Best Novel read so far for 2018 plz state the name of the book and the author. ?
Best Novel read so far for 2018 plz state the name of the book and the author. ?
309 Answers
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Loading Please wait
Best Novel read so far for 2018 plz state the name of the book and the author. ?
The Woman in the Woods by John Connolly.
Rumors of Spring.
The Dry
The time traveler’s wife
The Alice Network
This was my second favorite this year. I recommend it to all my friends.
A Thousand Splendid Suns (but just by a nose in this tightly packed race)
❤️❤️
I read that years ago and the characters still stay with me. I will never forget Mariam. Haunting and powerful.
The Great Alone
Lilac Girls
The Book Thief
Love that
Just finished it last night, cried for the last 15 minutes I swear, so well written. Going to try and watch the movie this week.
The immoralist
The Hearts Invisible Furies – John Boyne
I second this!
Third it. Wonderful.
Fourth!
Fifth
Sixth
Seventh‼️
The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows
I have that now from the library, but have been debating reading it because I have so much else to read. It is definitely worth it?
@Annabel, yes, but I think it’s best read slowly. I read it quickly last summer, and slowly this month after proposing it for my book club. It might not be everyone’s favorite, but i really like the way this author writes. She is a co-author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.
That is why I want to read it – Guernsey is one of my very favorite books, so I trust her. I will definitely give it a try now.
@Annabel my book has the author interview and discussion questions in the back. Not sure I’d read them before the book, but they helped a lot with my digging deeper in the second reading.
Las Days of Magic, Tomkins
Beneath a Scarlett Sky or the Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck.
Both were great
THE WIDOWS OF MALABAR HILL by Sujata Massey. A mystery set in India during the early 1920s (‘The Futures’ by Anna Pitoniak is a close second.)
The Marvels by Brian Selznick
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones.
Educated by Tara Westover
Great book, but not a novel. ?
Evergreen by Rebecca Rasmussen
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate is what I am reading now. Love it. I’m going to miss it when I am done.
Ocean Light by Nalini Singh
Definitely the best so far this year. I listened on audiobook and it was great!!
My favorite too!! I didn’t want it to end!! I just ordered the Baby Thief about Georgia Tann
I want to read that one too!
The Accidental Apprentice by Vikas Swarup
The Silent Wife by Kerri Fisher
Beartown
Fredrik Bachman
Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen.
Life after life by Kate Atkinson I still find myself thinking back on that book 4 months later.
I read that a few years ago and l still remember closing it when I finished and thinking, “This is the kind of book that reminds me why I love reading.” It is fantastic.
Exactly! Its rare to find books that really stick with me like it has. I can remember quotes and characters and this whole world I was submerged in while it was beautifully described. I know there is a sequel about Teddy’s life I need to read that too.
@Karla I agree!
Alis Meece I had trouble with the sequel A God in Ruins & actually stopped reading it. Was so disappointed after loving Life After Life so much. Maybe you will have a better experience with it.?
@Nikki I’ve avoided the sequel bc it sounded pretty grim.
Shelter by Jung Yun
The other side of midnight by Sidney Sheldon
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society
One of my all time favorites!
Have to name 2…”The Girl with Seven Names” by Hyeonseo Lee………..and
“Educated” by Tara Westover.
Agree Educated is great…but not a novel?
Is The Girl with Seven Names a novel Marilyn Chisholm?
@Stephanie whoops!
@Ada ..again…whoops! Sorry…no..they’re both biographical. ?
Hard to choose the best between these two very different but wonderful novels:
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and
Every Note Played by Lisa Genova!
To edit a phone comment, press on your text, choose Edit, fix it, choose Update. Then turn off auto correct.
I second Every Note Played!
The Hate U Give was powerful. Loved it. Just requested Every Note Played from library. I liked Still Alice by Genoa, but was not overwhelmed by it. If you read that one, could you compare it to this one as far as which had a greater impact?
@Annabel this one!
@Annabel I loved Still Alice … for many reasons. My mom had dementia and Genova’s writing taught me so much about the disease itself as well as how it affects the various family members. Her characters were vividly well-drawn and relatable.
I didn’t find the characters in Every Note Played to be as relatable; in fact, I didn’t find the two main characters to be very likable at all. And yet, Genova made me care about them … and I learned a lot about ALS.
