What were your 5-star reads of 2013? - Page 4

kennyc · 12-31-2013, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickyWithNook

For me, 5 starts means that I really loved it AND I find myself unable to stop thinking about it. That it stuck with me. In a good way.

Nyssa · 12-31-2013, 10:45 AM

To me, a 5-star is a book I thoroughly enjoyed reading, that evoked emotion, and/or made me really want to read the next one in the series or another one by the author.

pdurrant · 12-31-2013, 10:56 AM

For me, a 5 star read is one that kept me awake reading it.

I do reserve a 5+ award for books that are special even in that category.

BelleZora · 12-31-2013, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickyWithNook

For me, 5 starts means that I really loved it AND I find myself unable to stop thinking about it. That it stuck with me. In a good way.

The books I read this year that I couldn't stop thinking about and actually probably changed me in some way were also books I didn't much enjoy reading. It's hard to know how to rate them.

kennyc · 12-31-2013, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BelleZora

The books I read this year that I couldn't stop thinking about and actually probably changed me in some way were also books I didn't much enjoy reading. It's hard to know how to rate them.

That might be fodder for an interesting thread.....

Catlady · 12-31-2013, 11:19 AM

I don't assign ratings or rank what I read--I just enjoy some books more than others. I rarely actively dislike a book, probably because I usually stay in my comfort zone when selecting reading material, which is both a good and a bad thing.

For fiction this year, I especially enjoyed Linwood Barclay's Trust Your Eyes and Suzanne Rindell's The Other Typist, and for nonfiction, Stephen E. Ambrose's D-Day and Cornelius Ryan's The Longest Day.

HomeInMyShoes · 12-31-2013, 11:21 AM

I read a few in that pile this year. All are highly recommended:

We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will be Killed with Our Families by Philip Gourevitch.

Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden.

sun surfer · 12-31-2013, 12:13 PM

To add to the discussion, I define 5-star as "Favourite". I don't rate simply by "quality" really, but more by a mixture of quality and/or impact and/or simple immersion and enjoyment of the story. If a book is high enough in only one of those three areas then it could still be 5-star depending, but usually it's some combination of the three. Like most of us I'd guess, it's really more of an instinct for me than anything else in rating - I don't really try to judge books by some specific criteria; it's more just do I really love it for one reason or another and if yes then it's 5-star.

SeaBookGuy · 12-31-2013, 12:16 PM

My Top 5 for the year:

My Invented Country by Isabel Allende -- mostly memoir, but travel narrative and history, too.

Spilling the Beans by Clarissa Dickson Wright -- memoir of hitting rock bottom as an alcoholic and coming back.

Until I Say Good-Bye by Susan Spencer-Wendel -- yet another memoir, this time by a forty-something mother of three with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), naturally I felt for her family, but the book isn't sad at all!

The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope -- yes, it's a big, fat tome ... one that sucked me in right away!

The Good House by Ann Leary -- you'll want to shake the protagonist of this novel ... many times! I listened to it at bedtime, finding myself eagerly awaiting the next installment during the day.

49Kat · 12-31-2013, 04:09 PM

Hmm...working backwords in order of books read (from my Goodreads list)

The First Phone Call from Heaven, by Mitch Albom
Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood (currently reading The Year of the Flood, #2 in the trilogy)
We Need to Talk about Kevin, by Lionel Shriver
Pines, and Wayward, the first 2 in the trilogy by Blake Crouch (I'm really enjoying his books these days)
The Wool series, by Hugh Howey (The Wool Omnibus with parts 1-5, The Shift Omnibus with parts 6-8, and Dust, the final part of the series). I was reading this series well into many what-turned-out-to-be late nights.
The Age of Miracles, by Karen Thompson Walker (sweet and sad, but couldn't put it down)
Simple Simon, by Ryne Douglas Pearson

And that's just since last September.

paola · 12-31-2013, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

One of my top reads was a five-star read for you, I think: Un anno sull'altipiano/Sardinian Brigade.. (Loved it; thanks for the recommendation!)

oh yes definitely, I did not list it as it is in Italian (Sardinian Brigade is one of the English translations), I truly loved it, and glad you enjoyed it. Wonder how his tongue in cheek humor (an Italian rarity!) came across in translation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

In the end a book will fall into two buckets: ones I would recommend; and ones I would not recommend.

