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.

[SpecialAgentFreyPie]

I'm only going to say books of 2016 that I loved, otherwise i'll be here forever

The kept Woman - Karin Slaughter

The City of Mirrors - Justin Cronin

A Game For All the Family - Sophie Hannah

[iseenodust]

A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding - the story of one family impacted by the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki.

[Tinkfromlovejoy]

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd was completely absorbing. It got me through a very tough weekend. Totally took my mind off things that and the gin would recommend as a brilliant holiday read.

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

-To Say Nothing Of The Dog by Connie Willis (comedy time travel)
-Land of Green Ginger by Winifred Holtby (1920s domestic angst in the Yorkshire Dales)
-A Gathering Light by Jennifer Donnelly (YA historical in turn of century America)
-Sterkarm Kiss by Susan Price (YA again, time travel again, to 16th century Borders where the natives are dangerous)

[MermaidofZennor]

Merricats - hard to say where this one is going but yes I did find the first two depressing but brilliantly written. This one Patrick claims to have kicked his drug habit. Will wait and see. Things have moved on 8 years.

[PotteringAlong]

A dictionary of mutual misunderstanding sounds really interesting.

[Hardygirl78]

Agree with The Secret Life of Bees. I've just finished it and would happily start reading all over again - wonderful book.

[TaraCarter]

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. It's science-fiction, possibly in the space opera sub-genre, and it was an absolute delight, in the style of Farscape. I would say it's ideal for anyone who likes to see futuristic settings and exposure to alien species used as a different light to examine human foibles by, rather than having the science itself be the focus.

If you would prefer a touch more emphasis on the gears and workings, or at least some maths, then that provides me the opportunity to neatly segue into Here and There by Joshua V Scher. The detail and scope of this novel is incredible. This novel is the antithesis of every badly-written, had-to-write-1000-words-by-9am-essay there ever was. It may have been a labour of love, but by jove, he deserves remuneration!

[TaraCarter]

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but I can't possibly restrict myself to those two books. I'd like to post my favourite so far of every genre I've read this year, but I'll confine myself just to saying Robin Hobb and all her Farseer books. Oh Em Gee is she brilliant or what?

[GandolfBold]

The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma was utterly brilliant.

[VanderlyleGeek]

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren is wonderful.

I also loved The Master by Colm Toibin.

[arwenearlythereyet]

Remus - yes!!!
The Worst Journey in the World is the best piece of writing about Antartica ever.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Arewenearlythereyet - Totally agree (and I've read an awful lot of them!).

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Striped - I loved about 93% of that, and then was really disappointed with the ending. Otherwise, it would definitely have been a contender for this thread!

[TheSnowQueen]

Lots of great recs on here - All the Light we Cannot See and A God In Ruins are mine

[capercaillie]

Another vote for HHhH - saw recommended on here and completely brilliant. Also loved All the light we cannot see.

Nothing else has come close to those this year!

[Sadik]

Hard to single out just one, but Dark Star by Oliver Langmead is definitely in the top few, and seems surprisingly unknown. It's noir sci-fi, written in blank verse and set on a planet where there is no visible light.

I also loved Grief is the Thing With Feathers.

[YvaineStormhold]

Place marking...

[worldsworstchildren]

Just finished The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. It's a massive read but I was hooked from the start. One of the best books I've ever read

[firedancer]

The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood.

[troglodite]

I also really enjoyed the Heart goes last - very witty

[TeaMeBasil]

A man called Ove and Dark Matter are the best so far I think.

Just getting into Kate Mortons The Lake House now, hoping it'll be another good one!

[TopazRocks]

I've got a bit behind with my Maggie o'Farrell reading - but hearing her on R4 Book Club recently got me reading Instructions for a Heatwave. I loved it. I'm going to start on the Esme Lennox one next. It's weird as we had a family member, a great aunt, who was in a similar situation as Esme Lennox.