Your enthusiasm for Australian literature has really inspired a greater love and desire to read more of it myself next year (particularly Picnic at Hanging Rock), which is nice because I am Australian haha
I am only 11, so I haven't read that much, but these are my favorites. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville: It was a masterpiece and pretty much the oldest book I've read. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum: I hoped I would read the book, so I read it, and it was excellent. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R Tolkien: Yes. Wonder by R.J Palacio: This book excesses between acceptance The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate: I don't see books that much that are in an animal's POV, and this is impactful. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgetts: I haven't finished it, but so far, it's great. Woolly: The True Story Behind the Revival of History's Most Iconic Creatures by Ben Mezrich: This is well done. Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild by Dav Pilkey: Out of all the graphic novels I've read, this is the most well and drawn. Nice message, too. I know these are too old or childish, but hey, I liked them. Do you agree?
I don't think books are too old. I'm closing in on old myself and I have always found that well written "children's" books hold up all your life. You have a great list here, with many of my favorites. I will look at Dog Man, because I love a good graphic novel. Thanks for the suggestion.
Read Washington Black and loved it, have told everyone about it. So pleased to see someone else read it. Am looking yo read the Graham Norton books and your number one book flames. X
What a fabulous reading year you've had. Lovely to see 3 of your top 5 be Aussie reads! The only one of your books that I've read is Picnic at Hanging Rock. Many of them are on my TBR.
When I Hit You is my top book of 2018 - so brilliant and powerful! I also really enjoyed Euphoria by Lily King (about anthropologists - I think you'd like it) and Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck (about an unlikely friendship, set in Berlin). I'm so excited about all the books to read in 2019! Happy New Year Simon :)
We share a few favorites this year: Circe and The Hoarder. Though I think Himself is probably one of my favorite books ever (but I read it in 2017). The atmosphere, the humor, the setting and the mystery just came together brilliantly for an entertaining and thought provoking read. Circe was very engrossing, and I can't wait to read The Song of Achilles.
The Bus on Thursday sounds fab, and I loved Rush Oh - so excited to look into that one. Yaaay for When I Hit You! It's been so fun to see all the attention you've given Australian fiction this year. My first video I watched of 2019, what a lovely way to start :)
I can't believe I still haven't read The Wicked Cometh, a year after getting it aha, thank you for the reminder! I also loved Bone so would like to check out the authors memoir.
Circe was my absolute favourite this year, but I’ve been backlisting (totally a verb) a lot recently so I didn’t recognise a lot of others on your list. Lots of things for me to seek out in 2019. Happy New Year!
I LOVE that From the Wreck was bumped by Flames, which was also pretty much my favourite book of the year. Hurrah!! I wish there was a bookseller selling a package of 'Simon's favourite books' because I would buy it (might have to take out a loan first).
I apologize if you've already read this and I missed it in a wrap up, but I think you might enjoy The Corset by Laura Purcell. It's historical fiction and quite dark but very atmospheric.
