Play Book Tag discussion

Every year, we enjoy sharing list of top books for the year. If you see a top list, please feel free to share it here for all of us to enjoy!

Amazon.com's Top Twenty

The Underground Railroad
The Wolf Road
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis
The Nix
Mischling
Lab Girl
Another Brooklyn
Pumpkinflowers: A Soldier's Story of a Forgotten War
Before the Fall
Swing Time
Moonglow
A Gentleman in Moscow
Girls & Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape
When Breath Becomes Air
Dark Matter
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
The Gene: An Intimate History
The Trespasser
Small Great Things
The Sun Is Also a Star

There's a list of 100 provided by the Amazon editors that you can find at the link below.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=lp_10207...

I read four of these - - not too bad: Underground Railroad, Hillbilly Elegy, A Gentleman in Moscow, and When Breath Becomes Air. At least five others truly interest me . . .

It's funny to be such a voracious reader, and realize I've only read two of the top 20 list, and only another three from the rest.

I read I gentleman in Moscow, and small great things. Both which were five star reads for me. On the second longer list I read the nest, truly madly guilty, and today will be different. All which were three and four stars.

Amy wrote: "I read I gentleman in Moscow, and small great things. Both which were five star reads for me. On the second longer list I read the nest, truly madly guilty, and today will be different. All which w..."

Oh, I didn't think I knew anyone who read Small Great Things . . .another heave ho onto the list it goes. Sigh. Story of my life!

I have an irrational hatred for the title - The Sun is Also a Star.

I've read none of those books, but have a few on my list.

Anita - check out my review if SGT. Barely anyone commented and I thought the book was incredibly worthy and moving.

I've not read any either but do have 6 on my TBR.

I haven't read any of those, but really want to read Small Great Things. Picoult is my favorite author.

5 stars for me for that one! Check out my review, Kin!

I just started Before The Fall and plan on getting a copy of Dark Matter from someone next week

I've read three and plan to read several more.

I've heard of two of them and not read any. No surprise here! ;-)

I have read about 100 books this year, including some 2016 releases, but not one of these. A couple are on my radar, though. I am going to read my first Liane Moriarty book in the next couple of months, but not this latest one; it is one that fits a challenge, though, but I'm not sure if her writing will be my cup of tea.

I have heard of some of them, though.

I've read five:
The Underground Railroad
Before the Fall
A Gentleman in Moscow
Dark Matter
The Trespasser

I enjoyed every one of these.

On my upcoming reads list:

Mischling
The Nix

The Washington Post has posted their best books of the year.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...

Underground Railroad and News of the World are already on the TBR. News Of the World also made their best audio books list so will definitely put that on my listening list.

I've done a little better reading some on the longer list:
To the Bright Edge Of the World
The Girls
LaRose (currently reading)
The Nutshell
I recommend all of them but The Nutshell may be too quirky for many.

Denizen wrote: "The Washington Post has posted their best books of the year.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...

..."

Of the Top Ten I have read:

The Underground Railroad 5 ★★★★★
The Trespasser 5 ★★★★★

On the Notable Fiction List I have read:

A Gentleman in Moscow 5 ★★★★★
The Girls 4 ★★★★
Homegoing 5★★★★★
Lily and the Octopus 2 ★★
My Name is Lucy Barton 5 ★★★★★
The Nest 4 ★★★★
The Summer Before the War 4 ★★★★
The Wonder 4 ★★★★
Sweetbitter - DNF

On the Notable Mystery and Thrillers:

Before the Fall 4 ★★★★
Under the Harrow 3 ★★★
The Woman in Cabin 10 3 ★★★
You Will Know Me 4 ★★★★

On my TBR:

Born to Run
The Nix
Seinfeldia

I've read none of their top ten. I think I read fewer new releases this year than usual. I did better with their notables list:

Notable fiction:

A Gentleman in Moscow 5 stars and why isn't this in every top 10 list? I admit to a bias. I'm in love with the man.

To The Bright Edge of the World 5 stars, and my favorite until the Gentleman came into my life.

The Summer Before the War - 4 stars ; actually a little disappointing. Not sure I would give it 4 stars in retrospect.

Notable audio
Excellent Women performed by Jayne Entwistle who absolutely nailed it.

I've read many more new releases this year than in previous years. Some of them I find on these lists:

Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist - this was the first favorite of the year
To The Bright Edge of the World - got five stars from me
Monstress, Volume 1: Awakening - is one of my favorite graphic novels this year so far

In progress:
Barkskins - I'm going very slow on this one - not because I don't like it - on the contrary, I find this must be savored
Homegoing - started strong
The Fireman - halfway done with the audio, liking it very much

up next:
Dark Matter
Normal
The Association of Small Bombs

Karin, not sure Moriarty is your cup of tea but this year's release is not her best. Which are you reading? What Alice Forgot might appeal to you (of her books anyway). I enjoy her but don't take her seriously, if that makes sense.

Jennifer P. wrote: "Karin, not sure Moriarty is your cup of tea but this year's release is not her best. Which are you reading? What Alice Forgot might appeal to you (of her books anyway). I enjoy her but don't take h..."

I doubt she will be either. I'm going to read Big Little Lies. I do end up reading some books I don't like for challenges and people I know here liked it (not that that means I will!!! But at least it means it has some merit). I can't remember why she fits the challenge, but this was a very challenging challenge to find books for as it is a reading Roulette game. (I chose to be redundant with my word choice for literary purposes ;) ).

I think she has pretty good insight on different types of people and explores different kinds of "everyday" relationships but it's definitely not literary. I'll be interested in what you think. I liked that one. I can't read back to back to back serious or taxing books.

