I like to wrap up the year looking back on the awesome books I read and let you know which ones you should really take a look at. I do not base this solely on ratings, though those do play a big factor. There are some 5 Star reads that did not make this list. There is one 3 Star read. Let me know if you agree and what you would have added.
Title: Rules of Civility
Author: Amor Towles
Rating: 5
Goodreads Average: 4
Format: Physical book
Date Read: 27-Oct
This book grabbed me from the beginning. Yes, the characters were a bit too modern for the time period, but that made them relatable and fun. The writing was beautiful and all loose ends were tied up nicely by the end. I loved his style and I’m considering reading his other books.
Title: South of Broad
Author: Pat Conroy
Rating: 5
Goodreads Average: 3.78
Format: Audiobook
Date Read: 20-Jan
I loved these characters. The writing may have been a bit flowery, but the characters were raw and lovable. They were all flawed in their own unique ways and they really spoke to the issues of the city and of their time. I loved listening to this story and it was a wonderful introduction to Pat Conroy.
Title: World Without End
Author: Ken Follett
Rating: 5
Goodreads Average: 4.24
Format: Audiobook
Date Read: 25-Jan
This was great. Yes, it was long and yes, there were a lot of characters and yes, it took forever for Follett to write it but it was all SO WORTH IT! I’m looking forward to reading the last book in the trilogy now.
Title: Commonwealth
Author: Ann Patchett
Rating: 4
Goodreads Average: 3.83
Format: Physical book/Audiobook
Date Read: 23-Jul
I’ve only read one other Patchett book and that was a memoir so I was nervous how I would like her fiction. I shouldn’t have been, this was wonderful. I switched to an audiobook to finish this one on vacation and the audio was even better. The family relations in this one blew me away and I applaud Patchett for writing such an intricate story.
Titles: Terra Incognita and Persona Non Grata
Author: Ruth Downie
Rating: 4
Goodreads Average: 3.91 and 3.99
Format: Audiobooks
Date Read: 8-May and 11-Dec
This may be cheating, but I’m counting both as one. These books were fun. Downie’s writing is funny and informative and she weaves a good mystery. I adore Ruso and Tilla and I’m going to continue this series soon.
Title: This Beautiful Life
Author: Helen Schulman
Rating: 4
Goodreads Average: 3.04
Format: eBook
Date Read: 6-Dec
I was not prepared for how much I’d enjoy this story. It was something that could happen to almost anyone almost anywhere and it was devastating to see how the family fell apart. I felt bad for every single one of them and the way Schulman set up their lives, it was hard not to. The writing was beautiful.
Title: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Author: Junot Díaz
Rating: 4
Goodreads Average: 3.89
Format: Audiobook
Date Read: 9-Sep
I adored the way Diaz wove in family history, folklore, and the timeline. I loved that Oscar was a total nerd, very relatable to me. I was cheering for him the whole time.
Title: The Book of Speculation
Author: Erika Swyler
Rating: 4
Goodreads Average: 3.59
Format: eBook, Physical Book
Date Read: 5-May
The pacing in this one sucked me in. I was waiting for my eye doctor for an hour and didn’t even realize it. I was devastated when the eBook was returned and I had 20 pages remaining. Physical book to the rescue!
Title: Empire Falls
Author: Richard Russo
Rating: 4
Goodreads Average: 3.91
Format: Physical Book
Date Read: 11-Aug
I was in the right mood for this slow novel. It crept up on me and sucked me in. I wasn’t ready for the ending at all and it was a very strong ending. I’m glad you all picked this one for me to take on vacation!
Title: Armada
Author: Ernest Cline
Rating: 3
Goodreads Average: 3.49
Format: eBook
Date Read: 30-Sep
Talk about fast paced! This book hit the ground running from page one and didn’t stop. It was a little overwhelming and hard to completely understand the world it was set in. I think I rated this low because it’s hard to compare anything to his first book.
That about does it! I hope you read some good books in 2017 and I hope we continue to enjoy some in 2018. Happy Holidays and Happy New Years!
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Taking On a World of Words 