What is the best book you have read this year?

[TravellingSpoon]

Got a book voucher for my birthday so I am going to pop up to Waterstones and treat myself, but am lacking inspiration.

The Sandman Vol 1 Neil Gaiman (quickly followed by the fantastic season 1 on Netflix).

Man is a genius at mixing compassion with horror.

My first thought opening this thread was Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston or Q by Christina Dalcher

But I’d like to agree with PP who suggested Great Circle. And also agree with those who suggested Taylor Jenkins Reid (she’s becoming one of my favourite authors) and Katherine Heiny.

The Witcher

Again, Rachel was really enjoyable. I don't normally like Marian Keyes books, but this was really good.

Also any Milly Johnson books are fun easy reads. I read them when the kids are around as they are easy to pick up and put down each time I'm asked for snacks and drinks every ten minutes

Still Life has been my favourite read so far this year.

Piranesi was last year's favourite.

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead. Really enjoyed it. It's long though at c. 660 pages.

Ooh love this, lots of new suggestions!

Mine is The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare, absolutely loved it and am gutted it’s over!

Seconded, I couldn’t put it down.

Going against the grain but I found Where the Crawdads Sing very slow, all the descriptions of the marshes dragged on a bit for me! I know it’s been made into a film, which I can see working very well with all the beautiful visuals.

I don't read a lot of contemporary fiction but whilst in hospital for a month this year I discovered the Barsetshire novels by Angela Thirkell and am hooked. I would also recommend exploring the publishers Persephone Books and Dean Street Press for something a little different.

Bone China by Laura Purcell. Could not have guessed where it was going and was deliciously creepy. Currently loving A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel.

"Great Circle" by Maggie Shipstead.

Oh and Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townshend Warner - you think you're getting a quaint character study of an eccentric family, and then... someone else turns up. The plot twists had me laughing out loud at how outrageous they are.

Thank you for this suggestion, I've just bought it.

Ah was popping in to say Lessons In Chemistry also. So glad to see it mentioned here. I am eeking it out- don't want it to end!

Also Sorrow and Bliss, Daisy Jones and the Six and The Bad Mothers Hotel.

It ends with us Colleen hoover

Or where the crawdads sing

Wrong Time Wrong Place by Gillian Mcallister and Open Your Eyes by Heather Fitt.

Dont waste it on new ish fiction - you can get those from charity shops / the library. Get an unusual non fiction title which you can only find in a good real life bookshop.

Sorry I got the title topsy-turvy it is Wrong Place Wrong Time. My brain isn't functioning very well 🙂

Rabbit hole - mark billingham
First born - Will Dean
Hostage - Clair mackintosh
The night she disappeared- Lisa Jewell
The searcher- tana French
Three hours - rosamund luptom

@OhAmBackAgain im reading the Witcher too! Got the box set from the works. I’ve read the first 2, and now on the officially numbered 1 book (if that makes sense haha). Really enjoying it just hard to find time or enthusiasm to read sometimes.

Some of the books I've enjoyed this year in no particular order;

Great Circle - Maggie Shipstead
The Paper Palace - Miranda Cowley-Heller
The Island of Missing Trees - Elif Shafak
All the Fun of the Fair - Caroline Hulse
That Green-eyed Girl - Julie Owen Moylan

These are not new fictions but my faves are:

Anything by Khaled Hosseini but especially A Thousand Splendid Suns
Station Eleven
The Handmaid's Tale
A Man Called Ove
Before the Coffee gets Cold
Kim Jiyoung Born 1982

There is also a Cecilia Ahern short Story collection called Roar that is phenominal.

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