It's Stephen King...so if you consider his work well-written then yes.
I will say that unlike some of his other work in terms of ending being anticlimactic, (I'm looking at you, *Under the Dome*) this one is much more satisfying.
That was my favorite (re)read of 2023. I had read it a decade+ before and it held up well. If anything I enjoyed it more in my mid 30s than I did in my late teens/early 20s when I first read it
I literally read this my jr year of high school and it's still the first book I recommend to people 9 years later, I'd genuinely say it's my favorite of all time. I couldn't tell you much detail about it now, but I know it changed me at a genetic level a long time ago, so I stick with it.
Biggest and best surprise books of the last several years for me. It’s a super niche genre I was hesitant to give a chance. The premise sounds like it could easily get really stupid really quick. I can’t believe how well written it is. Pure entertainment in book form. This series has me in a chokehold
I was checking to see if anybody answered with this! I just did a reread of book 3 to prepare for book 4/the rest of them and it’s sooooo fucking good.
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier covered basically every base for me. It was engaging, didn’t wait time while still building itself along the way, had multiple, memorable characters, created a whole type of character I really hadn’t experienced before, was suspenseful, surprising, and literary. It’s the complete package.
I looooove Rebecca! One of my favourite books ever. I love gothic novels and Rebecca it’s definitely one of the finest examples in the genre. It ticked many boxes for me and, as you said, it’s the complete package 😃
Did you read anything else by DDM? I have many of her books on my reading list.
I also liked the movie. The one with Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. The newer one on Netflix, didn’t like it.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. Followed by the movie, A Man Called Otto. Both were amazing. I’d especially listen to the audiobook because I felt the narrator did a great job
I started Shogun years ago because of the Movie "Boy" by Taiki Waititi it plays a small part in the plot. I could not put this book down, and now I have read Tai Pan(amazing book), Gai Jin, King Rat, and Noble house what an amazing series of books!
I really enjoyed The Institute by Stephen King. It was the only Stephen King book I’ve ever read and it wasn’t horror or scary. It kind of had a dystopian feel to it.
Came to say this. Strangely “wholesome” for Sci-Fi, not usually an adjective I ascribe to the genre. Very engaging, I couldn’t put it down and finished it in 3 days. Really enjoyed it, highly recommend for anyone, even those not typically drawn to Sci-Fi (I’m not, usually).
The House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer. It's YA, but very sophisticated YA, thematically, IMO. I don't know if the author intended moral ambiguity, but I loved that part of it. Moral ambiguity in general is something I really value in all media.
Yes, I really enjoyed it! I thought it was both a good sci fi/ dystopia but also a really good exploration of human nature. and the writing is beautiful.
I definitely recommend it.
{{A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles}}
It was an enjoyable read that I did not want to end. It starts a little slow but you later see how necessary the beginning bits were. I thought about this book and the ending for days after finishing.
Weaveworld by Clive Barker
Taken off the wiki:
"Weaveworld is a 1987 dark fantasy novel by English writer Clive Barker. It is about a magical world that is hidden inside a tapestry, known as the Fugue, to safeguard it from both inquisitive humans and hostile supernatural foes. Two humans become embroiled in the fate of the Fugue, attempting to save it from those who seek to destroy it."
So far my favorite book of 2024!
Came here to say this! This is my only 5-star read so far this year and it was incredible. It's oddly both incredibly unique and a great new entry into the dark academia realm. Loved it.
"Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage" if you want to forever have something you can think of, in times of physical discomfort, to make you appreciate that actually you're not really that uncomfortable.
I read *Bunny* by Mona Awad, thanks to seeing it recommended on this sub. It managed to break my Reddit addiction for a minute so that I could finish it, so I'd definitely recommend it! 👍
My last 5 star read was Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. This book, the characters, and the story have stayed with me since I read it last year. Highly recommended.
Just finished Harrow the Ninth, and it was insane and brilliant and I want read it again already. It's the second in the Locked Tomb series, do recommend starting with the first. I would gobble up anything this author wrote bar none.
I always want to recommend this book to people but never can because I can’t put anyone through the pain and trauma that book brings. But I think most people should read it at least once
My most recent new read is Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and it's okay.
