luckyexwife
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,067
Jun 25, 2014 21:21:08 GMT
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Post by luckyexwife on Jan 3, 2018 18:31:44 GMT
Please share your best reads of 2017! You can do the best 1, top 5, top 10, every book you gave a 5-star rating to, whatever you want to share. I love reading these threads and adding new books to my list, and seeing books that I love that other people loved as well.
If we can all behave, you could also add your worst book or two as well. I know we all have different reading taste, so my top book I read could be the worst book you read this year. If you want to share your worst book, add that as well.
Thank you for sharing, and I'm excited to read the list of your top books! I will be adding mine in just a little bit.
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Jan 3, 2018 18:36:57 GMT
I do a write up every year and haven't completed mine yet, but will share what I have so far. I read 109 books (which is why I have a lot of top books). The number is my Goodreads ratings (out of five stars).
My top twelve fiction reads of the year:
The Flight of the Silvers & The Song of the Orphans by Daniel Price, 5 stars The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker, 5 stars City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty, 5 stars The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, 5 stars To The Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey, 5 stars Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, 5 stars Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, 5 stars Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, 5 stars Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, 5 stars The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter, 5 stars Beartown by Fredrik Backman, 5 stars
Another twelve pack of great reads:
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn, 5 stars Chemistry by Weike Wang, 5 stars Moonglow by Michael Chabon, 5 stars All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood, 5 stars Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward, 4 stars 4 3 2 1 by Paul Auster, 4 stars The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, 4 stars The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See, 4 stars The Leavers by Lisa Ko, 4 stars The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish, 4 stars Saints for All Occasions by J. Courtney Sullivan, 4 stars The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hanna Tinti, 4 stars
Best nonfiction read:
Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay, 5 stars
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finaledition
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,896
Jun 26, 2014 0:30:34 GMT
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Post by finaledition on Jan 3, 2018 18:41:34 GMT
I'd say the 4 that topped my list this year are
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Beartown by Fredrik Backman Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
I ended the year with 60 books and there were several other honorable mentions in the pack too.
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Jan 3, 2018 18:45:56 GMT
I'd say the 4 that topped my list this year are The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Beartown by Fredrik Backman Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult I ended the year with 60 books and there were several other honorable mentions in the pack too. There is a lot of overlap on our Venn diagrams.
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Post by cindyupnorth on Jan 3, 2018 18:47:32 GMT
Didn't we do this already?
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luckyexwife
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,067
Jun 25, 2014 21:21:08 GMT
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Post by luckyexwife on Jan 3, 2018 18:48:45 GMT
Didn't we do this already? I apologize if there already has been a thread like this. I looked and I didn't see one, but perhaps I missed it.
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Jan 3, 2018 18:50:20 GMT
Didn't we do this already? I apologize if there already has been a thread like this. I looked and I didn't see one, but perhaps I missed it. I haven't seen one either (or else missed it as well). I am okay with multiple book threads anyway.
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Post by cindyupnorth on Jan 3, 2018 18:54:18 GMT
I know I did some list for something? but could do again. haha.
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finaledition
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,896
Jun 26, 2014 0:30:34 GMT
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Post by finaledition on Jan 3, 2018 18:56:42 GMT
I'd say the 4 that topped my list this year are The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Beartown by Fredrik Backman Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult I ended the year with 60 books and there were several other honorable mentions in the pack too. There is a lot of overlap on our Venn diagrams. 😁 Yes there are. You are a much more voracious reader and more genres. I have read (and liked) a few others on your list and have several on my to-read list. I’m on hold for City of Brass at your recommendation and that is definitely outside my book comfort zone.
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Jan 3, 2018 19:01:55 GMT
There is a lot of overlap on our Venn diagrams. 😁 Yes there are. You are a much more voracious reader and more genres. I have read (and liked) a few others on your list and have several on my to-read list. I’m on hold for City of Brass at your recommendation and that is definitely outside my book comfort zone. I loved City of Brass but am a little nervous when people read a book based on a recommendation from me (IRL, when people ask for recommendations I tailor to what I know they like/dislike), so I hope you like it. If not, I believe it was a poster called chubby marmot that posted the recommendation, not me.
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Post by auntkelly on Jan 3, 2018 19:08:26 GMT
My two best reads were both nonfiction.
My favorite book was The Last Castle: The Epic Story of Love, Loss and American Royalty in the Nation's Largest Home by Denise Kiernan. It's the history of the Biltmore Estate and the family who lived there- George and Edith Vanderbilt and their daughter Cornelia. It was beautifully written and so interesting. Edith and Cornelia were strong women who were ahead of their time and lead fascinating lives. My husband and I read this book aloud on several long road trips. While I'm passionate about reading, he is not much of a reader. We both loved this book and still talk about it often.
The other nonfiction book I really loved was Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann. I grew up in Oklahoma close to the town where most of the Osage murders occurred, so I was familiar with this sad chapter of American history, not because I heard about it in school, but because I heard about it from my grandmother. I learned so much from this book which I didn't know. The story was fascinating, but hard to read at times because it was so tragic. Even though it's sad, I think it is a chapter of American history that everyone should know about.
