What's the best books you've read in the last 12 months?

[lizkt]

American Dirt really stands out for me.

Looking for some new books to read so would love to hear any ideas.

not quite the best but very interesting given the current pandemic: The Death of Grass
by John Christopher
it's about a plant virus epidemic that starts in asia.

Girl A

@LongLive89 I thought Girl A was incredible. It took me two attempts to read it. How did you find it? Ps are you a Taylor Swift fan?? Long Live is such a beautiful song!

@ScottishDiblet a fellow Swiftie, lovely to see!

Girl A made me scream, cry and laugh, all in the same 10 minutes. I thought it was an excellent debut and by the far the highlight of my summer reading.

I was talking about the ending for days after with my DP!

I was going to say Girl A too. I enjoyed it on audiobook read by the lovely Holliday Grainger and it had me sobbing some days on my way to work. Definitely one I'd revisit

My two absolute top reads of this year are Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton (and this might be one of my favourite books ever - just incredible) and Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers (and then lots of other stuff by her since then).

Just going to add, I'm just about finished The Country of Others by Leïla Slimani, it's about a Frenchwoman who marries a Morrocan soldier who is posted to her village in WW2. The book is about their return to Morocco and the first 10 years of their marriage and with the campaign for independence going on in the background. It's absolutely fabulous and I don't want it to end! It's the first of a planned trilogy so looking forward now to the next two.

KateyKontent (love the tagname)

I also loved the Rules of Civility probably a tiny bit more than Gentleman in Moscow.

Wish AT would write something new!

Olive Kitteridge and Olive Again.

The Sin Eater

Also another vote for Hamnet .
This is not About Me Janice Galloway

I see it's already been recommend but I'd also say Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton... Read it in a day staying up till midnight to finish it.

@LongLive89 I think you have excellent taste in music and books. What else would you recommend to read and listen to?!

Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi
Monsieur Linh and His Child, by Philippe Claudel

My Dark Vanessa
American Dirt
Hamnet
The Song of Achilles
Circe
The Silence of the Girls
A Thousand Ships
Boys Don't Cry

@lizkt I'm glad you say that about American dirt because I've just skim read the final 2/3rds of Beekeeper. What a load of self serving wank. Read like the author didn't care about plot and just wanted to bag a pulitzer. Has really put me off bees.

@Winterfairy23 I've borrowed My Dark Vanessa and it hasn't grabbed me yet so was going to just return but I'll renew it and give it another shot.

The Wolf Den was amazing
Last house on Needless Street- cannot recommend this enough
Crawdads (obvs)

@BaconAndAvocado I read Rules of Civility first, it was ruddy marvellous.

I have the latest MurderBot to catch up on. I'll re-read the whole series first.

@Stopsnowing

Station Eleven

Agree. Loved this so much.

KateyKontent
Holy moly, Amor Toyles' new book The Lincoln Highway is out on 21st October 🙌🏻
I might have to splurge on the hardback.

It looks interesting.

The Girl With The Louding Voice.
My Name is Eva.
The Thursday Club.
Lots of other favourites but before the last 12 months.
Those would include many already suggested:
The Gentleman From Moscow.
All the Light You Cannot See.

@BaconAndAvocado well that's a nice surprise.

The second Thursday Murder Club came out on 16th.

Just started Piranesi and have high hopes.

Hamnet by far.

The Girl With The Louding Voice
Fingersmith
Panopticon

and a bit lighter -
The End of the World is Flat

Glad to see @Cazziebo mention Fingersmith, one of my best ever reads.
I've been useless and t reading for a long time now, but am romping through Elly Griffiths's Ruth Galloway novels thanks to a recommendation on MN.
I picked up The Home Corner by Ruth Thomas in a second hand bookshop a few days ago and absolutely loved it, it's very funny but also sad/moving, well written. Looks like it hasn't had the success it deserves so am pleased to give it a shout out here.

The Girls - Emma Cline
American Dirt
My Dark Vanessa
The Glass Hotel
Salvation Creek - Susan Duncan (may have been more than 12 months ago, but this one has really stayed with me)
Troubled Blood
Inside the O'Briens - looooooove Lisa Genova
Sorrow and Bliss
The Perveen Mistry books by Sujata Massey
The Push
See What You Made Me Do - Jess Hill
Bright Burning Things
Girl, Woman, Other
Heartsick - Jessie Stephens
Rodham