Here's my Top 18 Fiction and my Top 18 Non-Fiction- it's fun compiling a list :D West by Carys Davies was my favourite this year. A Pocket Epic! Still trying to figure out how she wrote it in so few pages! The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar was a surprise read on a whim! Loved it! Milkman by Anna Burns. I rarely like the Booker winner the best of the shortlist but this year I loved it! An Irish Troubles Catch22. The Overstory only part way through but it's the one that I thought came closest to the winner on the shortlist. The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose, an original story and a worthy winner of The Stella Prize. Still think about it. The Swan Book by Alexis Wright (pub. 2017) A really difficult book to read, so much in it, but brilliant, one I'll read again. Circe loved it! Cotter by Richard Begbie, a local story rivals The Secret River by Kate Grenville. Meet Me At The Museum by Anne Youngson such a gorgeous story about a friendship in letters. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (pub 2014) took me a while to get to this one but it's wonderful prose and an interesting story. The Shepherd's Hut by Tim Winton. A raw Aussie contemporary wild west. Winton at his best. The Hoarder by Jess Kidd. Loved it too, she's got a top Irish voice in this one and I loved the other characters. Taboo by Kim Scott. Great book! Scott is a top writer! Pachinko by Min Jin Lee a great read about a family of Koreans through the generations and as migrants in Japan. From The Wreck by Jane Rawson. Also makes it to my favs list. Such an original story! The Jade Lily by Kirsty Manning. Jewish refugees in Singapore. A great story of multicultural Singapore during WW2. Book of Colours by Robyn Cadwallader. Historical Fiction. Lovely story, setting and people in their time. I'm fascinated by the art of illumination now. Captain Cook's Apprentice by Antony Hill. Very well done YA Fiction. The enthralling story of the voyage of The Endeavour to Australia, as seen through the eager eyes of a cabin boy. I actually learnt much more than I expected to! I'm also pleased that I read The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner and There There by Tommy Orange. Important and clever novels that I found a lot of original material in and I felt I learnt something by reading them, but not stories that I actually enjoyed because of the subject matter. Non-Fiction Favs Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe Any Ordinary Day by Leigh Sales Oxygen by William Trubridge (audio) Shakespeare and Co edited by Krista Halverson Sagaland by Richard Fidler, Kári Gíslason Mythos by Stephen Fry The Trauma Cleaner Sarah Krasnostein Eggshell Skull by Bri Lee Educated by Tara Westover What Happened by Hilliary Clinton A Certain Light by Cynthia Banham Hell Ship by Michael Veitch The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben (audio) Working Class Boy by Jimmy Barnes (audio) Emily Brontë Reappraised by Claire O'Callaghan No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison by Behrouz Boochani, Omid Tofighian (Translation) The Happiest Refugee by Anh Doh (audio) Ghost Empire by Richard Fidler It's a lot of fun listing these! Thanks Simon for all the recommendations! My Reserves at the library are overflowing as is my Goodsreads list! Happy New Year! Can't wait to see what's in store for next year :D
Excellent list! I have 8 of them waiting to bubble up to the top of my TBR. Another 5 are already on my shopping list for London in 10 days, with Flames at the top of that list. I’m still not on the Sally Rooney bandwagon yet. Maybe later in 2019. Happy New Year, Simon!
Wonderful video! I only discovered booktube this year and you have very quickly become one of my favourites. My library has grown exponentially (and bank balance shrunk accordingly) thanks to your stellar book recommendations. Love your work. Happy New Year! 🎊🎆🎈
Can’t wait to read Flames and its ready in my Jan tbr.pile. Tasmania is my favourite place in Australia so really looking forward to it. I ordered From the Wreck four weeks ago from an Aussie online shop and still haven’t received it. Eeek Hopefully it turns up before I go back to work. Thank you for an interesting year of reading and have just added The Bus on Thursday to my wishlist as who can go past an Aussie Fargo? Happy New Year.
I just got a copy of, 'The Bus on Thursday' which I first found out about when watching this video last week. I didn't realise who the author was until I researched her. 'Love Serenade' is one of my favourite movies of all time, and it was Shirley Barrett that directed it. I adore the humour in that movie, so I hope it's of a similar style in this book.
Gah! I just realised that the Shirley Barrett of The Bus on Thursday is the SAME Shirley Barrett as Rush Oh! 😮 I had no idea she had a new book out and I’m so thrilled. I LOVED Rush Oh! so much. Instant purchase ☺️
I just want to give you a big hug for bringing so many amazing books into our lives. 🤗 what a brilliant end of year list. The ones I haven’t read I want to read and the ones I have are pretty much on my best of list too. When I Hit You and Circe are definitely high up there for me. I had the Parentations on my wishlist and I couldn’t remember why and now I know. I can’t wait to get to From the Wreck and Flames. A very happy new year to you and Chris too!
I'm so happy to see What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky on this list because it was my top read of 2017! So vivid and unexpected. I'm reading Circe right now and I'm really enjoying it. It's so dense and so engrossing. My favourite read of this year might be David Sedaris's Calypso. I just keep coming back to it. It's truly his best book in years and he manages to balance poignancy, tragedy and humour in a way that only he can. I'm going to see if I can get my hands on A Keeper. It sounds really good and I'm very curious to see what Graham Norton has to say. Wonderful List!