Neither of these books is a fast read – Genova’s descriptions of the disease progressions are so powerful, that I occasionally had to stop and settle my emotions. I heartily recommend all of Lisa Genova’s books!
Thank you Marjie and Katy for your insights! If an author can make you care about two unlikable characters, then that really shows some talent. I did like Still Alice, and it was obvious how much respect Genoa gave to the subject. I am looking forward to reading Every Note Played now.
Not a novel but loved Leonardo Da Vinci by Walter Isaacson
I Liked My Life by Abby Fabiaschi
This dark endeavour by kennith oppeal
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyle.
The Wanted by Robert Crais
Beartown by Fredrick Bakman
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller (OK, it’s non-fiction but reads like fiction :))
The Shadow of the Wind. Carlis Ruiz Zafon.
News of the World by Paulette Jiles
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
by Trevor Noah
This has been my favorite so far this year as well. Amazing book.
Not a novel…but terrific
@Stephanie sorry! I misread it as “the best book”
Same but nonfiction though.
Allegedly by Tiffany Jackson
I am still thinking about this book after reading it a few months ago. It gave me tons to talk about!!
@Annabel yes absolutely me too!
Another YA that I really enjoyed was Words on the Bathroom Walls. Kid has schizophrenia and falls in love. Great awareness about mental health and funny!
@Jodi Thank you! I will definitely look that up. Here are a few more YA books to throw at you. I’m guessing you may have read some of them, but just in case:
Dear Martin by Nic Stone(not as good as Allegedly, but still worth the read)
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon – LOVED this wonderful love story!
@Annabel haha…yes I have read all of those. Thank you. I am still in the hunt to be wowed again, but my recent haven’t done it yet. I did like Geniune Fraud by E. Lockhart. Major page turner. I also liked Dreamland Burning.
It seems to happen like that, doesn’t it? You read some amazing, almost Iife-altering books, and then you get into a bit of a drought. But there is always that next great book waiting to be discovered!
Thanks for the new recommendations, I will definitely look into those!
The Woman in the Window by AJ Finn
This was a page turner for sure, but I was kind of disappointed in the ending. I guess I wanted more of a twist? Still, it was addicting and unputdownable!
Educated by Tara Westover.
Hi Sandra educated is not a novel?
True, but snarky. It is an excellent book.
Guess I should have paid better attention to the notice. Bet Cleo Metwally is real fun to be around.?
@Sandra Sandra that’s so nice of you to say that and ur absolutely right I’m a hoot to be around ??
Bet you used to roll your eyes at your mom! I know I did. LOL Still do it to my husband. My brain is 71 years old, but still have a mouth on me that won’t quit. ?
I am thrilled with the many reco’s from this post and I don’t mind if it is a novel or not. Thanks for sharing.
The women in the castle by Jessica Shattuck
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker.
Same!!!
Exit west by Mohsin Hamid
The Story of Arthur Trulove by Elizabeth Berg (among others)
Loved this one! An absolutely delightful book!
Loved this also!!!!
I think Arthur’s last name is spelled ‘Truluv’ (might get better search results using that spelling) ?
@Krista thanks, Krista! My bad!
@Kathy No worries! Just hopinf to help anyone trying to find this great book. (darn autocorrect!)
A gentleman in Moscow by amor Towles. Damn spell check kept changing his last name to towels.
A Thousand Spendid Suns by Khalid Hosseini
Dragon Teeth
Michael Crichton
From Sand and Ash, by Amy Harmon.
Beneath a scarlet sky by mark t Sullivan
The Healing. Jonathan Odell
From Sand and Ash
Ooooh, difficult choice!
How to Stop Time by Matt Haig.
We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
Behind Close Doors B.A. Paris
This was a interesting read
Oh my, this sounds good. Just requested it!
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
Best novel was Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.
Following
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón.
Same here!
Reading this next.
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
The Dovekeepers
Following
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
That’s my pick, too!
Gentleman from Moscow – Amor Towles
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult. I know it’s not a favorite for many but something about this story really hit me. Maybe because I’m a nurse?? It’s tied with Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao.
I read SGT this year, too… It’s my favorite read so far… I love it!
Varina by Charles Frazier
A Tale for the Time Being or Pachinko.
I love both of those!
The Luster of Lost Things by Sophie Chen Keller
Educated —Vera Westbrook.
Great book.
It’s a three-way tie for me: The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and The Storyteller
Who is the author of the story teller?
