Top 5 Wednesday: Favourite Books of the Year

Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman

My first interaction with this book was by watching the film directed by Luca Guadagnino. It was perfectly splendid and I believe it did encapsulate the story the novel wanted to portray — a melancholy and poignant tale of falling in love and the many possible mistakes that comes with it.

Call Me By Your Name was a delight to read. A completely poetic writing that really brings you to a time where falling in love feels like nothing but innocence and discover. This is definitely a book that I will revisit.

Talk to Me by John Kenney

As with many literary fiction, this book was a chore to read. There was so many descriptive aspect to it that made it feel like reading it was such a drag. However, I wouldn’t deny the timeliness of its story and the powerful truth behind it — making it part of my top 5 favourites.

Talk to Me illuminates us with what we already know but do not fully acknowledge — the destructive nature of social media and the toxicity that it injected into our lives. It may be that these toxic behaviour was inherent, but I have high hopes that it was nothing but a result of aggression produced by over consumption of media.

The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang

A book that was highly recommended by my good friends, Dominique (Angele Reads Books) & Hamad (The Book Prescription). Always will be very thankful to this two for introducing me to this masterpiece.

The Sword of Kaigen was a delight in every aspect. Fantastic characters, bold choice in story telling, and (for fans of anime/ Japan) an intriguing Japanese setting.

Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski

Swimming in the Dark was advertised as something you’d enjoy if you liked Call Me By Your Name. And as much as I would like to say that that is relatively true, I believe this book has a very different aspect to it that is specific to it alone.

A painful story that will definitely read any of its reader’s heart.

Never Die by Rob J. Hayes

Another recommendation by Hamad.

Never Die was terrific in laying out its story and weaving through the events that took place within the book. Hayes, in addition, did a brilliant work with concluding the novella and I am astounded by his capacity to deliver. I highly recommend this novella.

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SPECIAL MENTIONS

The House Plant by Jeremy Ray

I wanted this to be a part of my top 5, and although I still think that it is, the book was too short for me to really put into the main list. So, I am putting it as a special mention.

The House Plant is a unique take on storytelling. It tells a tale of (yes, you got it right) a plant. I don’t want to say anything else aside from that since this is a short story and I don’t want to to give any spoilers. So, yes, please do read it.

The Look of a King by Tom Dumbrell

A well-written and fast paced indie novel that anyone who likes fantasy should read.

The Look of a King provides a powerful plot with a great air of mystery that really intrigues its readership to keep on moving forward.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

I loved this book; however, I had issues with it and that definitely downvoted it to just the special mention section.

Keep the Aspidistra Flying by George Orwell

As much as it is a chore to read classic literature and/or literary fiction, I believe this book was really worth the time and effort. The message is timely and there’s such a painful truth within the pages of this book that we cannot deny, ignore, or even escape.

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

A truly challenging book that offers a whole different aspect to reading.

House of Leaves is something that you should definitely pick up if you’re looking into reading something unique and you are ready to dive into a novel that should be savoured slow and steady.

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

The Yellow Wallpaper was really playful and mysterious with its execution of the story. It really stimulates the mind and pulls you into a questioning disposition within discrimination and the cruel truth of men’s power and perverseness.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I connected with this novel so much that I cannot not put it in the list.

I have nothing else to say about it aside from that.

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

Many might get discourage with readers of Sanderson‘s who keeps on saying that this isn’t his strongest work. However, I would like to point out that this is his debut. And with that in mind, I believe that it was powerful and effective in sending out its message and a great story.

Misery by Stephen King

I am not the strongest admirer of Stephen King. There is something about his writing that do not connect with me and I cannot seem to enjoy reading his works because of that — although I do not deny my appreciation for his talent with words.

However, listening to the audiobook version of Misery introduced me to his world in a whole new different perspective. The voice artist [Lindsay Crouse] for this was marvelous and I really appreciate the way she gave life to the character and the story. She definitely made me want to listen to more of Stephen King‘s audiobooks.

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Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly book meme hosted by the lovely Lainey and Sam. If you’re interested in participating in the topics and such, make sure to visit their Goodreads group page!