The Shell Seekers was a long book, but I really enjoyed it. (It’s a good thing I own it because I was also reading other titles for book clubs, would have been overdue at the library.)
LOL - There were topics that would intersect with many of our various Parent Cafe threads.
One of my all time favorite books.
Two more best books of the year lists. I’ve read exactly zero, LOL.
Slate book critic Laura Miller named her 10 Best Books of the year:
The Barn, by Wright Thompson
Cher, by Cher
Great Expectations, by Vinson Cunningham
I Heard Her Call My Name, by Lucy Sante
Knife, by Salman Rushdie
Martyr!, by Kaveh Akbar
The Ministry of Time, by Kaliane Bradley
Our Evenings, by Alan Hollinghurst
This Strange Eventful History, by Claire Messud
When the Clock Broke, by John Ganz
Books editor Dan Kois’ top ten:
All Fours, by Miranda July
The Fair Folk, by Su Bristow
Finding a Likeness, by Nicholson Baker
Glorious Exploits, by Ferdia Lennon
Hum, by Helen Phillips
The Long Run, by Stacey D’Erasmo
The Material, by Camille Bordas
Paradise Bronx, by Ian Frazier
Practice, by Rosalind Brown
The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain, by Sofia Samatar
Same here.
Zip. Zero. Nada.
The NY Times, and many others, publish annual best books lists. NYT lists the 10 best books and then 100 notables each year.
The other list was a one-off of the best books this century so far.
Two from the first Slate list, none from the second. But I am a big Dan Kois fan, so I will look into the books he listed. Thanks for the info!
I’ve read only The Ministry of Time. I enjoyed it a lot.
Largeheartedboy gathers all the “best of” book lists each year here:
Did you read Dan Kois’ novel, Vintage Contemporaries? I loved it. He hit all of my sweet spots: NYC in the 90s, friendship, love, publishing, and an homage to Laurie Colwin.
I did! Loved it! It also mentions the kids’ book “Hippos Go Berserk” which my grandkids adore, and about a year ago I ran into Kois on social media somewhere and mentioned this, and he answered me that he was so pleased someone had noticed that book because his child loved it.
I’ve read two books on the list: James by Percival Everett and Clare Massoud’s The Strage Eventful History. I’ve read all of Massoud’s books.
I just started reading Danzy Senna Colored Television a few days ago. (She is married to Percival Everett.)
I have a copy of Katherine Bucknell’s book Christopher Isherwood Inside Out. I met the author at a bookstore where we have our vacation place and bought her book. It’s been sitting on my bookshelf.
I’ve read one! I read Rushdie’s Knife. It’s all about the attack on him.
Barack Obama: “I always look forward to sharing my annual list of favorite books, movies, and music. Today I’ll start by sharing some of the books that have stuck with me long after I finished reading them.
Check them out this holiday season, preferably at an independent bookstore or library!”
I love the last line! 
I keep seeing Intermezzo being mentioned. Need to add it to my list I guess.
I just finished Sapiens (Yuval Noah Harari) on audiobook. It was really good. I’ve discovered I do well with audiobooks and long non fiction. I can’t do fiction audiobooks, and as much as I enjoy a particular non fiction book I often …never quite make it to the end if it is a really long tome. So having the audiobooks on my lengthy commutes works well.
Our bookclub read Intermezzo and the majority of us hated it - it was a very heated discussion between the likes and the dislikes. If you look up reviews, they seem to fall along the same lines - very mixed. This may be the 1st time I have disagreed with former President Obama 
Ok… I have to admit I wasn’t totally taken by the description. However it’s many weeks of waiting on the library waitlist so I’ll see how the mood takes me when I get it out!
I’m not a fan of Sally Rooney, so I will pass.
I was the only person in my book club who liked her previous book, Beautiful World, Where Are You? A good friend who is a professional book critic and is my go-to for book recommendations told me not to bother with this one. I’m so behind in my reading, I was happy to take a pass.
I started it. Couldn’t finish it.
I personally really liked Intermezzo, but I liked Normal People by Sally Rooney as well. She does a great job of showing the interior workings of her characters. The only complaint I would have is that her female characters are almost saint-like, in my opinion, in Intermezzo. But it does a good job of playing out messy family dynamics.
