What's your favourite book of 2016... so far.

[Eviesmummy2011]

Hi Everyone. As we are a little over half way through the year I was wondering what everyone's favourite book was, so far this year? I have read 16 books this year and I have to say that the one that is head and shoulders ahead of all the others I have read is Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. I absolutely LOVED this book and the fact that it's based on the true story of Agnes Magnusdottir (the last woman to be executed in Iceland) made it even more of a draw. I loved it so much that I am seriously contemplating re-reading it again today.

It's hard to choose. I nominated these for Not The Booker Prize which brings together a lot of eclectic reads, not always mainstream, but it is really hard to choose just 1!

River of Ink by Paul MM Cooper set in Sri Lanka

This Must Be The Place by Maggie O’Farrell

Slade House by David Mitchell but I've only read four.

Moving- Jenny eclair

Just finished it and am missing it.

How to be brave was really good too.

HHhH by Laurent Binet recommended by Remus

I've read a few this year that I've liked but probably it would be between A History of Loneliness by John Boyne and Company of Liars by Karen Maitland.

I absolutely loved 'My Brilliant Friend" and the other three Neopolitan novels by Elena Ferrrante. The four novels are really one giant novel detailing the very complex friendship between two girls/ women from the fifties onwards.

I am currently loving 'In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyeel Mueenuddin. These are are series of linked short stories set in Pakistan. Unputdownable!

I absolutely loved 'My Brilliant Friend" and the other three Neopolitan novels by Elena Ferrrante. The four novels are really one giant novel detailing the very complex friendship between two girls/ women from the fifties onwards.

I am currently loving 'In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyeel Mueenuddin. These are are series of linked short stories set in Pakistan. Unputdownable!

i enjoyed The Bone Clocks much more than I thought I would
I picked up Slade House from the library yesterday.

Beside Myself by Ann Morgan. I've suffered mental health problems and I think it's the best depiction of mental illness I've ever read

For me it's Untold Stories by Alan Bennett.

The word by Wyl Meinmuir

The book of strange new things - Michel Faber.
The Elena Ferrante Neopolitan novels as mentioned by others.

Really loved re - reading The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber
and The Odd Women by George Gissing (my favourite author)

Currently ill and needing easy reads - I am pretty taken with Wicked Girls by Alex Marwood - a thriller about 2 women who were involved in a child murder when they were very young. Her latest book is on the Guardian's Not the Booker prize list

Just finished The House at the Edge of the World by Julia Rochester. Very absorbing and unusual.

Thanks for other posts - I have now downloaded The Odd Women and Wicked Girls.

Really wish I could get into My Brilliant Friend - but for me it was one of those very rare occasions where I gave the book up half way through. I'm sure I'm missing something!!

Loving reading about all these great books. I haven't read any of the ones you have all mentioned so I am going to write them down and read them (as if I didn't already have enough haha!).

I love these threads - always give me ideas for new books.

My favourites so far have been:

A God In Ruins by Kate Atkinson (I had a huge crush on Teddy)

The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery (read that because of a recommendation on MN)

A Mother's Reckoning by Sue Klebold - she is the mother of one of the Columbine shooters and this book was really riveting.

That Distant Land by Wendall Berry. He is a writer from Kentucky, very old school, very anti big-farming etc. This is a series of stories about his homeplace and very moving, funny, evocative.

Misery by Stephen King. I listened to this in the car and their moments when I was shouting out loud "no, no, no"

A Little Life - my absolute favourite book this year.

tooyoung I am so glad you have downloaded The Odd women - I hope you like it. ( The Netherworld, New Grub Street and the Whirpool are also great by Gissing). He is such an under rated and forgotten author.
I read a piece this week in the Guardian about Eleanor Rathbone (an "odd woman" of that time) who worked tirelessly for the poor and persuaded Beveridge to include a Family Allowance in his plan for society in 1945 (just a year before she died). Her life story really resonated with me (especially after having just reread The Odd Women)

Mine is Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver.

Minsmum V glad to see HHhH on here!

One of my best reads so far this year was a re-read, and I'm always recommending it on here - The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard. It's Garrard's account of Scott's doomed Antarctic expedition, and is superb.

Playing to the Gallery by Grayson Perry - The 'Tranny potter' as he calls himself ruminates on what art is. Loved this.

The Ghosts of Berlin - a book about Berlin's architecture, and how the urban landscape has been changed by war, post-war decisions etc. Fascinating.

Wolf of the Plains Conn Iggulden - a novelisation of Genghis Khan's childhood and rise to power.

Complications by Atul Gawande - a surgeon describes various cases and considers the moral and ethical role of medics. Excellent.

I'm loving black rabbit hall, just finished Kate Mortons the lake house which was nice!
Listening to love Nina on audible right now and am surprised how much I'm enjoying it

My two favourite holiday reads this year were:

The Little Red Chairs, by Edna O'brien
and
At Hawthorn Time, by Melissa Harrison

..Both brilliant

I'll probably read either The Word by Wyl Meinmuir or A God in Ruins next .

One I strugged with on holiday and didnt read more that the first few chapters is The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry.. Has anyone else read this ? DH liked it , but.. I really cant like the main character , She just doesnt seem convincing to me .. I may have to go back to it later ...

I'm off to make a list of what to read next based on this thread now too!

Has anyone else read the Patrick Melrose novels by Edward St Aubyn? I'm on the third one, of five, at the moment and am enjoying them very much. Once I've finished the series they will be on my favourites list for 2016.

I've kissed a LOT of book frogs this year, but Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan Quartet has more than made up for it. Started in January with breaks in between, and am now on the fourth and final book as of yesterday. Just brilliant - can't quite explain why but I find it very hard to put them down once I start. I will miss them when this one is over.

And A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens - just wow. I still can't talk about it

Mermaid I read the first Patrick Melrose novel a few weeks ago - I thought it was very good but can't say I enjoyed it because of what happened. Are the later ones less depressing?

The Light Between Oceans stands out for me. Also The Glorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney. And A God in Ruins.

Might have a look at those Ferrante books since they seem popular!