Hugo & Nebula Awards: Best Novels discussion

Inspired by the recent news post on Goodreads, I want to pose this question to you:

What were your three favourite books you read this year?

Here are my top 3 (general):

1) Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter (my review)
2) Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card (my review)
3) Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen

and my top 3 Hugo/Nebula only (unsurprisingly they're all winners):

1) Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
2) Dune by Frank Herbert
3) Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (my review/thoughts)

To pick only three... it's a lot tougher than I thought :) Try it! What are yours?

This sounds like fun, if also rather hard!

Top 3 books:
FIRST PLACE: Alastalon salissa by Volter Kilpi. A surprise winner! This is a book that has been voted many times as a best Finnish novel: it also has a reputation of being really hard, like Joyce's Ulysses or something. It tells a story of a group of moderately wealthy landowners in the 1860's who decide to finance the building of a barque (a ship with three masts) together. The story progresses extremely slowly: the book is 900 pages long and it tells about the events of a six-hour period. Most of the novel is stream-of-consciousness of different characters. The main attraction of the novel is the masterful use of language. Kilpi uses lots of obscure words and mixes them into a flow of sentences where the same idea is repeated many times but always in a different way. It is almost hypnotic. It's too bad basically none of you can read the book, since I don't expect many of you read Finnish: you're missing a treat.

SECOND PLACE: Dune. It's simply great. My review.

THIRD PLACE: Educated by Tara Westover. A nigh-unbelievable autobiography about growing up in a survivalist/fundamentalist family where going to the doctor or attending school was forbidden, since all "Feds" were agents of Illuminati and/or Satan. Her whole family was very messed up - but Westover doesn't weave a tragic tale of a horrible childhood. Quite the opposite: she tells all the craziest things matter-of-factly, like it was just another normal event in a normal childhood. Because that's the thing: when you're a child, you always think your environment as "normal". When Westover grew up, she managed to attend college, but managing to live in a regular society proved to be pretty difficult after a childhood like that. My full review.


No non-fiction: what a surprise! It was a close call, though: #4 and #5 would've been non-fic.

My top-3 non-fic:
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End. A book about old age and death - subjects most of us usually avoid thinking, but shouldn't. My review.
Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise. If you want to be really good at something, do you need lots of talent? Ericsson says emphatically "no": what you need is deliberate practice, lots of it. My review.
A Splendid Exchange: How Trade Shaped the World from Prehistory to Today. A history of world trade from Sumer to Seattle, in 400 pages! My review.


My top 3 Hugo/Nebula books this year:
Dune
Embassytown. Read for Author's Birthday Challenge. Very good linguistic sci-fi: if you enjoyed Babel-17, you'll enjoy Embassytown. My review.
The Handmaid's Tale. The classic dystopia is a classic for a reason. My review.

My top 3 books are (checking the list):
The Quantum Thief - a second generation cyberpunk, even if 'classic' cyberpunk is hit or miss for me, this one worked even if other reviewers, in whose views I am interested say it is both too secondary and too complicated.

Exhalation: Stories - a great collection of stories

The Mere Wife - a very interesting re-telling of Beowulf, it is essential to know the plot of the original to appreciate this book, which otherwise would have been an average read

Children of Time and Children of Ruin - great books with modern prose and classical SF vibe.

It is already 4 (or 5) and there are still more I want to add.
---------
my top 3 Hugo/Nebula only
Flowers for Algernon
Dying Inside
The Lathe of Heaven

I couldn't believe Children of Time didn't make it into my top-3, but there you go. It didn't even make it to Top Five: it was #6 on my list. And this is a book I was raving about when I read it! But there were five even better books, so what can you do.

I envy you that you can boil it down to top three. I had the great fortune to read this year quite some books that impressed me for various reasons. I couldn't say which three especially stood out.

Sarah: picking Speaker for the Dead over Dune is a bold choice! But yeah, SftD is great, IMO even better than Ender.

Agreed, I've always loved Speaker for the Dead, as well.

