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10 Favourite Books of 2017 that are Simply AMAZING

10 Favourite Books of 2017 that are Simply AMAZING

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List : Best books of 2017

It is that time of the year to publish your verdict on the favourite books. And that is my favourite time of the year too. I read some fantastic books last year; here are my best books of 2017.

What makes me even more happy is how nicely the favourites of the latter half of 2017 spread across different genres; there is YA, fantasy, literary fiction, historical and even dystopian. Moreover, usually my favourite lists span from 4 star to 5 star reads. But in this list ALL are 5 star reads (with two exceptions of 4.5 stars which are almost as good as 5 stars). So YES, this has to be my favourite ‘favourites list’ so far.

 

Alright, onto the books!

Best books of 2017

1. What it means when a man falls from the sky by Leslie Nneka Arimah (2017)

This book is on top of the list for a reason. This was my all-time favourite book of 2017. AND it is a short story collection. It isn’t often that one comes across a collection that deserves a five star. But this one sure did. Each story was different and yet they all fitted together perfectly. This is a book that is on my ‘re-read list’.

 

2. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (2004)

I have an aversion towards big books. But Susanna Clarke blew me away with her magical world. I had sleepless nights reading this book about magicians’ lives, studying magic, developing spells, ego clashes between equals and publishing your discoveries. If you are a bookworm or someone in the academic or research field, this book will steal your heat! I wanted more of Strange and Norrell; this book was that good!

 

3. One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg (2016)

Set in an imagined land in the medieval ages, One Hundred Nights of Hero is the story of women’s struggles of being heard in a man’s. It is beautifully illustrated and densely layered with many themes of religion, place of woman and the importance of stories. Here are ‘Five reasons why the world should read this book’.

 

The One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg
The One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg

 

4. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry (2017)

The Essex Serpent is peppered with delicious prose and striking imagery. Fans of the lyrical words in The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (read review) — a favourite of mine in the first half of 2017 — will feel right at home with this book. I loved the characters and the slow way in which seasonal changes and the mindset of characters complemented each other. Rightly one of my best books of 2017.

Check review.

 

5. The Wonder by Emma Donoghue (2016)

When I finished reading The Wonder by Donoghue I was overcome with a deep sense of regret for not picking it up earlier. Based on the stories of girls known as the ‘starving girls’, this book explores themes of religion, place of girls in society bound with allusions to myths. I loved it even more than the acclaimed Room, which explored the psychological impact growing up in a locked room on a toddler, by the same author.

Check review.

 

Book Review : The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

 

6. Song of the Sun God by Shankari Chandran (2017)

What a fabulous book! I devoured this one like a hungry wolf. This novel is one of those gems in the releases of 2017 that might have been drowned by targeted marketing by bigger names in the publishing industry. The book is a family saga about the chaos in Sri Lanka, immigration and the inevitable restlessness that finds it’s way to the minds of the family members.

Check review.

 

Song of the Sun God by Shankari Chandran
Song of the Sun God by Shankari Chandran

 

7. Homegoing by Yaa Gyaasi (2016)

Homegoing is a family saga in 300 pages that focuses on the impact of slavery and tyranny. From what I have noticed, readers lean towards either Homegoing or The Underground Railroad (read review ). The Underground Railroad is a fantastic book but didn’t quite touch me the way Homegoing did. If you have enjoyed both the books equally, let me know in the comments. I would be interested in reading your thoughts.

Check review.

 

8. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (2015)

I am very picky about my YA reads; but when I find gems as these, I jump for joy. I loved the duology by Leigh Bardugo. The book is fast paced, the leader of the gang, Kaz, is an absolute darling and there are lots of tid bits that make you chuckle. I don’t think anyone writes dialogues as good as Leigh Bardugo. Both Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom are equally good and technically both are my favourites. loved them BOTH but I loved Six of Crows a wee bit more because of the pacing.

 

Book Review : Remnants of a Seperation by Aanchal Malhotra
Remnants of a Seperation by Aanchal Malhotra

 

9. Remnants of a Separation by Aanchal Malhotra (2017)

If you hail from India or Pakistan, this book is a must-read for you. The book is a collection of real life stories revolving around material objects that were of significance to individuals who lived through the Partition. This book made me cry and I had to close it and compose myself several times over the read. The book had me glued to the pages even though I am not a non-fiction enthusiast.

Check review.

 

10. Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed (2017)

The story is set on an isolated island where children roam wild and free every summer. The group of families on the island live in accordance with a system of societal rules and beliefs. One day, a girl sees something, and slowly the daughters of the island gather together. Melamed puts her readers through a harrowing experience of acceptance and resistance and makes us question why the line that separates them is so blurred.

Check review.

 

Favourite books of 2017!! Pick up these AMAZING reads, thank me later Click To Tweet

 

If you have a thing for cover designs, head over to 14 Delicious Covers of 2017 for some eye candy.

View Comments (51)
  • For some reason, I never particularly cared for Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. It just seemed to go and on endlessly. I haven’t read the other books on your list, but I”ll probably pick up Six of Crows. It sounds interesting.

    • Yes, Jonathan Strange is quite slow. So if you are looking for something that is faster, the book will be a huge disappointment. Hope you enjoy Six of Crows. I must warn you that the pace doesn’t pick up for sixty to seventy pages.

    • Hope you love the read! It was so horrible. I mean the writer did a great job but the world was such a terrible one to be in. Aaaargh. You get what I am saying, don’t you?

    • READ IT. Crooked Kingdom is just as good but very different from Six of Crows. It is more slow, with more back story. But overall yeah, the books make a good duology

  • Thanks so much for this post! I’ve got a Barnes and Noble gift card burning a hole in my pocket so this list was perfect for me. Definitely going to grab Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell tomorrow!

  • I always love how unique your book lists are — and I would definitely agree, Six of Crows is one of the amazing YA books out there that I would recommend to as many people as I can, adult or teen alike

  • I’ve been curious about Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, but I’ve heard mixed reviews on it because lots of people thought it was boring. I might still check it out though.

    • I can see why that opinion arose. The book is quite slow. So if you compare it with Harry Potter literally nothing might happen for pages. And the spells aren’t like ‘say a word and magic happens’. The spells have to be made by mixing different spells and binding them in different quantities. And you have to publish your findings in journals. Just like in our real world. And there are footnotes about so many books and ancient texts from which the spells were taken. So it takes time to read through the book, you see. Plus there is a lot of character sketch. People who love academics, research etc would love the book more. In this book magic is just something normal like another profession (say teacher or doctor) and not a fantastical thing as many books describe it to be.

  • I am receiving a error code “invalid security token” when I try to write a comment that is more than a few sentences on your blog. Not sure if it is a problem on my side, or yours… Has anyone mentioned having trouble commenting?

    • No one has mentioned it to me yet but I saw similar complaints on other blogs recntly. So I don’t know if it is a WP thing. Thanks for reading

  • OMG I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed SOC and CK especially not being the biggest YA reader! What a fantastic list, Essex sounds really interesting.

  • Love the list. I read both home going and the underground railroad. I think I read home going first and loved it a bit more. I had a tough time reading the other one initially. But both are equally good.

  • Only two of them are books I’ve read; I absolutely loved Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (the short stories in the same world are a nice extension of them – although it can only leave one wanting more, of course) and you enjoyed Emma Donoghue’s The Wonder more than I did (but i did love her collection of short stories, Kissing the Witch, fairy tale retellings, and an earlier historical tale, Slammerkin). A couple of the others are on my TBR. I love your idea of a Favourite Favourites list – it’s true, some years are just amazing for reading!

    • I want to read the short stories by Susanna Clarke too. I am sure I will be left wanting for more. Kissing the witch is on my TBR. Don’t think I have got a copy yet. So glad that 2017 was a great reading year for me

      • Well, if you go into it thinking that way, then you will not be disappointed…you’ll just be grateful for that “little bit more time” in that universe. Expectations make all the difference, I think. Enjoy!

  • Soooo glad to see Six of Crows on this list! I read it when it first came out and absolutely LOVED Kaz and the gang (and yes, the pacing), but I still haven’t picked up The Crooked Kingdom yet, mostly because I’ve forgotten what happened in the first book. Whoops. D:

    – Aimee @ Aimee, Always

    • You will be reminded when you start reading CK. Trust me. I was confused whether I would remember all the past details. But it was fine when I started reading CK

  • Song of the Sun God is new to me – I’ve just added it to my list!
    Homegoing was a favourite book for me last year – I thought it was amazing. I haven’t read Underground Railroad yet, though, so can’t compare.
    One of my favourite books of the year is also a short story collection, which is rare for me. But I loved every story… Peninsula Sinking by David Huebert.

    • Song of the Sun God is a brilliant book. I think it is still not available online. You can find it at a bookstore or through the publisher’s website. And I enjoyed Homegoing too.

      It is rare to find short story collections in which every story is brilliant. I am glad you came upon one like that.

  • Of this list, I’ve only read Gather the Daughters, and it really messed with me! Will get on to checking out the others

  • I love the variety of books on your list. Homegoing, The Wonder, and Six of Crows are favorites of mine too, and I still need to read The Essex Serpent, which I’m anxious to get to after your comparison to The Snow Child.

  • Another list of great sounding books… Alas… 🙂
    I did manage to get “The ministry of utmost happiness” last summer in Paris, but Daughter #1 “pinched” it before I could open it. Now I will have to wait.
    Happy new year, my dear.
    Many, many good books, and many reunions with friends. (To talk about books or not)
    😉

  • Homegoing is the only book I have read from the list and I quite liked it. What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky and Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell came highly recommended to me and they’re on my tbr. This is quite a selection, I’ll check out the rest. Lovely post!

  • Homegoing is the only book I have read from the list and I quite liked it. What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky and Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell came highly recommended to me and they’re on my tbr. This is quite a selection, I’ll check out the rest.

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