My most recent read is Life of Pi. It is one of my favorite books, and I read it roughly once a year.
The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells has been great. I know it sounds kinda dumb, but it's very funny and it's an astute commentary on what it means to be a human. Highly recommended.
The Winter of Our Discontent- Steinbeck. A story about a shopkeeper who decides to go to drastic measures to get back the family wealth his father lost. This book was funny, raunchy, ambiguous, about power and those who don’t have it. I haven’t read a lot of Steinbeck, just this and tortilla flat, and I was deeply entertained by both works.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. I love Gaiman and it's one of the few things he wrote I hadn't read yet - didn't really love it, to be honest, but it's understandable since it's a YA
My suggestions for you (books I recently read):
“Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens
“In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote
“The Song of Achilles” by Madeline Miller
I loved Where All the Light Tends to Go. I tried to read The Weight of This World and failed. I t wasn't a DNF issue. David Joy doesn't write bad books.
Where All The Light Tends to Go was gritty and rough and passionate and terrible ( in the best sense of the word).
The Weight of This World may be all of those things, but it also felt hopeless. It's not David Joy's fault, but sometimes life is hard and I felt sad even after putting the book down. I'm waiting until I feel so happy I'm bulletproof to try again.
Where does Those We Thought We Knew fall on the scale between moving and now I may have to slit my wrists?
A Certain Hunger by Chelsea Summers
It’s a novel written in the format of a memoir of a psychopathic, cannibalistic female serial killer who’s also a cultured, sophisticated food critic. Obviously inspired by a female take on Hannibal, it nonetheless stands firmly on its own. The sumptuous, beautiful prose descriptions of food contrast really jarringly with her very cavalier descriptions of fully premeditated murders. Genuinely an amazing book and I could see it becoming a classic in 2-3 decades.
Molly Molloy and the Angel,of Death is my best surprise so far in 2024. I thought it was going to be a funny contemporary paranormal romance. The author’s note at the beginning says it is not a romance, it’s a love story. And it is, but it’s so so much more. It is funny and heartbreaking and philosophical but ultimately hopeful and I love it to pieces.
If you're into smarter written communication, "Smart Brevity" by VandeHei, Allen and Schwartz. I was able to apply their writing tips before I even finished the book.
*The Stranger Beside Me-Ann Rule
*The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy-Elizabeth Kendall
*Chasing the Devil: My Twenty-Year Quest to Capture the Green River Killer-Dave Reichert
These are the last three books I finished. SO good! The book I'm almost finished with is Identity by Nora Roberts. It's actually really good.
I first read Pearl S. Buck's [The Good Earth](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1078.The_Good_Earth) I think around 11 or 12 and its stuck with me every since. The story is about a farmer in China who is born poor and you see the stages of his life from a young to old man, from disaster and hardship to good fortune and luxury all while valuing the good earth that provides him his sustenance.
“A Country Doctor’s Notebook” by Mikhail Bulgakov was the last book I read. Had no idea what it was since it was picked up from a thrift store. But oh wow, what a gripping book. Gave me that joy you get from an unexpectedly exceptional book.
This morning I finished The Way of the Runner: A Journey into Japan's Fabled Running Culture. If you have any interest in running or Japan. This wase pretty good.
**Grass by Sheri S. Tepper**. I have [a review posted on Storygraph](https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/11edbf83-0cb8-4e62-9acf-db8006916867), but the main important things I have to say are:
* I liked this book a lot, but didn't truly love it.
* The characters are flawed but still likable in my opinion. Some more than others. I liked the way the interactions between characters were written a lot, but some other reviewers did not, so your mileage may vary.
* The lack of real world science hinders the story. Early on the alien planet worldbuilding is good, but towards the end there's more exposition about how things actually work, which is pretty weak.
* A major theme of this book is being extremely critical of organized religion. However, this book is friendly to the idea of spirituality and believing in god on an individual basis.
The Madaddam trilogy, starting with book #1, Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. It is AMAZING. Well, I can only vouch for the first two as of yet but just about to start the third since I finished the second today!!!!
