Anonymous wrote:

The NPR list is my least favorite due to the breadth. It feels like they didn’t do any culling.

I agree wholeheartedly. I read a lot and this year focused mostly on new releases and it just seems like this list is any book released this year that came with a morsel of good marketing.

I also find the filters overwrought and unhelpful. I'd like to start by dividing the list into fiction and nonfiction and you can't. I've read 46 of the books on the list and I read about 98% fiction, mostly literary fiction. While I agree with a few of the choices, there are at least 3 that are among the worst books I read this year. While reading is obviously intensely subjective, when there are so many people choosing the list, there is no cohesion.

Anonymous wrote:2024 is out! And you can see all the previous ones there as well going back to 2013.

What makes the NPR list different is that each year is not just the repetive top 10 from one or two book critics but 350+ books recommended across many genres from a lot of people at NPR (throughout the newsroom and beyond). Which means that on this link there are close to 4,000 books recommended from the last 11 years. This is a great place to find great books beyond the best seller list.

Anyway, I’ve filled my library card and holds shelf, and wanted to invite y’all to do it too.

https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2024

The NPR list is my least favorite due to the breadth. It feels like they didn’t do any culling.

2024 is out! And you can see all the previous ones there as well going back to 2013.

What makes the NPR list different is that each year is not just the repetive top 10 from one or two book critics but 350+ books recommended across many genres from a lot of people at NPR (throughout the newsroom and beyond). Which means that on this link there are close to 4,000 books recommended from the last 11 years. This is a great place to find great books beyond the best seller list.

Anyway, I’ve filled my library card and holds shelf, and wanted to invite y’all to do it too.

https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2024

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think people who read a lot don't rely heavily on these lists. I know I don't. But they come out towards the end of the year in order to assist people who are looking for gifts.

I get the feeling you think relying on lists like this is the mark of a non-serious reader.

I read a lot and am always glad for new ideas, partly because I often don’t like recommendations from random people. Lists like this are more vetted - and I also appreciate the breaking down into genres.

-OP

+1

Thanks for the link, OP. I’m also a big reader, and I enjoy keeping up on new releases, book reviews, author interviews etc throughout the year. (Reading about books is as much of an interest for me as actually reading them. Lol)

Even so, it seems that the year-end lists have a way of highlighting an interesting book or two each year that I missed along the way. (For example, I just added two more to my reading list: Checkout 19, by Claire-Louise Bennett, and Mecca, by Susan Straight. One was on the NYT “best of 2022” list and one was on the WP list. Never heard of either, but they both look interesting …. )

Anonymous wrote:I think people who read a lot don't rely heavily on these lists. I know I don't. But they come out towards the end of the year in order to assist people who are looking for gifts.

I get the feeling you think relying on lists like this is the mark of a non-serious reader.

I read a lot and am always glad for new ideas, partly because I often don’t like recommendations from random people. Lists like this are more vetted - and I also appreciate the breaking down into genres.

-OP

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think people who read a lot don't rely heavily on these lists. I know I don't. But they come out towards the end of the year in order to assist people who are looking for gifts.

I read a lot and still look at the lists. I look for books that make it onto multiple lists. I also prefer the lists where individual reviewers state their favorites for the year; that way I have a better sense of whether I might find the book worthwhile.

I find that books other people consider worthwhile are not always the same as those I think are.

True that. People rave over books that sound tedious to me. That said, I enjoy perusing the lists. And I do think they’re good for gift ideas!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think people who read a lot don't rely heavily on these lists. I know I don't. But they come out towards the end of the year in order to assist people who are looking for gifts.

I read a lot and still look at the lists. I look for books that make it onto multiple lists. I also prefer the lists where individual reviewers state their favorites for the year; that way I have a better sense of whether I might find the book worthwhile.

I find that books other people consider worthwhile are not always the same as those I think are.

Anonymous wrote:I think people who read a lot don't rely heavily on these lists. I know I don't. But they come out towards the end of the year in order to assist people who are looking for gifts.

I read a lot and still look at the lists. I look for books that make it onto multiple lists. I also prefer the lists where individual reviewers state their favorites for the year; that way I have a better sense of whether I might find the book worthwhile.

I think people who read a lot don't rely heavily on these lists. I know I don't. But they come out towards the end of the year in order to assist people who are looking for gifts.

For those looking for something new to read, NPR has a great list here: https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2022

Even better, you can narrow it down by genre, and you can select multiple filters for very specific kinds of books. I'm excited to go through this!