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imsirius
Prolific Pea
Call it as I see it.
Posts: 7,661
Location: Floating in the black veil.
Jul 12, 2014 19:59:28 GMT
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Post by imsirius on Jan 3, 2018 19:14:09 GMT
Beartown The Good Daughter The Dry Little Fires Everywhere The 12 lives of Samuel Hawley The Will Trent Series
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 20, 2024 13:24:26 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2018 19:16:41 GMT
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Jan 3, 2018 19:41:34 GMT
The other nonfiction book I really loved was Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann. I grew up in Oklahoma close to the town where most of the Osage murders occurred, so I was familiar with this sad chapter of American history, not because I heard about it in school, but because I heard about it from my grandmother. I learned so much from this book which I didn't know. The story was fascinating, but hard to read at times because it was so tragic. Even though it's sad, I think it is a chapter of American history that everyone should know about. I had the same reaction - hard to read, but necessary. I had never heard of the story before this book.
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Post by donna on Jan 3, 2018 19:48:10 GMT
Off the top of my head my favorite reads have been the Throne of Thorns and Roses series and the Three Dark Crown series.
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stansgal
Shy Member
Wife to 1, Supermom to 3, Fabulous Friend to Many
Posts: 23
Jun 27, 2014 19:04:01 GMT
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Post by stansgal on Jan 3, 2018 19:59:34 GMT
I'm a Librarian and WISH I actually had more time to read than I do. Some of my favorites are: Firefly Lane By Kristin Hannah(fiction) The Witness Wore Red By Rebecca Musser(Story of the 19th wife who brought Polygamous cult leaders to Justice) CoreyOgraphy by Corey Feldman (autobiography) Every Little Step by Bobby Brown(autobiography) I Heart My Little A-Holes by Karen Alpert (a bunch of holy crap moments no one ever told you about parenting)HYSTERICAL!!!
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Anita
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,646
Location: Kansas City -ish
Jun 27, 2014 2:38:58 GMT
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Post by Anita on Jan 3, 2018 20:21:09 GMT
I'd have to go back and see what I read, but my favorite by far was Artemis by Andy Weir. I am a big fan of his writing.
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Post by disneypal on Jan 3, 2018 20:24:28 GMT
The books I enjoyed most this year were:
Wish Me Home A Man Called Ove
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Post by mnmloveli on Jan 3, 2018 20:34:50 GMT
BEST books of 2017 - ALL 4 or 5 Stars from me ! So many new authors for me thanks to the week TwoPeas Reading Thread. THANKS AGAIN for all the great recommendations.
Stillhouse Lake & Killman Creek by Rachel Caine. Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinnorough. Past Perfect & Duchess by Danielle Steel. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. I Let You Go & I See You by Clare Mackintosh. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. Bear Town & A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp. Silent Scream, Evil Games, Lost Girls, Play Dead, & Blood Lines by Angela Marsons. No Exit & Eyeshot by Taylor Adams. I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll. All Good Deeds, See Them Run, Gone to Die & All Fall Down by Stacey Green. The Couple Next Door & A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena. The Perfect Girl by Gilly MacMillan. The Breakdown & Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris An Invisible Thread by Laura Schroeder. When We Were Worthy by Marybeth Mayhew Whelan. The People vs Alex Cross & The Black Book by James Patterson.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 20, 2024 13:24:26 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2018 20:35:25 GMT
Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes. I love Joe Goldberg! Mother, Mother by Koren Zailckas
My worst books were Behind Closed Doors by B A Paris Girls on Fire by Robin Wasserman Set the Boy Free by Johnny Marr (he plays guitar!)
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scrapngranny
Pearl Clutcher
Only slightly senile
Posts: 4,763
Jun 25, 2014 23:21:30 GMT
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Post by scrapngranny on Jan 3, 2018 20:36:41 GMT
My top favs this year:
The Alice Network Little Fires Everywhere
There were several others I enjoyed, but I can’t say they were great.
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Post by SockMonkey on Jan 3, 2018 23:03:06 GMT
These were the books I thought were exceptional, but I read a LOT of good stuff last year so it was hard to choose.
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders Hunger by Roxane Gay The Stone Sky (and all of Broken Earth trilogy) by NK Jemisin You Don't Have to Say You Love Me by Sherman Alexie On Living by Kerry Egan The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Who Thought This Was a Good Idea by Alyssa Mastromonaco We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby
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Post by kckckc on Jan 3, 2018 23:17:42 GMT
I read 122 books last year. This is my top ten fiction list:
Last Days of Night by Graham Moore Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Beartown by Fredrik Backman Pachinko by Min Jin Lee Setting Free the Kites by Alex George The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekeran All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood The One-in-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood
My top nonfiction list:
Just Mercy: A Story of Mercy and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond Felicity by Mary Oliver
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Jan 3, 2018 23:33:47 GMT
I read 122 books last year. This is my top ten fiction list: Last Days of Night by Graham Moore Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Beartown by Fredrik Backman Pachinko by Min Jin Lee Setting Free the Kites by Alex George The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekeran All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood The One-in-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood My top nonfiction list: Just Mercy: A Story of Mercy and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond Felicity by Mary Oliver Love your list. I'm read The Heart's Invisible Furies next and looking forward to it. Just Mercy and Evicted are two books I think everybody should read (and they are making Just Mercy into a movie). I think about those books often and I especially loved Evicted for his nuanced approach to a complex problem and the blend of data and personal stories.
