As is my wont, I've compiled a list of the ten books I liked best of all the ones I read this year. You can read my previous years' lists here: 2016, 2015, and 2014. (I do a similar thing with movies, and my 2017 list for those is here on my other blog.)
I read and reviewed 56 books this year, plus I know I read a couple more that I never got around to reviewing. I've split this list into two parts, as usual -- those I've read before and those that were new to me.
These are in alphabetical order because I don't feel like getting them into a favoritey sort of order. Titles are linked to my reviews. Here we go!
New to Me
As You Wish by Cary Elwes with Joe Layden -- I got to see The Princess Bride (1987) on the big screen thanks to TCM and Fathom Events this fall, so it felt like the perfect time to finally read Elwes' memoir about the filming. I want to own a copy.
The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay -- I liked it, then I was frustrated by it, then I liked it again, and by the end, I loved it. Currently vying with A Portrait of Emily Price for the distinction of being my favorite Katherine Reay book.
Every Frenchman Has One by Olivia de Havilland -- hilarious, heart-warming, and adorable.
The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis -- even better than I expected.
A Sidekick's Tale by Elisabeth Grace Foley -- one of the funniest fiction books I read all year!
The Story People by Heather Kaufman -- sweet and charming. I've already pre-ordered Kaufman's next book, Loving Isaac.
The Usurper's Throne by Charity Bishop -- engrossing and thrilling. I can't wait for the next book.
Re-reads
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler -- my favorite author, what more can I say?
The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien -- Enchanting as always -- this was my seventh time reading it. (Though we're only about halfway through it for the read-along, I started it back in August for my niece's lit class, so I'm done reading it already.)
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald -- I like this on better every time I read it.
How about you? What wonderful books did you discover or re-read in 2017?
Book reviews by a Christian writer/wife/mother
Great list! I've had my eye on As You Wish for a while now. I may have to pick it up...
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rob! I heartily recommend As You Wish. I hear there's an audio version, read by Elwes, that is also fantastic.
DeleteI am always impressed by the quantity of books you read. Even in my most prolific reading days, I needed space between reading different books. I couldn't jump right into something else without at least a week or two fallow period between books (unless it's a series). I think I read more books this year than the previous year, though! Favorite by leaps and bounds and mountains was the Chaos Walking trilogy, followed by Charity Bishop's novel Ravenswolde. Loved that book! And Cloaked, of course. Loved that so very much. :-D
ReplyDeleteI do usually take a couple days between books. I was pretty astonished that I'd read more than one a week this year -- I actually felt like my reading had kind of lagged! Huh.
DeleteI have Ravenswolde on my TBR shelf! Maybe this is the year I'll read it :-o
And awwww. Well, you know, you had a lot to do with how Cloaked turned out <3
I'm honored to make the list. I plan on handing Book 2 over to my proof-reader next week. ;)
ReplyDeleteThe Screwtape Letters... is genius. And I bought "As You Wish" for my brother's birthday on CD, read by Elwes and the other cast members, and the entire family had fun listening to it. :D
Charity, can't wait for book 2! Woo!
DeleteYeah, Screwtape Letters is in a class all its own.
And I'd love to hear the audio version of As You Wish one of these days -- has to be epic!
Neat list!
ReplyDeleteOf these, I've only read The Screwtape Letters and A Sidekick's Tale. Though I did start The Great Gatsby. :P
I really, really want to read The Austen Escape!
Thanks, Eva! Of the ones you haven't read, The Austen Escape and The Story People are the ones I think you'd like best :-)
DeleteI've read all of C.S. Lewis' Narnia series, but his non-fiction I've been wanting to read for ages and just haven't gotten around to it yet. I've heard great things about them, though! I'm also re-reading The Fellowship of the Ring right now, as a read-aloud to my younger sister. And As You Wish sounds really good! The Princess Bride was such a fun movie.
ReplyDeleteKorin, I read all of Narnia as a kid, and the sci-fi trilogy he wrote too, though I barely remember that. Screwtape is fiction, but almost feels like non-fiction! I totally recommend it.
DeleteHow fun that you're reading FOTR aloud to your sister! How old is she? I've been trying to figure out when my kids will be ready for it. I think once the youngest has read The Hobbit in a couple years, we'll give it a whirl.
I love The Princess Bride :-) So reading As You Wish was a real treat!
I'll definitely have to read it soon!
DeleteYes, it's definitely been fun reading FOTR to my little sister! She's eleven, and she finds the book interesting, but a bit boring at times. She's already seen the movies so she already knows mainly what's going to happen in the story, so that's probably one of the reasons, plus she doesn't like how characters will get long-winded and repeat things. To keep her interest, I've just been skipping different descriptions of landscape and things, and conversations that get long. But like I said, it's been fun. Sharing it with her and getting deeper in the story than the movies went has been enjoyable.
I think the local library has As You Wish- I'll have to check it out!