I recently finished reading This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. A book so exquisite and effervescent that I read most of the pages with my mouth agape. It’s the kind of book that makes me want to up my game and leaves me inspired to crack on with my own writing.
What’s the best book you’ve read so far this year? What is it you look for in a book?
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. It managed to simultaneously be one of the most profound and one of the most deranged books I've ever read. It's one I can see myself coming back to again and again.
Absolutely loved This Is How You Lose The Time War. Like you said, full of brilliant writing & unique ideas I wish I had myself.
One of the best stories I (re)read recently was Witch Hat Atelier. It's a Japanese manga series with one of the most interesting magic systems I've ever encountered. The worldbuilding in general is excellent & the story really makes you feel with & root for the main characters. The art is stunning as well. Really, my only complaint is that it's not finished yet...
I definitely had several moments of jealousy while reading it. That sinking feeling that I'll never be that good. That's always fleeting, though - the lasting feeling is of being inspired and excited to get back to the keyboard.
I'm always hesitant to jump onto a long-running series that hasn't been completed (ironic, I know, given what I write!). It depends whether the creator seems to have a plan or not, and also how vulnerable the thing is to outside cancellation. For example, there's almost no point starting on a new Netflix show these days because they're so trigger-happy with their cancellations.
A comic, on the other hand, can burble along more happily on smaller numbers, so is less of a risk, I think?
The hesitation is understandable! I have no idea how the comic industry works outside of Japan but for manga, it can definitely happen that a series running in a weekly magazine is cancelled if it's not "popular enough". If the series has made it to 10+ standalone volumes & has been translated into several other languages, I doubt that would happen though. Witch Hat Atelier at least is safe although I also understand waiting until it's finished to be able to appreciate the whole story without prolonged waiting times.
I thought it was brilliant! Well worth a read. If you haven't already read it, I highly recommend Seven Moons of Mali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka. Also brilliant!
Glad you enjoyed it! I just finished his next book, Rakesfall, and it was also very good (though with an extremely slippery narrative that I'm sure will put some off). Haven't read that Karunatilaka, but now it's on my library list. Thanks for the recommendation!
The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell. It’s gorgeously written sci-fi that makes you think about the huge questions in life - suffering, beauty, communication, community, spirituality.
That is my number one favorite sci-fi novel for over 20 years — my husband and I still discuss it often and we have read/listened to it at least three times.
Finally read the His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman. It was very good, and pleasantly much different towards the end than what I was expecting.
A False Report: A True Story of Rape in America by T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong. This is a must read for anyone in law enforcement, particularly those who work in investigations. It is the book upon which the Netflix series "Unbelievable" is based.
This one's been on my list, Simon. Glad to hear it's a winner. I'd heard a lot of good things.
Without a doubt the best book I read this year (though I started it last year and it was a slow, pondering read) was Solenoid, by Mircea Cărtărescu. A book dense and intriguing and written with the most exquisite prose. I would go so far to say the book changed my life.
Currently finishing off Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun, which will hold an equally high spot. Without a doubt, Gene was one of the world's greatest literary fiction writers and his BotNS is the pillar of science fantasy work. I adore it.
I had a spate of asking Chat GPT about the 'best fantasy books ever' etc. (the only thing I think it's really good for is as a certain sort of search engine). It kept coming up again and again because it's on so many lists. There's a reason. It will stand the test of time as one of the modern classics.
I keep meaning to go back to that. I got halfway but bounced off it. It was a bit too quippy and sassy for me, though I respect Scott's ability to write.
Possibly JM Burgoyne's Southern Gothic masterpiece 'Writer', about a man who makes a blood sacrifice to wipe a lost love from his mind, only to then fight to restore the memory. Just gorgeous writing.
I’m almost finished The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown. And wow, I don’t know that it’s the best this year, but it is really good. I went from feeling clever and disappointed at having guessed a spoiler early on to elated that I had been misled. And surprise! Oh, and there’s time travel.
This is a really strong debut novel. I’d love to meet Gareth for coffee some day.
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch. A book that grips you by the throat and drags you through a civil war hellscape. A breathless and brilliant book that left me traumatised, thankful and awed.
Venomous Lumpsucker by Ned Beauman. A darkly satirical skewering of corporate capitalism and its interactions with the environment/wildlife. A book filled with moments that felt absolutely believable : the hilarity of the systems that doom the world. It’s not all doom and gloom though, the book has a hopeful edge to its meanness. I loved it.
I just finished two books that were the best I've read in 2024
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams. An widowed grandfather and a teenage librarian bond over a reading list left in a library book. Very touching and captures the shared connection through reading.
The Winners by Fredrik Backman. The third in the Beartown trilogy. Poignant and Heartbreaking.. Think Friday Night Lights only with Hockey.