Jennifer P. wrote: "I think she has pretty good insight on different types of people and explores different kinds of "everyday" relationships but it's definitely not literary. I'll be interested in what you think. I l..."

I read a variety of styles, so I'll see what I think. If it gets 3 stars, it means I liked it; if it gets more, I'll be pleasantly surprised because it doesn't look like my kind of book.

New York Times 10 Best Books

The Association of Small Bombs
The North Water
The Underground Railroad
The Vegetarian
War and Turpentine
At the Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails with: Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Albert Camus, Martin Heidegger, Edmund Husserl, Karl Jaspers, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and others
Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
In the Darkroom

Anita wrote: "New York Times 10 Best Books


The Underground Railroad..."

The only one I've read.

Currently reading The Association of Small Bombs.

I've read The Association of Small Bombs, The Underground Railroad and In the Darkroom.

Booknblues wrote: "I've read The Association of Small Bombs, The Underground Railroad and In the Darkroom."

Pretty sure I added The Association of Small Bombs to my reading list based on your review . . .

I've only read The Underground Railroad.

Anita wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "I've read The Association of Small Bombs, The Underground Railroad and In the Darkroom."

Pretty sure I added The Association of Small Bombs to my reading list based on your revi..."

In the Darkroom is a memoir and I know you like those. It is quite interesting.

Booknblues wrote: "Anita wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "I've read The Association of Small Bombs, The Underground Railroad and In the Darkroom."

Pretty sure I added The Association of Small Bombs to my reading list base..."

Onto the toppling TBR it goes!!!

Booknblues wrote: "Anita wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "I've read The Association of Small Bombs, The Underground Railroad and In the Darkroom."

Pretty sure I added The Association of Small Bombs to my reading list base..."

LOL, actually it was already on my TBR. Probably from your review!!

Anita wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "Anita wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "I've read The Association of Small Bombs, The Underground Railroad and In the Darkroom."

Pretty sure I added The Association of Small Bombs to m..."

I am always happy to find books I read on the best of list at the end of the year. :)

I read The Association of Small Bombs this year. (NYT best list). (Washington Post)
The Girls (Washington Post)
The Nest (Washington Post).

From Amazon list, I also read Lab Girl

This is a hard thread to follow. Could this have been a folder of its own with topics that would be the various best of lists?

Good suggestion for next yeat. I agree.

Booknblues wrote: "I am always happy to find books I read on the best of list at the end of the year. :) "

I am thrilled and relieved - just a few more that WON"T be growing the TBR.

Dark Matter just came available at the library for me. I'm excited to read it.

I loved The Underground Railroad, I read your review after, Anita, and one of the things I liked most about it, you hated. Lol. I loved the brief chapters about other characters. I think it's because I'm nosey and written all from Cora's point of view you miss all those other characters' motivations. And I likes how they were out of order chronologically sometimes.

Jenni Elyse wrote: "Dark Matter just came available at the library for me. I'm excited to read it."

Couldn't put that book down! Enjoy!

Ladyslott wrote: "Jenni Elyse wrote: "Dark Matter just came available at the library for me. I'm excited to read it."

Couldn't put that book down! Enjoy!"

Me too -- read in a 36 hour period.

JoLene wrote: "Ladyslott wrote: "Jenni Elyse wrote: "Dark Matter just came available at the library for me. I'm excited to read it."

Couldn't put that book down! Enjoy!"

Me too -- read in a 36 hour period."

Good to know - it's sitting there on the table waiting for attention.

I need a page-turner right now. My life is chaos at the moment and it's getting in the way of my reading! Dark Matter is moving to the top of my pile.

NPR just release their "Best Books of 2016"

Looks like 309 made the list. I've read a whopping 3. Plenty of them are already on my TBR, and I'm kind of afraid to look into more of the books for fear that it will add even MORE books to the mountainous TBR list.

Also putting in my "I Loved Dark Matter" two cents! It's a quick read. Susie I think you'd like it.

I'm always so far behind in the annual lists. I've only read one from the two lists above. I'll be putting several on my list though - which will put me further behind more likely!

I've read just four of the 309.

From NPR's list of all (mixed types), I've read 6 books and many are on my TBR list
I read
Between the the World and Me
Fates and Furies
The Girl on the Train
H is for Hawk
The Secret Cord
The Sellout

Kristel wrote: "From NPR's list of all (mixed types), I've read 6 books and many are on my TBR list..."

Those are from the NPR 2015 list, which makes more sense to use. I couldn't help getting a sinking feeling when I saw I read only 3 of the long list for 2016. But if you depend more on the library instead of purchases, the delays in getting to hot new stuff are to be expected. I did do better with more time, getting to a dozen from the 2015 list. I get some new ones with ARCs, but that is a crapshoot for finding the worthy ones.

I would rather hear how many from the 1001 Books Before You Die you accomplished for the year, ones that have stood a bit of a test of time. :-)

Oh no, I did it wrong. I knew there was something wrong because I read other books this year that I had seen earlier. I will redo it when I have time.

Joi wrote: "NPR just release their "Best Books of 2016"

Looks like 309 made the list. I've read a whopping 3. Plenty of them are already on my TBR, and I'm kind of afraid to look into more of the books for f..."

I have only read one, but there are several on my tbr and I amsure I will add more. The one I read was All the Birds in the Sky and I wasn't impressed. 2 stars.

Of the entire NPR list, I've only read 3.

A Gentleman in Moscow
The Summer Before the War
The Queen of the Night