Some time ago, I saw
this video by Books and Lala where the host went through their Goodreads account and looked up if they had read at least one book for every year in their life, let alone a 5-star read. It was an entertaining watch and it made me think, have I done the same?
Long story short, I haven't (mainly because I've yet to read something published this year), but I thought it would be an interesting choice for my first post in this blog. So let's see what I've got, and I'll try to recommend something from every year that I can.
1989
For this year, my only choice is The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet. A book about a boy who gets adopted by a master builder, whose goal is to build a cathedral so that his dead wife can one day enter heaven. But there's more to that story, as we also have political machinations, war, romance, and many other things that impide our two men from succeeding in their endeavor. Overall, a book that I don't really like or would recommend, but one that I've seen lots of people enjoy.
1990
For this year, what else could I recommend but Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. For those familiar with the movie, just know that there are quite a few differences such as an extended prologue section (which I think fares better than the main plot), different characterizations, and a completely different ending. For those unfamiliar, this books is about a group of scientists who somehow manage to recreate Dinosaurs in the current age and decide to create a zoo where people would be able to see them, however, capitalism ensues (not a hyperbole) and the predictable chaos starts to happen. Overall, a really nice read that everyone should try one day.
1991
Another year where I have no other option, and this time it's for Ring by Koji Suzuki. For those unfamiliar with the movie adaptations, this is about a cursed videotape and anyone who watches it is cursed to die one week later, unless... looks like someone recorded over that part. For those familiar with the movies, but especially the Hollywood versions, this is nothing at all like them. Different characters, a "feasible" explanation of how the many events of the story came to be (yes, even the creation of the tape itself), and a resolution which, to be honest, might leave a sour taste that the movies did not. A solid recommendation, were it not for the character of Ryuji...
1992
For this year, my recommendation would be The Thief Of Always by Clive Barker. To be honest, I was forced to read this during high school for my English class and, boy, am I grateful to my teacher for doing it. It's a very good dark fantasy about this boy who gets transported to a magical world where everything is "great", but, just like in Coraline, things are not what they seem. While I've yet to re-read it since then, I do remember it giving a lasting impression, and would still easily recommend it if you've got a teen around that would enjoy it as well.
1993
For this year, I'm recommending none other than the "first" book in the Witcher series: The Last Wish. This is an anthology collection featuring Geralt de Rivia, a sort of superhuman/mutant that goes around solving issues between humans and magical things. While I know not many people like the short story collections, I have to admit that I love them, and a big part of that is how they're mostly fairy tale retellings. As for the original stories, I did not enjoy them as much, but I know that the popular opinion is the complete opposite of my take. Be warned that book can be sexist at times though...
No books for 1994, 1996, 1997, or 1998. As for 1995, there is one book but unlike Pillars of the Earth, there's no way you can make me talk about it.
1999
For this year, I'm recommending my first Stephen King book: Storm of the Century. In this book, a town gets completely cut out from the rest of the world because of a very big storm (some would say, the biggest one of the century), and while everything's fine at first, everything starts to go wrong once a certain foreigner appears around and shows people what they most fear. While originally created for TV, I think it still works as a novel, and a good read for those gruesome moments as the storm rages on.
No books for 2000 or 2001 either...
2002
I have to thank Neil Gaiman for Coraline, as otherwise it would have been Eragon for this year. A relatively modern classic, Coraline is the story of this neglected girl who finds a mysterious door in her house that leads her to a new world where everything's good, but not everything's as it seems (sounds familiar...). A very good book for the kids out there, but I'll be honest and say that I think the movie is the superior version.
2003
Oh boy, for this year it's the masterpiece Brave Story by Miyuki Miyabe. There's no way I can make justice for this book, but if you want a short synopsis, it's the story of a young boy who travels to a fantasy world in order to be granted one wish if he can complete his journey. However, another boy also traveled along with him, which means only one of them will be able to get their wish, while the other... This book has it all: furries, an inspiring story, and even some darker themes for the grown ups out there. Read it, just read it.
No book for 2004, unless you count non-fiction (which I'm trying to avoid for this list). But if you're interested, Mexicans & Americans: Cracking the Culture Code by Ned Crouch is also a good read.
2005
Yeah, I know that Stephenie Meyer's Twilight is not high literature, but don't have many other options for this year, and besides, it's not as terrible as people make it out to be. For those not in the know, this is the story about a girl who falls in love with a vampire, and then a werewolf, and if these was the real world, lots of toxicity and abuse all around. But this is not the real world, and besides, don't you want to be part of the Twilight renaissance?
2006
For this year, I'm recommending Among The Living by Jordan Castillo Price. The first in the Psycop series, this book deals with a cop that can see the dead as he tries to find out the culprit in a series of killings. Oh, and he's also gay. So is his partner. And most important of all, they're gay for each other. In a steamy way. So, yeah, get onto it.
No books for 2007 either.
2008
Anyone who does not recommend The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins either has not read it or is lying. Regardless of your oppinion of this book, there's no denying how influential it became and the impact it had on publishing as a whole (like Twilight). There might be better books out there, and also books that deserve more recognition, but there's no denying that this book earned its place in this and any other lists.
2009
Another one of those "I'm only recommending this because I have no other choice". The Siren by Kiera Cass (of The Selection fame) is a modern story about a girl who turns into a siren. Siren, not mermaid. So, she's tasked with sinking ships so that the Ocean, and thus the world, can keep on living. Hoewever, things take a turn when she decides to save a boy from drowning, which puts her, him, and the rest of the world at risk. Believe me, it sounds way more interesting than how it ends up in page...
2010
Okay, hear me out. I'm furry trash. I like macro as well. So, I'm sorry, but I Was An Alien Cat Toy by Ann Somerville is going to take the spot for this year. In this story, a human astronaut gets stranded in this other world inhabited by gigantic cat aliens. And while this would seem self-indulgent, the author does manage to explore the intricacies of lack of communication between species, how pets are treated, and even how a couple with such a big height discrepancy could work. No regrets on picking this choice.
2011
In case you skipped the previous entry, I'm furry trash, and I do not regret this choice. Jake's List by Tagenar was the first furry novel I read back when excerpts were getting posted online, and it grabbed me firmly since then. Our protagonist, a very muscled, very manly, and very homophobic bro slowly comes to terms with the fact that he might be gay. While wish fulfillment-y at times, this is a nice coming-out story for older-ish men and, imho, one of the author's better paced works.
2012
For this year, I'm recommending The Black Isle by Sandi Tan. Part historic, part horror, this is the lifelong story of a girl who grew up to be one of the most known witches in the Black Isle, a fictional island situated where modern day Singapore is and that shares some of its history. Mind you, there are some parts of this book that can be hard to read at times (mainly the ones regarding the Japanese invasion), but it's still worth the read.
2013
For this year, another horror book. Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt is the story, not of a person, but of a town that is haunted by the spirit of a witch killed many years ago. The town, now in the modern day, have to deal with hiding the witch from tourists, social media, and new towners; since if anyone outside found out about her, bad things would happen. A chilling read, though the second half of the book is jsut not as strong as the first.
2014
For this year, I'm recommending my first litrpg book: Project Daily Grind by Alexey Osadchuck. The first in the Mirror World series, this book deals with a man that, in order to pay for the heart operation of his daughter, gets a job as a miner in a MMORPG. It's uncommon to have litrpgs, or even fantasy books in general, where the main character is so "underpowered" instead of a power fantasy, but even fans of those kinds of characters can find something to look for in this book as our protagonist slowly learns more about his character and the world it lives in.
2015
I'll spare you another queer furry book, so instead I'm going for Valley of Terror by Zhou Haohui. This is basically as clsoe as you can get to an adult Scooby Doo episode. A detective, a paranormal fanatic, and a doctor go inside a jungle to find the cure of a disease that makes people go mad by seeing demons. Is this disease real or not? And what about the other events that our group experiences as they get deeper in the jungle? An interesting battle between the supernatural and the rational, where only one of them can be true.
2016
Now, I know a lot of people don't like Tarryn Fisher, but I loved I Can Be a Better You by her. In this book, a woman gets obsessed with another one after finding out that her daughter was born around the same time that she suffered a miscarriage (a la The Hand That Rocks The Cradle). At first her obsession is limited to getting back "her child", but it soon grows into wanting to get her husband and, eventually, her whole life. A slow story, but nice character study as we get the perspectives of both women and the husband, and how certain events can look different depending on your own life experiences.
2017
Remember how I mentioned Scooby Doo just two entries ago? Well, Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero is an even more blatant version of it. In this story, a group of former teenage detectives and their dog get back together in order to solve the mystery that separated them so many years ago. However, unlike Valley of Terror, it's very clear from the onset that in this case, it was supernatural in nature. With one of them dead by the time the story starts (IT much?), will they be able to solve this mistery?
Sadly, no books for 2018 or 2019.
2020
For this year, and the only one that I don't know if it's available in English, we have La Chica De Nieve (The Snow Girl) by Javier Castillo. In this book, a couple loses their child during a parade, and several years later they start to receive tapes that let them know that their kid is okay. However, one day, the tapes stop coming in. While categorized as a "thriller", this is moreso a family drama as we follow the family, both in the past and the present, and see how they come to terms with their child's dissapearance just as a plucky reporter and an incompetent detective work to try to find her.
2021
Kind of cheating for this one, but for this year I'm selecting A Mosque In The Jungle by Othman Wok. This is a short story collection of Malay and Singaporean ghost tales, though with some of the original terminologies changed to make them more "universal". An interesting read, and a nice insight into the folklore of those countries.
2022
Last but not least, we have Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes. This book is about a crew of space collectors who follow a signal to a derelict ship and decide to plunder it as part of their final mission. Think Ghost Ship meets Titanic in space. While the second part really drops the ball, the first one is a very chilling read and well worth the read, as we know from the beginning that only one of the ship members survived. Or maybe....
And that's it.
Hope you were able to find a new book or books to read, and if you have a recommendation from one of the years I'm missing, be sure to let me know!
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