What is your book of the year so far?

[Sadik]

One only, no cheating with multiples (And I am totally asking this for Christmas present purposes)

Mine is Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer. It's not the best written book I've read this year (objectively it has lots of faults), but it's the stand out for me because of the world-building, endless ideas to think about, and good characters.

Sadik hope you like it, also seem to remember a lot of people into Antartic/Shackleton on the 50 thread, they might like David Grann's new book 'The White Darkness'
crimereads.com/david-grann-driven-toward-the-greatest-mystery-of-all/

The Heart's Invisible Furries here too.

Furies!

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. Really well crafted and moving.

Agree.

Also:
Normal People by Sally Rooney
The new Graham Norton.

Educated by Tara Westover

I've enjoyed a lot of Irish writing this year, some mentioned above:
The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Last Stories by William Trevor

Plus The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

Probably Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurty, although I loved Huntingower by John Buchan too.

Elmet by Fiona Mozley

Home fire by Kamila Shamsie.

My favourite this year was non fiction, Coolie Woman by Gaitura Bahadur. It’s brilliant, sad, hopeful and just incredible. It’s about Indian female indentured labour in Guyana told through her own family history.

(Breaking the rules, The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan was fabulous)

(Also So Much Life Left Over by Louis de Bernieres, best not as a gift as you either love or hate him in my experience).

Days Without End: Sebastian Barry.

Getting Rid of Matthew by Jane Fallon. Really liked it (though there is strong disagreement on Goodreads).

I absolutely loved The Keeper of Lost Things

Swan Song by Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott

Beautifully constructed telling of Truman Capote’s life and the women who loved him until he betrayed them.

Red Plenty by Francis Spufford. A pastiche of fact and fiction, or a mix of reality and fantasy, about the Soviet Union in the late 1950s. The writing is astounding imo.

Totally agree with The Heart's Invisible Duties by John Boyne. Would also nominate The Last Hours by Minette Walters and The Sealwoman's Gift by Sally Magnusson.

That should have said Furies

vanderlylegeek I loved Kavalier and Clay. I think I got it in a book people deal for Pulitzer Prize winners. So good on so many levels: especially early history of comic books.

My own favourite read is Amanda Craig’s The Lie of the Land, about a couple forced to live together after deciding to divorce due to austerity. It really opened my mind to rural poverty.

liked Educated

Also Anne Tyler one

A Place Called Winter (Patrick Gale) is unputdownable but dark.
Eleanor Oliphant was ok, a quick and enjoyable read, but I didn't connect emotionally.

Also going to mention a book I read in one go last night and was surprised to find I really really enjoyed, after I found it by accident - The Open Arms of The Sea, by Jasper Dorgan. He's an indie author, so you'll only find it on Amazon, but I'm really surprised he hasn't got a publishing deal. Set in Aden (now Yemen) during British intervention there in the 60s, has a bit of a Evelyn Waugh Sword of Honour feel to it at times. Evocative writing.

Eleanor Oliphant

I really enjoyed The Heart's Invisible Furies too... finished Eleanor Oliphant on Tuesday and I can't quite get it out of my head (which I think is a good thing...)
Have just started The Keeper of Lost Things: have high expectations now after seeing it mentioned here!

Milkman by Anna Burns.

My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier

Eleanor oliphant: audiobook bit so good!