Ben

The real Christmas miracle: I've finally finished The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens. He's amazing, but damn it just felt LONG. Plus he doesn't go easy on the feelings with this one, does he? Blimey. Bought a collection of vintage crime 'winter mysteries' called Crimson Snow (edited by Mark Edwards) t'other day in Smiths, so will probably flick through that tomorrow when the rest of the family falls asleep sometime in the early PM. Nothing too taxing from me 'till 2017 now I reckon.

It's not really worth it if it doesn't come framed. (One of the moderators should just lock this thread and win - unless of course the other moderators carried on posting...)

Gotham again. Really impressed with this series.

(Oops, sorry about that Kylie, I knew we had a similar type of thread but couldn't remember exactly what we did. Hope we're okay with both threads up?) Anyway, my answers: Favourite read? Very difficult to just pick one but if you held a gun to my head I'd probably say When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. Favourite author? Newly discovered: Cormac McCarthy or Michael Chabon. Already familiar: Nabokov or F. Scott Fitzgerald. Most read author? Ransom Riggs and Peter Swanson (three books each). Should also be three for Dickens by the end of 2016. Favourite book cover? Probably The Muse by Jessie Burton. (Tried to add the image in but I suck and can't work out exactly how to attach the image.) Book you abandoned (if there was more than one, the one you read least of)? Haven't abandoned any this year, wahoo! Book that most disappointed you? The Trial by Franz Kafka. Awfully dull. Funniest book? Sourcery by Terry Pratchett. Favourite literary character? Another difficult one but probably Virgil Tibbs from John Dudley Ball's In the Heat of the Night. Favourite children's book? Haven't really read any 'kids' books as such - at the youngest a few YA novels. Favourite classic? Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian. Favourite non-fiction book? Paul Kalanithi's When Breath Becomes Air. Favourite biography? At the Existentialist Cafe by Sarah Bakewell. (Kind of a biography.) Favourite collection of short stories? Homesick for Another World by Ottessa Moshfegh. (ARC, out in January.) Favourite poetry collection? Very much to be surprise, it doesn't look like I've read any poetry collections in 2016. Favourite illustrated book? My current read - The Old Curiosity Shop - has some nice illustrations. Favourite publisher? Vintage Books. Favourite audiobook? Haven't listened to any audiobooks this year. Plenty of bookish podcasts though. (Guardian, NY Times, Vintage, Penguin.) Favourite re-read? No re-reads this year, but that was through a conscious effort not to - has allowed me to focus on getting more books read from Mount TBR. --- Another fantastic year's worth of reading during 2016. On to the next one.

Interesting reading your thoughts on the Lord of the Rings trilogy as a whole. It's been a long, long time since I read them - and I only ever have once - but I feel as if it's one of those series' that lends itself to having the proper time to sit down and read, rather than 10-15mins in fits and starts. As it happens, I've never had any trouble with huge amounts of detail/description/conversation - but only if I have the time to sit and concentrate on it. (Indeed, some of my favourite bits in the Game of Thrones books are descriptions and battle scenes.) Definitely due a re-read in any case.

Been cold and dark for a couple of weeks now, but so long as it isn't raining - which it hasn't been - I tend not to mind. Quite nice to get wrapped up in warm clothes and go for a walk - or just sit in a comfy jumper and stay out of the cold in front of the fire.

Seen as nobody responded to my earlier message or gave me any advice, I took the plunge and watched the new episodes anyway. Thought they were fantastic to be honest. The flavour of the series was there and it was so good seeing the characters come back and interact.

I'm a bit different with this. I sure wouldn't give five stars to a book that I find boring, but I also wouldn't give them to a book that made me feel emotion but that was badly written. Obviously I want my books to make me feel something, but how it's written is often important for me. Guess there has to be some kind of balance. In any case, I've just hit 100 books for the year with half a month left to spare. Before my holiday in September I was 10 or 11 books behind schedule, so I'm rather pleased that I managed to hit my target with so much time left. Going to finally allow myself to sit down with The Old Curiosity Shop now - my final book for this year's Classics Challenge.