Happy New Year. Thanks for all the recommendations. I just purchased circe this morning on kindle as it was on sale. Glad to hear it made your top books.
You had me at “Australian Fargo”. Definitely the next book I read. Also read West by Carys Davies, on your recommendation, even though I didn’t think it’d be my jam and I freakin loved it! So thank you & Happy New Year!🎉
Thankyou Simon , great review and wonderful reads! Looking quite dashing in your new jumper... I need to read Circe this new year, also happy new year I just bought several of these books on my kindle so Thankyou a lot!
Ahhh this was such a great list, Simon! I’m very intrigued by The Parentations. Love a chunky book. Ooh I received Normal People for Christmas! Very excited. So nice to hear so many different readers enjoying Circe so much. My boyfriend has read it (and loved it), but I haven’t yet. And I’m really happy to see When I Hit You on here! That was an amazing reading experience.
I love how much you love Australian fiction! I'll have to pick up Shirley Barrett's work, I'm a very dark humoured aussie. I keep seeing that book in stores and never picked it up. 👀
I love watching best of the year videos! Great list, and I'm glad it wasn't just me that picked more than 5. I've got some more added to my wishlist now, as a result of that, as well as some that were already on my list. Seems you had a great reading year x
Two categories I never venture into is historical fiction and horror, but I want to read "the wicked cometh" for sure. I would love to know what non fiction books you liked or loved in 18. My wish is to meet you in 2019, yep that's my literary choice and I will fulfill the quest.
Oh no. I've only read one of these (When a Man Falls..., which I loved), and your reviews make me want to read all of your recommendations!! My TBR just got way longer 😁
Wowzer what a great range of book for 2018. I’ve read none of these. I’m curious to read the bus on the Thursday just to get a sense of your dark humour 😄 but definitely into the Terrible that sounds up my street. I’m also interested to read Washington black mainly because you rate it above Milk( which I’ve also not read). I’m put off a bit by the idea of an alien in a historic fiction? But I’ll take your word for it and see when it come out and Flames sounds full on and quite exciting. Very impressed that you whipped through these so quickly and you’ve got me all sparked for 2019🥳
Totally agree with you about Flames ... I will probably be re reading in 2019 I loved it that much !! I loved The Terrible , have you read Bone ? Reading the two side by side really works ... I just adore Yrsa's writing xxxx Fab favourite's ... always love your picks... My bank balance doesn't but I do 😂 😘❤️
Lovely video, lovely list! The Terrible is also one of my favourites of 2018! I listened to the audiobook narrated by Yrsa Daley-Ward and it's amazing, her voice is so sensual and she reads it beautifully. Bone, her poetry collection is also available on audiobook and I'm going to listen to that soon! I really want to read Normal People, When I hit you and Flames, and I've been wanting to read What it means when a man falls from the sky for ages.
Can’t wait to read From The Wreck! My favourite book of 2018 was The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar and it was actually the first book I read this year! Another great video Simon! Thumbs up!
Well, I am "old".... and remember Peter Weir's amazing and highly acclaimed (1975) movie based on "The Picnic at Hanging Rock." All these years later and I can still "see" the scenes, the relationships of the girls, the school, and of course can feel the creepiness of the mystery -- left to endless speculation. What happened? .... indeed. Thanks for reminding me of the book, which I've never read, but now surely will. "Flames" is on my list to read as well. Your videos and comments are always most interesting and delightful. Thanks! .
Thank you, Simon.. quite tiddly now having toasted your highly recommended's🍷 We watched the start of this video 4 times 😂 oh what a Complete Joy it has been to discover your channel this year ( and from it other Booktubers) Books! Circe was of course, fab. Adored The💖 Invisible Furies. Awaiting library copy of A Keeper ( ADORE Graham Norton) and Must Read so many more on this list. My husband watched this and he now wants to read The Bus on Thursday 😮 Will need to read Flames too ( possible trip to Tasmania soonish?) More excited for 2019 Reading than I can say - do you know which is your First Book of 2019?