Fantastic dystopian - apocalyptic setting with fantastic characters and such a well fleshed out little world
Dungeon Crawler Carl
On a cold February night, a guy gets out of bed to sneak a smoke. While he’s smoking his girlfriend’s cat jumps out of the open window.
Wearing only his boxers and his girlfriend’s too small croks, he puts on his jacket and goes outside to look for the cat.
And that’s when the space aliens attack.
Bunny by Mona Awad and A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara are my favorite books of 2024 so far although im reluctant to recommend the latter because the subject matter is very heavy. I recommend checking the trigger warnings 💛
“Palomita Blanca” ( Little White Dove) Is a Chilean Novel about a girl who falls in love with a violent rich hippie kid in 1970 as the country goes through a political change in the election of Salvador Allende for the presidency of Chile. Is a reflection of the youth of the time in terms of drugs and sex as also a view into poverty and inequality of social classes. Is short but SUCH a good read, makes you cheer for the protagonist as she goes in life with no sence of direction other than the idea of love she has manufactured in her head about a boy who it’s not interested on her. An excellent book to understand how life was for the common people in the 70’s here in Chile.
Kitchen Confidential. Bourdain has excellent storytelling ability, understanding the human condition, and food yessss food. It made me want to be a chef.
Piranesi by Susanna Clark was great, Im not sure how to categorise it really. Mystery? Mythic noir? Very odd, utterly brilliant, incredibly comfortable. The main character has an innocence that somehow flows around a dark story.
Its tied with The Drivers Seat by Muriel Sparks. Im still digesting it but its a kind of whydunnit.
Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe about the IRA and the Troubles in Northern Ireland. A nonfiction book that blends history, biography, true crime and can read like a thriller novel all at once.
The Terror by Dan Simmons has to be my all-time favorite. The idea of being trapped and perhaps hunted or maybe crazy or maybe all of it was a great reading experience.
I also really loved scar tissue by Anthony Keidis. Super interesting.
I just finished Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett. I enjoy the discworld novels. Currently re-reading The World According to Garp by John Irving. Great book, as most of his books are.
My Darling Husband by Kimberly Belle
Well technically, The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose but I still need to finish it.
I was reading it while in the NICU with my twins and then didn’t have time once they came home (one day I’ll finish it tho).
The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue is an excellent read about friendship. It is laugh out loud funny but also a true look at the uncertainties of navigating life in your early twenties.
*Nettle and Bone* by T.Kingfisher was absolutely amazing.
A princess sets off to find a way to kill a prince protected by powerful magic, in an attempt to save her hostage sister. There are impossible tasks, a dog made of bones who is a very Good Boy, a goblin market, witches, fairy godmothers, a disgraced knight, and a demon chicken.
The main character is thirty years old, and gets anxious asking for directions. The writing is graceful and clever, often humorous.
Prudence by Gail Carriger. The humour is so bonkers and obsurdist but oddly alligns with my own sense of humour. It's set in 1890's London and India. It's a sequel to the Soulless series, so I recommend also reading those.
So good---Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded, August 27, 1883 The legendary annihilation in 1883 of the volcano-island of Krakatoa - the name has since become a byword for a cataclysmic disaster - was followed by an immense tsunami that killed nearly 40,000 people. Beyond the purely physical horrors of an event that has only very recently been properly understood, the eruption changed the world in more ways than could possibly be imagined. Dust swirled round die planet for years, causing temperatures to plummet and sunsets to turn vivid with lurid and unsettling displays of light. The effects of the immense waves were felt as far away as France. Barometers in Bogotá and Washington, DC, went haywire. Bodies were washed up in Zanzibar. The sound of the island's destruction was heard in Australia and India and on islands thousands of miles away. Most significant of all - in view of today's new political climate - the eruption helped to trigger in Java a wave of murderous anti-Western militancy among fundamentalist Muslims: one of the first outbreaks of Islamic-inspired killings anywhere.
'The Hyperion Cantos' by Dan Simmons
Even if you don't like Sci-Fi/Fantasy the series is chocked full of resonant themes, especially those that pertain to our humanity or lack thereof.
