Great list. Even for the books I didn't enjoy on here, I love hearing you talk about them! I didn't enjoy The Neapolitan Novels but you've intrigued me with the way you described The Days of Abandonment. And I need to read Tin Man in 2018
I remember the Neapolitan novels making your disappointing books list of last year 😂 - but I also loved hearing your thoughts on them nonetheless! The protagonist in The Days of Abandonment definitely shares characteristics with Elena from the Neapolitan novels (especially when she's feeling stifled as a young mother and wife in Florence), but the structure of the book is quite different because it's so much shorter and more compact - which I think gives it a more urgent and intense feel than her longer books. So I don't know if you would like it...but I would be very curious to hear your thoughts if you do end up picking it up! And Tin Man is really great, too :)
Claire, & Jennifer: I appreciate both of you ladies and your BookTube channels so much, for your critical/honest reviews & genuine personal styles. I’m finishing book #50 for this year; hope to increase my total for ‘18, thanks to BookTube & it would be a dream to start my own channel. Here’s my top 5 fav fiction in ‘17: Homegoing, Longbourn, Into the Beautiful North, Young Jane Young, The Clocks. While I’m aligned with Jennifer’s take on Exit West, I DNF’d it, and I’m not interested in reading another work written by “The Vegetarian” author, I’m looking forward to checking out the others present here. Thanks & happy new year!!
I’m watching this just minutes before I have to clock into work haha so I’ll rewatch again later-but I can’t believe I’ve been letting My Brilliant Friend sit on my shelf so long, I reallyyy need to start the Neapolitan series. I’ve heard hit or miss things about Exit West, my only hesitance being apparently some kind of magical realism (?) which is hard for me to engage myself in. But hearing it this way about more about the character connections to the innovation of the doors instead of used sort of as a plot device. And of course Middlemarch, I only hear good things! It seems to be popping up a lot in my Goodreads feed lately, I’ll have to give it a do certainly. Great list!
The Neapolitan Novels are so, so good!! And yeah, Exit West seems to be quite divisive - the doors are definitely magical realism-y, so if that’s not your thing, I’m not sure how you’d react to the book, but it’s pretty short and a quick read if you’re feeling curious about it :)
Jane Steele is such a fun read!! And Exit West does seem to be very divisive, so if you read it you’ll definitely have to let me know what you think :)
I am here for all of your book gush! Just hearing you describe and compare books to situations, other books, movies, etc. is a treat for me. I need to finish Neapolitan Novels and The Days of Abandonment is also awaiting me!
Thanks so much, Vanessa! 😄 I love end of the year videos because I also love to hear people rave about all their favorites! And yessss for Elena Ferrante! She is the best 😍
I really need to give The Idiot a read! Also I can only assume there are plays on Dostoevsky’s The Idiot involved, if she is taking Russian classes...I’d be really interested in re-reading that and seeing what parallels Batuman is drawing on there. Overall sounds like a great list, too!
MICHAEL, YOU GEM ❤️❤️ I really think you’d like The Idiot, especially considering how interested she is in language and linguistics, and while any subtle Dostoevsky references definitely went over my head, she does take a beginning Russian class that I’m sure you’d relate to/find interesting. Also just the setting means there are some familiar tidbits that I’m sure you’d enjoy (the guy she’s into lives in Lev towers, lol, and there are multiple references to Let’s Go ;) including her best friend telling her that everyone who does Let’s Go has a nervous breakdown 😂😭) also it’s just a really unique novel all around :) xxxx
Yay! I love how you talk about Elena Ferrante! She(?) is becoming one of my favorite authors, the Neopolitian series made me feel so many emotions. I also found the discussion of sexuality, before sexuality became a thing, really interesting. Also I really admire how you can describe how the books affect you, thank you for sharing.
Yes!! To everything you said here...I love Elena Ferrante, and I think the way she explores womanhood and sexuality and female identity is so fascinating :)
You really got me interested in The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante by your description. I loved the Yellow Wallpaper :) I really want to read Middlemarch in 2018.
It's a really fascinating book, and I couldn't help but think of books like The Yellow Wallpaper or A Doll's House while I was reading it. I'd love to hear your thoughts on that and Middlemarch if you end up picking them up :)
Good choice for the top spot with the Neapolitan novels-- it is an emotional experience getting through those books! I haven't read any other Ferrante yet so it's good to hear you liked Days of Abandonment. I've been meaning to get around to The Idiot all year so I was glad to see that one on your list as well. Looks like a great reading year!