There's another thread that we posted the last two years that has a broader spectrum of questions; I'll repost.

My top three of the year:
1 - The Curse of Chalion, better than double-winner Paladin of Souls IMHO
2 - The Healer's War, maybe because it's fresh, but I thought it was really good
3 - Embassytown, China Mieville is a fascinating author

Runners Up: Dying Inside, Startide Rising, Uprooted by Naomi Novik, The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher, Deepsix by Jack McDevitt.

I don’t like ranking things if I can help it, but the 3 books that surprised me and captured my imagination and heart the most this year were (in alphabetical order by title):

Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh
Perdido Street Station by China Miéville
Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer

All are also books that I can easily see others bouncing off of or even hating, but I found them all to be richly imagined, deeply humane, boldly written, and unforgettable, each in their own way.

Stop it! The year is NOT over!

Yeah I don’t like ranking things either so I’ll do it when I get home and go on my lap top.

I’m on my phone and I can’t add book links and covers from my phone.

I cannot even remember what books I read this year, much less rank them. Sorry!

Scott, by "*looks around*" I assume you have hard copies of books. Me, I don't. I guess I could do down the list of the things on my GR "my books" list, but that is not necessarily all of them, anyway.

If you use Kindle: I just made a "collection" titled "read in 2019" (and so on) so that I just need to drag a book into it when I'm done. I use kindle collections a lot to keep some order in the haystack that is my kindle library.

These may still change since the year isn't over, but so far, my three favorite reads in 2019 were:



My three favorite Hugo/Nebula winners were:

@ev... I didn’t know you could do that on kindle!

Eva, yeah! for "Starsight"!

I went through my 2019 list and there are around 20 books that would fit the "top three" category ... so no hope there.

But on my Hugo list there are few 5stars, so for this year's read Hugo winners it is

1. The Three-Body Problem
2. All Clear
3. Green Mars

I'm not big on ranking things either, but interested to take a look back to what might stick out most (of SFF). Perhaps a bit frustratingly*, these three greats might hog the top billings:

Walking to Aldebaran
Green Mars
Too Like the Lightning

*because there are also (at least) the most heartwarming The Martian Child, the LeGuin essays and blog posts of No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters, and the non-SFF My Brother and His Brother, which all spoke to me in their own distinct ways.

I can name series: the passage trilogy, the dark tower series and then I’ll throw in the troop by nick cutter.

Gabi wrote: "
I went through my 2019 list and there are around 20 books that would fit the "top three" category ... so no hope there."

I had a similar problem... actually thought of an app which gets your book list and then gives from it two books at random asking which is better. This, after many interactions allows for the ranking of the list

I was thinking about a book-for-book comparison, Oleksandr, but even within the same sub-genre it is difficult for me to say what's better since various books speak to completely different aspects of myself and I can't say which aspect has priority.

Antti wrote: "No non-fiction: what a surprise!"
Isn't Educated non-fiction? You're just adding to my reasons to finally read it. However I'm not a big non-fic book reader; I just realised that the only non-fic book I finished this year got 1 star and a damning review.

Antti wrote: "picking Speaker for the Dead over Dune is a bold choice! But yeah, SftD is great, IMO even better than Ender."
Dune was fascinating for many reasons, but Speaker made my heart ache. It was a real surprise for me too.

Also I should really get into the habit of reviewing more books. It's so helpful after a year to collect my thoughts from the page instead of my head.

I'm loving seeing everyone's top picks (even though Dying Inside made it onto two of them... ;) ) Keep them coming!

Anthony wrote: "I don’t like ranking things if I can help it"
It is pretty arbitrary, I will admit. But it's a nice way to digest everyone else's likes and not have to add dozens of books to be to-read pile! I have enjoyed reading your reviews over the past few months, Anthony, but you have a way with words that makes me want to read everything you review.

Kateblue wrote: "I cannot even remember what books I read this year, much less rank them. Sorry!"

Sorry for the triple-post, but if you look at your book stats and click 'Details' on the 2019 row you can get a visual of all the books you've rated on GR this year.

