JudyB Posted July 13, 2007 Posted July 13, 2007 Well we're halfway through the year and I wondered whether anyone feels that they have read anything this year that stands out for them. To start the ball rolling I'm going to say that The Book Thief by Markus Zusak stands out for me - a beautiful and very original read. (It's closely followed by A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini) Quote
madcow Posted July 13, 2007 Posted July 13, 2007 Mine has to be The Crimson Petal and The White by Michel Faber, I loved every minute of reading it and didn't want it to end. Closely followed by Marley & Me by John Grogan Quote
angerball Posted July 13, 2007 Posted July 13, 2007 I'd have to go with A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon. There are plenty of others that I really enjoyed, but that's a recent one that springs to mind. Quote
Kell Posted July 13, 2007 Posted July 13, 2007 Well, there have only been two 10/10 books for me so far this year, but there have been a few 9/10 books, so here are the best of the bunch so far: Ronia, The Robber's Daughter by Astrid Lindgrn - 10/10 The Plucker: An Illustrated Novel by Brom - 10/10 No Humans Involved by Kelley Armstrong - 9/10 Broken Skin by Stuart MacBride - 9/10 The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly - 9/10 The Prestige by Christopher Priest - 9/10 The Thee Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas (audio book) - 9/10 Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell (audio book) - 9/10 On top of that, I've had 19 books I rated 8/10 and 6 audio books rated 8/10. It's been a pretty good year for books so far - I hope it continues in a similar vein! Quote
Nici Posted July 13, 2007 Posted July 13, 2007 Mine is, without a shadow of a doubt Raven Hart - The Vampires Secret Quote
nicx27 Posted July 13, 2007 Posted July 13, 2007 I think I will have to jump on the bandwagon and say The Book Thief too. A wonderful book. Quote
Echo Posted July 13, 2007 Posted July 13, 2007 My favorite so far this year has been The Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. This is the book I just finished and it was awesome! (Sorry for the vulgar American epithet, but it's the only word that's appropriate for this book!) But then, I haven't read the other ones! Quote
Kylie Posted July 14, 2007 Posted July 14, 2007 I've been having a really good year so far; I've given 10/10 to three books: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee Dracula by Bram Stoker A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess Five others have just missed out on top marks Quote
Oblomov Posted July 14, 2007 Posted July 14, 2007 I completed The Plot Against America by Philip Roth a few days ago and thought that it was excellent. My vote for the best book read this year so far. Quote
Michelle Posted July 14, 2007 Posted July 14, 2007 Impossible to decide, I think.. Raven Hart - The Vampire's Secret Carole Matthews - The Chocolate Lovers Club Kevin Brockmeier - The Brief History of the Dead Maggie O'Farrell - The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox Kate Harrison - Brown Owl's Guide to Life Kim Edwards - The Memory Keeper's Daughter were all excellent. Quote
wrathofkublakhan Posted July 14, 2007 Posted July 14, 2007 Tough call. Picking one favorite of the year, I might change my mind once I've had a muffin since I feel I've read some damn fine stories. I think I'll pick: The Secret Garden. It was very well written, had solid characters and was full of charm and surprises. One of the few books that can stand the test of time and not feel dated. Really, the time frame adds to the charm. My goodness, it was a good book! Quote
Polka Dot Rock Posted July 15, 2007 Posted July 15, 2007 Well we're halfway through the year and I wondered whether anyone feels that they have read anything this year that stands out for them. What a great idea for a thread Judy! It makes me feel like I can finally find a use for my blog ratings Mine has to be The Crimson Petal and The White by Michel Faber, I loved every minute of reading it and didn't want it to end. Ooh Jules! You beat me to it! The Crimson Petal & The White is definitely my favourite of the year so far. To be honest, I can't imagine reading another book that could beat it this year! Other personal highlights: One Good Turn - Kate Atkinson The Girls - Lori Lansens The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time - Mark Haddon Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi Watchmen - Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons Disobedience - Naomi Alderman The Tenderness of Wolves - Stef Penney Quote
Weave Posted July 15, 2007 Posted July 15, 2007 Well if its more than one... The Girls by Lori Lansens The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd x Quote
Angel Posted July 15, 2007 Posted July 15, 2007 If I'm only to choose 1 it would be Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir I've also enjoyed immensely Philippa Gregory - Earthly Joys Susannah Gregory - A Conspiracy of Violence Jeanne Kalogridis - Painting Mona Lisa Quote
Freewheeling Andy Posted July 16, 2007 Posted July 16, 2007 I was thinking 2007 hadn't been that good for reading, and then went back to my blog to see what I'd actually read this year and it's much more impressive than I'd imagined. These are now probably in order of how much I loved them (all novels unless I say otherwise), but all these books have been truly, utterly wonderful 1 - War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, if I needed to say 2 - All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque 3 - 1812, Napoleon's fateful march on Moscow by Adam Zamoyski (history) 4 - Dance, Dance, Dance by Haruki Murukami 5 - Disgrace by JM Coetzee 6 - Murder in Samarkand by Craig Murray (politics) Quote
kitty Posted July 23, 2007 Posted July 23, 2007 So far its got to be I Know his Much Is True by Wally Lamb. Quote
Lilywhite Posted July 23, 2007 Posted July 23, 2007 There have only been 2 books I gave full marks to so far and they are Kevin Brockmeier ~ The Brief History Of The Dead (5/5) and John Grogan ~ Marley and Me (5/5) Many have almost hit the mark but these were definately the best reads of the year os far. Quote
madcow Posted July 24, 2007 Posted July 24, 2007 Marley & Me came a very close second to The Crimson Petal. Quote
Ruth Posted July 25, 2007 Posted July 25, 2007 There have only been 2 books I gave full marks to so far and they are Kevin Brockmeier ~ The Brief History Of The Dead (5/5) and John Grogan ~ Marley and Me (5/5) Many have almost hit the mark but these were definately the best reads of the year os far. I have both of these on my tbr. Being the owner of a crazy Labrador myself, I reckon Marley and Me might strike a chord! My favourite book of the year so far, is probably Girl With A Pearl Earring, by Tracy Chevalier. I've read quite a few good books this year, but I think that's my favourite at the moment. Quote
madcow Posted July 25, 2007 Posted July 25, 2007 I have both of these on my tbr. Being the owner of a crazy Labrador myself, I reckon Marley and Me might strike a chord! [____] Here's a box of tissues Ruth for when you get round to reading Marley & Me If your a dog lover you'll need them! Quote
samgrosser Posted July 26, 2007 Posted July 26, 2007 Regeneration by Pat Barker - warm, intelligent, utterly engrossing. And I know that somewhere on the forum there's a thread about it, but I can't seem to find it. Help me, anyone? Quote
Michelle Posted July 26, 2007 Posted July 26, 2007 There's a review here: http://bookclubforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=3539 Quote
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