First of all, thank you for introducing me to so many good books. Your passion for literature is inspiring. I was wondering if you ever heard about "Momo" by Michael Ende? The original (and full) titel is "Momo, or the strange story of the time-thieves and the child who brought the stolen time back to the people" and this is also what's the book about - in simple terms. Athough it's a book for teenagers it is also very relevant for adults. It criticised themes like consumerism and stress and the contrast between adults ( who never have time for anything) and children (who seem to have all the time in the world). If you liked "The Neverending Story" you should definitely check this book out.
The Bus on Thursday is in my top 5 this year too... nothing else like it. Just leant it to a friend, was difficult to find someone else who may appreciate it haha
I loved Normal People it definitely made my list of favourite books this year, I haven't quite connected with a book in the way I have with this one. I added Heartbreaker to my wishlist sounds totally up my street ☺
Another Lovely jumper💕 I loved A Keeper, Normal People, The Hoarder, ..also The Overstory In Extremis ( Life of Marie Calvin) by Lindsey Hilsum Were The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens Broken Girls by Simone St James The Immortalists Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate ( based on true Story) Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver An Unremarkable Body by Elisa Lodato The Italian Teacher by Tom Rachman & those are only in last 2 months.
Thanks for sharing your favourite books, a great list. I must be twisted too, l❤ved ' The Bus on Thursday' and what a different side to Shirley Barrett. Also loved 'Flames' & 'From the Wreck.' Thank you for supporting Australian literature. My favourite read was 'The enlightenment of the Greencage Tree' by Shokoofeh Azar. She is an Iranian refugee to Australia and wrote this book in Farsi and was translated to English. Heavy in the magical realism but linked to Persian folklore. Made me realise what a culture was marginalised by the Islamic Revolution. Beautiful and bonkers, you might like it😘
Have you read No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison by Behrouz Boochani, translated by Omid Tofighian? It's one I feel every Aussie should read, it was also written in Farsi. Apart from the important story, it has a really interesting note by the translator on some of the differences between Farsi and English.
My top fav books of the year are: Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, Rust & Stardust by T. Greenwood, The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain and Before I Let You Go by Kelly Rimmer. I really want to read Circe.
this could be just me but i don't believe that everybody is bi, i know that i'm 100% gay and i think that there are ppl who are only straight, it could be cause my whole life i have been told i'm just confused and bi i can't be a lesbian, i have to be at least a little bit attracted to men etc..so it gets annoying 😅
Your enthusiasm for Australian literature has really inspired a greater love and desire to read more of it myself next year (particularly Picnic at Hanging Rock), which is nice because I am Australian haha
I am only 11, so I haven't read that much, but these are my favorites.
Moby-Dick by Herman Melville: It was a masterpiece and pretty much the oldest book I've read.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum: I hoped I would read the book, so I read it, and it was excellent.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R Tolkien: Yes.
Wonder by R.J Palacio: This book excesses between acceptance
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate: I don't see books that much that are in an animal's POV, and this is impactful.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgetts: I haven't finished it, but so far, it's great.
Woolly: The True Story Behind the Revival of History's Most Iconic Creatures by Ben Mezrich: This is well done.
Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild by Dav Pilkey: Out of all the graphic novels I've read, this is the most well and drawn. Nice message, too.
I know these are too old or childish, but hey, I liked them. Do you agree?
I don't think books are too old. I'm closing in on old myself and I have always found that well written "children's" books hold up all your life. You have a great list here, with many of my favorites. I will look at Dog Man, because I love a good graphic novel. Thanks for the suggestion.
Loved this list and have some on my TBR list...was surprised Credo did not make it on as you raved about it when you read it...I need to read it soon!
Read Washington Black and loved it, have told everyone about it. So pleased to see someone else read it. Am looking yo read the Graham Norton books and your number one book flames. X
A couple of these were already on my list, almost all of them are now on my list. I have a lot to read in the new year! I'm glad I found your channel.
