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What's the best books you've read in the last 12 months?

231 replies

lizkt · 03/09/2021 00:07

American Dirt really stands out for me.

Looking for some new books to read so would love to hear any ideas.

OP posts:
WhistlersandJugglers · 22/12/2021 20:57

It was a good reading year for me. I loved Shuggie Bain, The Pull of the Stars and A Town called Solace. I also really enjoyed If I Had your Face by Frances Cha, Doxology by Nell Zink, The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett and Home Stretch by Graham Norton. I thought the Graham Norton one would be a light read but I found it really moving.
I bought Hamnet and Rules of Civility months ago but kept them for Christmas so I can't 100% pick my book of the year just yet.

SorrelForbes · 22/12/2021 12:49

The End Of The World is Flat by Simon Edge
Hamnet
Singled Out: How Two Million Women Survived without Men After the First World War
Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld

(Also hated Crawdads but read that in 2020)

Glasstabletop · 22/12/2021 12:28

The Sineater.

Glasstabletop · 22/12/2021 12:27

Another vote for American Dirt.

First Day of Spring was amazing, really surprised at the lack of publicity for this book.

Cherrypi · 19/12/2021 22:49

Bit of a disappointing year for me. My favourites were:
Weather by Jenny Offill
Here is the beehive by Sarah Crossan
The gigantic beard that was evil by Stephen Collins

Youkilledmyfatherpreparetodie · 19/12/2021 22:07

I've read 70 this year and have only given 2 of them 5 stars on Goodreads:

The Underground Railroad and The Night Circus.

I'm currently reading A Little Life which might be up there too.

EsmeraldaFudge · 19/12/2021 22:00

The phone box at the edge of the world

Attictroll · 19/12/2021 21:53

Lots of inspiration here one book rarely mentioned that I loved this year was the murder of Harriet Monckton by Elizabeth Haynes.

yoshiblue · 19/12/2021 21:31

Top three
All The Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr
The Story of The Lost Child - Elena Ferrante (Last in Neapolitan Quartet)
Hungry - Grace Dent

Other five stars from the year:
Small Pleasures - Claire Chambers
The Girl With The Louding Voice - Abi Dare (would highly recommend on Audible)
Many Different Kinds of Love - Michael Rosen - Lovely little gift in hardback
Fifty Fifty/Devil's Advocate - Steve Cavanagh - Easy to read, enjoyable legal thrillers

LookslovelyinSpringtime · 19/12/2021 01:12

Watching with interest

SummaLuvin · 15/12/2021 20:53

If We Were Villains
Station Eleven
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
All The Young Men

I also read and enjoyed My Dark Vanessa and Hamnet but they don't beat the above for me.

2022HereWeCome · 15/12/2021 12:23

For me
Re-reading 'The Big Sleep' by Raymond Chandler - classic american detective noir
Chris Beckett's sci-fi trilogy - Dark Eden, Mother of Eden, and Children of Eden. Although classed as sci-fi it's very much about society, relationships, belief and faith
The Southern Book Club's Guide to slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix.
The Thursday Murder Club - much much much better than I expected

shumway · 14/12/2021 13:16

Sorrow and Bliss - Meg Mason, Bewilderment - Richard Powers, Loved and Missed - Susie Boyt, Oh William - Elizabeth Strout, The High House - Jessie Greengrass, Sunset - Jessie Cave.

Monolithique · 14/12/2021 13:08

Just read A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley , I think it was recommended on this thread. Absolutely brilliant book, I can see why it won the pulitzer prize.

buckeejit · 13/12/2021 22:15

It was just before this year but looking at small pleasures I thought I should recommend the wonder by Emma donohue

JaneJeffer · 13/12/2021 14:34

The Thursday Murder Club - some great characters and really touching moments as well as being really funny. Looking forward to reading the sequel.

alexio · 13/12/2021 09:58

Shuggie Bain
American dirt (this was my favourite)
The Southern book clubs guide to vampire slaying
Born a crime

buckeejit · 13/12/2021 09:50

I've just finished Sorrow & Bliss by Meg Mason & really enjoyed it.

Others are Hamnet, American dirt & untamed by Glennon Doyle from this years reads. It hasn't been a great year for me but have noted a lot to try from this thread.

Blinky21 · 12/12/2021 23:50

Hamnet
The Last House on Needless St
Shuggie Bain
None of them very cheery, but all incredible

NinetyNineRedBalloonsGoBy · 12/12/2021 21:25

The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed - based on a true story and brilliant.

Chickenkorma64 · 12/12/2021 20:51

East of Hounslow by Khurrum Rahman. It’s the first in a series, if you like a thriller that’s a bit different

normanthegonk · 12/12/2021 20:48

alone on a wide wide sea
michael morpurgo

FritataPatate · 12/12/2021 20:44

I didn't enjoy Crawdads either ....

FritataPatate · 12/12/2021 20:43

We have similar reading tastes, PP!

pontiouspilates · 12/12/2021 20:27

Hamnet
Girl, Woman Other
Shuggie Bain
My biggest disappointment of the year had to be Where The Crawdads Sing - shockingly bad IMO.

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