Book Snails Book Group discussion

1. What's the BEST book you read in 2021?

2. What's the WORST one? Why was it awful for you?

3. Was there a book that was really memorable (whether or not you liked it), or that surprised or shocked you?

Gosh, #1 is hard because I read so many good ones this year. Definitely Blake Crouch and John Gwynne books. They were 5☆ reads for me. Crouch does thriller and sci-fi, and Gwynne does incredible fantasy.

#2 would be The Haunted by Bentley Little. The writing was so cringeworthy and just plain awful for me.

#3 is hard, too, because of so many memorable reads. A Farewell to Arms by Hemingway was a pleasant surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

#1 When We Were Vikings A fabulous story about a mentally-challenged young woman who's a Viking enthusiast. The height of being, to Eliza, is to behave like a Viking, so all of her thoughts and actions strive toward that goal. She lives with her older brother who takes care of her, but when things get tough, he gets involved with people who are definitely un-Viking like, so Eliza has to rescue him. Deeply moving. Highly recommend.

#2 A Familiar Sight A Familiar Sight This book was annoying because every time the MC spoke, the author then *explained* to us why she said that. See, the MC is a sociopath, so we must understand the *real meaning/motivation* behind her every statement. Because we, not being initiated in psychological characters, would otherwise miss out on the finer points of the dialog. Gads.

#3 West with Giraffes What a wonderful book this was, and it was based on a true story of an old man recalling his trip across the USA with two giraffes, Boy and Girl, to deliver them to a zoo in California. Never mind that they had already traveled from Africa and were shipwrecked in a hurricane. Exciting and touching. Unforgettable story.

(I agree with Candace on We Were Vikings)

BEST: When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald (5 stars). Very memorable heroine.

RUNNER UP: Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

WORST BOOK (of those I didn't abandon as a Did-Not-Finish):
The Law of Nines by Terry Goodkind
It was painfully bad and altogether ridiculous.

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Other memorable books: (view spoiler)[

BEST SHORT STORY COLLECTION:
A Tie:
1. All the Time in the World: New and Selected Stories by E.L. Doctorow
2. Architects of Dreams (science fiction)

MEMORABLE AND/OR TWISTY:
1. Into the Forest by Jean Hegland
2. Sparrow Rock by Nate Kenyon
3. The Risen by Ron Rash

BEST COVER ART:

 

(hide spoiler)]

StarMan wrote: "(I agree with Candace on We Were Vikings)

BEST: When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald (5 stars). Very memorable heroine.

RUNNER UP: Klara and the Sun by K..."

Haven't read Klara yet, but will push it up on my TBR!

Candace wrote: "...Haven't read Klara yet, but will push it up on my TBR!"

Hope you like it when you get around to it. (You liked Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, so maybe you will). Klara isn't hardcore SciFi or anything; more of a character-driven story, with an interesting non-human at the center. Slow-paced, but I liked it.