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Mystie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,299
Jun 25, 2014 19:53:37 GMT
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Post by Mystie on Jan 3, 2018 23:40:47 GMT
These are all the books I gave five stars in 2017.
American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst by Jeffrey Toobin News of the World by Paulette Jiles The Captured: A True Story of Abduction by Indians on the Texas Frontier by Scott Zesch The Hemingses of Monticello by Annette Gordon-Reed Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore Altamont; The Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels, and the Inside story of Rock's Darkest Day by Joel selvin What Is the Bible? by Rob Bell If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat by John Ortberg King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror and Heroism in Colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild High Noon: The Hollywood Blacklist and the Making of an American Classic by Glenn Frankel Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson by Jeff Guinn
Honorable Mentions (four stars but they've stuck with me and probably should be five):
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
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Post by Neisey on Jan 3, 2018 23:50:26 GMT
I read about 40 books this year, mostly recommendations from Peas, but I've been slogging through Beartown and really wondering what everyone loves about it lol! Big storm hitting here tomorrow so I hope to finish it tonight and move on to something else.
While I read some very good books this year I didn't hit any 5 star WOW! Books...like Anne Marie MacDonald's Fall on Your Knees or Wally Lamb's She's Come Undone from years past.
Books I liked most: This Little Life The Dry Into the Darkest Corner I Let You Go The Memory Watcher Station Eleven The Underground Railroad Redemption Road Homegoing
Books I could have done without reading: The Miniaturist Ellen Degeneres...Seriously, I'm Kidding (I like Ellen but I think she just rambled to get her word count up)
One I couldn't even get into: Lincoln in the Bardo
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Post by birukitty on Jan 4, 2018 0:05:38 GMT
These are the books I rated with 5 stars on my Goodreads list this year (both fiction and non-fiction):
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom (NF-this was a reread for me) The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor The Auschwitz Escape by Joel C. Rosenberg The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn Ravensbruck: Life and Death in Hitler's Concentration Camp for Women by Sarah Helm (NF) Born Survivors by Wendy Holden (NF) The Alice Network by Kate Quinn Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley (NF) The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Survivor's Club: The True Story of a Very Young Prisoner of Auschwitz by Michael Bornstein (NF)
These are the books I rated 4 stars (both fiction and non-fiction)
The Prey Of Gods by Nicky Drayden High As The Heavens by Kate Breslin Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie My Sister's Keeper, Leaving Time and Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult Alone: Orphaned On the Ocean by Richard Logan (NF) A Murder in Time and A Twist in Time by Kendra Donovan One Second After by William R. Forstchen Time and Time Again by Ben Elton Love and Treasure by Ayelet Waldman A Hope More Powerful Than The Sea by Melissa Fleming (NF) The River at Night by Erica Ferencik Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine The Life She Was Given by Ellen Marie Wiseman The Whiteness Of The Whale by David Poyer To Capture What We Cannot Keep by Beatrice Colin
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Post by meridon on Jan 4, 2018 0:25:20 GMT
I read approximately 30 books this year, and A Man Called Ove and the Lake House by Kate Morton were my favorite fiction books. I'd say Hillbilly Elegy was my favorite nonfiction book from this year.
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Post by quinlove on Jan 4, 2018 2:18:35 GMT
Thanks for this. I'm basically obsessed with Anderson.
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Post by pjaye on Jan 4, 2018 2:21:59 GMT
There was this recent thread for top 3 books read in 2017I posted: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz but if I get more than three, my next picks are: Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman The Book Of Polly by Kathy Hepinstall The Nothing Girl (and the follow up The Something Girl) by Jodi Taylor The Secrets She Keeps by Michael Robotham Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew J. Sullivan Non-ficton: The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore also gets my vote. Books I really disliked: Beartown, ugh - hockey hockey and more hockey. I had to give up after 2 hours as I was bored stupid. The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley - finished it but gave it one star, horrible man and far too much violence. The Nix by Nathan Hill - another one I couldn't get past the first few chapters which contained endless detailed descriptions of him playing a computer game. Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes. I love Joe Goldberg! I liked You, and thought it was brilliantly(disturbingly) written, but didn't like the second book at all. I think you'd like The Visitors by Catherine Burns...not the same sort of book exactly but also quite dark. Another that I liked but find "like" a hard word to use about these sort of books. This one was also creepy on a whole other level.
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