Book Snails Book Group discussion

What books have caught your eye this month? Do you enjoy reading during the holidays?

For fun, some year-end questions. Answer one or more if you like:


1. What was the BEST book you read in 2019?
2. Which book disappointed you the most?
3. The shortest & longest books you read (and # of pages for each)? *
4. Did you discover a new favorite author this year?
5. Did you re-read a book? If so, was it better the 2nd time?
6. Did you read anything good outside your usual genre(s)?
7. BONUS: Name the First & Last book you read in 2019.^


* 3. To see your shortest and longest reads, click your 'Year In Books 2019' link. For me, it's at the top of the Goodreads homepage (desktop/PC version), after I log in.

^ 7. Go to 'My Books', and click the words 'Date Read' above that column to sort by date (you may have to click once or twice to sort correctly).
Or... if you set up a 'Reading Challenge' and entered dates as you finished books, your books should be in order from most recent to earliest read in 2019 in your Reading Challenge. Or you can try this direct link:
https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_i... (books with no finished date entered may get tossed to the bottom of the list).

Here's a snip from my Year In Books 2019, showing longest & shortest: (view spoiler)[


(hide spoiler)]

(and yes, I read too many bad books this year... usually my average rating is 3 stars or a bit more).

1. What was the BEST book you read in 2019? - This one is hard. I almost feel like I should choose per genre but if I had to choose it would be Magic Triumphs. I just loved that series. Though the most moving and arguably best written was The Bluest Eye. And the sweetest was A Gentleman in Moscow

2. Which book disappointed you the most? Dune. Ugh that was boring and sooooo overrated. Though Ready Player One is actually the worst book I read.

3. The shortest & longest books you read (and # of pages for each)? *My longest book was It at 1166 pgs and the shortest was Pack at 34 pages. Though 34 pages doesn't really qualify as a book. But it was my shortest read.

4. Did you discover a new favorite author this year? No, but I did enjoy many new authors. I read 56 new authors in 2019 and I am sure I'll be reading some more from many of them.

5. Did you re-read a book? If so, was it better the 2nd time? Yes, I re-read the last two books in my favourite series Dante Valentine: The Complete Series. I love them more each time I read them. I always find something new.

6. Did you read anything good outside your usual genre(s)? Yes. Loads. I read a few biographies, which I usually avoid like the plague, but the ones I read were actually funny and interesting. I also got through a few non-fiction and some classics.

7. BONUS: Name the First & Last book you read in 2019.^ My first book was The Immortalists (06/01/19) and my last One Fell Sweep (30/12/19)

Keli wrote: "1. What was the BEST book you read in 2019? - This one is hard. I almost feel like I should choose per genre but if I had to choose it would be Magic Triumphs. I just loved that ser..."

Great answers, Kelli. I've read Book # in the Kate Daniels/Magic Bites series, and maybe I'll go farther there.
~~~~

some of my answers are:

1. What was the BEST book you read in 2019?
The Death of Bees , a YA/adult contemporary novel by Lisa O'Donnell. And I listed my 4 and 5-star ratings for 2019 at: https://www.goodreads.com/user_challe...

3. The shortest & longest books you read (and # of pages for each)?
Shortest: Red as Blood and White as Bone by Theodora Goss (~35 pages)
Longest: Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King (702 pages)

6. Did you read anything good outside your usual genre(s)?
A few. The 2 that come to mind are:
Bella's Pockets, an unusual photography book.
Uncharted by Angela Elwell Hunt -- a Christian-ish fiction novel with a twist.

7. BONUS: Name the First & Last book you read in 2019.
First: The Keeper of the Isis Light by Monica Hughes
Last: Uncanny by Sarah Fine

I've put the death of the bees on my tbr list. Sounds good.
As you seem to like a wide array of genres and ya specifically I recommend Beautiful Broken Things. I'm not a massive fan of YA, often seems whiny but I really enjoyed this book.

Keli wrote: "I've put the death of the bees on my tbr list. Sounds good.
As you seem to like a wide array of genres and ya specifically I recommend Beautiful Broken Things. I'm not a massive fa..."

Thanks, Keli, that book does sound interesting (added to my list). I like to read some YA stuff as something different than the hard SciFi and crime/thriller stuff I usually read. I guess you could call YA books a mental palate cleanser? But I agree that some of it is annoyingly whiny.

StarMan wrote: "Keli wrote: "I've put the death of the bees on my tbr list. Sounds good.
As you seem to like a wide array of genres and ya specifically I recommend Beautiful Broken Things. I'm not..."

That's what I use romance for, a palate cleanser.

Keli wrote: "That's what I use romance for, a palate cleanser."

Sometimes we like a "comfort" read, where we know in advance what we'll get as far as plot and depth (or lack thereof). Genres such as romance or cozy mysteries are usually good for that, or maybe detective/crime series with the same lead character.

I totally agree, StarMan.