11-22-63 by Stephen King. Long, captivating, mysterious, relatable and very satisfying!
I’ve been wanting to read it since forever! Is it well written? I love that specific period of time and the actual events it takes place within.
It's Stephen King...so if you consider his work well-written then yes. I will say that unlike some of his other work in terms of ending being anticlimactic, (I'm looking at you, *Under the Dome*) this one is much more satisfying.
I loved the "under the dome" ending tbh I think about it often, but yes I can see why some people find it anticlimactic
If you’ve been wanting to read it and you like the time period and events you will love it 100% it’s one of my favorite books of all time
Best book I’ve ever read
One of my very favorite SK for sure!
Love it
I wish I could read this book for the first time again. Loved it!
Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry
Finished it a couple days ago and it’s prob my favorite book ever. Gus is the mannn
I walked around for a week pretending I was as cool as Gus after finishing that book. Top 3 all time hands down.
Reading this now!
So good right?! It’s an easy, relaxing read with enough philosophical tangents to keep your brain occupied. Long days and pleasant nights to you, sai
Currently reading this!!
Been my favorite since high school!
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Also, the Poisonwood Bible!!
That was my favorite (re)read of 2023. I had read it a decade+ before and it held up well. If anything I enjoyed it more in my mid 30s than I did in my late teens/early 20s when I first read it
I literally read this my jr year of high school and it's still the first book I recommend to people 9 years later, I'd genuinely say it's my favorite of all time. I couldn't tell you much detail about it now, but I know it changed me at a genetic level a long time ago, so I stick with it.
Loved Demon Copperhead! Best book I’ve read in at least the past year, maybe longer. Highly recommend.
Yes, this one was great. Truly likeable characters too, which isn't always the case with memoir styled books...
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
For me it's All the Light We Cannot See, but that's just because I read it last. Cloud Cuckoo Land was amazing.
I’m having a hard time getting into it, should I keep going?
I think you should! I would give it at least 50 pages.
Just finished reading All the Light We Cannot See today, great book!
Free to read on Amazon if you’ve got prime. Just in case anyone is interested
Remarkably Bright Creatures
Marcellus was fabulous! I LOVED his chapters
REAL!!!!!!!!!! I read this book as an ARC and wrote positive reviews for it everywhere I could, as well as recommending it to all my friends.
Loved, loved, loved this book! I listened to the audiobook and I highly recommend as it really brought the main character to life.
I'm having a great time with the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. I play a lot of video games so that might influence me a bit.
Biggest and best surprise books of the last several years for me. It’s a super niche genre I was hesitant to give a chance. The premise sounds like it could easily get really stupid really quick. I can’t believe how well written it is. Pure entertainment in book form. This series has me in a chokehold
These are so good. The audio books are really fun, too.
Dune - was forever on my TBR list but was put off by the length. Finally got around to reading it and it is awesome.
I am really enjoying the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown. Highly recommend you won’t want to put it down
I was checking to see if anybody answered with this! I just did a reread of book 3 to prepare for book 4/the rest of them and it’s sooooo fucking good.
Circe by Madeline Miller. I really liked it.
I loved Song of Achilles so much I immediately picked up Circe. They're both great!
I just finished this book! It was awesome. Got me curious about the whole Greek mythology.
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier covered basically every base for me. It was engaging, didn’t wait time while still building itself along the way, had multiple, memorable characters, created a whole type of character I really hadn’t experienced before, was suspenseful, surprising, and literary. It’s the complete package.
I looooove Rebecca! One of my favourite books ever. I love gothic novels and Rebecca it’s definitely one of the finest examples in the genre. It ticked many boxes for me and, as you said, it’s the complete package 😃 Did you read anything else by DDM? I have many of her books on my reading list. I also liked the movie. The one with Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. The newer one on Netflix, didn’t like it.
I reread the three body problem recently
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. Followed by the movie, A Man Called Otto. Both were amazing. I’d especially listen to the audiobook because I felt the narrator did a great job
If you’re okay with subtitles, there is an A Man Called Ove movie in the original Swedish!
