Great list. Dickens is one of my favorites, and I completely agree with your opinion on Thomas Hardys prose, it's fantastic. I loved Return of the Native, and though Jude the Obscure was really bleak I was still enthralled with it. Speaking of these two authors, just this week I picked up copies of A Tale of Two Cities and Far From the Madding Crowd.
Thank you for this post! I love your publication as it introduces me to books I would otherwise miss. If you're reading Dickens (my All Time Fav author) you have to read Tale of Two Cities. I've read it at least six times and it is my NUMBER-ONE-ALL-TIME-FAVORITE book. That's saying a lot because I read about 50-75 books a year.
Also- I was absolutely gutted when I read Jude the Obscure. If you're looking for more Hardy that isn't quite a depressing as Tess and Jude, Far From the Madding Crowd is brilliant.
I'll have to pick up London Fields- thanks for the tip! Happy New Year!!
I agree about A Tale of Two Cities. I haven’t read it as many times as you have, but it is one of my go to re-reads. Cams, add this one to your to-do list!
Interesting. I DNFed that in 2023. Maybe I was just in the wrong frame of mind. I should give it another try, seeing as it was your favourite book of the year.
I can understand how you could get off on the wrong foot with either book to be honest. The space is for interpretation in both are huge, and the missing information and plot can feel like too much open space. But if you hit it with the right frame of mind, I’m sure you’ll love it. My synapses were firing off all over the place.
Dr Zhivago! Yes please. Count me in. Another one I started and didn’t finish.
And I had a bit of a Robin Hobb read in 2025 too. Liveship Traders?
I reread that trilogy last year and had a good time. I’m planning to read the final trilogy this year for the first time. I believe I’ll need tissues.
Yes! I’m so up for that!
Great list. Dickens is one of my favorites, and I completely agree with your opinion on Thomas Hardys prose, it's fantastic. I loved Return of the Native, and though Jude the Obscure was really bleak I was still enthralled with it. Speaking of these two authors, just this week I picked up copies of A Tale of Two Cities and Far From the Madding Crowd.
Another mention for A Tale of Two Cities! I’m going to have to read that this year now. Enthralled is a good word to describe how I felt reading Jude.
Nicely done Cams!
Thank you for this post! I love your publication as it introduces me to books I would otherwise miss. If you're reading Dickens (my All Time Fav author) you have to read Tale of Two Cities. I've read it at least six times and it is my NUMBER-ONE-ALL-TIME-FAVORITE book. That's saying a lot because I read about 50-75 books a year.
Also- I was absolutely gutted when I read Jude the Obscure. If you're looking for more Hardy that isn't quite a depressing as Tess and Jude, Far From the Madding Crowd is brilliant.
I'll have to pick up London Fields- thanks for the tip! Happy New Year!!
I agree about A Tale of Two Cities. I haven’t read it as many times as you have, but it is one of my go to re-reads. Cams, add this one to your to-do list!
I might just need to swap out David Copperfield for A Tale of Two Cities after these two recommendations!
Piranesi was my second favourite. Great book.
What was your first favourite?
I who have never known men, by Jacqueline Harpman. Have you read it? If you liked Piranesi, you’d love the Harpman
Interesting. I DNFed that in 2023. Maybe I was just in the wrong frame of mind. I should give it another try, seeing as it was your favourite book of the year.
I can understand how you could get off on the wrong foot with either book to be honest. The space is for interpretation in both are huge, and the missing information and plot can feel like too much open space. But if you hit it with the right frame of mind, I’m sure you’ll love it. My synapses were firing off all over the place.