The Parliament by Aimee Pokwatka has been hands down my #1 book for the year. It was so unexpected and strange and heartbreaking. I laughed, I cheered, I cried... its such a human story moved forward by the absurdity of murder owls.... It was wonderful. And absolutely not the type of book I go for (I picked it up because the concept of the murder owls enchanted me.)
My favorite book last year, by far, was Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, because the main character was like no other character I’ve ever come across!
I really enjoyed the Greenhollow Duology by Emily Tesh. Give me all the novellas! This one has really amazing characters with grown up fairy tale vibes.
I've had that one on my list for a while but have been hesitant to pick it up. I enjoy character-driven stories & am not sure if this one delivers on the characters... what would you say?
(Oops! I replied to the wrong comment) I would not call it character driven although there are definite unique perspectives and plausible character arcs. They were all a bit blurry. It felt more like watching the characters from above, which seemed appropriate and was kind of fascinating.
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. It managed to simultaneously be one of the most profound and one of the most deranged books I've ever read. It's one I can see myself coming back to again and again.
I finally got around to The Ministry of Time and it will haunt me for the rest of my life. Simply breathtaking writing, plot, characters, everything.
Oh, this sounds very good! Added to the list....
I am currently reading it! Powerful narrative with good science behind it
Added to my list, thanks for the recommendation.
Probably “The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig. Character-driven with fast-paced storytelling. Pleasant read all around.
I love that book! It makes you reconsider your life
Zen in the art of writing by Ray Bradbury, it helped me start to write again!
I've got this but not read.it yet.
Absolutely loved This Is How You Lose The Time War. Like you said, full of brilliant writing & unique ideas I wish I had myself.
One of the best stories I (re)read recently was Witch Hat Atelier. It's a Japanese manga series with one of the most interesting magic systems I've ever encountered. The worldbuilding in general is excellent & the story really makes you feel with & root for the main characters. The art is stunning as well. Really, my only complaint is that it's not finished yet...
I definitely had several moments of jealousy while reading it. That sinking feeling that I'll never be that good. That's always fleeting, though - the lasting feeling is of being inspired and excited to get back to the keyboard.
I'm always hesitant to jump onto a long-running series that hasn't been completed (ironic, I know, given what I write!). It depends whether the creator seems to have a plan or not, and also how vulnerable the thing is to outside cancellation. For example, there's almost no point starting on a new Netflix show these days because they're so trigger-happy with their cancellations.
A comic, on the other hand, can burble along more happily on smaller numbers, so is less of a risk, I think?
The hesitation is understandable! I have no idea how the comic industry works outside of Japan but for manga, it can definitely happen that a series running in a weekly magazine is cancelled if it's not "popular enough". If the series has made it to 10+ standalone volumes & has been translated into several other languages, I doubt that would happen though. Witch Hat Atelier at least is safe although I also understand waiting until it's finished to be able to appreciate the whole story without prolonged waiting times.
The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera!
I bought this after seeing it was shortlisted and am looking forwards to it!
Excellent, hope you enjoy it!
I thought it was brilliant! Well worth a read. If you haven't already read it, I highly recommend Seven Moons of Mali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka. Also brilliant!
Glad you enjoyed it! I just finished his next book, Rakesfall, and it was also very good (though with an extremely slippery narrative that I'm sure will put some off). Haven't read that Karunatilaka, but now it's on my library list. Thanks for the recommendation!
Currently reading George Saunders’ A swim in a pond in the rain and it’s so good!
The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell. It’s gorgeously written sci-fi that makes you think about the huge questions in life - suffering, beauty, communication, community, spirituality.
That is my number one favorite sci-fi novel for over 20 years — my husband and I still discuss it often and we have read/listened to it at least three times.
That's quite the recommendation, from both of you. On the list! :)
Finally read the His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman. It was very good, and pleasantly much different towards the end than what I was expecting.
Ah, such a great trilogy. And so unexpected, all the way through, as you say.
The ending had this 70 year old man sobbing. And they weren’t tragic tears either, in case anyone thinks I’m spoiling the ending.
- Cormac McCarthy - The Passenger, and Stella Maris
- Oyinken Braithwaite - My Sister the Serial Killer
- Richard Brougtigan - Trout Fishing in America
- Lionel Shriver - Should we stay or should we go
- Dave Eggers - The Every
Haruki Murakami - 1Q84
A False Report: A True Story of Rape in America by T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong. This is a must read for anyone in law enforcement, particularly those who work in investigations. It is the book upon which the Netflix series "Unbelievable" is based.
This one's been on my list, Simon. Glad to hear it's a winner. I'd heard a lot of good things.