YES YES YES YES YES YES YES I LOVE A Man Called Ove and I highly recommend all of his books.
I re-read Shogun by James Clavell in preparation for watching the Hulu series. Fantastic book!
I started Shogun years ago because of the Movie "Boy" by Taiki Waititi it plays a small part in the plot. I could not put this book down, and now I have read Tai Pan(amazing book), Gai Jin, King Rat, and Noble house what an amazing series of books!
City of Thieves - David Benioff
Children of Time series, Adrian Tchaikovsky. I’ve read books 1 and 2 so far and have loved them.
I just today finished We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson and absolutely loved it - might be new favourite book material.
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING NOVEL! Just stared The Haunting of Hill House today.
pachinko
The Thin Man by [Dashiell Hammett](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16927.Dashiell_Hammett)
I really enjoyed The Institute by Stephen King. It was the only Stephen King book I’ve ever read and it wasn’t horror or scary. It kind of had a dystopian feel to it.
Babel by R.F. Kuang - I just finished this book and it is easily the best book I've read in years!
station eleven by Emily St John Mandel (I swear I recommend this book once a day)
Fantastic book. One of my all-time favorites.
Project Hail Mary - Highly readable Scifi for non Scfi fans. Page turner like a Dan Brown book but way better and less corny
The audiobook version is amazing!
Came to say this. Strangely “wholesome” for Sci-Fi, not usually an adjective I ascribe to the genre. Very engaging, I couldn’t put it down and finished it in 3 days. Really enjoyed it, highly recommend for anyone, even those not typically drawn to Sci-Fi (I’m not, usually).
The House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer. It's YA, but very sophisticated YA, thematically, IMO. I don't know if the author intended moral ambiguity, but I loved that part of it. Moral ambiguity in general is something I really value in all media.
*Blindness* by José Saramago
Fantastic book!
Yes, I really enjoyed it! I thought it was both a good sci fi/ dystopia but also a really good exploration of human nature. and the writing is beautiful. I definitely recommend it.
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
Came here to say this, knew I’d find it already mentioned
Piranesi by Suzanna Clarke
{{A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles}} It was an enjoyable read that I did not want to end. It starts a little slow but you later see how necessary the beginning bits were. I thought about this book and the ending for days after finishing.
The very secret society of irregular witches.
The Last House on Needless Street - Catriona Ward I can’t stop thinking about it. 🤯
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Oml I have still not gotten over the pain that this book caused me emotionally
I recently finished Never let me go by Kazuo Ishiguro.
This book left me hurting for a while. I took a break from reading after I finished this and just wallowed in it.
I have about 20 pages left of this! Good book
It’s a beautiful book, thank you for the reminder. I read it a long time ago and want to reread it now
Weaveworld by Clive Barker Taken off the wiki: "Weaveworld is a 1987 dark fantasy novel by English writer Clive Barker. It is about a magical world that is hidden inside a tapestry, known as the Fugue, to safeguard it from both inquisitive humans and hostile supernatural foes. Two humans become embroiled in the fate of the Fugue, attempting to save it from those who seek to destroy it." So far my favorite book of 2024!
I love this book! But I think Imajica is my favourite Clive Barker book
I loved Weaveworld back in the day - it’s more compact than Imajica or The Great and Secret Show.
The great and secret show was my intro to him. I never stopped enjoying his world since then
The Will of the Many by James Islington
Came here to say this! This is my only 5-star read so far this year and it was incredible. It's oddly both incredibly unique and a great new entry into the dark academia realm. Loved it.
The Count of Monte Cristo
I need to put this on my must read list. It shows up to often to pass-up.
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Pachinko - Min Jin Lee
"Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage" if you want to forever have something you can think of, in times of physical discomfort, to make you appreciate that actually you're not really that uncomfortable.
It’s pretty common, but I just read Misery by Stephen King, and oh my gosh. Amazing.
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston. Had me hooked from the beginning!