I loved those books so much - and I definitely recommend The Days of Abandonment if you've liked her other novels so far. It was really interesting to read it after the Neapolitan Novels because it's so short - but wonderful in its own way! And yeah, I'm surprised I haven't seen more of The Idiot on Booktube, but I can see how it's maybe an acquired taste (although I definitely recommend giving it a try!) :)
What a great ambidextrous reader you are! Fiction? Nonfiction? You do it all & do it well! Haven't read any of these, but your descriptions inspire me to try them all. What a great 2017 you had!
Happy New Year! I just looked back at '17, & realized (to be difficult) I had groups of books, like reading Coates, Shakespeare, Austen & the Brontes, but they tended to run together. Best 2017 fiction was Autumn by Ali Smith & Lincoln in the Bardo. Just finished Days of Abandonment yesterday, which was amazing, & now I'm looking for Moonlight Shadow! tortoisedreams.blogspot.com/2018/01/best-reads-of-2017.html
So happy I found your channel in Nov, I love your videos and explanation of books! I like that your list had so many different books than most others. I have the Ferrante series, I have to prioritize it this year.
I absolutely know I will and I'm going to make them a goal to read this year! My sister is also reading them at the same time so it's nice to have someone to chat with while you're reading them :)
Exit West is an insanely polarizing book. I really need to read it now to see what I think. I really enjoyed My Brilliant Friend, so I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.
It's been very interesting to see people's different reactions to it! I would be curious to hear what you think whenever you read it. And I hope you have a wonderful time with the rest of the Neapolitan novels - I think they get even better after My Brilliant Friend!
Awesome list! Middlemarch and Human Acts were really fantastic. I’m in the middle of Middlemarch still but I was enjoying it a lot. I’m taking your word and going to add some of the others. ☺️
Thanks so much, Valentina! Aren’t those two books wonderful? :) and if you pick up any of the other ones, I’ll be eager to hear what you think of them :)
Jane Steele was one of my favorite novels of 2017 as well, it was quite honestly a surprise for me because I had no expectations whatsoever for the book and now I can't stop shoving it into people's faces lol. Anyways, I def need to try Exit West now after hearing your feedback.
Jane Steele was so great!! I totally agree - I had very low expectations, and it was a total delight (and a book that I recommend to a lot of people, too!). Exit West seems to be eliciting a lot of very different reactions - so if you do read it, I'll be eager to hear your thoughts!
Definitely, as soon as I read the book I'll make sure to message you either through here or Goodreads on my overall feelings :) I also may have added the Idiot to my list because it seems so different from what I usually pick up and I'm slowly trying to expand my reading.
I added The Idiot to my list after I read Roxane Gay's review of it on goodreads. Your review makes me look forward to it even more. Thanks for another great video!
I'm so glad! I know it's kind of an odd comparison because the working class British setting of Tin Man is a far cry from Hong Kong, but the use of color and the exploration of memory and loss in both is what made me think of the connection :)
LOVE JANE STEELE!! It was one of my favorites last year. And Han Kang is one of my tops books too. I just can’t gush about it enough. And huzzah for Elena Ferrante!!!!!!!!!!! I ADORE the Neapolitan novels and have been so disheartened by how many people on BookTube hate them. Great list. ❤️
YESSSS to all of this!!! I totally know what you mean about people on Booktube not liking Ferrante all that much (at least some of my favorite people to watch really did not enjoy the Neapolitans Novels!)...it bummed me out, so I’m so happy to find another Ferrante fangirl 😍 she is the best!
This is my second time watching this video, and I wanted to say that you encouraged me to read the Neapolitan series. I'm on book 2, so thank you so much! Just curious, have you considered doing a discussion series of these novels? Sorry, just throwing that out there :)
That makes me so happy! I hope you're enjoying the books (I really liked the first one, but the second book was really where I fell in love with the series - it's so good!). And yes, I totally want to make a video about the books or about Elena Ferrante in general...I think I might do it after I read the last book of hers that I still have on my list :)
Middlemarch sounds so good, I've heard about it a few times on various channels but I've put it off because it's long as hell lol. But I love stories about ordinary people, especially when they feel relevant even if they were written such a long time ago.
Middlemarch is soooo long, hahaha - I don't blame you for not wanting to dive right into it! I think it sat on my shelf for like three years because I just couldn't be bothered 😂 But I will say that it didn't feel as long while I was reading it!
Oh boy, I really disliked Idaho, but I think that's part of the fun of booktube - seeing other people's diverse opinions. You do make a good point about the beautiful visuals she creates. Great list!