What a fabulous reading year you've had. Lovely to see 3 of your top 5 be Aussie reads! The only one of your books that I've read is Picnic at Hanging Rock. Many of them are on my TBR.
When I Hit You is my top book of 2018 - so brilliant and powerful! I also really enjoyed Euphoria by Lily King (about anthropologists - I think you'd like it) and Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck (about an unlikely friendship, set in Berlin). I'm so excited about all the books to read in 2019! Happy New Year Simon :)
We share a few favorites this year: Circe and The Hoarder. Though I think Himself is probably one of my favorite books ever (but I read it in 2017). The atmosphere, the humor, the setting and the mystery just came together brilliantly for an entertaining and thought provoking read. Circe was very engrossing, and I can't wait to read The Song of Achilles.
The Bus on Thursday sounds fab, and I loved Rush Oh - so excited to look into that one. Yaaay for When I Hit You! It's been so fun to see all the attention you've given Australian fiction this year. My first video I watched of 2019, what a lovely way to start :)
I can't believe I still haven't read The Wicked Cometh, a year after getting it aha, thank you for the reminder! I also loved Bone so would like to check out the authors memoir.
I'm only two in and I'm SO HAPPY A Keeper is on here for you, I loved it so much too! Now onto the rest of the video...
Circe was my absolute favourite this year, but I’ve been backlisting (totally a verb) a lot recently so I didn’t recognise a lot of others on your list. Lots of things for me to seek out in 2019. Happy New Year!
I LOVE that From the Wreck was bumped by Flames, which was also pretty much my favourite book of the year. Hurrah!! I wish there was a bookseller selling a package of 'Simon's favourite books' because I would buy it (might have to take out a loan first).
So wonderful to see our beloved 'Little' made it into your top books of 2018. Happy days!
I apologize if you've already read this and I missed it in a wrap up, but I think you might enjoy The Corset by Laura Purcell. It's historical fiction and quite dark but very atmospheric.
I picked up West by Carys Davies on your recommendation and loved it. Thanks so much. Looking forward to reading more of your recommendations.
Circe is on my January TBR. I'm excited to read it!
So happy you had a hand in the publishing of from the wreck. I wanted to read that after watching your wrap up earlier in the year 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Here's my Top 18 Fiction and my Top 18 Non-Fiction- it's fun compiling a list :D
West by Carys Davies was my favourite this year. A Pocket Epic! Still trying to figure out how she wrote it in so few pages!
The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar was a surprise read on a whim! Loved it!
Milkman by Anna Burns. I rarely like the Booker winner the best of the shortlist but this year I loved it! An Irish Troubles Catch22.
The Overstory only part way through but it's the one that I thought came closest to the winner on the shortlist.
The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose, an original story and a worthy winner of The Stella Prize. Still think about it.
The Swan Book by Alexis Wright (pub. 2017) A really difficult book to read, so much in it, but brilliant, one I'll read again.
Circe loved it!
Cotter by Richard Begbie, a local story rivals The Secret River by Kate Grenville.
Meet Me At The Museum by Anne Youngson such a gorgeous story about a friendship in letters.
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (pub 2014) took me a while to get to this one but it's wonderful prose and an interesting story.
The Shepherd's Hut by Tim Winton. A raw Aussie contemporary wild west. Winton at his best.
The Hoarder by Jess Kidd. Loved it too, she's got a top Irish voice in this one and I loved the other characters.
Taboo by Kim Scott. Great book! Scott is a top writer!
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee a great read about a family of Koreans through the generations and as migrants in Japan.
From The Wreck by Jane Rawson. Also makes it to my favs list. Such an original story!
The Jade Lily by Kirsty Manning. Jewish refugees in Singapore. A great story of multicultural Singapore during WW2.
Book of Colours by Robyn Cadwallader. Historical Fiction. Lovely story, setting and people in their time. I'm fascinated by the art of illumination now.
Captain Cook's Apprentice by Antony Hill. Very well done YA Fiction. The enthralling story of the voyage of The Endeavour to Australia, as seen through the eager eyes of a cabin boy. I actually learnt much more than I expected to!