I could also add the third category "I'll harass you until you read it"

AlexBell · 12-31-2013, 11:55 PM

My only five star book for the year was Breach of Trust by Andrew. J. Bacevich. He gives an excellent outline of the effects of the United State's decision to go to an all volunteer army, replete with facts and evidence. And he has a superb talent for pithy phrases and descriptions. My favourite quote is '...no one believes that the United States accomplished its objectives in Iraq, unless the main objective was to commit mayhem, apply a tourniquet to staunch the bleeding, and then declare the patient stable while hastily leaving the scene of the crime.'

I plan to download all his books which are in ebook form.

Tattncat · 01-01-2014, 12:23 AM

The Last Hour of Gann by R. Lee Smith is probably imo my best reads 2013. It is a Sci Fi, not quite my usual fare. The book asks questions that the author handles in a most unusual way, it challenges the reader to think, and I find I am still considering the Author's viewpoint. It is for that reason that out of 5 stars, I would give it ten.

caleb72 · 01-01-2014, 01:06 AM

Here are the titles I have with 5 stars in Goodreads:

I am Legend - Richard Matheson
The Other Alexander (The Bow of Heaven #1) - Andrew Levkoff
Black Swan Green - David Mitchell
The Hangman's Replacement: Sprout of Disruption - Taona Dumisani Chiveneko
Passage - Connie Willis
Thugs Like Us - John Carnell
Waking the Moon - Elizabeth Hand
Bangkok Wet - Simon Royle
Shift - Hugh Howey
Taking the Highway - M. H. Mead

morriss003 · 01-01-2014, 01:22 AM

Last Ape Standing Walter, Chip Non-Fiction
Deception Cove Castle, Jayne Romance/Mystery
Un Lun Dun Mieville, China Young Adult
Notorious Nineteen Evanovich, Janet Mystery

This was actually a bleak year for me regarding books. Thank goodness for Last Ape Standing.

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12-31-2013, 10:45 AM	#47
Nyssa Series Addict Posts: 6,180 Karma: 167189477 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Florida, USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite (2nd Gen)	To me, a 5-star is a book I thoroughly enjoyed reading, that evoked emotion, and/or made me really want to read the next one in the series or another one by the author.

12-31-2013, 10:56 AM	#48
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 73,989 Karma: 315160596 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Oasis	For me, a 5 star read is one that kept me awake reading it. I do reserve a 5+ award for books that are special even in that category.

12-31-2013, 11:19 AM	#51
Catlady Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,418 Karma: 52613881 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip	I don't assign ratings or rank what I read--I just enjoy some books more than others. I rarely actively dislike a book, probably because I usually stay in my comfort zone when selecting reading material, which is both a good and a bad thing. For fiction this year, I especially enjoyed Linwood Barclay's Trust Your Eyes and Suzanne Rindell's The Other Typist, and for nonfiction, Stephen E. Ambrose's D-Day and Cornelius Ryan's The Longest Day.

12-31-2013, 11:21 AM	#52
HomeInMyShoes Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,226 Karma: 67780237 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: none	I read a few in that pile this year. All are highly recommended: We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will be Killed with Our Families by Philip Gourevitch. Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden.

12-31-2013, 12:13 PM	#53
sun surfer languorous autodidact ✦ Posts: 4,235 Karma: 44667380 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: smiling with the rising sun Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage	To add to the discussion, I define 5-star as "Favourite". I don't rate simply by "quality" really, but more by a mixture of quality and/or impact and/or simple immersion and enjoyment of the story. If a book is high enough in only one of those three areas then it could still be 5-star depending, but usually it's some combination of the three. Like most of us I'd guess, it's really more of an instinct for me than anything else in rating - I don't really try to judge books by some specific criteria; it's more just do I really love it for one reason or another and if yes then it's 5-star.

