My criteria is also a book that I can’t stop thinking about! That it lingers about in my brain for weeks or even MONTHS after I read it. To me, that is my contender for favourites of the year. Further criteria includes: books that make me cry, books where I’m blown away by the writing, books that I couldn’t put down and books that change the way I look at or think about the world.
I’m currently collecting my list of favourites of the year and BOY it is hard. But I also love it. I love being balls deep in books.
The Candy House has been on my TBR for a while, thanks for bumping it up further. It sounds brilliant! And no main character?!?! I’m flawed!
Devastated the new hunger games is sooo cringey. But at the same time so unbelievably pleased you saw it before I did and can therefore tell me to avoid the hell out of it. Thank you for your service 💜 at least the original 4 remain incredible and always at our finger tips to watch! I can’t wait for your best books of the year Natalie!
balls deep lol yes!!! and Its a super interesting book I hope you like it - regardless come back and discuss it with me. I was so disappointed with the movie though such a bummer - you are most welcome 😂. I also can't wait for your best books list!!
Savage Detectives was his breakout, but I would suggest starting with Amulet. It’s short. Here’s the Wiki link. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amulet_(novel). If had to choose a desert island novelist, it would either be Dickens or Bolano. 2666 is his masterpiece. Strangest, most indelible novel I’ve ever read.
Thank you for once again convincing me to read a book I started but never really gave a chance—The Candy House. I loved Goon Squad but decided after a few pages to put down Candy House—must have been in a grouchy mood. Completely unrelated—have you read Roberto Bolano? He was all the rage years ago. I find his novels amazing. I get the sense he’s not read much—that’s he’s fallen from Grace, but what do I know?
Sometimes you just have to know when something good isn’t working and come back to it! It takes a bit to get into since you just jump right into the AI part. Come back when you are feeling open to some weird ideas. And I have not read Bolzano but I’ve seen his 2666 novel around. Where do you recommend I start with him? It is strange how authors or novels will have their renaissance and then fall out of popularity for seemingly no reason.
All my favorite books of the year are going to be not from this year not as an act of defiance but because I just picked up reading again this year and of course my tbr was severely backlogged.
Also, absolutely love judging books based on if they make me wish I wrote a book because only a REALLY good book can do that!!
Thanks for the heads up about the Hunger Games movie. The book was not great IMO so I definitely will wait for streaming on the movie. I'm planning to pick my top books of the year on vibes and feelings. I doubt that I'll get it down to just 10, though!
Yeah, shoehorning art into a competitive ranking - I can’t take that too seriously. The process certainly has some worth as you describe in the NYT evaluation/selection method. But “best”?
Pivoting to music - chances are my favorite concerts are ones I have seen relatively recently. Favorite band? That random new discovery. Can’t help it. “New” puts its thumb on the scale.
No fix really except realize it is what it is. Or how about delay the top selections for a year or two or ten? One could still assign it to the 2023 list, but add seasoning to counteract the inherent newness factor.
That’s all. Thanks for contributing to my Libby list. Again.
My criteria is also a book that I can’t stop thinking about! That it lingers about in my brain for weeks or even MONTHS after I read it. To me, that is my contender for favourites of the year. Further criteria includes: books that make me cry, books where I’m blown away by the writing, books that I couldn’t put down and books that change the way I look at or think about the world.
I’m currently collecting my list of favourites of the year and BOY it is hard. But I also love it. I love being balls deep in books.
The Candy House has been on my TBR for a while, thanks for bumping it up further. It sounds brilliant! And no main character?!?! I’m flawed!
Devastated the new hunger games is sooo cringey. But at the same time so unbelievably pleased you saw it before I did and can therefore tell me to avoid the hell out of it. Thank you for your service 💜 at least the original 4 remain incredible and always at our finger tips to watch! I can’t wait for your best books of the year Natalie!
balls deep lol yes!!! and Its a super interesting book I hope you like it - regardless come back and discuss it with me. I was so disappointed with the movie though such a bummer - you are most welcome 😂. I also can't wait for your best books list!!
Savage Detectives was his breakout, but I would suggest starting with Amulet. It’s short. Here’s the Wiki link. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amulet_(novel). If had to choose a desert island novelist, it would either be Dickens or Bolano. 2666 is his masterpiece. Strangest, most indelible novel I’ve ever read.
Thank you for once again convincing me to read a book I started but never really gave a chance—The Candy House. I loved Goon Squad but decided after a few pages to put down Candy House—must have been in a grouchy mood. Completely unrelated—have you read Roberto Bolano? He was all the rage years ago. I find his novels amazing. I get the sense he’s not read much—that’s he’s fallen from Grace, but what do I know?
Sometimes you just have to know when something good isn’t working and come back to it! It takes a bit to get into since you just jump right into the AI part. Come back when you are feeling open to some weird ideas. And I have not read Bolzano but I’ve seen his 2666 novel around. Where do you recommend I start with him? It is strange how authors or novels will have their renaissance and then fall out of popularity for seemingly no reason.
All my favorite books of the year are going to be not from this year not as an act of defiance but because I just picked up reading again this year and of course my tbr was severely backlogged.
Also, absolutely love judging books based on if they make me wish I wrote a book because only a REALLY good book can do that!!
I love your confidence in your list. and that is so true!!
Thanks for the heads up about the Hunger Games movie. The book was not great IMO so I definitely will wait for streaming on the movie. I'm planning to pick my top books of the year on vibes and feelings. I doubt that I'll get it down to just 10, though!
Vibes and feelings YES 😎
My favorite part of this was how you define your top reads:
YES to all of this, including the envy and existential crisis
—really feel something deep in my bones (frightened, entertained, fascinated)
—nostalgic for another time and place
—in awe of the craft
—wish I had written the book
—have an existential crisis
PS I own Candy House but haven’t read it yet. Holiday plan!
It’s a full proof system right?? 😂
Yeah, shoehorning art into a competitive ranking - I can’t take that too seriously. The process certainly has some worth as you describe in the NYT evaluation/selection method. But “best”?
Pivoting to music - chances are my favorite concerts are ones I have seen relatively recently. Favorite band? That random new discovery. Can’t help it. “New” puts its thumb on the scale.
No fix really except realize it is what it is. Or how about delay the top selections for a year or two or ten? One could still assign it to the 2023 list, but add seasoning to counteract the inherent newness factor.
That’s all. Thanks for contributing to my Libby list. Again.
ahh ADD SEASONING! The number of times I have changed my mind about a book after letting it marinate for a while is HIGH.
and cheers to you for checking out new bands. I checked my Spotify wrapped and I'm apparently still living in 2003...