Book Club

[insomniac2]

The best work of fiction I read this year was How Green Was My Valley, I'd owned it for decades, but just hadn't opened it. My older son kept mentioning how great it was. I started reading, and loved every word.

Author Richard Llewellyn was not born in Wales, but he captured the lilt of the words.The widespread group singing really impressed me. I bought the dvd, and was enchanted by how the book was presented. The singing was extraordinary.

My favorite book of nonfiction was A Passion for Books, edited by Harold Rabinowitz and Rob Kaplan . Readers will appreciate this treasury of essays.

[icezeus]

I currently have two books that I would rate as my best reads for 2023.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. Tells the story of two African American twins who could pass for white. One of them chooses to pass herself off as Caucasian while the other returns to the small town that they were both born in to raise her daughter.

My second excellent read for this year would be Lessons In Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. There was a lot of hype about this book and frankly I am generally disappointed whenever I read books that everyone else thinks is great. That was not the case with this book.  Excellent, storytelling regarding what intelligent woman had to deal with back in the 50's in academia and the workforce. 

I have one more book that I plan on finishing this year. If that rates highly, which I think it will. I will come back and update my post to add. 

[Lilysmom1]

Mad Honey by Jodi Piccoukt was a favorite of mine.

[SWEET]

These are my 5 star reads and favorites that I read in no order.

Lessons In Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus

Crazed and Confused - Tiffany Ryan

Don't Forget To Write - Sara Goodman Confino

Daisy Jones & The Six - Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Guncle - Steven Rowley

[teganslaw]

In no particular order:

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

[sandy53]

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garvis

The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger

[Oznell]

I would say, my two favorites were ones I alerted here earlier in the year.

"Lives Like Loaded Guns--  Emily Dickinson and Her Family's Feuds"     by Lyndall Gordon

Astonishing facts about Emily Dickinson's family, and how the deception and adultery of her brother caused a rift that had far-reaching, unforeseen consequences for her literary career. 

and

"Perjury--  The Hiss-Chambers Case"     by Allen Weinstein

The most infamous, and most significant, case of Communist espionage by a U.S. State Department official, Alger Hiss.   

[Mindy D]

Thank you all for the tips. After reading the thread I ordered Lessons in Chemistry and stayed up reading it last night until 3:50 A.M. I've still got some reading left for today. UPDATED at 6:30 P.M. Finished. Good job tying up the ending. Pretty good book.

[nwbabs]

Here's my list of 5 of 108 books read this year I consider 5 stars...

-Love & Saffron by Kim Faye (epistolary novel, historical)

A book recommended on this Forum that sent me down an epistolary reading rabbit hole. Thank you!

-84, Charing Cross by Helene Hanff (non-fiction, epistolary) 

-Horse by Geraldine Brooks (historical fiction)

-The Dinner Party from Creation to Preservation by Judy Chicago (art, historical)

-Walk Deep: Poems by Abigail Morgan Prout (poetry)

My list is probably not for most, as I was not a fan of Lessons in Chemistry. Appreciate all who list their favorites.

[Susan Louise]

I have a few, but if I had to narrow it down to one, hands down:

The Big Fat Surprise - by Nina Teicholz