12-31-2013, 12:16 PM	#54
SeaBookGuy Can one read too much? Posts: 2,029 Karma: 2487799 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Naples, FL Device: Kindle PW 3, Sony 350 and 650	My Top 5 for the year: My Invented Country by Isabel Allende -- mostly memoir, but travel narrative and history, too. Spilling the Beans by Clarissa Dickson Wright -- memoir of hitting rock bottom as an alcoholic and coming back. Until I Say Good-Bye by Susan Spencer-Wendel -- yet another memoir, this time by a forty-something mother of three with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), naturally I felt for her family, but the book isn't sad at all! The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope -- yes, it's a big, fat tome ... one that sucked me in right away! The Good House by Ann Leary -- you'll want to shake the protagonist of this novel ... many times! I listened to it at bedtime, finding myself eagerly awaiting the next installment during the day.

12-31-2013, 04:09 PM	#55
49Kat Fanatic Posts: 580 Karma: 1309104 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: BC,Canada/NV, USA Device: iPad 9th Gen, iPhone 11, Paperwhite 10th Gen.	Hmm...working backwords in order of books read (from my Goodreads list) The First Phone Call from Heaven, by Mitch Albom Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood (currently reading The Year of the Flood, #2 in the trilogy) We Need to Talk about Kevin, by Lionel Shriver Pines, and Wayward, the first 2 in the trilogy by Blake Crouch (I'm really enjoying his books these days) The Wool series, by Hugh Howey (The Wool Omnibus with parts 1-5, The Shift Omnibus with parts 6-8, and Dust, the final part of the series). I was reading this series well into many what-turned-out-to-be late nights. The Age of Miracles, by Karen Thompson Walker (sweet and sad, but couldn't put it down) Simple Simon, by Ryne Douglas Pearson And that's just since last September.

12-31-2013, 11:55 PM	#57
AlexBell Wizard Posts: 3,413 Karma: 13369310 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Launceston, Tasmania Device: Sony PRS T3, Kobo Glo, Kindle Touch, iPad, Samsung SB 2 tablet	My only five star book for the year was Breach of Trust by Andrew. J. Bacevich. He gives an excellent outline of the effects of the United State's decision to go to an all volunteer army, replete with facts and evidence. And he has a superb talent for pithy phrases and descriptions. My favourite quote is '...no one believes that the United States accomplished its objectives in Iraq, unless the main objective was to commit mayhem, apply a tourniquet to staunch the bleeding, and then declare the patient stable while hastily leaving the scene of the crime.' I plan to download all his books which are in ebook form.

01-01-2014, 12:23 AM	#58
Tattncat Bookworm Posts: 673 Karma: 1029391 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Device: Nook Tablet, Samsung Galaxy Tab3, Sony PRS700, Sony PRS505	The Last Hour of Gann by R. Lee Smith is probably imo my best reads 2013. It is a Sci Fi, not quite my usual fare. The book asks questions that the author handles in a most unusual way, it challenges the reader to think, and I find I am still considering the Author's viewpoint. It is for that reason that out of 5 stars, I would give it ten.

01-01-2014, 01:06 AM	#59
caleb72 Indie Advocate Posts: 2,863 Karma: 18794463 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: Kindle	Here are the titles I have with 5 stars in Goodreads: I am Legend - Richard Matheson The Other Alexander (The Bow of Heaven #1) - Andrew Levkoff Black Swan Green - David Mitchell The Hangman's Replacement: Sprout of Disruption - Taona Dumisani Chiveneko Passage - Connie Willis Thugs Like Us - John Carnell Waking the Moon - Elizabeth Hand Bangkok Wet - Simon Royle Shift - Hugh Howey Taking the Highway - M. H. Mead

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01-01-2014, 01:22 AM	#60
morriss003 Evangelist Posts: 438 Karma: 3409790 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Maui Device: kindle	Last Ape Standing Walter, Chip Non-Fiction Deception Cove Castle, Jayne Romance/Mystery Un Lun Dun Mieville, China Young Adult Notorious Nineteen Evanovich, Janet Mystery This was actually a bleak year for me regarding books. Thank goodness for Last Ape Standing.