@Becky Jodi Picoult, I’m guessing.
Yes, Jodi Picoult
The Book of Harlan by Bernice Mcfadden
For me, The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck
Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin. I liked the format and how it was written.
The Hate You Give! (Last year’s was The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo)
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
I also really liked Class Moms
Space Opera by Catherynne Valente
How to Stop Time by Matt Haig.
The Great Alone, Kristin Hannah
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles AND A Man Called Ove by Fredric Bachman.
Happiness by Aminatta Forna.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Definitely Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Educated and The Sun Does Shine
Replay by Ken Grimwood
Evolv by Ryan Sequeira
Educated but it may be knocked off by Mr Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore.
The Last Ballad. Wiley Cash.
It may be surpassed by current read There, There by Tommy Orange.
Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. Gentleman from Moscow by Amor Towles.
The Hate u Give by Angie Thomas
Jesmyn Ward’s Sing, Unburied, Sing
Some folks are cover focused. I am title focused and I just hate this one. I am working to get over it so I don’t miss a great book. This one will be title therapy for me.
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
The Outsider by Stephen King
My library just got that in and it’s on hold…but I’m like 15th in line! 🙁 🙁
Just finished it! Great book.
The Player by Kresley Cole
This is How it Always Is, by Lauri Frankel.
Loved that
The Saboteur by Andrew Gross.
Sorry, but I can’t narrow it down from 3! The Dry by Jane Harper, The Blinds by Adam Sternbergh, and My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tennant. ???
You have great taste!!
It’s been a very good year in books so far!
The Disturbed Girls Dictionary by Nonique Ramos
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane..Lisa See. EXCELLENT.
Who knew tea was so complex?? 😀
Listened to the audiobook. So good!
Great one!
For me The Shining by Stephen King.
That was the first King book i ever read. Good choice
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boynes
The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson (read twice since January) and Little Heaven by Nick Cutter.
Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah.
There are several for me! Here’s the most recent one. The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Astor by Scott Wilbanks!
Thank you Cleo for this post – I’ve already added 10 of the recommendations to my list! I will stop there (for now!)
Mary Eileen, Which ones did you pick???
Small Great Things- Jodi Picoult
The Master of Hestviken by Sigurd Undset-4 volumes.
Following. I agree with The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
I liked those two also.
The She Was Gone – Lisa Jewell
We were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
Yes.
You Me Everything
The movie looks really good, didn’t realize it was a book too
@Emma The movie is not nearly as good as the book. My whole conversation throughout the movie was “that isn’t right.”. My advise is read the book and skip the movie. This is a trilogy. I’m reading the second right now, Palace of Treason.
It’s good.?
@Catherine good to know! I never watch movies, have a 3 year old and 2 year old so not a lot of time, so probably will just read the books, so much easier.
Didn’t realize it either! Adding to my list now. Lol
Happiness, by Aminatta Forna.
Dark Matters bay Blake Crouch, Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng and A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Townes.
I love Blake Crouch
Great list!
Under The Dome by Stephen King. A very long book, but still I did not want it to end.
Very good book but the tv show…yuck.
Fortunately, I didn’t see the tv show! I was going to watch it, but read the synopsis of each episode first and realised it was going to be nothing like the book so I didn’t bother!!
@Lucy I only watched a few and realized it was like the show Lost and wasn’t going anywhere near a conclusion.
Love seeing King on this list several times! He’s one of my favorite authors! ❤️
Cujo by stephen king
Children of blood and bone
Or
Seven husband’s of Evelyn hugo.
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Hard to narrow it down. I’ll pick two.
1. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.
It’s such a beautifully written book. It’s beauty made me cry.
2. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeymoon.
This character continues to stay with me. I still think about her.
Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.
Us Against You by Fredrik Backman
The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
Nothing really great so far stands out, but I did enjoy Hannah’s latest, The Great Alone and Westover’s Educated. Charles Frazier’s latest, Varina.
Someone tell aunt millie she is dead by christianna miller
All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren.
My grandfathers first cousin!
Truly, I was a Warren in a former life
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman
Some great ones listed here…I can’t pick just one!
Little Fires Everywhere. (at least I read it i 2018)
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders. Amazing book. Gave me a whole new insight into Abe Lincoln and the affect his sons death had on him and his reported melancholy. It also gave me a new way to look at death, the afterlife, and how those left behind can hinder their progression to that light.
