I read Wandering Souls after hearing you talk about it and I LOVED it. A favorite of the year, for sure. I also loved The Bandit Queens and agree that the book is funnier than you would expect. The first line of my Goodreads review is "Listen, murder is bad, but reading about it can be a lot of damn fun."
I would shout out for Clytemnestra, Black Butterflies, Riambel, Grave Expectations, and A Little Luck. Grave Expectations is the odd book out as it’s a ridiculously funny crime novel, but it was such a hoot that I think more folks should hear about it. The other four are very serious, affecting novels. I’ve got some of yours on my list as well, so I didn’t repeat them here.
I’m so glad you found and promoted Address Unknown, having read it on an epistolary jag last year myself. You turned a key and so many other Booktubers embraced it and had similar powerful experiences reading it. Agree completely with Wandering Souls and Bandit Queens, both remained as some of the most outstanding books of the year.
I second (or third, or fourth, based on comments) The Bandit Queens. The humor covers so much depth. I was so surprised to learn this was a debut, but I'm looking forward to what Shroff writes next. I'd already added Fanny Herself to my TBR based on your review earlier this year, but so many more here!
Great books, thanks for sharing! Ducks and The Bandit Queens will probably make my top reads this year. Wandering Souls didn't resonate with me as much, but I read quite a few memoirs and I know people who came to Australia from Vietnam like those characters did, fortunately they all survived but many don't. It's really great to hear your thoughts about those other ones too. Happy Reading, looking forward to more great reads in 2024
I wanted Wandering Souls and Bandit Queens on the women's prize shortlist in place of Pod and the Marriage Portrait. Bandit Queens is the book I've read this year that I would most like to see adapted into a movie. And I'm still sore about Wandering Souls. I have added several of the other books to my tbr as you have reviewed them throughout the year. I am thinking about reading Fanny Herself with my 13y/o, but that might just be because the title reminds me of when I read Swallows and Amazons with him, where there's a character called Titty 😂
New subscriber here, so glad I found you! We have very similar tastes and I am so excited to read all of these in 2024. Hearing about books with a sleeping dog in the background makes my heart smile❤ my 2 favorite things,books and dogs! Happy New Year and thanks for sharing 🎉
What a fantastic list! I own Fanny Herself and Loved and Missed but, as yet, haven't read them....I'll put them to the top of my TBR😊 Have you read The Door by Magda Szabó? 🇭🇺🇭🇺🇭🇺
I told my book club about your review of Whose Names are Unknown. We are reading it in January and will read The Grapes of Wrath in February. I have read The Grapes of Wrath, but I am excited to see everything from a different perspective. Thank you for promoting it.
I’m so pleased that someone has mentioned the fabulous writing of Susie Boyt. I’ve added Loved and Missed to my TBR but please look up The Small Hours by the same author if you can get a copy. It’s an incredible read.
A lovely list and quite a few to be added to my tbr. I too loved Boulder and although I had read Edna Ferber many years ago I feel I need to go back and re-read. Two Irish books I read this year and found amazing are A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann ni Ghriofa and Thin Places by Kerri ni Dochartaigh. My top book this year was definitely Take Nothing With You by Patrick Gale.
Thanks, Greg🌷After hearing you talking about A Council of Dolls some time ago, it joined my Christmas wishlist and I know I’ll find it under the Christmas tree 😊🎄🎅🏻I also have The Yield still unread on my shelves, but not for long now😊
What a good list! I just found a copy of Address Unknown but haven't read it yet. I did read Wandering Souls and Boulder this year, both very good. Dearborn and Fanny Herself are still on my TBR..
Have some of the books you mentioned but thank you for expanding the list by mentioning some unknowns.... I might have mentioned this before but can't stop thinking about 2 books I read and loved in 2023... 1. Moloka'i by Alan Brennert 2.Five little Indians by Michelle Good
Lots of books on this list that I want to read. Some books I think should have a wider readership are Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark The Dinner Party by Sarah Gilmartin English Animals by Louise Kay The Unseen World by Liz Moore The Road to Dalton ( debut) Little Monsters All The Little Bird Hearts I Am Not Raymond Wallace All That’s Left Unsaid Crow Lake by Mary Lawson Deluge by Stephen Markley ☘️👋📕🍀📖📚🇮🇪☕️
If you want to read a book about indigenous lives in the nordic countries, I can recommend Stolen by Ann-Helén Laestadius. It's one of the best books I read last year. "A spellbinding Swedish novel that follows a young indigenous woman as she struggles to defend her family’s reindeer herd and culture amidst xenophobia, climate change, and a devious hunter whose targeted kills are considered mere theft in the eyes of the law." I see now that, according to the English publisher, Netflix is going to make a movie from the book.
Loved The Bandit Queens. Maybe our government knew about the treatment of the jews but not normal people. Also antisemitism for rife in America and most countries in Europe.Most Americans didn't know FDR couldn"t walk.
Thank you for being a book tuber … I had an unusually crappy day and now I feel Much better as I put these titles on my TBR list . Love your channel.
Thank you so much--I'm so glad the video helped make you feel better.
Loved and Missed, Wandering Souls, and The Bandit Queens all read based on your recommendation, and enjoyed.
I'm so glad!
I read Wandering Souls after hearing you talk about it and I LOVED it. A favorite of the year, for sure. I also loved The Bandit Queens and agree that the book is funnier than you would expect. The first line of my Goodreads review is "Listen, murder is bad, but reading about it can be a lot of damn fun."
I love that opening line. 😂
Thanks for recommending Fanny Herself. I loved it. I've added Bandit Queens to my TBR.
I'm so glad you loved it! I definitely did as well.
I discovered Address Unknown through your recommendation a few months ago and really liked it. Very impactful for such a short novella.
I'm so glad you liked it! It really is a great book.
I would shout out for Clytemnestra, Black Butterflies, Riambel, Grave Expectations, and A Little Luck. Grave Expectations is the odd book out as it’s a ridiculously funny crime novel, but it was such a hoot that I think more folks should hear about it. The other four are very serious, affecting novels. I’ve got some of yours on my list as well, so I didn’t repeat them here.
I read and was affected by Riambel this year as well, definitely a standout!
I agree that BLACK BUTTERFLIES is excellent.
I’m so glad you found and promoted Address Unknown, having read it on an epistolary jag last year myself. You turned a key and so many other Booktubers embraced it and had similar powerful experiences reading it.
Agree completely with Wandering Souls and Bandit Queens, both remained as some of the most outstanding books of the year.
Address Unknown definitely deserves a spot as a classic. I hope more people discover it and share it widely.
I second (or third, or fourth, based on comments) The Bandit Queens. The humor covers so much depth. I was so surprised to learn this was a debut, but I'm looking forward to what Shroff writes next. I'd already added Fanny Herself to my TBR based on your review earlier this year, but so many more here!
I hope you enjoy Fanny Herself as much as I did! I'm also looking forward to what Shroff does next.
ThANK YOU so much for guiding me to "A Place for Us"! One of my top ten favs of all time. Don't know if I would have found it without you.
I'm so glad you loved it!
thank you for the reminder to read Ducks, I’m very keen to get to it in 2024!
I hope you enjoy it!
This is a great idea to share books that haven't been talked about enough.
It's one of the videos I look forward to every year.
Recently read Fanny Herself and loved it. Edna Ferber is a great author. Thanks Greg.
I'm so glad!
Yes, The Bandit Queens!! 🔥 I loved it so much that my mother AND mother-in-law are getting copies for Christmas ❤
That's great!
Thanks for mentioning Fanny Herself. I had never heard of it, but really enjoyed it.
I'm so glad!
Great books, thanks for sharing! Ducks and The Bandit Queens will probably make my top reads this year. Wandering Souls didn't resonate with me as much, but I read quite a few memoirs and I know people who came to Australia from Vietnam like those characters did, fortunately they all survived but many don't. It's really great to hear your thoughts about those other ones too. Happy Reading, looking forward to more great reads in 2024
I wanted Wandering Souls and Bandit Queens on the women's prize shortlist in place of Pod and the Marriage Portrait. Bandit Queens is the book I've read this year that I would most like to see adapted into a movie. And I'm still sore about Wandering Souls. I have added several of the other books to my tbr as you have reviewed them throughout the year. I am thinking about reading Fanny Herself with my 13y/o, but that might just be because the title reminds me of when I read Swallows and Amazons with him, where there's a character called Titty 😂
I was really hoping you would mention Boulder! I loved it so much! ❤
It's so good!
New subscriber here, so glad I found you! We have very similar tastes and I am so excited to read all of these in 2024. Hearing about books with a sleeping dog in the background makes my heart smile❤ my 2 favorite things,books and dogs! Happy New Year and thanks for sharing 🎉
Happy new year and thank you for the kind words!
Some great books, thanks for the suggestions!
Any time! 📚
I'm happy to be one of the other people who has read Dearborn! I really liked that collection. I'm also a fan of Wandering Souls!
Yay! I’m so glad you liked them!
What a fantastic list! I own Fanny Herself and Loved and Missed but, as yet, haven't read them....I'll put them to the top of my TBR😊
Have you read The Door by Magda Szabó? 🇭🇺🇭🇺🇭🇺
I haven't read anything by Szabó. I hope you enjoy Fanny Herself and Loved and Missed!
Wandering souls is an outstanding book. It deserves more recognition and more love
It really does.
I told my book club about your review of Whose Names are Unknown. We are reading it in January and will read The Grapes of Wrath in February. I have read The Grapes of Wrath, but I am excited to see everything from a different perspective. Thank you for promoting it.
Ahh, that's great! I hope you all love it.
What a fabulous list! I’ve added them to my 2024 reads.
I hope you enjoy any of the books you get to.
I’m so pleased that someone has mentioned the fabulous writing of Susie Boyt. I’ve added Loved and Missed to my TBR but please look up The Small Hours by the same author if you can get a copy. It’s an incredible read.
Thanks for the recommendation! I would definitely read more of her books.
A lovely list and quite a few to be added to my tbr. I too loved Boulder and although I had read Edna Ferber many years ago I feel I need to go back and re-read. Two Irish books I read this year and found amazing are A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann ni Ghriofa and Thin Places by Kerri ni Dochartaigh. My top book this year was definitely Take Nothing With You by Patrick Gale.
Thanks for the recommendations! I appreciate it.
New subscriber after coming back to your lists time and time again for recommendations
Thanks so much!
Thanks, Greg🌷After hearing you talking about A Council of Dolls some time ago, it joined my Christmas wishlist and I know I’ll find it under the Christmas tree 😊🎄🎅🏻I also have The Yield still unread on my shelves, but not for long now😊
I hope you enjoy them when you get to them!
I just finished Address Unknown based on your recommendation. Stunning. I'm going to pass the word about that book.
I'm so glad you liked it!
What a good list! I just found a copy of Address Unknown but haven't read it yet. I did read Wandering Souls and Boulder this year, both very good. Dearborn and Fanny Herself are still on my TBR..
I’m glad you liked Wandering Souls and Boulder. I hope you like the others!
Have some of the books you mentioned but thank you for expanding the list by mentioning some unknowns....
I might have mentioned this before but can't stop thinking about 2 books I read and loved in 2023...
1. Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
2.Five little Indians by Michelle Good
Thanks for the recommendations!
Thx Greg 😊 I made note of several of these
I hope you enjoy any of the books you pick up!
I love your book descriptions! Just enough information to pique my interest. Definitely found some books to read on this list. Thanks!
I'm glad you found some books. I hope you like them! I love your username. 🥞
Loved A Council of Dolls and am so pleased Susan Power has a comeback novel!
It's a very good book.
Wandering Souls will definitely be on my best of the year list. I hope to read Whose Names Are Unknown and Fanny Herself.
Ducks! 🦆❤
I hope you enjoy them when you get to them! Wandering Souls is so good.
The Quincunx by Charles Palliser is a bit of lost cult classic..a really atmospheric thriller/mystery..but a bit of a door stopper!
Dearborn is outside Detroit, not Milwaukee. I lived there. My father is Egyptian. He was an engineer. I am very interested in this book. Thank you❤
I am radar was also complex, compelling, readable and memorable
Lots of books on this list that I want to read. Some books I think should have a wider readership are
Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark
The Dinner Party by Sarah Gilmartin
English Animals by Louise Kay
The Unseen World by Liz Moore
The Road to Dalton ( debut)
Little Monsters
All The Little Bird Hearts
I Am Not Raymond Wallace
All That’s Left Unsaid
Crow Lake by Mary Lawson
Deluge by Stephen Markley
☘️👋📕🍀📖📚🇮🇪☕️
Great recommendations--thanks!
=1 for ducks. thanks for the others mentioned
Thanks for watching!
Huzzah for Boulder!
It's such a good book.
If you want to read a book about indigenous lives in the nordic countries, I can recommend Stolen by Ann-Helén Laestadius. It's one of the best books I read last year. "A spellbinding Swedish novel that follows a young indigenous woman as she struggles to defend her family’s reindeer herd and culture amidst xenophobia, climate change, and a devious hunter whose targeted kills are considered mere theft in the eyes of the law."
I see now that, according to the English publisher, Netflix is going to make a movie from the book.
there is a book called orphan train that was terrific and has stayed with me
How about a deep dive in Amy Powell. I discovered her a few years ago. An astonishing American author who has not gotten her due.
I admit I haven’t heard of her. Thanks for the recommendation!
Susie Boyt is English and the great-granddaughter of Sigmund Freud! 😮
Wow, I did not know that!
@@SupposedlyFun I know, right?? I only found out when I visited the Freud Museum in North London and there was an exhibit about his family!
📖 🪱 💚💚💚💚
📚🥂
Loved The Bandit Queens. Maybe our government knew about the treatment of the jews but not normal people. Also antisemitism for rife in America and most countries in Europe.Most Americans didn't know FDR couldn"t walk.
You tell way too much about the books. I have to watch your videos on mute, then look up the books elsewhere.
I assure you anything I discuss about the books either happens within the first fifty pages or is just a broad-strokes overview.