frankie Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Which book has been the best you've read so far this year? If you can't choose just one, you are more than welcome to drop the names of a few We've done this a few times in the past, at least in 2013 and 2012, and I looked up the threads just in case anyone's interested in the years past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 I think for me it would have to be one of these: Garth Stein - The Art of Racing in the Rain Graeme Simsion - The Rosie Project Jodi Picoult - The Pact Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson - Wheel Of Time 14: A Memory Of Light George R. R. Martin - A Song of Ice and Fire 3-2: A Storm Of Swords 2: Blood And Gold Peter V. Brett - Demon Cycle 3: The Daylight War Nonfiction would have to be Sonja Kimpen - Sterker Dan Stress: Weet Wat Je Wilt en Haal Meer Uit Je Leven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethan Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 (edited) My favorite novel so far is Fortunata and Jacinta by Benito Perez Galdos. In non-fiction a three way tie: How to Live: A Life of Montaigne by Sarah Bakewell, The Gray Notebook by Josep Pla and Good-bye To All That by Robert Graves. . Edited June 23, 2014 by ethan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 I've only given two books five stars so far this year and they are both non-fiction, and actually worked well as a complementary set: Strands by Jean Sprackland Sea and Shore Cornwall by Lisa Woollett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaraPepparkaka Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 For me the best book so far this year is "Strong poison", my first book by Dorothy L Sayers. A real classic. "Paper towns" by John Green deserves to be mentioned as well (John Green is on his way to becoming a favourite author of mine), and if you read in swedish I recommend "Lex bok" by Sara Kadefors, about a girl who invents a blog personality, and what happens when reality crashes with this fake blog person . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted June 24, 2014 Author Share Posted June 24, 2014 A very mixed bunch so far, I've only heard of Athena's books and one of Sara's (Paper Towns) Athena, I'm loving that you have the Enzo book on the list, and The Rosie Project and The Pact! I'm so happy you loved them so much SaraPepparkaka, Lex bok sounds interesting, I'm going to see if they have a copy at the library by any chance. (This is OTT but have you read Mitt liv some pingvin by Katarina Mazetti (or any other books by her)? I borrowed it from the library because I liked the premise but I have too many books on the go at the moment and I read in Swedish very very slowly these days...) I thought I would have a difficult time picking my favorites because I've given eleven books the top rating, 5/5. Yikes! But then when I went through the list, I realized four of those books were re-reads, so that leaves me with 7 books. In the end I was able to narrow it down to three books: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion A Man in Full by Tom Wolfe The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 I must say, I'm having a very good year so far! Fewer books, but most of them I've rated at a five. George RR Martin's "song of fire and ice" series has kept me enthralled for quite a while now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 A very mixed bunch so far, I've only heard of Athena's books and one of Sara's (Paper Towns) Athena, I'm loving that you have the Enzo book on the list, and The Rosie Project and The Pact! I'm so happy you loved them so much I'm happy you recommended them to me ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursenblack Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 So far, the best and only book I have rated 5/5, is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Nothing else has really wowd me this year. I must read a lot more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Definitely the 'Ex' series by Peter Clines, they were such good fun, with vivid characters.. and his other book, 14, was good too. The Machine by James Smythe Above by Isla Moreley A few YA ones: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart Cruel Summer and Say her Name by James Dawson A Kiss in the Dark by Cat Clarke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 (edited) March was a good reading month for me- I read 7 books (not as many as in Feb) and they all got 4/5 or 5/5. A Few notables: NOS4A2 By Joe Hill (horror) Steelheart By Brandon Sanderson (YA, SF) The Man Who Climed Out the Window and Disapeared by Jonas Jonasson (Fiction) When I Found You By Catherine Ryan Hyde (fiction) The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir (Historical) ... and Persuader by Lee Child (Thriller). My favorite new found author is Catherine Ryan Hyde, and my absolute best book to date (for the year) is Pillars of the Earth (Historical Fiction?) Edited June 25, 2014 by Anna Begins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 I must say, I'm having a very good year so far! Fewer books, but most of them I've rated at a five. George RR Martin's "song of fire and ice" series has kept me enthralled for quite a while now. It's not all about quantity, it's quality Sounds like you've had a marvellous year, having rated most of you books 5/5! I'm happy you recommended them to me ! Always happy to recommend books to fellow book lovers! And I know you return the favor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 So far, I think my best books this year are as follows: Flags in the Dust by William Faulkner The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner The Unvanquished by William Faulkner Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner The Martian by Andy Weir Naoko by Keigo Higashino The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough All 5 star, it'd be difficult to choose just one, although I could narrow it down to the Faulkners, if I had to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 I guess it's safe to say Faulkner's made an impression on you, pontalba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calexa Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 There have been so many worthy books I've read this year; books worthy of a 5...from Life Without Limits to A Dance With Dragons, and more in between. However, it was a book of the type I would never normally read that I by and far loved beyond all that I have read thus far this year. It was a more or less insignificant book by most people's standards, but there was something about the story...the message that was being passed to the reader that tugged at the deepest depths of me. I found its effect on me totally inexplicable. I don't usually get so attached to a work of fiction. And that book? Always To Remember by Lorraine Heath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSchultz19 Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 This is a really tough choice. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Song of Ice and Fire series earlier in the year and would recommend it to anyone. The show is also fantastic. However, my favorites are probably: The Guardian - Nicholas Sparks An Abundance of Katherines - John Green The Lucky One - Nicholas Sparks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 An Abundance of Katherines - John Green Got this as a Kindle Sample. It was recommended. I haven't read any of his stuff before so it's good to hear! The description sounds interesting, a tad complicated and confusing, but interesting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSchultz19 Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Got this as a Kindle Sample. It was recommended. I haven't read any of his stuff before so it's good to hear! The description sounds interesting, a tad complicated and confusing, but interesting... It was really great. As a 17 year old, I relate really well with John Green's books. Maybe that's why I didn't like TFIOS as much, because I couldn't relate. The other three books were fantastic and I loved them. I love the character of Colin, because I am so intrigued by child prodigies and gifted programs because I was in the gifted programs when I was younger and now I'm realizing that I'm not so different from other people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 (edited) For me it would either of these two: Sao Tome: Journey to the Abyss - Portugal's Stolen Children by Paul D Cohn or What is the What? by Dave Eggers Both are very different but at the same time very thought provoking books, the first of which is based on a true story pieced together from an ancient manuscript. The Reason I Jump: One Boy's Voice from the Silence of Autism by Naoki Higashida was also rather good - I wanted to read this book as I work with people with autism. Of course, the one thing that all 3 of these books have in common is that they are all non fiction, which I have been reading a lot more of lately. Edited July 30, 2014 by Talisman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnderTheDome40 Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 I think for me it would have to be one of these: Garth Stein - The Art of Racing in the Rain Graeme Simsion - The Rosie Project Jodi Picoult - The Pact Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson - Wheel Of Time 14: A Memory Of Light George R. R. Martin - A Song of Ice and Fire 3-2: A Storm Of Swords 2: Blood And Gold Peter V. Brett - Demon Cycle 3: The Daylight War Nonfiction would have to be Sonja Kimpen - Sterker Dan Stress: Weet Wat Je Wilt en Haal Meer Uit Je Leven. Athena, very awesome list Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 Athena, very awesome list Thanks . They were awesome reads! What are some of your favourite reads so far this year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anisia Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 I've had a few good ones this year, but I'll go with "Run or Die" by Kilian Jornet and "The Examined Life" by Stephen Grosz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willoyd Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 (edited) Only one new book (along with two rereads) has scored 6/6 with me so far this year, John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, made all the more powerful by reading it immediately after seeing an outstanding production of it at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, so this has to be top of the pile so far.However, there have been more than the average number of 5/6 books (outstanding, but not quite favourites - some quite often get upgraded later); it really has been a good year so far. Best of the fiction in this category have been Nicholas Nickleby and North and South (I'm a sucker for Victorian classics), although I also agree with Frankie over The Rosie Project being an outstanding read. The Poisonwood Bible was also up there.In non-fiction, the three highest scorers so far have been Under Another Sky - Charlotte HigginsActs of Union and Disunion - Linda ColleySlow Train to Switzerland - Diccon BewesThe Higgins possibly edges it. However, I'm in the final throes of Tim Blanning's magnum opus, Pursuit and Glory, after almost two months reading, and I'm already pondering whether to make it a 5* or 6* book. Magisterial is an overused word, but I really think it applies here. Edited August 10, 2014 by willoyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 (edited) However, there have been more than the average number of 5/6 books (outstanding, but not quite favourites - some quite often get upgraded later); it really has been a good year so far. Best of the fiction in this category have been Nicholas Nickleby and North and South (I'm a sucker for Victorian classics), although I also agree with Frankie over The Rosie Project being an outstanding read. The Poisonwood Bible was also up there. Maybe I missed something in The Poisonwood Bible, because I thought it was just "a normal" read, but now when I think about it, I liked it and think maybe I should've given it a 4/5. My interest is peaked though- do you sometimes change your ratings later? Some of mine, I think I want to adjust- like they've become better in my mind since I read them. Edited August 10, 2014 by Anna Begins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willoyd Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 (edited) Maybe I missed something in The Poisonwood Bible, because I thought it was just "a normal" read, but now when I think about it, I liked it and think maybe I should've given it a 4/5. My interest is peaked though- do you sometimes change your ratings later? Some of mine, I think I want to adjust- like they've become better in my mind since I read them. I do occasionally. As you suggest, books can grow in one's memory after reading: they don't stop being 'read' once one has actually finished their physical reading. I rate books on a scale out of 6 stars, with the top rating reserved for favourites. 5* is for books I regard as 'outstanding'. However, I can't always tell on completion whether a book is yet a favourite or not - that can take time - so I often will rate a potential favourite at 5* with an eye to seeing how it matures in my memory later. That's the most common situation, but I do sometimes rerate books between other levels in hindsight. Indeed, The Poisonwood Bible is an example of that. I originally rated it as 4*, but after the discussion at my book group (for which I had read it), I rerated it to a 5*; like you, I realised that I liked the book far more than my initial reaction suggested. I have been known to rerate books downwards too, but that's rarer - I'm usually at my most damning of a book I dislike at the point of completion/putting down! I also rerate books if I reread them. (BTW, I can and do have favourite series where none of the individual books rate a 6*. Donna Leon's Brunnetti and George Simenon's Maigret series are both like that for instance). Edited August 10, 2014 by willoyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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