Ooh, interesting! I can definitely see how Idaho could be a really grating book, haha - there were definitely aspects of it that bothered me, but I think the writing and mood saved it for me :)
Just when I got my tbr to under 5 books. Now I’m adding 10 more. Thanks a lot Claire! Lol Jk I appreciate this list. Thanks for sharing. Wishing you a happy, healthy prosperous New Year.
Hahaha, Tia you are too kind!! If you read any of these at some point, please do let me know what you think! What were some of your favorite reads from this year?? Wishing you a very happy New Year as well! xx
I have heard actually both good an bad reviews on Exit West and still not sure if I really want to read it myself, I find refugees to be a sensitive topic while living in Germany and so if it gets too inaccurate or one sided I dunno if I can deal with it
It definitely seems to be a divisive book! It's pretty short, so if you're interested, I would recommend giving it a try to see what you think - the setting and time period is pretty non-specific, and the book doesn't get into the logistics or politics of migration very much...it's more about the personal experience of it.
Feminist revenge fantasy? explain, please......*b4 people get triggered because I'm a man it has nothing to do with sexism*, I would love to know why you feel it is
Feminist revenge fantasy in the sense that Jane Steele kills a number of sexual predators and abusers! And usually in self defense or to protect another woman who is in danger.
![Favorite Books of 2017 [CC]](/img/1.gif)
Great list. Even for the books I didn't enjoy on here, I love hearing you talk about them! I didn't enjoy The Neapolitan Novels but you've intrigued me with the way you described The Days of Abandonment. And I need to read Tin Man in 2018
I remember the Neapolitan novels making your disappointing books list of last year 😂 - but I also loved hearing your thoughts on them nonetheless! The protagonist in The Days of Abandonment definitely shares characteristics with Elena from the Neapolitan novels (especially when she's feeling stifled as a young mother and wife in Florence), but the structure of the book is quite different because it's so much shorter and more compact - which I think gives it a more urgent and intense feel than her longer books. So I don't know if you would like it...but I would be very curious to hear your thoughts if you do end up picking it up! And Tin Man is really great, too :)
Claire, & Jennifer: I appreciate both of you ladies and your BookTube channels so much, for your critical/honest reviews & genuine personal styles.
I’m finishing book #50 for this year; hope to increase my total for ‘18, thanks to BookTube & it would be a dream to start my own channel. Here’s my top 5 fav fiction in ‘17: Homegoing, Longbourn, Into the Beautiful North, Young Jane Young, The Clocks. While I’m aligned with Jennifer’s take on Exit West, I DNF’d it, and I’m not interested in reading another work written by “The Vegetarian” author, I’m looking forward to checking out the others present here. Thanks & happy new year!!
I haven't heard of some of these but I love the way you talk about them! Awesome list! :)
Thanks so much, Gabby! :D
I’m watching this just minutes before I have to clock into work haha so I’ll rewatch again later-but I can’t believe I’ve been letting My Brilliant Friend sit on my shelf so long, I reallyyy need to start the Neapolitan series. I’ve heard hit or miss things about Exit West, my only hesitance being apparently some kind of magical realism (?) which is hard for me to engage myself in. But hearing it this way about more about the character connections to the innovation of the doors instead of used sort of as a plot device. And of course Middlemarch, I only hear good things! It seems to be popping up a lot in my Goodreads feed lately, I’ll have to give it a do certainly. Great list!
Wow didn’t even finish a complete thought in here- with the doors (and general magicalness) in Exit West seeming to be more intriguing to me now!
The Neapolitan Novels are so, so good!! And yeah, Exit West seems to be quite divisive - the doors are definitely magical realism-y, so if that’s not your thing, I’m not sure how you’d react to the book, but it’s pretty short and a quick read if you’re feeling curious about it :)
I keep hearing about Jane Steele! I really want to give it a try. I've also been very interested in picking up Exit West.
Jane Steele is such a fun read!! And Exit West does seem to be very divisive, so if you read it you’ll definitely have to let me know what you think :)
It seems so because I have heard mixed things about it!
I am here for all of your book gush! Just hearing you describe and compare books to situations, other books, movies, etc. is a treat for me. I need to finish Neapolitan Novels and The Days of Abandonment is also awaiting me!
Thanks so much, Vanessa! 😄 I love end of the year videos because I also love to hear people rave about all their favorites! And yessss for Elena Ferrante! She is the best 😍
I really need to give The Idiot a read! Also I can only assume there are plays on Dostoevsky’s The Idiot involved, if she is taking Russian classes...I’d be really interested in re-reading that and seeing what parallels Batuman is drawing on there. Overall sounds like a great list, too!
