Another vote for " Good in Bed" Cannie is a wonderful protagonist. On that vein, I loved Wally Lamb's "She's Come Undone". "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" is very close to my heart. I can reread it time and time again and I see the story of my family reflected in the pages. "Hester" by Laurie Albanese was so imaginative and the figurative writing so beautiful, I sighed when I hit the last page. Eli Wiesel's "Night" changed me forever.
I love how diverse your list is. I agree, how can you choose favorites when books can be so different? Some of my favorite books may not even have much to do with the writing, but a time in my life I needed a certain story. There are so many reasons to have a favorite book. Some of my favorite books that are my favorites are probably for nostalgic reasons, and they bring me so much happiness.
Tom Lake. The Fifth Season. 28 Summers. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Fleishman is in Trouble. American Wife. Eat, Pray, Love. The Ferryman. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
And Good in Bed. Cannie felt like the sister I'd been missing since I outgrew Ramona Quimby.
Wow. Each book on your list was like a gift, whether I've read them or now plan to. I am proud of your choice of GIB for all the reasons you give. I have been a fan since I read it years ago & for your continued advocacy for women's writing. Your "Mrs. Everything" would make my list, along with Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye" & Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" read as an undergrad during my burgeoning feminist days. Geraldine Brook's "People of the Book" , Barbara Kingsolver's "Demon Copperhead", Celeste Ng's "Everything I Never Told You" & "Our Missing Hearts" are tied for haunting long after I finished them. Jesmyn Ward's "Sing Unburied Sing" is one that provides so much in terms of understanding generational trauma. Colson Whitehead's "The Nickel Boys" which I read in a day, resenting having to feed the dogs & fam. Finally, Larry McMurtry's "Lonesome Dove" with which I spent a luxurious weekend escaping the stress and loneliness of grad school. Please don't ask me to rank order, because it can't be done. Thanks for this opportunity, too!
Holy moly, I’ve just realised that I’ve been reading the Outlander books for 28 years! That makes me feel even older than the realisation that we’re almost a quarter of the way through what I still think of as the ‘new’ century. Some of my favourite books are favourites because they remind me of the place I was in, whether figuratively or literally, when I read them. My copy of In Her Shoes takes me back to my student days, where we passed books around among the four of us in our flat. It’s moved houses and countries with me!
I’m 54 years old and can say that “Good in Bed” was the very first book that I bought, shared, never got back so bought again, shared again…cycle continued lol. It did not hurt my feelings when my friends loved it and shared it as well, so I would say yes, definitely falls into the “best” category.
Ahhhhh Outlander. Such a lovely escape and so beautifully written. And Diana Gabaldon is just as generous with her readers as you are, which makes me very grateful for her (and your) willingness to share the writing process.
Thanks for sharing your list! Love Good in Bed, and I'm going to read some of your suggestions. Starting with "The Friend." I live in NJ, and my friends and I have all been following the NYT list. My votes included "Demon Copperhead," "All the Light We Cannot See," "Atonement," and "Tom Lake."
This is like a whisper from an alleyway: "Psst. Really good books that aren't respected at all?" You have performed the trick of making me consider "The Dark Tower." And "The Magicians." Maybe I will. Maybe I will.
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter really stayed iwth me for a long time after reading it as well as Elinor Oliphant is completely Fine. However, one of my top favorite reads has been Mrs. Everything by you :) Such an amazing book!
I've added many to my TBR! My ballot: The Goldfinch, Demon Copperhead, In Love (also Amy Bloom), Lily and the Octopus, The Road, Educated, The Many Lives of Mama Love, Between Shades of Grey, MRS. EVERYTHING (yes, that's my fave!), Lab Girl -- and I know that's 10 and that's all I get, but I would add so many more!
A few books that truly resonated with me since 2000 are 2 of my all-time favorites: Clay's Quilt, a gorgeous evocative book by Silas House, and Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer.
A few more: Dark River-Louis Owens, The Shore-Katie Runde, and The Big Door Prize -Walsh.
Another vote for " Good in Bed" Cannie is a wonderful protagonist. On that vein, I loved Wally Lamb's "She's Come Undone". "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" is very close to my heart. I can reread it time and time again and I see the story of my family reflected in the pages. "Hester" by Laurie Albanese was so imaginative and the figurative writing so beautiful, I sighed when I hit the last page. Eli Wiesel's "Night" changed me forever.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn! One of my long-time favorites.
