January 14, 2022
Best of the Best: 2015-2021
Welcome to January and all the “Best Of” lists!
Inspired by Davida @ The Chocolate Lady’s Book Review Blog, I’m putting together my own “Best of the Best” list.
Each year that I’ve been blogging, I’ve put together a most memorable reads of the year list. This year I thought it would be fun to follow Davida’s lead and list my top SEVEN reads of the last SEVEN years and rank them in order. I’ve only been blogging for five years, but I started keeping records seven years ago, so I’m including all seven years. I’m also linking to my blog posts so that you can see the runners up if you’re curious.
*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
2015:
(Preblogging) The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
(reviewed the first year I started blogging)
2016:
(Preblogging) Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (not reviewed on the blog)
2017:
(I didn’t choose a favorite this year because I chose to use categories.) Looking back at the list now, I will have to choose Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman as my favorite of the year (not reviewed on blog). See my complete list for the year here: 2017 Really Recommendable Reads
2018:
A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
See my complete list for the year here: Most Memorable Reads of 2018
2019:
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
See my complete list for the year here: Most Memorable Reads of 2019
2020:
The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Daré
See my complete list for the year here: Most Memorable Reads of 2020
2021:
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
See my complete list for the year here: Most Memorable Reads of 2021
Ranked in Order:
Ok….this isn’t my favorite thing to do but Davida has set the bar high, so I’ll give it a try! All of these are on my lifetime favorites list. They could all be #1. Tomorrow I might arrange them differently.
#7
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
#6
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
#5
Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
#4
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
#3
The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Daré
#2
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
#1
A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
QOTD:
If you ranked your books over the past few years, which would be your #1 read?
Do you keep a list of favorites from year to year?
Happy Reading Book Buddies!
“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke
“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes
“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text
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***Blog posts may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I can earn a small percentage of your purchase price.
Unless explicitly stated that they are free, all books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library.
Book Cover and author photos are credited to Amazon or an author’s (or publisher’s) website.
© ReadingLadies.com
Great idea for a post Carol, but I’m not sure I could only chose one favourite each year! 😂
Right?! I make my choice and then force myself not to revisit it!!! My biggest concern is what if I loved last year’s #2 book more than this year’s #1 book. My choices fall victim to the year it was read. #bookproblems 😂😂😂
I love so many of these books, great pics.
Thanks Karen! 🙌😍
HI Carol — I’ve read most of these books upon your recommendation! And have The Rose Code from the library waiting for me. So hard to pick one favorite per year!! I’m currently almost through The Postmistress. So affecting — WWII from the perspective of an American woman broadcaster in London and a Postmistress in small town Mass. I’m wishing it would continue on for the end of their stories! Love you blog!
Thanks for stopping in Rhonda! We are such book twins! I love that!
You’re killing me with all the lines to your annual favorite reads. I’ll be spending time delving into them. A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza is on my 2022 TBR list. It sounds like my sort of book.
I’d love to reread A Place For Us soon! Especially the heartfelt, emotional, poignant father/son section at the end! So many themes resonated with me in that book. I hope you enjoy it Adrienne!
Delighted to see “louding voice” listed here – wonderful novel.
I have a 10 year blogging anniversary coming up so you’ve given me an idea on how to mark the event
I’m thrilled we share the love for Louding Voice! I’ll look forward to your best of the best list!
I’d love to see that list! You’re such an eclectic reader!
I love this idea! Without actually sitting down with my favorites lists, Under the Whispering Door would have to be my number 1. But like you, my top favorites could all be in the number 1 spot on any given day.
The ultimate #bookproblem!
I want to read the Eleanor one as it keeps appearing on popular lists. Great suggestions.
Thanks Jamie! I ❤️ brave Eleanor but she may not be for everyone! I hope you give her a try!
I could never rank that ! Bookwoman has an ish sequel coming soon
It was daunting! I can’t look at it without wanting to reorder the list! I have the arc for the book woman sequel!
That’s nice. Thanks for sharing
You’re welcome! Thanks for stopping by!
Addie LaRue is still probably my fav! I’m still hoping to read a Kate Quinn ASAP! She sounds totally up my alley.
I’ve read so many great reviews of Addie LaRue! I’m thinking you might like The Huntress as your first Kate Quinn!
I’ll mark it down! I have Rose Code saved on Scribd but I’ll check that one out too. Thanks!
Both are great but Huntress has a side of thriller!
Wow, love your list, Carol, and I’m super impressed! I see so many of my favorites too!
It’s lovely to be book twins Jennifer! 🙌💖
That is a great list of books! I would have a hard time choosing just one favorite for each year and would never be able to pick an absolute favorite 🙂. I’m impressed that you were able to do that!
Thanks Gretchen! …it was definitely a daunting task! I can’t go back and look at my list because I know I’d want to rearrange it somehow!
Fun! I’ve read BOOK WOMAN, but that’s all from your list.
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
I’m so eager for the Book Woman sequel!
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Great list! I bought The Girl With Louding Voice and A Place For Us from Audible, but have not listened to them yet. A great reminder for me to get to them.
Louding Voice might be difficult on audio because of the use of language. At the beginning I had to reread some sentences to help my understanding…but when my brain adjusted, I was fine…also her English becomes more fluent over the course of the book.
I will get the ebook as well, just in case then, Thanks for the heads up.
I didn’t try audio….but I heard….
[…] Watch for my “best of” posts including these recent ones: Most Memorable Reads of 2021, Best of the Best 2015-2021, Ten Favorite Historical Fiction Reads of the […]