MICHAEL, YOU GEM ❤️❤️ I really think you’d like The Idiot, especially considering how interested she is in language and linguistics, and while any subtle Dostoevsky references definitely went over my head, she does take a beginning Russian class that I’m sure you’d relate to/find interesting. Also just the setting means there are some familiar tidbits that I’m sure you’d enjoy (the guy she’s into lives in Lev towers, lol, and there are multiple references to Let’s Go ;) including her best friend telling her that everyone who does Let’s Go has a nervous breakdown 😂😭) also it’s just a really unique novel all around :) xxxx
Yay! I love how you talk about Elena Ferrante! She(?) is becoming one of my favorite authors, the Neopolitian series made me feel so many emotions. I also found the discussion of sexuality, before sexuality became a thing, really interesting. Also I really admire how you can describe how the books affect you, thank you for sharing.
Yes!! To everything you said here...I love Elena Ferrante, and I think the way she explores womanhood and sexuality and female identity is so fascinating :)
You really got me interested in The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante by your description. I loved the Yellow Wallpaper :) I really want to read Middlemarch in 2018.
It's a really fascinating book, and I couldn't help but think of books like The Yellow Wallpaper or A Doll's House while I was reading it. I'd love to hear your thoughts on that and Middlemarch if you end up picking them up :)
Good choice for the top spot with the Neapolitan novels-- it is an emotional experience getting through those books! I haven't read any other Ferrante yet so it's good to hear you liked Days of Abandonment. I've been meaning to get around to The Idiot all year so I was glad to see that one on your list as well. Looks like a great reading year!
I loved those books so much - and I definitely recommend The Days of Abandonment if you've liked her other novels so far. It was really interesting to read it after the Neapolitan Novels because it's so short - but wonderful in its own way! And yeah, I'm surprised I haven't seen more of The Idiot on Booktube, but I can see how it's maybe an acquired taste (although I definitely recommend giving it a try!) :)
What a great ambidextrous reader you are! Fiction? Nonfiction? You do it all & do it well! Haven't read any of these, but your descriptions inspire me to try them all. What a great 2017 you had!
Thank you so much, tortoise dreams!! What were some of your best books of this year??
Happy New Year! I just looked back at '17, & realized (to be difficult) I had groups of books, like reading Coates, Shakespeare, Austen & the Brontes, but they tended to run together. Best 2017 fiction was Autumn by Ali Smith & Lincoln in the Bardo. Just finished Days of Abandonment yesterday, which was amazing, & now I'm looking for Moonlight Shadow! tortoisedreams.blogspot.com/2018/01/best-reads-of-2017.html
Happy new year to you, too! Fantastic picks all around - heading over to read your post right now (thanks for sharing!!) xx
So happy I found your channel in Nov, I love your videos and explanation of books! I like that your list had so many different books than most others. I have the Ferrante series, I have to prioritize it this year.
Thank you so much! This comment made my day :) The Ferrante books are so, so good!! I really hope you love them if you do pick them up :D
I absolutely know I will and I'm going to make them a goal to read this year! My sister is also reading them at the same time so it's nice to have someone to chat with while you're reading them :)
Exit West is an insanely polarizing book. I really need to read it now to see what I think. I really enjoyed My Brilliant Friend, so I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.
It's been very interesting to see people's different reactions to it! I would be curious to hear what you think whenever you read it. And I hope you have a wonderful time with the rest of the Neapolitan novels - I think they get even better after My Brilliant Friend!
Awesome list! Middlemarch and Human Acts were really fantastic. I’m in the middle of Middlemarch still but I was enjoying it a lot. I’m taking your word and going to add some of the others. ☺️
Thanks so much, Valentina! Aren’t those two books wonderful? :) and if you pick up any of the other ones, I’ll be eager to hear what you think of them :)
I need to read so many of these! I'm especially keen to read Tin Man.
Tin Man is so good! I'd love to hear your thoughts on it :)
Some great books here. Some I read myself this year and others I have high on my TBR for 2018.
That's great to hear! Did you have a favorite book of the year?
Jane Steele was one of my favorite novels of 2017 as well, it was quite honestly a surprise for me because I had no expectations whatsoever for the book and now I can't stop shoving it into people's faces lol. Anyways, I def need to try Exit West now after hearing your feedback.
Jane Steele was so great!! I totally agree - I had very low expectations, and it was a total delight (and a book that I recommend to a lot of people, too!). Exit West seems to be eliciting a lot of very different reactions - so if you do read it, I'll be eager to hear your thoughts!