Mine too! But we had to pick books published after 2000.
Demon Copperhead is the absolute best book I’ve read recently.
So heart-wrenching. I had to put it down a few times because it was too painful.
I love how diverse your list is. I agree, how can you choose favorites when books can be so different? Some of my favorite books may not even have much to do with the writing, but a time in my life I needed a certain story. There are so many reasons to have a favorite book. Some of my favorite books that are my favorites are probably for nostalgic reasons, and they bring me so much happiness.
Tom Lake. The Fifth Season. 28 Summers. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Fleishman is in Trouble. American Wife. Eat, Pray, Love. The Ferryman. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
And Good in Bed. Cannie felt like the sister I'd been missing since I outgrew Ramona Quimby.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow! I loved that book!
This is where I Leave you by Jonathan Tropper. Makes me laugh out loud! Hilarious dialogue!
Wow. Each book on your list was like a gift, whether I've read them or now plan to. I am proud of your choice of GIB for all the reasons you give. I have been a fan since I read it years ago & for your continued advocacy for women's writing. Your "Mrs. Everything" would make my list, along with Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye" & Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" read as an undergrad during my burgeoning feminist days. Geraldine Brook's "People of the Book" , Barbara Kingsolver's "Demon Copperhead", Celeste Ng's "Everything I Never Told You" & "Our Missing Hearts" are tied for haunting long after I finished them. Jesmyn Ward's "Sing Unburied Sing" is one that provides so much in terms of understanding generational trauma. Colson Whitehead's "The Nickel Boys" which I read in a day, resenting having to feed the dogs & fam. Finally, Larry McMurtry's "Lonesome Dove" with which I spent a luxurious weekend escaping the stress and loneliness of grad school. Please don't ask me to rank order, because it can't be done. Thanks for this opportunity, too!
Holy moly, I’ve just realised that I’ve been reading the Outlander books for 28 years! That makes me feel even older than the realisation that we’re almost a quarter of the way through what I still think of as the ‘new’ century. Some of my favourite books are favourites because they remind me of the place I was in, whether figuratively or literally, when I read them. My copy of In Her Shoes takes me back to my student days, where we passed books around among the four of us in our flat. It’s moved houses and countries with me!
I’m 54 years old and can say that “Good in Bed” was the very first book that I bought, shared, never got back so bought again, shared again…cycle continued lol. It did not hurt my feelings when my friends loved it and shared it as well, so I would say yes, definitely falls into the “best” category.
Ahhhhh Outlander. Such a lovely escape and so beautifully written. And Diana Gabaldon is just as generous with her readers as you are, which makes me very grateful for her (and your) willingness to share the writing process.
Thanks for sharing your list! Love Good in Bed, and I'm going to read some of your suggestions. Starting with "The Friend." I live in NJ, and my friends and I have all been following the NYT list. My votes included "Demon Copperhead," "All the Light We Cannot See," "Atonement," and "Tom Lake."
This is like a whisper from an alleyway: "Psst. Really good books that aren't respected at all?" You have performed the trick of making me consider "The Dark Tower." And "The Magicians." Maybe I will. Maybe I will.
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter really stayed iwth me for a long time after reading it as well as Elinor Oliphant is completely Fine. However, one of my top favorite reads has been Mrs. Everything by you :) Such an amazing book!
I've added many to my TBR! My ballot: The Goldfinch, Demon Copperhead, In Love (also Amy Bloom), Lily and the Octopus, The Road, Educated, The Many Lives of Mama Love, Between Shades of Grey, MRS. EVERYTHING (yes, that's my fave!), Lab Girl -- and I know that's 10 and that's all I get, but I would add so many more!
What a fabulous, diverse list. I admit, I've only read 2 of these but appreciate the review of the rest. Adding them to my library cart :)
Great list and excellent summaries. You may want to fix your spelling of "Olive KITTERIDGE."
A few books that truly resonated with me since 2000 are 2 of my all-time favorites: Clay's Quilt, a gorgeous evocative book by Silas House, and Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer.
A few more: Dark River-Louis Owens, The Shore-Katie Runde, and The Big Door Prize -Walsh.