Without a doubt the best book I read this year (though I started it last year and it was a slow, pondering read) was Solenoid, by Mircea Cărtărescu. A book dense and intriguing and written with the most exquisite prose. I would go so far to say the book changed my life.
Currently finishing off Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun, which will hold an equally high spot. Without a doubt, Gene was one of the world's greatest literary fiction writers and his BotNS is the pillar of science fantasy work. I adore it.
Wow, that's a big testimonial. I'm now trying to think of books I could say changed my life...
Slight hyperbole, perhaps, but it's a phenomenal book that felt a very personal and affecting read.
Kathleen Waller and I wrote a little about it, for anyone who may be interested, if you don't mind a link drop: https://thematterhorn.substack.com/p/no-novel-ever-gave-us-a-path
Finally got around to reading The Lies of Locke Lamora. It lives up to the hype.
We have that in the house - my wife has talked about it a lot but I've never read it myself. Might be time to add it to the (stupidly long) list!
I had a spate of asking Chat GPT about the 'best fantasy books ever' etc. (the only thing I think it's really good for is as a certain sort of search engine). It kept coming up again and again because it's on so many lists. There's a reason. It will stand the test of time as one of the modern classics.
I keep meaning to go back to that. I got halfway but bounced off it. It was a bit too quippy and sassy for me, though I respect Scott's ability to write.
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugo. Loved it!
Just looked it up - sounds intriguing.
Possibly JM Burgoyne's Southern Gothic masterpiece 'Writer', about a man who makes a blood sacrifice to wipe a lost love from his mind, only to then fight to restore the memory. Just gorgeous writing.
I've just finished House of Leaves. It completely sucked me in. So much so I made a 30 minute video of me discussing it!
It's my latest post if you fancy it.
It's really difficult to choose, as always! But I think 'The Hearth and the Chip' is the one that has struck me and I've enjoyed the most so far.
Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff! Lovely gruesome vampires!
I’m almost finished The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown. And wow, I don’t know that it’s the best this year, but it is really good. I went from feeling clever and disappointed at having guessed a spoiler early on to elated that I had been misled. And surprise! Oh, and there’s time travel.
This is a really strong debut novel. I’d love to meet Gareth for coffee some day.
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch. A book that grips you by the throat and drags you through a civil war hellscape. A breathless and brilliant book that left me traumatised, thankful and awed.
Venomous Lumpsucker by Ned Beauman. A darkly satirical skewering of corporate capitalism and its interactions with the environment/wildlife. A book filled with moments that felt absolutely believable : the hilarity of the systems that doom the world. It’s not all doom and gloom though, the book has a hopeful edge to its meanness. I loved it.
Three Assassins by Kotaro Isaka. It's darkly funny, emotional, and thrilling
I just finished two books that were the best I've read in 2024
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams. An widowed grandfather and a teenage librarian bond over a reading list left in a library book. Very touching and captures the shared connection through reading.
The Winners by Fredrik Backman. The third in the Beartown trilogy. Poignant and Heartbreaking.. Think Friday Night Lights only with Hockey.
North Woods by Daniel.Mason is probably genius.
Best book I've red this year?
"Red Side Story" by Jasper Fforde. A long-awaited sequel.
Couldn't tell you what I "look for" in a book, as such things change with mood.
The Parliament by Aimee Pokwatka has been hands down my #1 book for the year. It was so unexpected and strange and heartbreaking. I laughed, I cheered, I cried... its such a human story moved forward by the absurdity of murder owls.... It was wonderful. And absolutely not the type of book I go for (I picked it up because the concept of the murder owls enchanted me.)
It grabbed me hard. And it was grand.
My favorite book last year, by far, was Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, because the main character was like no other character I’ve ever come across!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51648276
That's quite the remarkable title!
I can never remember it, or the name of the author, but I have more of her books on my list. 🙂
Just reading „Melody“ by Martin Suter. I love the slowliness in the story and the accuracy.
I really enjoyed the Greenhollow Duology by Emily Tesh. Give me all the novellas! This one has really amazing characters with grown up fairy tale vibes.
The Overstory, by Richard Powers. It was nothing like what I expected, sweeping and yet intimate, at times soothing and at times wildly irritating.
I've had that one on my list for a while but have been hesitant to pick it up. I enjoy character-driven stories & am not sure if this one delivers on the characters... what would you say?
(Oops! I replied to the wrong comment) I would not call it character driven although there are definite unique perspectives and plausible character arcs. They were all a bit blurry. It felt more like watching the characters from above, which seemed appropriate and was kind of fascinating.
Hmm interesting. I might pick up a sample before committing. Thank you!
There's a lot of wisdom in it.
This sounds like my kind of book.