Definitely, as soon as I read the book I'll make sure to message you either through here or Goodreads on my overall feelings :) I also may have added the Idiot to my list because it seems so different from what I usually pick up and I'm slowly trying to expand my reading.
Please do!! And The Idiot was so interesting - definitely very different from most contemporary novels, so I hope you enjoy it if you get to it :)
I added The Idiot to my list after I read Roxane Gay's review of it on goodreads. Your review makes me look forward to it even more. Thanks for another great video!
Roxane Gay’s review is what gave me the kick to finally read it! I hope you enjoy it whenever you pick it up :)
I’m a big Wong Kar-Wai fan, and I am officially sold on Tin Man thanks to your comparison! Great list, thank you :)
I'm so glad! I know it's kind of an odd comparison because the working class British setting of Tin Man is a far cry from Hong Kong, but the use of color and the exploration of memory and loss in both is what made me think of the connection :)
Fantastic list! Great to see the Middlemarch love. I read it for the first time in 2016 and thought it was fabulous!
It was so good!! Definitely one of my new all time favorites :)
LOVE JANE STEELE!! It was one of my favorites last year. And Han Kang is one of my tops books too. I just can’t gush about it enough. And huzzah for Elena Ferrante!!!!!!!!!!! I ADORE the Neapolitan novels and have been so disheartened by how many people on BookTube hate them. Great list. ❤️
YESSSS to all of this!!! I totally know what you mean about people on Booktube not liking Ferrante all that much (at least some of my favorite people to watch really did not enjoy the Neapolitans Novels!)...it bummed me out, so I’m so happy to find another Ferrante fangirl 😍 she is the best!
This is my second time watching this video, and I wanted to say that you encouraged me to read the Neapolitan series. I'm on book 2, so thank you so much! Just curious, have you considered doing a discussion series of these novels? Sorry, just throwing that out there :)
That makes me so happy! I hope you're enjoying the books (I really liked the first one, but the second book was really where I fell in love with the series - it's so good!). And yes, I totally want to make a video about the books or about Elena Ferrante in general...I think I might do it after I read the last book of hers that I still have on my list :)
Yes! Elena Ferrante. Such a master.
Middlemarch sounds so good, I've heard about it a few times on various channels but I've put it off because it's long as hell lol. But I love stories about ordinary people, especially when they feel relevant even if they were written such a long time ago.
Middlemarch is soooo long, hahaha - I don't blame you for not wanting to dive right into it! I think it sat on my shelf for like three years because I just couldn't be bothered 😂 But I will say that it didn't feel as long while I was reading it!
Oh boy, I really disliked Idaho, but I think that's part of the fun of booktube - seeing other people's diverse opinions. You do make a good point about the beautiful visuals she creates. Great list!
Ooh, interesting! I can definitely see how Idaho could be a really grating book, haha - there were definitely aspects of it that bothered me, but I think the writing and mood saved it for me :)
Just when I got my tbr to under 5 books. Now I’m adding 10 more. Thanks a lot Claire! Lol Jk I appreciate this list. Thanks for sharing. Wishing you a happy, healthy prosperous New Year.
Hahaha, Tia you are too kind!! If you read any of these at some point, please do let me know what you think! What were some of your favorite reads from this year?? Wishing you a very happy New Year as well! xx
Great list. I'm really interested in most of these!
I'm so happy to hear that! :)
These sound great! I will definitely pick up Jane Steele.
It's delightful! I hope you enjoy it :)
I have heard actually both good an bad reviews on Exit West and still not sure if I really want to read it myself, I find refugees to be a sensitive topic while living in Germany and so if it gets too inaccurate or one sided I dunno if I can deal with it
It definitely seems to be a divisive book! It's pretty short, so if you're interested, I would recommend giving it a try to see what you think - the setting and time period is pretty non-specific, and the book doesn't get into the logistics or politics of migration very much...it's more about the personal experience of it.
Tin Man was one of my favourite books this year too, if you haven't already read it, then you should also check out When God was a Rabbit ^_^
I’m so glad to hear you also loved Tin Man - I definitely need to check out her other stuff :)
How do you recommend books for you to read
Feminist revenge fantasy? explain, please......*b4 people get triggered because I'm a man it has nothing to do with sexism*, I would love to know why you feel it is
Feminist revenge fantasy in the sense that Jane Steele kills a number of sexual predators and abusers! And usually in self defense or to protect another woman who is in danger.