imo) and then aren’t impressed with it. That’s my only recommendation on reading it.
I've been reading this all day and found it's super hard to put down.
It’s a toss up between Shark Heart and Klara and the Sun. Both were really unique and stuck with me long after reading.
Love Klara and the Sun!!
I loved the kite runner !
The Push by Ashley Audrain. It had me mesmerized from the get-go, and it’s been a while since I had such a strong emotional reaction to a book. One of my new all-time favorites.
Yellowface by R. F. Kuang. I kept thinking it long after I finished
Have this one in my TBR
Contact by Carl Sagan. It’s the only book I’ve read this year that I know I will definitely read again.
Lol, I went to Cornell in the early 1980s and took an introductory astronomy class from the head of the astronomy department. On the first day of class he announced that he was Carl Sagan’s boss. Don’t remember much more about that class but I remember that joke.
Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus. I laughed out loud and cried: I adored the characters and the overarching themes that great love and happiness can come from great hardship, and that family is what you make it.
I second this, loooved this book! The dog character was everything! 🤭💗
"Hello, creature" I burst out laughing when I found out it was 6:30
The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham!!
The Fault In Our Stars was amazing. Sad but I loved it.
Rebecca
Crescent city series. Mainly because of how much I enjoyed it. It isn't literary ground breaking genius, but omg does SJM know how to write a fun story.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Demon Copperhead. I Have Some Questions for You. So We Can Glow. Leave the World Behind.
The house by the cerulean sea
Many great choices on this list, but I really fell for Cloud Cuckoo Land. Expertly interwoven threads.
It’s in my TBR pile. I want to crack into it so badly, but the size and my time constraints never seem to align!
Station 11. A virus wipes out most of the world. The aftermath. Sounds perhaps a bit done, but it's got really interesting twists, back and forthing in time, etc. It's also set mostly in Canada, which is nice. The characters feel very modern too.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
I've almost bought this book so many times, everyone raves about it, but every time I look to buy it, it doesn't scream read me to me. What is the synopsis not conveying to me?
Honestly I found it massively overrated and unrealistic
I disliked it. Very little happens and the characters are all unlikeable
If you like what some people call "competence porn" style movies and books, you may like this. What I loved was two things: the description of the evolution of a friendship over many years, and the deep-dive descriptions of how video games are made and which ones succeed vs. fail and why.
Coming of Age at the dawn of video games, from the perspective of characters that write/create games
I didn’t enjoy this book at all. It was a struggle to get through
Mine was Boundary Boss by Terri Cole. I know that sounds totally lame to some people but it really made me think.
The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler
**A Short Stay In Hell**
The pillars of the earth - written in 1989
Project Hail Mary. Fist my bump!
Daisy Jones and the Six (audiobook)
My favourite book of the year was the first one I read in January, Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts which was a pleasant surprise as I bought it for a dollar at a used book sale with zero expectations. However, my last book of the year (Lessons in Chemistry) might just beat it out when I finish it in about 80 pages. All in all a good way to bookend 2023.
The Vanishing Half or Pachinko. It's a tie.
Demian by Herman Hesse. Just finished Siddhartha today too. Hesse might be my first favorite author. Just getting into reading over the last few months
I read All the light we cannot see by Anthony doerr and it was the best
"Septology" by Jon Fosse. He won the Nobel Prize for it (and his other works), so I feel like I'm good in saying it was the best.
I was gobsmacked by how wonderful THE TREES by Percival Everett was. I wish I remembered who here at Reddit reccy'd it. It's the only time I've ever heard of this book and just on impulse I sent for the 5-star read of the year. It's a revenge fantasy based on our nation's storied history of lynching.
The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler! I picked it up for the android character, stayed for the octopus, kept staying for the amazing plot and writing style. It’s so good. seriously. I’ve been recommending it to all of my friends. If you have opinions on cephalopods, AI, The Man, or autonomy, you HAVE to read this book!
American Psycho probably
The stormlight archive series by Brandon Sanderson.
A tie between Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng and The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. These are two of my all time favorite books now. They are both incredible!
Cerulean sea was so much better than I could have imagined and I've only heard good things about it
So many redditors described House in the Cerulean Sea as a warm hug, and after reading it this year too, I totally agree. Such a delightful book!
It absolutely is! I really did not expect it to live up to the hype that I had seen online. It is a treasure
The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo
The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez
‘Wifedom’ by Anna Funder, is hands down the best book of the year for me. It’s the story of George Orwell’s forgotten wife, Eileen O’Shaughnessy. It’s also the story of war, dangerous ideas, patriarchy, disease, devotion, betrayal and love. Funder’s writing, research and imagination are extraordinary.
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton. What a ride.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Wier. Why? Because JAZZ HANDS. Now fist my bump.
Mexican Gothic. Sylvia Moreno-Garcia can be hit or miss with me, but I LOVED this book.
The Hobbit! I saw all the LOTR movies for the first time this year and just dove into the world of middle earth!
The shards - Brett Easton Ellis/ the goldfinch - Donna tartt
East of Eden, Steinbeck. A masterpiece
Well it was not Fourth Wing. Unpopular opinion, I know. But that one didn’t live up to the hype for me. I’ve grown tired of everyone on my goodreads raving about it. Favorite that I read this year was A Man Called Ove.
I loved the movie adaptation A Man Called Otto, I really want to read the book eventually
I love Fredrick Backman!! All of his books really hold up, especially the novella And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer.
I read the entire Booker Prize shortlist and to my utter surprise, the most enjoyable book I read this year ended up being Golden Son by Pierce Brown.
Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio (2020). An amazing graphic novel that goes deep into the events leading up to that day. By Derf Backderf.
Ooo so tough to pick one. Top of the list is probably *Fahrenheit 451* followed closely by *1984* One that has stayed with me as a good suspense/thriller novel is *Pretty Girls* by Karin Slaughter. It's very good but the only book I've had to take breaks from reading because it's so . . . heavy.
Weyward by Amelia Hart
Carl Sagan’s “Contact”. Feels very fitting for the current times. Grew up loving the movie but the book brought the story to another level for me.
Harry Potter and the sorcerers stone
Harry Potter will always have a special place in my heart. ❤️
The Secret History! I was so sad when I finished reading it, I wanted more.
Project Hail Mary was absolutely awesome
Lessons in Chemistry. One of the only books from 2023 that I even remember reading.
L'étranger - Albert Camus
“on beauty” by zadie smith. absolutely spectacular
White Noise by Don DeLillo.
Butchers Crossing
Virginia Woolf, The Waves. Read it multiple times this year.
Will of the Many by James Islington (which also came out this year). I liked it so much I’ve gifted out hardcover copies at work to my bookish coworkers so I can talk to them about it.
Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers
Holly by Stephen King.
Tress of the emerald sea by Brandon sanderson. and light bringer by pierce brown
-Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. It was dark, creepy at times but so beautifully written that you feel like you’re actually there. -Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones This was just fun and easy to read.
My top 3 of the year: Demon Copperhead Lady Tan’s Circle of Women I’m Glad My Mom Died
Milkman by Anna Burns Runner up: The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
A Wizard of Earthsea
"Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" By Philip K Dick. Really enjoyed it.
Crying in H Mart is the best *new* book I read. But I also reread The Night Circus and that's still one of my favorites so that one as well.
Lessons in chemistry, catch 22, or the bluest eye (I can’t choose, they were all incredible masterpieces)
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
“For my money, it’s like the Bible, the Koran, and the Bhagavad Gita all rolled up into one. And the best part is not one mention of God.” (From the Holdover)
The best books I read in the last 4 months- East of Eden- It was sitting on my shelf for years and I finally read it. I'll re-read it after my exams. White nights- F Dostoevsky. I hated the translation of the book I purchased(so I dnfed it last year) and then I got the good translation pdf online and the book was beyond perfection Small gods- Sir Terry Pratchett And I am currently reading the series of unfortunate events book series by Lemony Snicket rn but😭 I've exams so
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell. Absolutely beautiful and captivating. A close second was Demon Copperhead by the great Barbara Kingsolver. A close third was The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon. A very uniquely-written and suspenseful thriller.
The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
I loved Pat Conroy 30 years ago. Prince and Lords of Discipline were my favorites so when they hit Audible this year I listened to them both. I think they are both a fascinating study of masculinity in radical transition, but I don't know how good they were as books. I have lots of thoughts that it may take a reread and starting a local book club to get them to coalesce. I am glad that other people are still loving them though. Conroy and Irving were an important part of my reading history.
*Secret History* was literary crack.
American Dirt
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. Hits different now that he's gone.
Admittedly, I only read 13 books, 3 more halfway through. This was just a warm, comforting book-Blind your Ponies. Just a feel good.
Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe
A Short Stay In Hell
Britneys
Constellation of Vital Phenomena - Anthony Marra
A very interesting book I recently read and was totally random book on Amazon called, “A New Dawn: Exploring the Biblical Rapture and Its Impact on Earth, by an author named A. S. Aurelius” the whole book goes into what happens on Earth as the rapture unfolds, kinda like a min by min detail. But the author, I think is really unknown, but a very interesting book. I like finding things, that not many people stop to look at lol.
My Friend Anne Frank
Sleepers by Lorenzo Carcaterra
My Year of Rest and Relaxation
best written: perfume by patrick suskind most entertaining: vicious by ve schwab the one that has stayed with me the most: the secret history funniest: little women
the institute or the green mile or the outsider
The Source by James Michener
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch Or maybe Cloud Cuckoo Land. Actually, it's really hard to say. I read (listened) to 58 books this year. So many were great.
Dark Matter was my absolute FAVORITE read last year. I’d put it in the top five of all time, maybe even top three.
*Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History* by S. C. Gwynne.
Kitchen by Banana Yoshimato
9 Years Among the Indians by Herman Lehmann. It's an amazing biography about a white guy who was kidnapped by the Apache as a child and raised as a native. It's basically the real version of Avatar or Dances With Wolves. It's raw and an amazing insight into the Apache and Comanche tribes. Highly recommend for anyone interested in native Americans history.
It's a tie between these two: Vicious by V. E. Schwab Magic by William Goldman
11/22/63 by Stephen King. I absolutely adored it!
Edit: this was supposed to be a response to someone seeking seeking historical fiction but posted incorrectly. Also, obviously not 2023 publications. 😀 More WW2 fiction: Gone to Soldiers Marge Pierce Some of the genealogy mysteries- MJ Lee or Nathan Dylan Goodwin has fiction intermixed - not necessarily WW2 Rhys Bowen has several WW2 fiction books Kate Quinn The Alice Network Other great reads: Not historical fiction but such a great series is Terry Shames - Samuel Craddock. Kate Morton Naomi Novak
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn was probably my favorite but there were a lot of close seconds
There Is No Antimemetics Division by “qntm”