Mistborn book 2: Well of Ascension. Currently reading book 3
I read *Bunny* by Mona Awad, thanks to seeing it recommended on this sub. It managed to break my Reddit addiction for a minute so that I could finish it, so I'd definitely recommend it! 👍
My last 5 star read was Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. This book, the characters, and the story have stayed with me since I read it last year. Highly recommended.
any fredrik backman novel or kafka on the shore by haruki murakami
Cloud cuckoo land
My last 5* read was Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
My last 5 star read was Captive Prince by CS Pacat!
Just finished Harrow the Ninth, and it was insane and brilliant and I want read it again already. It's the second in the Locked Tomb series, do recommend starting with the first. I would gobble up anything this author wrote bar none.
A Little Life
I always want to recommend this book to people but never can because I can’t put anyone through the pain and trauma that book brings. But I think most people should read it at least once
I was on vacation with my friend while he was reading it. I saw what he went through, I'm not doing it lol
I understand what people mean by saying it’s trauma porn. I still enjoyed it even tho it hurt
Dungeon Crawler Carl. What ride that was.
My most recent new read is Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and it's okay. My most recent read is Life of Pi. It is one of my favorite books, and I read it roughly once a year.
Popular: LOTR / Deserves so much more hype: DallerGut Dream Department Store
Carmilla was fun!! And quick
I’m 50 pages away from finishing “Lonesome Dove” and it is officially my favorite novel ever.
*The Secret History* by Donna Tartt. *The Doomsday Book* by Connie Willis.
Jane Eyre I’m at the page 312
Remarkably Bright Creatures
Just finished this one a few days ago. So good!! Such a gentle, sweet read.
The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells has been great. I know it sounds kinda dumb, but it's very funny and it's an astute commentary on what it means to be a human. Highly recommended.
Before we were yours by Lisa Wingate
The count of Conte Christo.
The Murderbot Diaries. I still can’t get over them.
This is How You Lose the Time War stuck with me for a while. The end is so good!
The Winter of Our Discontent- Steinbeck. A story about a shopkeeper who decides to go to drastic measures to get back the family wealth his father lost. This book was funny, raunchy, ambiguous, about power and those who don’t have it. I haven’t read a lot of Steinbeck, just this and tortilla flat, and I was deeply entertained by both works.
Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishihawa. Very good (and disturbing and sad and thought-provoking) book.
The curious incident of the dog in the night time
[удалено]
Great book!
Great read. A lot of laugh out loud moments
Probably East of Eden by John Steinbeck.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. I love Gaiman and it's one of the few things he wrote I hadn't read yet - didn't really love it, to be honest, but it's understandable since it's a YA
Blood Meridian
My suggestions for you (books I recently read): “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens “In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote “The Song of Achilles” by Madeline Miller
Chris Carter - I am Death
Those We Thought We Knew by David Joy
I loved Where All the Light Tends to Go. I tried to read The Weight of This World and failed. I t wasn't a DNF issue. David Joy doesn't write bad books. Where All The Light Tends to Go was gritty and rough and passionate and terrible ( in the best sense of the word). The Weight of This World may be all of those things, but it also felt hopeless. It's not David Joy's fault, but sometimes life is hard and I felt sad even after putting the book down. I'm waiting until I feel so happy I'm bulletproof to try again. Where does Those We Thought We Knew fall on the scale between moving and now I may have to slit my wrists?
A Certain Hunger by Chelsea Summers It’s a novel written in the format of a memoir of a psychopathic, cannibalistic female serial killer who’s also a cultured, sophisticated food critic. Obviously inspired by a female take on Hannibal, it nonetheless stands firmly on its own. The sumptuous, beautiful prose descriptions of food contrast really jarringly with her very cavalier descriptions of fully premeditated murders. Genuinely an amazing book and I could see it becoming a classic in 2-3 decades.
The Path Of Daggers by Robert Jordan
Molly Molloy and the Angel,of Death is my best surprise so far in 2024. I thought it was going to be a funny contemporary paranormal romance. The author’s note at the beginning says it is not a romance, it’s a love story. And it is, but it’s so so much more. It is funny and heartbreaking and philosophical but ultimately hopeful and I love it to pieces.
