UK Book Club discussion

I love getting to December and looking back over the books I've read this year which were fantastic and those that weren't!

I know there are a few weeks left but my standouts of this year are:



Also although not new per se, new to me this year and series which I intend to keep reading are The Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward, The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith and the Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich.

I was disappointed with

Currently reading The Bolter (and liking it a lot) and read The Slap (liked that a lot as well). I've got We Need to Talk about Kevin on my Xmas list. Saw the film recently and thought that was very good.

Will have to have a look through my list...

My highlight was finding Paul Magrs and his Brenda and Effie series which I have read 4/5 in the series.

My top reads were:


Dissapointmets:


I had a lot more 3 and 4 star and less 2 star books this year compared to previous years.

A good reading year for me.

I shall have a look and get back to you. I was wondering what books I've discovered from joining groups so will look for that too.

It's really hard to decide which books to list, but I'm really pleased that I discovered the authors Paul Murray, Neil Gaiman and Jonathan Safran Foer this year, who's books I've loved.

It's kind of hard to pick my favourites of the year, but here are a mix of oldies that I'd read before and they once again lived up to expectations and some pleasant surprises that I loved..

..

There were a few disappointments too -

My highlights have been rediscovering the Sherlock Holmes stories, and

Think I'll wait till the year has ended....who knows what I'll discover in the next 3 weeks.....hopefully my favourite read of the year, although it'll have to be pretty good to beat Cutting for Stone as per Em's list

My favourites of the year....



Disappointments:

My favourites this year are:

My favourites this year have been:

and

I've been on Goodreads since the end of Oct this year and my top choices reflect a couple of related things that happened this year. Firstly we got married and my husband and I ended up reading Lucy Mangan's book on the flight over to the States where we honeymooned. We cackled away, must to the amusement / disgust of other passengers. It was a really funny account of her marriage plans which we were both glad we read after we'd had our ceremony :)

As part of our honeymoon we travelled to New England which is where Peyton Place is set. We went to the real town as well so it became a bit of favourite for me for this reason, and also because it was a good story.

Hard to decide but these have crept back into my head alot after reading.

Still deciding

I have loads but I think that "The book thief" has got to be at the top of my list though.

I love that one too Nick! I've lost count of how many people I've lent my copy to.

Em wrote: "I love that one too Nick! I've lost count of how many people I've lent my copy to."

I've done the same with friend and just in case I don't get it back I got it for my kindle too.

Good plan Nick!

Nick wrote: "I have loads but I think that "The book thief" has got to be at the top of my list though."

I got that in my Christmas bran tub at work, along with Game of Thrones. Guess what I'll be doing this Christmas holidays? :)

My favourite is by Karin Fossum. Beautifully written, wonderful characterization, great suspense.

My 2011 favs

My favourite reads of 2011 were

[Book:We Need to Talk About Kevin|870775] by Lionel Shriver
The Millennium Trilogy by Steig Larsson, especially [Book:The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest|6979651]
[Book:Far North and Other Dark Tales|5198379] by Sarah Maitland
[Book:The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet|7157722] by David Mitchell
[Book:Dark Matter|11239488] by Michelle Paver

I loved
and I didn't like

Best book of the year

I also loved and and

Cutting for Stone is waiting on my bookshelf to be read this year. Glad to see that so many people love it.

It took me a while to get into it, but I found that The Hunger Games was a surprise hit for me. I also found Snuff excellent, as it was a lot darker, and thought provoking, to me than a lot of Pratchett's other work.
Also found that as well an knocking out a good comic book story, Neil Gaimancan handle a decent novel Neverwhere, andStardust being highlights of the year

Vicky wrote: "My favourite reads of 2011 were

[Book:We Need to Talk About Kevin|870775] by Lionel Shriver
The Millennium Trilogy by Steig Larsson, especially The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
Far North and Other Dark Tales by Sarah Maitland
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
Dark Matter by Michelle Paver
"

Just boughtThe Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet in the kindle sale - I've been wanting to read a David Mitchell for a while, so couldn't resist the bargain. Looking forward to reading it....

Liz....Thousand Autumns was one of my favourites in 2011....I loved it.
Hope you enjoy it too.

My favourites would have to be:

Gillespie and I by Jane Harris
God's Own Country by Ross Raisin
What I Loved by Siri Hustvedt
A Summer of Drowning by John Burnside
The Legacy by Kirsten Tranter
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
Dark Matter by Michelle Paver
Boxer, Beetle by Ned Beauman
The Gallows Curse by Karen Maitland
Brodmaw Bay by F.G. Cottam
The Book of Lies by Mary Horlock
Any Human Heart by William Boyd

My biggest disappointments were Room by Emma Donoghue, The Magician King by Lev Grossman and Snowdrops by A.D. Miller.

For 2012 I'm really looking forward to the new books from Ned Beauman, Kirsten Tranter and Kate Quinn, and the translation of the new Carlos Ruiz Zafon into English.

I loved What I Loved, was transfixed from beginning to end! I'd have to say American Psycho was an amazing feat of creative writing but made me physically retch a bit too often to be a favourite.

A Fine Balance. I think it counts as the new best book I have ever read.

My favourites



although is probably the weakest short story collection (I struggled through some of it), and is more uneven than .

Disappointing

(because it felt more like a setup for the trilogy than a story in itself. and the ending was dumb)

Em wrote: "I know there are a few weeks left but my standouts of this year are:

[bo..."

I was extremely disappointed with [book:Angelology|6691426]...especially since it was so long...I kept thinking it would get better but it never did for me.

Ian wrote: "Best book of the year

I also loved and and "

I loved Cutting for Stone! Read it in 2010...one of my favorites for the year.

2 of my favorites for 2011 were The Kitchen House and Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption.

Shelli wrote: "2 of my favorites for 2011 were The Kitchen House and Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption."

I'm looking forward to reading The Kitchen House this year.....whenever I see it mentioned, there are always good comments about it.
Welcome to England Shelli!

So far, LightMasters by M.G. WELLS.

Susan wrote: "Shelli wrote: "2 of my favorites for 2011 were The Kitchen House and Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption."

I'm looking forward to r..."

Thank you...I've already added some books to my TBR!

No Shelli, you're right - Angelolgy was very, very long and I was bored and fed up with it by the end. I felt obligied to read it as it was for bookgroup but when I got there I don't think anyone else felt compelled to finish it! It had such a pretty cover too...

Funny...I loved the cover too!!

I've read some great books so far this year, all varied reads that I wouldn't necessarily have picked up.

My a favourite book of 2011 was

So excited about the next one. And will definitely be reading this again after I get through my growing list of TO-BE-READ.

Karina - LadyHawk wrote: "My a favourite book of 2011 was

So excited about the next one. And will definitely be reading this again after I get through my growing list of TO-BE-READ."

I read this one twice and also can't wait for the next..I'll read it again just before shadow of night comes out!

My favourite book I read last year is without a doubt The Hunger Games trilogy. Those books are just sticking with me. Other books I enjoyed last year were Can't help but support British authors a great start to a series which has a strong female lead.

Favourite reads from 2011 are:

I loved this book. Took a little while to get going but has really haunted me since. Just beautiful.

Also:

How I have managed to go my whole life without reading this is beyond me! 2011 I finally picked it up!

Elaine wrote: "Favourite reads from 2011 are:

I loved this book. Took a little while to get going but has really haunted me since. Just beautiful.

Also:

[bookcover:To Kill a Mo..."


Ah I'm reading To Kill A Mocking Bird now! I am loving it so far!

Amy wrote: "Elaine wrote: "Favourite reads from 2011 are:

I loved this book. Took a little while to get going but has really haunted me since. Just beautiful.

Also:

[bookcov..."

A great book that stands the test of time; and a movie that is respectful of the book and also excellent. Great choice, btw.

Bill wrote: "Amy wrote: "Elaine wrote: "Favourite reads from 2011 are:

I loved this book. Took a little while to get going but has really haunted me since. Just beautiful.

..."

I didn't know there was a movie! Oh my that's rather exciting news. Thanks Bill I am going to have to check that out.

I'm also reading Mockingbird at the mo'. I think I'll open a book discussion thread when I've finished as I'd like to hear why everyone loves it so much. I'm about a third in and finding it a bit ho hum so far.