I want to read this! A.L. Is my favorite president! I’ve read bios and other books about President & Mrs. Lincoln.
@Deborah It really is a brilliant book, highly recommend it
Interesting. My bookclub is reading it
I listened to the audiobook last year and it was beautiful and heartbreaking. Extraordinary. ❤️?
The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker
sometimes i lie alice feeney
A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue
Still looking
Just read First Impressions by Charlie Lovett, and if you love Jane Austen or fiction at all, it’s a must. It’s a wonderfully written book!!!
A Gentleman in Moscow
The Darkling Bride by Laura Andersen …
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34019139-the-darkling-bride?from_search=true
The Sun Does Shine – Anthony Ray Hinton
“A Fall of Marigolds” by @Susan.
Loved it
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Dog Run Moon, by Callan Wink. A book of excellent short stories. So good. Really.
My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout.
Elizabeth Strout is excellent.
LOVED that book. Most people seem to see it as boring or depressing ?.
Lucy Barton, the book I mean, is soooo sneaky. It seems simple while speaking in big volumes about Mums and Daughters and a host of life stuff.
News of the World by Paulette Jiles
On the TBR pile. Moved it up ten spots.
A Legacy of Spies by John Le Carre. I hope the BBC or ITV will turn it into a mini series like The Night Manager!?
Bone Music
All the Light we Cannot See
Following! Need to add to my wish list!
The Nightingale. Must read of you haven’t already.
A Good American by Alex George
Cancer Ward by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng
La bête à sa mere, David Goudreault. Sorry… in French! 😉
Gentleman from Moscow…..
Following ?
Sunburn by Lisa Scotoline
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
I’m actually reading The Death of Mrs.Westaway by Ruth Ware and is REALLY good, I can’t stop thinking about it when I’m not reading it, I NEED to know what’s next, but I’m halfway through so I still don’t know if it will take the title of the “best novel of 2018 so far”
I wondered about Ruth Ware. I’ll check it out.
@Leigh she’s really good, I read all her books and I like them all. I was lucky to meet her a couple of weeks ago when she came to NY. and she’s also super nice and humble.
I bet that was a fun moment for you! ❤️
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. I read it in 2017 but listened to the audio version in 2018 – so, it counts twice! (grin!). I was privileged to hear Lisa speak recently in Memphis and five of the adoptees from the Georgia Tann “home” were present and spoke, as well. It is a Sunday afternoon I won’t soon forget.
Eleanor oliphant is completely fine by Gail honeyman
This is up next for me. Can’t wait! ❤️?
@Kelly it’s my 2018 favourite so far
Oh so many ? top picks would be None of the Above by I. W. Gregorio and Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston
The Broken Girls by Simone St. James
One of us is lying by Karen Mc manus
The Arrangement by Sarah Dunn
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: A Novel by Shaffer and Barrows
x
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Following
Hmm. I if I was forced into a corner and had to choose only one, I would choose “The Martian” by Andy Weir. That book was absolutely fantastic.
Of the 17 books I’ve read so far, 14 were 5 stars, but one in particular haunts me still, and that is If We Were Villains by M.L.Rio. Utterly amazing.
Excellent
You got that right, it’s a novel.
I just finished this so it’s fresh on my mind. Non fiction which is rare for me but such a great read.
War light by Michael Ondaatje
Did you ever have a family by bill clegg
A Man Called Ove
Timequake by Kurt Vonnegut
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.
Playing for pizza by John Grisham
The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden (plus book #1 in Winternight Triology The Bear & the Nightingale). Fantastic! I’m in withdrawal waiting for book #3 in January. ❤️?
The Things I Never Told You
Natchez Burning, Bone Tree and Mississippi Burning—–a Trilogy by Greg Iles.
These are awesome. I started w/ The Quiet Game, 1st Penn Cage, I think.
These are the first I have read by him. Are his others as well written? Couldn’t put any of the 3 down. I’m from that southern area (cross the Texas line) and was young in the 60’s, so they were of great interest to me.
@Sue The Penn Cage series is excellent. I think there are 5 in all including the ones you mentioned. I’m from north and south East Texas, about your same era too. ?
I have saved this thread as it is full of ideas.
The Hellfire Club has been my favorite so far this summer
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Everybody’s Son by Thrity Umrigar
Regatta by Libby Purves
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini