My Top 10 Fiction Reads of 2017

The best fiction I read in 2017!

**

Books mentioned:

JANE STEELE by Lyndsay Faye

IDAHO by Emily Ruskovich

EXIT WEST by Mohsin Hamid

"MOONLIGHT SHADOW" by Banana Yoshimoto

TIN MAN by Sarah Winman

HUMAN ACTS by Han Kang

THE DAYS OF ABANDONMENT by Elena Ferrante

THE IDIOT by Elif Batuman

MIDDLEMARCH by George Eliot

THE NEAPOLITAN NOVELS ("My Brilliant Friend") by Elena Ferrante

**

[InsertLiteraryPunHere]

Great list. Even for the books I didn't enjoy on here, I love hearing you talk about them! I didn't enjoy The Neapolitan Novels but you've intrigued me with the way you described The Days of Abandonment. And I need to read Tin Man in 2018

[whatpageareyouon]

I’m watching this just minutes before I have to clock into work haha so I’ll rewatch again later-but I can’t believe I’ve been letting My Brilliant Friend sit on my shelf so long, I reallyyy need to start the Neapolitan series. I’ve heard hit or miss things about Exit West, my only hesitance being apparently some kind of magical realism (?) which is hard for me to engage myself in. But hearing it this way about more about the character connections to the innovation of the doors instead of used sort of as a plot device. And of course Middlemarch, I only hear good things! It seems to be popping up a lot in my Goodreads feed lately, I’ll have to give it a do certainly. Great list!

[gabbyreads]

I haven't heard of some of these but I love the way you talk about them! Awesome list! :)

[BeautifullyBookishBethany]

I keep hearing about Jane Steele! I really want to give it a try. I've also been very interested in picking up Exit West.

[splitreads]

I am here for all of your book gush! Just hearing you describe and compare books to situations, other books, movies, etc. is a treat for me. I need to finish Neapolitan Novels and The Days of Abandonment is also awaiting me!

[AuburnAfterglow]

You really got me interested in The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante by your description. I loved the Yellow Wallpaper :) I really want to read Middlemarch in 2018.

[aneweliseonlife]

Yay! I love how you talk about Elena Ferrante! She(?) is becoming one of my favorite authors, the Neopolitian series made me feel so many emotions. I also found the discussion of sexuality, before sexuality became a thing, really interesting. Also I really admire how you can describe how the books affect you, thank you for sharing.

[michaelgoncalves]

I really need to give The Idiot a read! Also I can only assume there are plays on Dostoevsky’s The Idiot involved, if she is taking Russian classes...I’d be really interested in re-reading that and seeing what parallels Batuman is drawing on there. Overall sounds like a great list, too!

[tortoisedreams]

What a great ambidextrous reader you are! Fiction? Nonfiction? You do it all & do it well! Haven't read any of these, but your descriptions inspire me to try them all. What a great 2017 you had!

[bigalbooksforever]

Good choice for the top spot with the Neapolitan novels-- it is an emotional experience getting through those books! I haven't read any other Ferrante yet so it's good to hear you liked Days of Abandonment. I've been meaning to get around to The Idiot all year so I was glad to see that one on your list as well. Looks like a great reading year!

[bookteafull]

Jane Steele was one of my favorite novels of 2017 as well, it was quite honestly a surprise for me because I had no expectations whatsoever for the book and now I can't stop shoving it into people's faces lol. Anyways, I def need to try Exit West now after hearing your feedback.

[thefrancophilereader]

Exit West is an insanely polarizing book. I really need to read it now to see what I think. I really enjoyed My Brilliant Friend, so I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.

[thuntz]

Awesome list! Middlemarch and Human Acts were really fantastic. I’m in the middle of Middlemarch still but I was enjoying it a lot. I’m taking your word and going to add some of the others. ☺️

[BeaconHillBooks]

So happy I found your channel in Nov, I love your videos and explanation of books! I like that your list had so many different books than most others. I have the Ferrante series, I have to prioritize it this year.

[emiliepark]

I’m a big Wong Kar-Wai fan, and I am officially sold on Tin Man thanks to your comparison! Great list, thank you :)

[katiejlumsden]

I need to read so many of these! I'm especially keen to read Tin Man.

[myreadinglife]

Fantastic list! Great to see the Middlemarch love. I read it for the first time in 2016 and thought it was fabulous!

[KendraWinchester]

LOVE JANE STEELE!! It was one of my favorites last year. And Han Kang is one of my tops books too. I just can’t gush about it enough. And huzzah for Elena I ADORE the Neapolitan novels and have been so disheartened by how many people on BookTube hate them. Great list. ❤️

[ReadRemark]

Oh boy, I really disliked Idaho, but I think that's part of the fun of booktube - seeing other people's diverse opinions. You do make a good point about the beautiful visuals she creates. Great list!

[Amy_Yuki_Vickers]

I added The Idiot to my list after I read Roxane Gay's review of it on goodreads. Your review makes me look forward to it even more. Thanks for another great video!