Started Jeffery Deaver's The Empty Chair last night, after being blown away by The Coffin Dancer. Perhaps inevitably, this one isn't grabbing me as much as the second - or even first - book in the series. Saying that, it's Deaver, so I imagine it'll pick up and there'll be more to it.

Hi Robert, welcome to BCF. If you're looking for friendly and fun you're in the right place. You've given yourself some great Christmas picks there, a couple of which I've read. The Existentialist Cafe was one of my favourite reads this year - witty, informative, and - importantly - very readable. I also enjoyed Nutshell. I mean, it's McEwan so you know what you're going to get. From the others, I've heard good things about Zadie Smith's new one, Nathan Hill's The Nix and The Underground Railroad. Enjoy!

Hanging Tree by Counting Crows. Good to "see" you too poppy, hope you've been well.

Already on second season of Gotham which has started out like a house on fire. Thought the first was solid if not spectacular; pretty predictable in places. Already season two has thrown a few curveballs I didn't see coming. Brilliant.

Couldn't sleep last night, so have raced through The Coffin Dancer by Jeffery Deaver in next to no time at all. Thought it was very good, definitely a cut above for the crime thriller/police procedural genre. Almost tempted to just go straight on and start the next one in the series, but we'll see.

I need to get friends like yours.

Have added Underfoot in Show Business to the wishlist - it sounds great.

Still never read anything by Jeffrey Eugenides but fully intend to soon. Have you read all his novels? Have never been sure whether to start with Middlesex or The Virgin Suicides. Ah yes, of course the only Hanff book I've read out of those you've mentioned is 84 Charing Cross Road - although I did rather enjoy that. Would love to explore some of her other work, so will definitely keep an eye out for the other books you've mentioned. We'll let you off. Never read anything from your list sadly, Anna. Or maybe not sadly at all. Gives me more books to explore and look up for potential future reads. I'm sure as a forum we'll have wide-ranging lists. That's why I thought this could make a good topic.

Poppy are you deliberately turning all of these back into Christmas songs? Baby, Let Me Follow You Down by Bob Dylan.

#97. Comfortably on track for my 100 this year. I mean, I read 112 last year but that was also the first year that I'd hit 100 so I think I'll be keeping to that same target for many years to come now (still a challenge for me, but perfectly doable).

So it's that time of year where all the end-of-year favourites lists are upon us. I was just going through my reading this year, trying to pin down a round 10, and thought it might be nice if we all shared our best reads in 2016. I'm not going for all books published this year - if I've read it in the last 12 months, it qualifies! So without further ado, my list (in no particular order - I'm not that good at making decisions!): Ben's 2016 Favourites Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner Chess Story by Stefan Zweig Ragdoll by Daniel Cole If This is a Man / The Truce by Primo Levi Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov At the Existentialist Café by Sarah Bakewell When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi The Heavenly Table by Donald Ray Pollock Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy Moonglow by Michael Chabon Anyone read any of these? What did you think? Share your favourites!

4 Your Eyez Only by J. Cole.

Finished Arthur Koestler's Darkness at Noon... not the most joyous of books that's for sure. "Enjoyed" is probably not the right word, but I'm very glad I finally got around to reading it. Not sure what to read next. Should probably start The Old Curiosity Shop - it's longer than I thought it was...

Definitely of the same opinion as you with this one, Michelle. The humour really sold it for me. I find it's really difficult for a crime thriller/police procedural to do something unique now, but this was nicely crafted. Could definitely also see this done as a TV series and think I remember reading that the rights have been sold? (Don't quote me on that, could be wrong.) Anyway, agreed: definitely one to look out for in 2017.

Hi Andrea, welcome to BCF.

The Weeknd's new album, Starboy.

Last Chance by Maroon 5.