Best book you’ve read this year

[lastqueenofscotland]

Doesn’t need to have been released this year, just one you’ve read in 2019 and why.

I really enjoyed The Dust That Falls From Dreams recently, which was far better than its shitty title implied it would be

Also reread Oryx and Crake. Which is one of my all time favourites.

Excellent Women by Barbara Pym.

For non-fiction, Venice by Jan Morris.

The World I Fell Out Of, by Melanie Reid is my favourite book of the year.

In fiction, I loved Started Early, Took My Dog, by Kate Atkinson.

Little Siberia.
My sister, the serial killer.
I also reread The Handmaids Tale in anticipation of the sequel that I’m getting for Christmas, So that reminded me what a fantastic book it is, even after all these years since publication.

The narrow road to the deep north. I only read this recently as war books aren't usually my thing and was blown away. Also my favourite book ever, desert flower, by waris Dirie, I reread every year.

Fiction: Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
(also enjoyed The Passage by Justin Cronin)

Non-fiction: This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

The Seal Womans Gift - Sally Magnussen. wasn't expecting great things from it but loved it. Fascinating novel.based on true events.

The Silence of the Girls- Pat Barker. It's the story of the Trojan War told from.the women's perspective.

Educated - Tara Westover

Thank you for this thread! I love getting recommendations. There is nothing worse than wasting your time with rubbish read

I loved:
Where the Crawdads sing
Milkman
Educated
Notes to Self

Currently loving:
Invisible Women

A fantastic book by Kate Clanchy called Some kids that I taught, and what they taught me. It's about her career in teaching, often teaching deprived children and refugee children, and it's absolutely amazing. A really moving, thought-provoking book.

There were too many really goods books for me this year. My favourites:

The light between oceans
The Bell Jar
The Kite Runner - I absolutely loved all of Khaled Hosseini' books don't know why I put this off for so long..
The Night Olivia Fell

@Croprotationinthe14thcentury I loved Desert Flower too, I read it about 16 years ago but it has stayed with me.

My two top reads are both non-fiction:
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou - the story of tech start-up Theranos, reads like a thriller & everyone I've passed it on to has raved about it too.
The Heartland by Nathan Filer - seconding this recommendation by a pp, incredibly insightful book about schizophrenia and mental illness more generally

Two by Sonia Purcell;

Clementine - life story of Mrs C Churchill
A Woman of No importance - true story of female WW2 spy Virginia Hall

The Heart's Invisible Furies
The Testaments
The Grapes of Wrath (not sure how I had got to my late 30s without having read that)

Enjoyed ‘little fires everywhere’ by Celeste Ng , ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Margaret Atwood, and ‘The Long Walk’ and ‘The Shining’ by Stephen King.

Milkman
Americanah

The Testaments

A Spool of Blue Thread

So many:
Fiction
July’s people by Nadine Gordimer -S.A in late 80s
Le roi de fer - French historical novel
Conclave - Robert Harris

Non-fiction
A Place Apart and South of the Limpopo by Dervla Murphy
Invisible women - made me really angry!
60 degrees - another beautiful travel book
Cochonneries - in depth but very readable analysis of the powerful ham and cooked meats industry (in French)

Not had a great year for reading but it started well with The World I Fell Out Of by Melanie Reid. Devastating but brilliant.

Will take the recommendation for The Five as a Christmas present for DD thanks.

Another vote for 'Silence of the Girls. I haven't enjoyed Pat Barker's books since the Regeneration trilogy (which is brilliant inmho) but this blew me away.

Also loved Educated.

And I'd watched 'Call the Midwife' but never read the book. It's so interesting and a gripping read

The Heart's Invisible Furies, ADORED it!

Clock Dance by Anne Tyler
Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver
Daisy Jones and the Six
Circe by Madeleine Millar

A mention for Educated, wouldn't say I enjoyed it, but definitely memorable and an amazing woman.

Where the Crawdads Sing was my favourite and I gave it to lots of people who said it was theirs too.
Also yy to Alice Network, Educated, The Dry, I Am I Am I Am, Station 11 and Tattooist of Auschwitz.

The Only Plane in the Sky - the story of 9/11 told by people who lived through it. Everyone from people in the towers to the journalists who were with the president, even a bit from the only American astronaut who was in space that day.

Fiction favourite was The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Fiction - The Nightingale

Non-Fiction - Invisible Women

So interesting to see the same books crop up again and again! I’ve added too my already bulging TBR list