I'm also pleased that I read The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner and There There by Tommy Orange. Important and clever novels that I found a lot of original material in and I felt I learnt something by reading them, but not stories that I actually enjoyed because of the subject matter.
Non-Fiction Favs
Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe
Any Ordinary Day by Leigh Sales
Oxygen by William Trubridge (audio)
Shakespeare and Co edited by Krista Halverson
Sagaland by Richard Fidler, Kári Gíslason
Mythos by Stephen Fry
The Trauma Cleaner Sarah Krasnostein
Eggshell Skull by Bri Lee
Educated by Tara Westover
What Happened by Hilliary Clinton
A Certain Light by Cynthia Banham
Hell Ship by Michael Veitch
The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben (audio)
Working Class Boy by Jimmy Barnes (audio)
Emily Brontë Reappraised
by Claire O'Callaghan
No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison by Behrouz Boochani, Omid Tofighian (Translation)
The Happiest Refugee by Anh Doh (audio)
Ghost Empire
by Richard Fidler
It's a lot of fun listing these!
Thanks Simon for all the recommendations! My Reserves at the library are overflowing as is my Goodsreads list!
Happy New Year! Can't wait to see what's in store for next year :D
Excellent list! I have 8 of them waiting to bubble up to the top of my TBR. Another 5 are already on my shopping list for London in 10 days, with Flames at the top of that list. I’m still not on the Sally Rooney bandwagon yet. Maybe later in 2019. Happy New Year, Simon!
Wonderful video! I only discovered booktube this year and you have very quickly become one of my favourites. My library has grown exponentially (and bank balance shrunk accordingly) thanks to your stellar book recommendations. Love your work. Happy New Year! 🎊🎆🎈
Can’t wait to read Flames and its ready in my Jan tbr.pile. Tasmania is my favourite place in Australia so really looking forward to it. I ordered From the Wreck four weeks ago from an Aussie online shop and still haven’t received it. Eeek Hopefully it turns up before I go back to work. Thank you for an interesting year of reading and have just added The Bus on Thursday to my wishlist as who can go past an Aussie Fargo? Happy New Year.
I just got a copy of, 'The Bus on Thursday' which I first found out about when watching this video last week. I didn't realise who the author was until I researched her. 'Love Serenade' is one of my favourite movies of all time, and it was Shirley Barrett that directed it. I adore the humour in that movie, so I hope it's of a similar style in this book.
Gah! I just realised that the Shirley Barrett of The Bus on Thursday is the SAME Shirley Barrett as Rush Oh! 😮 I had no idea she had a new book out and I’m so thrilled. I LOVED Rush Oh! so much. Instant purchase ☺️
I just want to give you a big hug for bringing so many amazing books into our lives. 🤗 what a brilliant end of year list. The ones I haven’t read I want to read and the ones I have are pretty much on my best of list too. When I Hit You and Circe are definitely high up there for me. I had the Parentations on my wishlist and I couldn’t remember why and now I know. I can’t wait to get to From the Wreck and Flames. A very happy new year to you and Chris too!
I'm so happy to see What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky on this list because it was my top read of 2017! So vivid and unexpected. I'm reading Circe right now and I'm really enjoying it. It's so dense and so engrossing.
My favourite read of this year might be David Sedaris's Calypso. I just keep coming back to it. It's truly his best book in years and he manages to balance poignancy, tragedy and humour in a way that only he can.
I'm going to see if I can get my hands on A Keeper. It sounds really good and I'm very curious to see what Graham Norton has to say. Wonderful List!
Happy New Year. Thanks for all the recommendations. I just purchased circe this morning on kindle as it was on sale. Glad to hear it made your top books.
You had me at “Australian Fargo”. Definitely the next book I read.
Also read West by Carys Davies, on your recommendation, even though I didn’t think it’d be my jam and I freakin loved it! So thank you & Happy New Year!🎉
Thankyou Simon , great review and wonderful reads! Looking quite dashing in your new jumper... I need to read Circe this new year, also happy new year I just bought several of these books on my kindle so Thankyou a lot!