You can also check your shelf for anything with "date added" from 2019, but that includes books you may have read in the past and, as you said, may not include everything.

Sarah wrote: "I'm loving seeing everyone's top picks (even though Dying Inside made it onto two of them... ;) "

When I think about it I guess the value of Dying Inside is the reverse of superpowers story - we much more live on his 'inside' than see how he does marvels 'outside'. And the fact that inside he is a whiny self-hater is once again the reverse of a glorious pure hearted hero

Still no hope on the SF front (in my defense, I had a book devouring year and read around 250 novels), but I managed to boil down my Fantasy:

1.) Words of Radiance; this series redefines "epic" with its intelligent, massive worldbuilding.
2.) Thief of Time; I re-read this philosophical alltime favourite again this year
3a.) Spiderlight; a total positive surprise in the D&D genre that tackles the ethical questions about your usual light-against-dark quest in a bordering on silly humorous way
3b.) The Devourers; a brutal, soulsearching and still utterly beautiful novel in the broader werewolf lore.

I know, it's 4 books ... I just can't decide which one to throw out of the top three.

Gabi wrote: "
1.) Words of Radiance; this series red..."

I want to read it but the number of pages... it is like 3 other novels

Oleksandr wrote: "Gabi wrote: "
1.) Words of Radiance; this series red..."

I want to read it but the number of pages... it is like 3 other novels"

;) - I don't dare to say it loud, but I've read all three volumes twice this year (audiobooks in this case) ... over 6000 pages of my total GR pagecount belong to the Stormlight Archive. Somehow I've fallen in love with this series.

Yes, I see it like this: I can spend money for 3 novels, or I can one buy one and get the same amount of enjoyment. You've got to see this as "currency unit per page" and you'll see it's a great bargain. And if you reread it like Gabi does, it's an even better deal: the enjoyment of 18 novels for the price of 3! (I think my Souabian upbringing is showing.)

Eva wrote: "Yes, I see it like this: I can spend money for 3 novels, or I can one buy one and get the same amount of enjoyment."

And if you borrow it from a library that [a] waiting period is longer and [b] you have to rush it to return in time :)

Lol, don't be silly, with Sanderson novels, you just inhale them and they're gone (especially if they're audiobooks) and then you tell yourself that next time, you'll savor them, reading slowly, but that never happens.

I'm still figuring this out over the next couple weeks, but here are two preliminary "top 3" lists, separated by H/N books and then non-fiction, because combining the lists is too difficult for me.

The Hugo/Nebula nominee/winner list

1. Green Mars
2. Hyperion
3. Saga, Vol. 1 -- plus vols. 2-5, which I've read over the year and universally loved.
(4) Runner up: Exhalation: Stories -- I haven't finished it yet but it's incredible.

Nonfiction:

1. The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism
2. The Inner Tradition of Yoga: A Guide to Yoga Philosophy for the Contemporary Practitioner
3. Memory Serves

Sarah wrote: "Isn't Educated non-fiction?"

Technically yes, since it's a autobiography, but since the whole book is written in narrative format and the author admits that some parts are just based on her memories of events that may not be completely faithful to reality, it feels much more like a roman à clef.

OK, today I say these three


And now search is temporarily unavailable, so I cannot put the others

Cyteen
and
A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, plus the two that follow


See, the fact that the search won't work is proof that I wasn't supposed to do this

Also, Ready Player One
And Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews
And The Dogs of War
And Murderbot as a whole is one great novel
And Recursion did not appear on my list, though I read it.
And the three Wayward Pines books together make a great novel
And Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore

BTW, Cyteen is a book I NEVER would have continued reading if it weren't for this group. It was a monthly choice, I hated the beginning (politics!), but I felt I had to continue because I get through few of our choices or else I have already read them.

And look! It made my top three

So thanks!

Some of my favorite SF/F fiction so far includes:

Who Fears Death, read with y'all.

Cthulhu 2000 I started this just to read the story 24 Views of Mt. Fuji, by Hokusai, but I liked almost every story in here, and I don't even like Lovecraft!

The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein. I've read little by him before. It was a treat to see the variety of styles and themes.

I use a Reading Challenge not only to set goals, but to see all the books I've read for the year in order.

I read Red Mars a long time ago & followed it a few years later with Green Mars. I still have not read Blue Mars and would like to finish it next year. I like KSR, but his books are pretty daunting, even if great.

Allan wrote: "I read Red Mars a long time ago & followed it a few years later with Green Mars. I still have not read Blue Mars and would like to finish it next year. I like KSR, but his books are pretty daunting..."

There is a BR of Blue Mars in another group, starting Dec 27 and I plan to join

My 3 top Hugo/Nebula winners that I read in 2019 would be:
The Fifth Season together with the rest of the Broken Earth trilogy - because it felt fresh, and special, and new
The Calculating Stars - because it touched so many important issues in just the right way, and managed to be an exciting story at the same time
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - because it amazed me how full the story was and how it read as a truly historical novel, despite the fact that it was about magicians

For the general top 3 list: just replace "Jonathan Strange..." with Gideon the Ninth. Because every time I reached for this book, I felt completely submerged in that world.

Kateblue wrote: "BTW, Cyteen is a book I NEVER would have continued reading if it weren't for this group. [...] And look! It made my top three. So thanks!"

That's awesome! This group has also shaped what I read this year, and what I'll be reading for years to come, so thanks everyone for being part of this lovely community dedicated to amazing Sci-Fi :)


Ed wrote: "Some of my favorite SF/F fiction so far includes: Who Fears Death, read with y'all."

I loved this one too! It didn't make my top 3 because I read some of the big boys this year, but it was an enjoyable read nonetheless. I don't think I could have read without you guys (which is the reason I nominated it!)

Also you're right, the year is NOT over, and I still have to work out how to finish 3 books within 11 days to make my goodreads goal.

Banshee wrote: "For the general top 3 list: just replace "Jonathan Strange..." with Gideon the Ninth. Because every time I reached for this book, I felt completely submerged in that world."

I'm glad to hear it because previously I've read discouraging reviews and planned to skip it

If anyone needs a very short work to complete their goals before the end of the year, may I recommend:

Galatea by Madeline Miller (author of Circe) - 20 pages
Wool by Hugh Howey - 58 pages
The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate by Ted Chiang - 60 pages

All of them can be bought separately as ebooks and are definitely the 3 best short stories / novelettes I've read recently. The latter is also contained in Exhalation: Stories.

This way you can fulfill your number commitment and after finishing them, you can still read the rest of your books this year but without added stress and time-constraint.

Eva wrote: "If anyone needs a very short work to complete their goals before the end of the year, may I recommend..."

And I'd add Silver in the Wood by new author Emily Tesh. It was a joy to read. It is Fantasy with a little gay male romance.

I should get Gidion the Ninth from the library any day now, Z. I will be putting it at the top of the list

What is Gideon the Ninth? From the description, it sounds like tongue-in-cheek YA. That could still be good, just trying to characterize it.

It's adult science fiction with fantasy elements (necromancy).

Allan wrote: "What is Gideon the Ninth? From the description, it sounds like tongue-in-cheek YA. That could still be good, just trying to characterize it."

Depends on who you ask :D. I found it with an immature prose, a heroine who is cursing all the time (I guess this is supposed to be cool - got extremely on my nerves) and a plot you have to search for among all the folks insulting each other trying to be even cooler. It is among the top three worst books that I read this year.

If you ask the majority, it is a raving fun and fantastic novel.

ETA: just seen Eva's post - imho this is no SF.

Thank you both - that gives me a couple sides of it.

Well, it's usually shelved under SF and was also in the running for the 2019 Goodreads Choice award in the SF category (it won third place). But Goodreads doesn't always get it right.

I haven't read it myself, but it does seem to be a bit like marmite in terms of people either loving it like crazy, or really, really hating it.