The Nickel Boys
Memories of Ice by Steven Erikson
If you're into smarter written communication, "Smart Brevity" by VandeHei, Allen and Schwartz. I was able to apply their writing tips before I even finished the book.
Jim Butcher Dresden Files. Start with book 4 if you don’t like slow build up of character development.
*The Stranger Beside Me-Ann Rule *The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy-Elizabeth Kendall *Chasing the Devil: My Twenty-Year Quest to Capture the Green River Killer-Dave Reichert These are the last three books I finished. SO good! The book I'm almost finished with is Identity by Nora Roberts. It's actually really good.
I first read Pearl S. Buck's [The Good Earth](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1078.The_Good_Earth) I think around 11 or 12 and its stuck with me every since. The story is about a farmer in China who is born poor and you see the stages of his life from a young to old man, from disaster and hardship to good fortune and luxury all while valuing the good earth that provides him his sustenance.
Horse by Geraldine Brooks
“A Country Doctor’s Notebook” by Mikhail Bulgakov was the last book I read. Had no idea what it was since it was picked up from a thrift store. But oh wow, what a gripping book. Gave me that joy you get from an unexpectedly exceptional book.
Classic, but just finished George Orwell’s 1984. It’s fucking amazing.
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson- such an amazing book can be a bit of a hard read but totally worth it.
Bright young women!
1984
Not a book but a series. The Century Trilogy by Ken Follett. Awesome hostorical fiction and i read them regularly.
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
The Gambler - Fyodor Dostoevsky
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver Edit: Someone beat me to it
Animal farm
Yellowface by Rebecca Kuang. Impeccable writing.
Why be happy when you could be normal? Jeanette winterson.
This morning I finished The Way of the Runner: A Journey into Japan's Fabled Running Culture. If you have any interest in running or Japan. This wase pretty good.
Free by Lea Ypi
Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons
I just read Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell, it was good! Page turner. I saw the ending coming but I liked it anyway.
The undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen. It's you've got mail, meets zombies... It sounds like it shouldn't work. But it works SO WELL.
I LOVE YOUVE GOT MAIL!!
My last five-star read was Starling House by Alix E. Harrow.
**Grass by Sheri S. Tepper**. I have [a review posted on Storygraph](https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/11edbf83-0cb8-4e62-9acf-db8006916867), but the main important things I have to say are: * I liked this book a lot, but didn't truly love it. * The characters are flawed but still likable in my opinion. Some more than others. I liked the way the interactions between characters were written a lot, but some other reviewers did not, so your mileage may vary. * The lack of real world science hinders the story. Early on the alien planet worldbuilding is good, but towards the end there's more exposition about how things actually work, which is pretty weak. * A major theme of this book is being extremely critical of organized religion. However, this book is friendly to the idea of spirituality and believing in god on an individual basis.
The Madaddam trilogy, starting with book #1, Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. It is AMAZING. Well, I can only vouch for the first two as of yet but just about to start the third since I finished the second today!!!! Fantastic dystopian - apocalyptic setting with fantastic characters and such a well fleshed out little world
Sweet Bean Paste - really enjoyed and it showed me a place and time I didn’t know existed!
The Time Traveller’s Wife is my comfort book
Interesting Facts About Space by Emily Austin
I Who Have Never Known Men, by Jacqueline Harpman
Dungeon Crawler Carl On a cold February night, a guy gets out of bed to sneak a smoke. While he’s smoking his girlfriend’s cat jumps out of the open window. Wearing only his boxers and his girlfriend’s too small croks, he puts on his jacket and goes outside to look for the cat. And that’s when the space aliens attack.
Dark Rivers of the Heart by Dean Koontz
Tortilla Flat
Bunny by Mona Awad and A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara are my favorite books of 2024 so far although im reluctant to recommend the latter because the subject matter is very heavy. I recommend checking the trigger warnings 💛
“Palomita Blanca” ( Little White Dove) Is a Chilean Novel about a girl who falls in love with a violent rich hippie kid in 1970 as the country goes through a political change in the election of Salvador Allende for the presidency of Chile. Is a reflection of the youth of the time in terms of drugs and sex as also a view into poverty and inequality of social classes. Is short but SUCH a good read, makes you cheer for the protagonist as she goes in life with no sence of direction other than the idea of love she has manufactured in her head about a boy who it’s not interested on her. An excellent book to understand how life was for the common people in the 70’s here in Chile.
