Calling all bookworms! What’s the best novel you’ve read this year?

[LabradorsInThePond]

Apologies for calling OP’s privilege and naming six:

New books:
Sorrow and Bliss ( Meg Mason)
Still Life ( Sarah Winman)
Small Things Like These (Claire Keegan)

Old friends:
The Witches of Eastwick (John Updike)
Ottoline ( Neil Gaiman, with my DS10 who loved it too)
I Feel Bad About my Neck ( Norah Ephron, not even a novel)

I am always looking for new ideas. So please post you’re top 1, or 6.

I loved The Dictionary of Lost Words, by Pip Williams.

Lessons in chemistry.

I just finished The Mask of Mirrors, which I found to be a very good read. I'm halfway through the second book now.

I only picked this up because it was a staff pick at the library, but I really enjoyed it: The Butcher's Hook by Janet Ellis.
That's the best NOVEL so far this year, but the best BOOK this year is The Girl With Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee. A fascinating and (disturbing) insight into the North Korean regime.

Old Baggage, Crooked Heart and V For Victory, by Lissa Evans.
The Ghostlights, by Grainne Murphy.
Scabby Queen, by Kirsten Innes.
The Key In The Lock, by Beth Underdown

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Black Rabbit Hall and the Wilding Sisters

My tastes have been fairly lowbrow this year though so there’s been a shit ton of smutty kindle unlimited romances in the mix too at the moment for the escapism factor!

Currently checking and rechecking for the third Book of Dust by Philip Pullman

Recent Books
Vaxxers Sarah Gilbert and Catherine Green
The Appeal Janice Hallett
This Lovely City Louise Hare
Mother,Mother Annie McMannus
Yours Cheerfully A J Pearce
The Dictionary of Lost Words Pip Williams

Older ones
To Kill A Mockingbird Harper Lee
An Experiment in Love Hilary Mantel
A God in Ruins Kate Atkinson

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Agree with pp, love Lissa Evans' books.

Best "new" book: Red Rising by Pierce Brown- the absolute best dystopian fiction book I've read in a long time. I couldn't put it down.

I've not long got back into reading fiction after a couple of years of being too distractible to read, so my list isnt very long at present! I'm gradually working my way through buying my old favourites on kindle, I'm currently reading The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett, first in the Discworld series, and plan to work my way through them all.

I’ve just finished Pieces of Happiness which I really enjoyed.

oh what a lovely idea.
I also love alissa Evans
My best book this year so far has been preparation for the next life Atricius Lish.
if you liked American Dirt this is a much grittier kind of version. I cannot stop thinking about it. would love to hear anyone else's opinion

The Other Child - Charlotte Link was decent.
the Appeal - Janice Hallett was absolutely fab.
In the absence of any new post apocalyptic novels, I re-visited End of the World Running Club, which is always fun!

I've been reviewing my reading for a thread this year, so here are some selected comments:

The Colour of Heaven by James Runcie
Loved this book. Lyrical but economical writing, handful of characters different but all sympathetic, highfalutin philosophy but with the occasional amusing remark ("Clearly, the nostrils would have to wait.") and suffused with the love of colour.

Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi
I said yesterday that I wasn't really rooting for any of the characters, but that had changed by the time I finished. Not that either of them was virtuous or likeable; so obviously the portrayal works!
Not a cosy read (Miss Marple it ain't) and not a book I would say I enjoyed, but glad to have read it and would recommend.

The Casual Vacancy by J K Rowling
I loved this. JKR is another writer who is very easy to read (I'm forgiving the slightly awkward representation of elided speech... after all I grew up with Cookson's Mary Ann). Lots of unsympathetic characters and family issues. Found myself caring about most of them.

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
Oh my.
...
I'm glad I read it but I wouldn't recommend it to a teenager.

Bonjour Tristesse (translated but originally by Francoise Sagan)
I enjoyed this. I don't know whether the mildly unusual rhythm of the prose is due to the translator's own style, the author's own style, a product of translation from the French (suspect this is most likely) or a conscious decision for this particular novel. Anyway, it was quite evocative of a hedonist's lazy summer beach villa holiday and nicely self-aware in the protagonist's teenage introspection. Didn't warm to any of the characters, though I don't think we're intended to.

The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett
Pterry at the top of his game... a highly satisfying read.

Oh I so envy you! I loved the Red Rising trilogy, every book gets better.

My best this year is Song of Achilles I know it's an older one but I kept putting it off, despite Circe by the same author being my favourite book of all time, because I'm not a romance fan.

Thanks everyone. There are only a few books on here I’ve even heard of! I really need to widen my reading choices.

DD13 is a massive fan of dystopian fiction. I find it all a bit mind blowing. I loved The City and The City. But DD says that’s entry level.

On a very different note, I quite fancy rereading the trusty old Jilly Coopers. In these challenging situations times, frightful cads in jodhpurs might be just what I need.

Educated, and American Dirt.

Oh and before those 2 I read 5 Jilly Coopers in a row! 🤣

Cloud Cuckoo Land Anthony Doer

The Magician by Colm Tobin

both awesome

Shadow Girls by Carol Birch. Creepy and atmospheric novel set in a girls' school in the sixties. Couldn't put it down!

I’m really enjoying At the Table by Claire Powell.

that sounds great

My top 3, in order of how much I enjoyed them

1 - Lessons in Chemistry
2 - Everything is Beautiful
3 - The People on Platform 5

Diane Setterfield’s One Upon a River - utterly engrossing and beautiful with a dash of magical realism; same for her 13th Tale.

also loved Daughters of Night by Laura Shepherd Robinson, sort of sequel to Blood Sugar I think it was called

I actually haven't read a new book all year. I'm in a long fantasy series reread phase - LOTR, the Realm of the Elderlings, the Faithful and the Fallen and the First Law world. No idea where I'm going next - Temeraire perhaps!

@Merryhouse - I read Bonjour Tristesse in the original French at A-Level, and I agree about the odd rhythm. I think it's supposed to have that kind of languid summer vibe?