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.

@AdaColeman

Piranesi ~ Susanna Clarke A Gentleman in Moscow ~ Amor Towles The Dig ~ John Preston

Loved a gentleman in Moscow too, this was our book club pick. So glad as I probably would not have chosen it myself

@017HF

Loved American Dirt!

Shuggie Bain
The Midnight Library
Nickel Boys
Sleepers
I Am Pilgrim
The Thursday Murder Club
The Nightingale
The Beekeeper of Aleppo

Not all published in last 12 months but I’ve read them in that period, so not sure if they fit the criteria but worth a read!

Loved Thursday murder club too! I bought shuggie Bain for myself and mother in law (to put away for Xmas) but thinking it might not be a good choice for her Joe I've started reading it

@Violetparis

Just remembered My Sister, the Serial Killer was another good one I've read.

Really enjoyed that too

Love anything by Tana French, such a joy when you find a whole series of books by an excellent author

Still life by sarah winman was my book of the summer - took about a chapter to get into but such well written lovely characters it's a very optimistic and big hearted read ( I loved her book tinman a few years ago too)
Others I've loved already mentioned the push and girl A were brilliant as was 3 hours - all thrillers which wouldn't always be my thing but they were all so readable and gripping
Anne Tyler's red head at the side of the road was a gentler warm hug of a read
I read the glass hotel by the author of station 11 which I really enjoyed but am a bit wary of station 11 as it's pandemic themed but so many people have told me to read it and I really enjoyed the pull of the stars which is Set in the flu pandemic so I should give station 11 a try ,

Just remembered another brilliant read this year - Standard deviation very funny

I'm Scottish and older than most posters - I didn't finish Shuggie Bain, found it quite harrowing, shocking and in the very recent past. I'm surprised at people saying it's a 'great read' when it's v sad imv and based on fact not fiction.

The once and future witches - Alix Harrow

Amazing writing.

I’ve just finished reading The killing fields after watching the film.

I enjoyed Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir so much that the moment I finished the audiobook I restarted from the beginning again.
Similar in tone to The Martian “I’m going to have to science the shit out of this” but even more exciting. It’s such a warm, positive and optimistic book. Just what I needed in my life given everything else we are living through at the moment.
I’ve already bought two copies to give away as presents.

The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz on audiobook read by Roy Kinnear was a good lighthearted (relatively for a murder) listen.

My 5* reviews so far this read are for:

Piranesi - I thought this was absolutely beautiful, and so original.
Trio - I love most William Boyd
American Dirt - couldn't put it down, was in a constant state of anxiety.

Currently reading Shuggie Bain - so harrowing, but I'm completely engulfed in it.

The Star of the Sea. It's a murder mystery set in around 1840 on a ship going from Ireland to the US, with people escaping the potato famine. It includes a lot of contemporary newspaper articles, songs, etc and so works on different levels. It's far and away the best book I've read recently. I loved A Gentleman In Moscow too.

Am struggling with Hamnet. Beautifully written yes, but toooo muuuch description. Also I'm a third of the way through and we still haven't got the doctor to sick Judith yet (from right at the beginning). To keep readers dangling like that is unforgivable, I think.

I'm reading books mostly related to psychology, spirituality, self esteem emotional intelligence and life coaching. I think these topics are not too much covered in our life and despite they are very important for our lives. Life coaching can assist you to deal with your life problems, with the help of life coaching and counselling we can create empathy in people to help others by feeling their pain and sorrows.

I’m just reading The coward by Jarred McGinnis. It was one of the books reviewed on Between the covers and sounded brilliant. So far it’s living up to the reviews

Pachinko - Min Jin Lee
Betty - Tiffany McDaniel
The Nightingale - Kristin Hannah
The House at Riverton - Kate Morton
Memorial - Bryan Washington
Crawdads
American Dirt
The Vanishing Half - Brit Bennett
The Bee Keepers Promise - Fiona Valpy

So many amazing books this year!

I loved American Dirt and still keep thinking about it.
Where the Crawdads sing
Should we fall behind - beautiful book
The fine art of invisible detection

Hamnet ,Mayflies,
Loved both

David Copperfield closely followed by Fight Club although neither are perhaps as recent as you are after

How did I forget Hamnet!

Pachinko
Humankind: A Hopeful History
both the Richard Osman books, oddly comforting!
Slow Horses
The Inheritors
China (Rutherfurd)

@jobsagudden

Not a new book but I Am Pilgrim, the best book I've ever read.

Completely agree. Although in my case its joint number one with A town like Alice.

Really loved American Dirt, despite the controversy.
Where The Crawdads Sing
A Man Called Ove (Late to the party I know)
Rock, Paper, Scissors.
Both Thursday Murder Club books.
Girl, Woman,Other.
The Midnight Library.

I couldn’t finish Snuggie Bain either. I wanted to love it but found it dragged.

I'm really enjoying Mythos by Stephen Fry at the moment
I also loved Wintering by Katherine May
And I've read three of Michael Gayle's novels this year and enjoyed them all