Ahhh this was such a great list, Simon! I’m very intrigued by The Parentations. Love a chunky book. Ooh I received Normal People for Christmas! Very excited. So nice to hear so many different readers enjoying Circe so much. My boyfriend has read it (and loved it), but I haven’t yet. And I’m really happy to see When I Hit You on here! That was an amazing reading experience.
I love how much you love Australian fiction! I'll have to pick up Shirley Barrett's work, I'm a very dark humoured aussie. I keep seeing that book in stores and never picked it up. 👀
What a great list ! Bonne Année Simon !
Happy New Year! Love your book recommendations, they always allow me to discover new books I haven't heard of anywhere else. Thank you :)
I love watching best of the year videos! Great list, and I'm glad it wasn't just me that picked more than 5.
I've got some more added to my wishlist now, as a result of that, as well as some that were already on my list. Seems you had a great reading year x
Perfection as always Simon, love your videos and the jumper choice.
Currently reading The Keeper and loving it.
Two categories I never venture into is historical fiction and horror, but I want to read "the wicked cometh" for sure. I would love to know what non fiction books you liked or loved in 18. My wish is to meet you in 2019, yep that's my literary choice and I will fulfill the quest.
and thank-you simon for all the entertaining videos...and a happy new year to you and yours.
Thankyou Simon, I love your reviews and I must find parentations! Happy new year
I loved The Wicked Cometh too. I’d love you to do an Australian recommendations video!
Oh no. I've only read one of these (When a Man Falls..., which I loved), and your reviews make me want to read all of your recommendations!! My TBR just got way longer 😁
Circe was my favorite of the year. It just blew me away what she did with this book. It's also one I've kept pushing everyone I know to read :)
Wowzer what a great range of book for 2018. I’ve read none of these. I’m curious to read the bus on the Thursday just to get a sense of your dark humour 😄 but definitely into the Terrible that sounds up my street. I’m also interested to read Washington black mainly because you rate it above Milk( which I’ve also not read). I’m put off a bit by the idea of an alien in a historic fiction? But I’ll take your word for it and see when it come out and Flames sounds full on and quite exciting. Very impressed that you whipped through these so quickly and you’ve got me all sparked for 2019🥳
Happy New Year, Simon!! May you and Chris and the lovely felines have a wonderful 2019🐾🍾
Totally agree with you about Flames ... I will probably be re reading in 2019 I loved it that much !! I loved The Terrible , have you read Bone ? Reading the two side by side really works ... I just adore Yrsa's writing xxxx Fab favourite's ... always love your picks... My bank balance doesn't but I do 😂 😘❤️
just stumbled across this video and i love your personality! can’t wait to see more! subscribed :)
A video of your favourite short stories and/or novella, please!
Hi, Simon
Washington Black is in my top books, too. I plan to read the author's first book in 2019.
Happy New Year Simon 🥂 Thanks for all the great recommendations of 2018, and wishing you and Chris a grand 2019
Lovely video, lovely list! The Terrible is also one of my favourites of 2018! I listened to the audiobook narrated by Yrsa Daley-Ward and it's amazing, her voice is so sensual and she reads it beautifully. Bone, her poetry collection is also available on audiobook and I'm going to listen to that soon! I really want to read Normal People, When I hit you and Flames, and I've been wanting to read What it means when a man falls from the sky for ages.
Can’t wait to read From The Wreck! My favourite book of 2018 was The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar and it was actually the first book I read this year! Another great video Simon! Thumbs up!
Love seeing Circe in so many best of 2018 lists!
I always screenshot so many books after watching your videos... I love it😊
So many fantastic reads, this is a great list Simon! I’m also so pleased to see so many Aussie reads on this list! 😻
Well, I am "old".... and remember Peter Weir's amazing and highly acclaimed (1975) movie based on "The Picnic at Hanging Rock." All these years later and I can still "see" the scenes, the relationships of the girls, the school, and of course can feel the creepiness of the mystery -- left to endless speculation. What happened? .... indeed. Thanks for reminding me of the book, which I've never read, but now surely will. "Flames" is on my list to read as well. Your videos and comments are always most interesting and delightful. Thanks! .