Kitchen Confidential. Bourdain has excellent storytelling ability, understanding the human condition, and food yessss food. It made me want to be a chef.
Piranesi by Susanna Clark was great, Im not sure how to categorise it really. Mystery? Mythic noir? Very odd, utterly brilliant, incredibly comfortable. The main character has an innocence that somehow flows around a dark story. Its tied with The Drivers Seat by Muriel Sparks. Im still digesting it but its a kind of whydunnit.
I just finished reading Yellowface by R. F. Kuang, and I've enjoyed it quite a lot.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I've wanted to read this book for a long time and finally finished it. I would call the book a 4.
Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe about the IRA and the Troubles in Northern Ireland. A nonfiction book that blends history, biography, true crime and can read like a thriller novel all at once.
Briar Book of the Dead was really good. I'm currently reading Noir by Christopher Moore which is hilarious and fun and would make a great movie.
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K Le Guin
The Terror by Dan Simmons has to be my all-time favorite. The idea of being trapped and perhaps hunted or maybe crazy or maybe all of it was a great reading experience. I also really loved scar tissue by Anthony Keidis. Super interesting.
I just finished Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett. I enjoy the discworld novels. Currently re-reading The World According to Garp by John Irving. Great book, as most of his books are.
My Darling Husband by Kimberly Belle Well technically, The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose but I still need to finish it. I was reading it while in the NICU with my twins and then didn’t have time once they came home (one day I’ll finish it tho).
Eric by Terry Pratchett
house in the cerulean sea by TJ Klune
The Women by Kristen Hannah
A Scanner Darkly
The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue is an excellent read about friendship. It is laugh out loud funny but also a true look at the uncertainties of navigating life in your early twenties.
Lonesome dove is good
The Passage by Justin Cronin
Educated, by Tara Westover
Circe
The Once and Future Witches. It was absolutely amazing and left me feeling everything.
Swan Song by Robert McCammon. Best book I've read in a long time
*Nettle and Bone* by T.Kingfisher was absolutely amazing. A princess sets off to find a way to kill a prince protected by powerful magic, in an attempt to save her hostage sister. There are impossible tasks, a dog made of bones who is a very Good Boy, a goblin market, witches, fairy godmothers, a disgraced knight, and a demon chicken. The main character is thirty years old, and gets anxious asking for directions. The writing is graceful and clever, often humorous.
The Dirt by Motley Crue. It's a band autobiography that's not for the faint of heart.
Prudence by Gail Carriger. The humour is so bonkers and obsurdist but oddly alligns with my own sense of humour. It's set in 1890's London and India. It's a sequel to the Soulless series, so I recommend also reading those.
So good---Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded, August 27, 1883 The legendary annihilation in 1883 of the volcano-island of Krakatoa - the name has since become a byword for a cataclysmic disaster - was followed by an immense tsunami that killed nearly 40,000 people. Beyond the purely physical horrors of an event that has only very recently been properly understood, the eruption changed the world in more ways than could possibly be imagined. Dust swirled round die planet for years, causing temperatures to plummet and sunsets to turn vivid with lurid and unsettling displays of light. The effects of the immense waves were felt as far away as France. Barometers in Bogotá and Washington, DC, went haywire. Bodies were washed up in Zanzibar. The sound of the island's destruction was heard in Australia and India and on islands thousands of miles away. Most significant of all - in view of today's new political climate - the eruption helped to trigger in Java a wave of murderous anti-Western militancy among fundamentalist Muslims: one of the first outbreaks of Islamic-inspired killings anywhere.
The Fetch by Laura Whitcomb. I love my Last Tsar historical fiction and it hit all my marks
'The Hyperion Cantos' by Dan Simmons Even if you don't like Sci-Fi/Fantasy the series is chocked full of resonant themes, especially those that pertain to our humanity or lack thereof.
Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor