You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

As this year is moving towards its close, I'm thinking about planning and prioritizing for books to read next year.

So please share here what books you can most highly recommend. I'm especially interested in hearing about less familiar ones from whatever timeframe that you've read sometime in the past year or so.

Classics or more recent vintage bestsellers okay too, but only if life-changing some how for you. And please say something about why.

I'm working on my own list to share. Thanks!

Oh boy! I read a lot of great books in 2014. I discovered a new favourite author with The Riyria Revelations, Michael J. Sullivan.

Actually, I found two new favourite authors. Sarah Waters rose rapidly towards the top of my list with Affinity and Fingersmith.

But, a sleeper would be The Translator which is about how we communicate and how we interpret, or "translate" other people and languages. I read this for the last toppler as the hidden gem choice, and it was definitely that.

Over a year ago I came across an out of copyright book called The Man Who Lost Himself. It was published in 1918. Truly a 'sleeper', eh?

I don't remember the last time I so thoroughly enjoyed a book. There are only a few reviews for the book, but all of them had glowing things to say.

I haven't given many 5 stars ratings, but I thought this book definitely deserved it. I would recommend it to everyone!

Janice wrote: "Oh boy! I read a lot of great books in 2014. I discovered a new favourite author with The Riyria Revelations, Michael J. Sullivan.

Actually, I found two new favourite authors...."

My interest has been piqued, especially about The Translator. I plan to read it in 2015. Sarah Waters Affinity and Fingersmith both hold good promise. Hmm, perhaps Riyria Revelations and Chronicles. Thanks.

Lanelle wrote: "Over a year ago I came across an out of copyright book called The Man Who Lost Himself. It was published in 1918. Truly a 'sleeper', eh? I don't remember the last time I so thorough..."

Intriguing. Added immediately to my tbr list for next year. Looks like this author also has the dubious distinction for writing the novel on which the stinker movie "Blue Lagoon" starring Brooke Shields was based. But hey, not his fault.

What is a sleeper book?

I have been lucky enough to read lots of good books this year, some of them really well known and others not so much. I have tried to pick out some of the lesser known ones here:

A series I discovered this year which I would recommend is the 'Merrily Watkins' series by Phil Rickman. I have read the first two books, The Wine of Angels and Midwinter of the Spirit and really enjoyed both. They mix mystery, history and the supernatural together and are set in the beautiful English county of Herefordshire. They are classed as cozy mysteries but they can be quite creepy at times. Well worth checking out IMO.

I also recommend We, the Drowned as a good stand alone novel. I read it this year for the chunkster challenge and thought it was great. I didn't think I would like a book that focused on the lives of the inhabitants of a Danish seaside town/port over the course of 100 years but it pleasantly surprised me. It's epic, thought provoking and quite moving at times and definitely worth a read.

Another recommendation is The Enchanted which is set on Death Row in a high security prison. It is hard hitting and thought provoking and won't be for everyone but I thought it was incredible. It stayed with me for a long time after reading it. It also has an element of magical realism running through it which adds an element of beauty to a dark world.

I also second Janice's recommendation of 'The Riyria Revelations'. I discovered them recently and absolutely love them! The two lead characters are fantastic!

Gail wrote: "What is a sleeper book?"

It would be like a sleeper movie - one that isn't expected to become a blockbuster, but does. So, I would interpret it to mean that it would be a book you didn't expect would be all that great, but turns out you loved it.

The Translator, mentioned above, doesn't have a high rating. It has a 3.68 average out of 502 ratings. Only 21% gave it 5 stars. While a lot of my friends had added it, nobody had read and rated it, so I was a little leery about reading it. I went into it with low expectations and discovered a gem. That's what you call a sleeper.

Ah okay - thanks, Janice. I've not heard the term before, even for movies. One I've read this year, which I hadn't particularly expected to be good, but which turned out to be really excellent, is What Is Visible. It's a historical novel, based on the life of Laura Bridgman (whom I'd never heard of), who was the first known deaf-blind person to learn language. Helen Keller was a child when Laura Bridgman was an older woman - the novel starts when they meet, and then goes back in time to when Laura was a child. I really liked how the author imagines the perspective of a deaf-blind person, and gives her a strong personality, and also challenges attitudes to disabled people and attitudes to women. I found it a powerful book.

ETA: Here is the review I wrote about it, which gives more details about why I had low expectations and why it really surprised and impressed me: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Gail wrote: "What is a sleeper book?"

Yes - what Janice said, So it's like a hidden gem except may also have the odds working against it with some mediocre reviews, like Janice noted in the case of The Translator.

The hidden gem I read for the Toppler challenge (although I read it too late to get points for it!) was Dim. It only had 12 ratings and no reviews. Now since I read it, it has 13 ratings and 1 review. :-) Here is my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

TJ, I took a look at your bookshelf to see what books you had given 4 or 5 stars to, and I see you have already read Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod.

Isn't that book incredible? It's the best memoir I've ever read. There were times I was laughing so hard I was crying, and then there were moments Paulsen talked about that were profound and moving. Truly a great book.

I also saw you gave The Secret Garden 4 stars. I've enjoyed all the Burnett books I've read. Two 'sleeper' books of her's are A Fair Barbarian (a Cranford type novella) and Louisiana (a My Fair Lady type of story).

Lanelle wrote: "TJ, I took a look at your bookshelf to see what books you had given 4 or 5 stars to, and I see you have already read Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod.

Isn't that book incredible..."

Yes, I thought so too, Lanelle. Two other travel memoirs I found totally absorbing were Stranger in the Forest: On Foot Across Borneo and Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven.

I also love the classic Kon-Tiki. And The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca had me laughing outloud.

Thanks for the Burnett book recommendations : )

Amber wrote: "The book that immediately comes to my mind is Geek Love by Katherine Dunn. I wouldn't say it's 'life-changing' so much as I'd say it's a very creative and interesting look at a family ..."

I read that! Another WEIRD book. and as you said a Marmite Book...Love it or Hate it!

Ah yes, I've heard that Geek Love is weird - it's on the list of '50 Incredibly Tough Books for Extreme Readers' purely because of its extreme weirdness! http://flavorwire.com/423424/50-incre...

Thanks Amber and Gail for the weird book recs... Geek Love and Dim. May have to check these out for the "rubbernecking" factor if nothing else.

Lisa wrote: "I have been lucky enough to read lots of good books this year, some of them really well known and others not so much. I have tried to pick out some of the lesser known ones here:

A series I disco..."

Lisa, these all look really good. Especially The Enchanted but all three sound unusual and thought-provoking.

Lisa wrote: "I have been lucky enough to read lots of good books this year, some of them really well known and others not so much. I have tried to pick out some of the lesser known ones here:

A series I disco..."

Lisa, I love it that you listed Rickman's series here. :D

I can recommend Benjamin Franklin's Bastard: A Novel for historical fiction and To Be Sung Underwater for a dramatic, can't-put-down love story that's not your typical romance novel.

Amber wrote: "Almeta wrote: "Amber wrote: "The book that immediately comes to my mind is Geek Love by Katherine Dunn.

"A Marmite book" - love that phrase..."

Yes, so perfect for those love it or hate it books!

Not many from me unfortunately as I've mainly read books which are pretty well known or that I knew I'd like before picking them up. That said, I read The Demonologist which I hadn't heard of before - it has mixed reviews and an average star rating of 3.29 but I thoroughly enjoyed it. My review.

Also Age of Iron which is the first book in a new fantasy series which I received through NetGalley for review - I'd never heard of it before and wasn't expecting much but I really liked it. My review

Gail wrote: "Ah yes, I've heard that Geek Love is weird - it's on the list of '50 Incredibly Tough Books for Extreme Readers' purely because of its extreme weirdness! http://flavorwire.com/423424/50-incre...-..."

Thanks for the link Gail!

Here my recommendations: (which I also posted in the Toppler thread)
Felidae
Faithful Ruslan

Janet, I keep thinking about your request for sleeper books and The Grammarian is the one that keeps floating up to the top of my list.

Cherie wrote: "Janet, I keep thinking about your request for sleeper books and The Grammarian is the one that keeps floating up to the top of my list."

That does look good. Thanks, Cherie : )

I also enjoyed The Book of Ruth.

by the way, do you want the copy I have of I Am a Cat. I really will send it to you, if you want to read the story without cracking open the new copy you purchased for a gift. I bought it on a whim at a library sale. I put it in my chunkster story line to encourage me to try it, but never got to it. My daughter borrowed it, but did not care for it and brought it back.

Janet, I was looking at my classics list and thought I would throw another one to you, maybe two. I listened to both of these in audiobook format and really, really thought they were good. Middlesex and Brideshead Revisited. I had heard of the first one for a long time, but had no idea what it was about. I bought a copy at the same library sale as I got the cat book, but found the audiobook before I got around to reading it. It was probably the best audio book I have listened to yet! The second, I found only because it was referenced in the reviews of another story that I had started reading and it made me curious. I liked the story very much. It was my first introduction to the author.

I've got Middlesex on my tbr list and want to be sure to read it in the near future. I'm putting all these recommendations into a special folder and hope to work many of them into my reading next year. Added Brideshead Revisited - looks wonderful.

p.s., I replied in the Books with Numbers thread just a bit ago about the I Am a Cat book - I really appreciate the kind offer though - very much : )

Two funny but light books I'd reccommend are I Went to Vassar for This and The Supremes at Uncle Earls All you Can Eat. Both portray woman characters with accuracy and humor...

A book I would like to recommend is Woman's Best Friend. I read it for the Toppler for my hidden gem task and it truly was a hidden gem. It is a book with short stories about women and the dogs in their lives. If you love dogs, you will love this book. I laughed and I cried throughout the books and I even got mad at a few of the stories.

Thanks, Betsy and Stephanie for the recommendations. These all look like fun, fast reads. Always good to have some of these to turn to!!

I Went to Vassar for This?
The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat
Woman's Best Friend: Women Writers on the Dogs in Their Lives

Well, except Woman's Best Friend: Women Writers on the Dogs in Their Lives will also make us cry but that's okay, too. My dog is my buddy. There's nothing like the unconditional love she gives 24-7.

That is so true, Tejas Janet!
There is a story in that book about a dog named Bonnie that pulled at my heartstrings the most! I really enjoyed this book :-)