The Millions discussion

What is the best book you've read all year?

What is the best book you've read all year that was also published this year?

I'll get things started. My favorite book I've read this year was coincidentally published this year. Philip Connors' Fire Season (http://goo.gl/KQmms) made me want to quit my job and move to New Mexico.

The best book from 2011 that I've read is The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt. Funny, tragic, a cousin of True Grit. It's short-listed for a Booker prize, and I hope it has a good shot.

The Sisters Brothers was really really good. I also enjoyed The Truth About Marie by Jean-Philippe Toussaint and The Selected Stories of Merce Rodoreda.

for books i've finished this year...possibly a tie between White Noise by Delillo and The Magician King by Lev Grossman. Because i love each of them for completely different reasons. But I'm really getting into The Art of Fielding right now, it could take the top spot!

For the first half of 2011 I'd've said Adam Levin's "The Instructions". Despite some of the awful goings-on those kids were pulling on each other, I found this an electric, exciting read.

But then McSweeney's foisted upon me John Sayle's "A Moment In The Sun". I can confidently say this is one of my five favorite books of all time. No trickery or gimmickry, just a great, great story full of empathetic characters, a few heinous scoundrels, and some lesser characters who contributed significantly (in my eyes) to the story. Loved the cinematic feel to it, and though most of the storylines wound together well, I would not have minded if this behemoth was even longer.

Coming Up for Air

Made me feel a lot less alone as I got out of a stinky marriage.

Probably Chris Bachelder's Abbott Awaits , but Marcy Dermansky's Bad Marie is right up there, too.

The best book I've read all year is Goodbye Without Leaving by Laurie Colwin, first published in 1990.

Haven't read too much that was published this year so can't choose a best yet.

It is really hard to narrow it down but for very different reasons, The Night Circus, The langauge of flowers and Cocktail Hour under the Tree of Forgetfulness

The best book read and published this year was:
- Lyrics Alley by Leila Aboulela.
I have also loved some less recent books:
- Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
- Hunger by Elise Blackwell
- Conceit by Mary Novik.

I have had a profoundly unsatisfying year of reading so far. I'm not sure why that is, but it's the case. That being said, I loved Columbine. That's my pick for best book I've read so far this year.

I also loved FreeDarko Presents: The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History, but it's a different sort of book. Fiction...I don't know why, but everything has been good, not great.

Columbine was one of the most haunting and deeply unsettling books I've ever read. I had a hard time getting back to normal after I finished it. I mean that as a sort of compliment.

For its surprising brilliance I would nominate
The Family Fang.

Runners up: State of Wonder, The Night Circus, and Caleb's Crossing.

Hands down, Open City by Teju Cole.

Patrick wrote: "I have had a profoundly unsatisfying year of reading so far. I'm not sure why that is, but it's the case."

Wow. That is very unfortunate, Patrick! I hope it turns around for you.

So far (I am hopeful of more great reading before the end of 2011) The Emperor of All Maladies has been my most favourite read of the year. Freaking amazing book!

My other 5-star reads from this year include:

Galore by Michael Crummey(stunning)
Breath by Tim Winton (achingly beautiful)
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (epic, of course!)
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo (brilliant)
This is Water by David Foster Wallace (heartbreaking)

My favorite book this year was Infinite Jest, which I finally got around to reading.

My favorite of the year was Franzen's "Freedom" followed by "Olive Kitteridge", "Faith" and "The Girl Who Fell From The Sky".

Hands down, You Deserve Nothing. What a beautifully crafted debut!

I read a lot of good non-fiction this year including The Complete Essays of Montaigne and Sarah Bakewell's wonderful biography, How to Live: Or A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer. I also loved Richard Hofstadter's Anti-Intellectualism in American Life.

In terms of fiction, I was so happy to be introduced to Sebastian Barry's work this year. I read three of his novels and loved them all: The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty, A Long Long Way, and The Secret Scripture.

I have read only one novel that was published this year, The Tiger's Wife. I liked it but wouldn't call it a favorite.

I had a fantastic reading year. Some highlights were Pynchon's 'V', 'The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet' by David Mitchell, and 'The Longships' by Frans Bengtsson; but the one book that tops the list is The Secret Knowledge of Water : There are Two Easy Ways to Die in the Desert: Thirst and Drowning
simply sublime.

I am going to have to say the best books so far are A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash and Mudboundby Hillary Jordan.

There is something about each of these books that will not let go. Although I read them months ago, the characters and the plots haunt me. That's a good reading!

I have to agree with Erika about Sebastian Barry. He is one of my top five favorite authors. The Secret Scriptureis one of my all time favorite books. Barry writes with a lyrical hand unlike most other authors I have read, but, of course, he is Irish.