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“A Best Friend Is Someone Who Gives Me a Book I’ve Never read”- A. Lincoln
Each year I identify at least 12 books to add to my ‘to read’ list from the annual Books Most Enjoyed by MillersTime Readers. I generally split them between fiction and nonfiction. Some I choose because several of you have suggested them, some because of the description a reader has written, and some because of the topic (often something I might never have chosen on my own).
The twelve for 2017 (plus two audible books for the treadmill)
Fiction:
The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
2nd Person Singular by Sayed Kashua (suggested by the oldest contributor to the list – 95 years old).
Between Riverside & Crazy (a play) by Stephen Adly Giurgis
Nonfiction:
I Will Bear Witness by Victor Kemperer
Strangers in Their Own Land by Allie Russell Hochschild
The Half Has Never Been Told by Edward E. Baptist
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
White Mountain: Real & Imagined Journeys in the Himalayas by Robert Twigger
I Survived Series by Lauren Tarshis (suggested by the youngest contributor, now eight years old).
Audible Books:
Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
PS:
To date I have kept my New Year’s resolution to put books I have read on Goodreads as soon as I’ve completed them. Also, as a backup, I am keeping a list of books read in “Notes” on my computer, along with a few sentences on each as I’m continuing to suffer from CRS.
So far in January, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and can highly recommend The Path Between the Seas by David McCullough, The North Water by Ian McGuire, War & Turpentine by Stefan Heretmans, Do Not Say That We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thiel, The Return: Fathers, Sons, and the Land in Between by Hisham Matar, and Moonglow by Michael Chabon.
Finally, I’d love to know how various readers have used the annual favorites’ list. Have you chosen books from it, and if so, what makes you chose those particular ones? You can leave a note in the Comments’ section of this post or let me know in an email: Samesty84@gmail.com.
Elizabeth said:
In year’s past I have devoted January to reading books from the Best of List from the previous year. I’ve either picked them based on whether I tend to like the same books as the person who listed it as one of their favorites or because they were overwhelming popular with a large amount of readers. This year I don’t have as much time (babies are a lot of work, did you know that?), but I’ve noted down some audio books that I will add to my list that I hope to listen to as I’m doing other things.
Happy Reading!
Ellen Miller said:
I too use January to read what I might have missed in the previous year as recommended by others on the Millerstime list. I picked up two or three recommendations which I have enjoyed, and am finishing a few leftovers from my own list from last year which include some ‘must reads’!) including Susan Faludi’s In the DarkRoom, Moonglow by Michael Chabon, and Evicted by Matthew Desmond.
Carrie said:
I often pick books that several people recommend. I read Strangers in their Own Land and found that after awhile it got boring .
Tiffany said:
I love this list more than any other, and rely on it for nearly all my reading. Thank you Richard, and to all the contributors who make this list possible! I’m sending these to my kindle immediately!
Anonymous said:
How I use the list: to amplify the book reviews I read in the NY Times & Wash. Post INSTEAD OF READING books. I use the list to help “guilt” myself about my lifelong snobbery about new books.
This is important; left to my own devices, I go to the public library and pick up William James’ The Principles of Psychology, publication date: 1890. (I did this earlier today). SOMETHING has to get me out of the 19th century and into the 21st. That’d be your list.
Nicole said:
I hadn’t been reading much since entering law school in 2007 (aside from the copious reading required for school and work), but the past few months have caused me to reconsider where my mental attention lands during downtime. I’ve decided it’s time to shift my “leisure” phone/ipad time from social media and news to something else, and so far, the “something else” has been books. The Millerstime reader recommendation lists have been my primary source for selecting what to read. I’ve especially appreciated the lists of books most recommended by readers, and the individual reviews (so I can get some insights about why people I know liked certain books).
Thanks a ton for this really great resource, which I’ve forwarded to at least one friend in recent weeks.
And now, a (self-serving) question: have you considered doing a similar list for podcasts? :)