Thank you, Simon.. quite tiddly now having toasted your highly recommended's🍷 We watched the start of this video 4 times 😂 oh what a Complete Joy it has been to discover your channel this year ( and from it other Booktubers)
Books! Circe was of course, fab. Adored The💖 Invisible Furies. Awaiting library copy of A Keeper ( ADORE Graham Norton) and Must Read so many more on this list. My husband watched this and he now wants to read The Bus on Thursday 😮
Will need to read Flames too ( possible trip to Tasmania soonish?)
More excited for 2019 Reading than I can say - do you know which is your First Book of 2019?
First of all, thank you for introducing me to so many good books. Your passion for literature is inspiring.
I was wondering if you ever heard about "Momo" by Michael Ende? The original (and full) titel is "Momo, or the strange story of the time-thieves and the child who brought the stolen time back to the people" and this is also what's the book about - in simple terms. Athough it's a book for teenagers it is also very relevant for adults. It criticised themes like consumerism and stress and the contrast between adults ( who never have time for anything) and children (who seem to have all the time in the world).
If you liked "The Neverending Story" you should definitely check this book out.
I have little And this has reminded me I need to read it sounds so great. So many great books on your list 👍😊
MY TBR IS NOW GOING OUT OF CONTROL, SIMON
Can’t wait to watch this with a cuppa!
The Bus on Thursday is in my top 5 this year too... nothing else like it. Just leant it to a friend, was difficult to find someone else who may appreciate it haha
Glad you finally tried Circe and it paid off!
I loved Normal People it definitely made my list of favourite books this year, I haven't quite connected with a book in the way I have with this one. I added Heartbreaker to my wishlist sounds totally up my street ☺
Another Lovely jumper💕 I loved A Keeper, Normal People, The Hoarder, ..also
The Overstory
In Extremis ( Life of Marie Calvin) by Lindsey Hilsum
Were The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Broken Girls by Simone St James
The Immortalists
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate ( based on true Story)
Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver
An Unremarkable Body by Elisa Lodato
The Italian Teacher by Tom Rachman
& those are only in last 2 months.
Thanks for sharing your favourite books, a great list.
I must be twisted too, l❤ved ' The Bus on Thursday' and what a different side to Shirley Barrett.
Also loved 'Flames' & 'From the Wreck.'
Thank you for supporting Australian literature.
My favourite read was 'The enlightenment of the Greencage Tree' by Shokoofeh Azar. She is an Iranian refugee to Australia and wrote this book in Farsi and was translated to English. Heavy in the magical realism but linked to Persian folklore. Made me realise what a culture was marginalised by the Islamic Revolution. Beautiful and bonkers, you might like it😘
Have you read No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison by Behrouz Boochani, translated by Omid Tofighian? It's one I feel every Aussie should read, it was also written in Farsi. Apart from the important story, it has a really interesting note by the translator on some of the differences between Farsi and English.
@@kbal1451 No, but I just borrowed it from the library. Thanks for the recommendation.
Happy New Year Simon!!!
Washington Black did win the Giller Prize, if it makes you feel better.
Oh what a b
Glorious list. You are a magician. t
thanks so much all the best for 2019 from cape town
Hope you have a great new year 🎉
My top fav books of the year are: Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, Rust & Stardust by T. Greenwood, The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain and Before I Let You Go by Kelly Rimmer. I really want to read Circe.
Steph R I really loved Educated and Where the Crawdads Sing😊
I'm gonna assume you haven't yet read The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai.
Picnic at Hanging Rock is an amazing novel
It is indeed.
I intended to read The Parentations while in Iceland but failed. 😂 January for sure.
this could be just me but i don't believe that everybody is bi, i know that i'm 100% gay and i think that there are ppl who are only straight, it could be cause my whole life i have been told i'm just confused and bi i can't be a lesbian, i have to be at least a little bit attracted to men etc..so it gets annoying 😅