Top Five Friday: The Best Books of 2018

[@stacielara9856]

I really enjoy your opinions. You’ve made me think outside the box in choosing books to read.

[@daveedmunds1109]

Just started listening to you. Love your reviews and top fives involving horror novels. Very knowledgeable and articulate. Thanks!

[@richardgerlach515]

5. Providence by Caroline Kepnes 4. The Outsider by Stephen King 3. The Indifference Of Heaven by Michael Allen Rose 2. Corpsepaint by David Peak 1. Coyote Songs by Gabino Iglesias

[@LandonA]

4. The Mere Wife 3. The Reckoning 2. The Bedding of Boys 1. The Outsider I only have 4 cause I didn't really read a ton of 2018 books this year haha.

[@EdwardLorn]

That makes snse. It's the only way BEDDING would end up on a best of list 😂🤣

[@LandonA]

@@EdwardLorn Why did I know you were gonna say that haha. No, it's because your a damn good writer, E, I can't tell you that enough haha.

[@EdwardLorn]

WEIRDO!

[@LandonA]

@@EdwardLorn call me what you want, I will stand by my opinion lol, I always do.

[@EdwardLorn]

That I can respect 😉

[@EndangeredMooseknuckle]

"Life is not right or wrong".. Absolutely.

[@glenkrisch4844]

The problem with The Outsider is that the thriller set up was so intriguing in that he painted himself into a corner. One layer of progressive complication was layered on the previous. Then, in the second half he pulled his punches by bringing in the supernatural. Not only that, but it was revealed through a string of coincidences. It felt like a rushed "gotta tack on an ending" sort of ending. Getting the character out of that corner without falling back on the supernatural would've been a story to behold.

[@EdwardLorn]

But there would've been no corner to get out of without the original supernatural dilemma of same guy, two places. Couldn't have been anything else, in my opinion. Same blood type, same description...how do you explain that without the supernatural?

[@glenkrisch4844]

@@EdwardLorn That's my point. If you can't write yourself out of that kind of corner without a cop out, then you don't write it. If you do, a lot of readers are going to call you on that b.s. The beginning "thriller" elements (the characters, the plot set-up, etc) were classic King. And, also, he decided to bring in Holly, one of the most annoying of King's creations.

[@EdwardLorn]

One man's copout is another's well laid plan.

[@EdwardLorn]

Also, if you dislike Holly, you'd hate me in real life. She's basically a gender-swap me.

[@madeline5072]

Have you read anything by Brandon Sanderson? He’s my favorite author. He writes mostly epic fantasy but his books are amazing and I didn’t read epic fantasy but he got me into it. Robin Hobb is also great.

[@EdwardLorn]

I've tried. I really, really tired. I read his superhero books and liked them all right, but his fantasy just isn't for me.

[@mayorofrlyeh8042]

He is an extremely formulaic writer. If you have seen his writing lectures you can recognize his tropes so easily that I can hardly read his stuff despite the interesting premises he implements. I only stuff I really liked by Sanderson where the "Legion" novellas.

[@EdwardLorn]

Yeah, Sanderson is your everyday word mill.

[@codytidwell5086]

Great list, E. Here’s mine: 5. Blue Rose Trilogy, Peter Straub 4. Edge of Dark Water, Joe R Lansdale 3. The Auctioneer, Joan Samson 2. Because It Is Bitter & Because It Is My Heart, Joyce Carol Oates 1. The Female Persuasion, Meg Wolitzer

[@LiteraryRetreat]

An interesting Top 5. I haven't read any of them though I'm not surprised as I read less books than usual in 2018. My top 5: 5. Body of Christ by Mark Matthews 4. Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh 3. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. 2. Red Birds by Mohammed Hanif. 1. Solo by William Boyd (it's now my favorite James Bond novel of all time).

[@tracyrobinson8668]

Top 5 Novels: 1. Coyote Songs - Gabino Iglesias 2. Creature - Hunter Shea 3. The Rust Maidens - Gwendolyn Kiste 4. The Outsider - Stephen King 5. The Line That Held Us - David Joy 6. I'll Be Gone in the Dark - Michelle McNamara 7. The Girl Next Door - Jack Ketchum 8. Kin - Kealan Patrick Burke oh....well that looks like 5 to me LOL

[@Darkfacts2080]

5. American Gods by Neil Gaiman 4. The Hunger by Alma Katsu 3. The Listener by Robert McCammon 2. Blackwater (complete edition) by Michael McDowell 1. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (This was Fantastic)

[@Zozette27]

Renato Rodriguez - I love American Gods. It is one of my 5 top reads of all time.

[@Darkfacts2080]

@@Zozette27 i really enjoyed it. The only thing i disliked a little bit is the randomness of the story in certain parts. This seems to be a Neil Gaiman thing, since he did it also in Stardust, the only other book of his i have read.

[@Zozette27]

Renato Rodriguez - You should read ‘Anansi Boys’ which is set in the same universe as American Gods.

[@Darkfacts2080]

@@Zozette27 it's on my TBR list. Thank you!

[@lariat1980]

Would you recommend Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil?

[@EdwardLorn]

I enjoyed it. Really good nonfiction novel.

[@alynam82]

Great video of top 5 books! I'm right there with ya on how much fun The Outsider was, and I enjoyed the book as a whole, even after King switched gears--which I believe is why others turn their nose up at it. I guess folks think they're headed in a certain direction in a story, and they may even set some expectations once the ball gets rolling, and once King reveals to the audience that there are supernatural forces at work, it shattered those expectations. I guess it depends on the reader, and/or how much they like surprises. I fell into that category when reading End of Watch, I'll admit.

[@blugilliand7561]

My five favorite reads this year, in no particular order: The Listener by Robert McCammon The Outsider by Stephen King The Heavenly Table by Donald Ray Pollock Stirring the Sheets by Chad Lutzke The Line That Held Us by David Joy

[@chadlutzke5509]

Sorry to eavesdrop...but thanks so much, Blu!

[@EdwardLorn]

It's not eavesdropping when it's in the comments section 😉

[@EdwardLorn]

STIRRNG would've been on a top ten for sure.

[@angiestone2818]

I am reading the book jar of hearts by Jennifer Hillier. She is gonna be one of my very favorites authors. I loved the outsider. It was great all of it was. I am gonna get our kind of crutley soon i hope and then other book you talked about the Caroline book. All sound like awesome reads. Always enjoy your videos. Have a merry Christmas and a happy new year!!!

[@Zozette27]

My five favourite reads of this year are The Hearing Trumpet - Leonora Carrington Some Kind of Fairy Tale - Graham Joyce 12 Collections and the Teashop - Zoran Zivkovic (short stories) The Magpie Murders - Anthony Horowitz The Singularity Trap - Dennis E Taylor. My favourite non-fiction read was ‘The Surreal Life of Leonora Carrington’ by Joanna Moorhead.

[@ronfezzington7668]

I spent months trying to convince a friend that the outsider was a king classic, they flat out refuse to accept it, I've since read the book again and still feel I'm not far off, King shines through in the 2nd half and yet people can't see it, it's like you say, he's maybe conditioned his readers with 3 or 4 books that feel so unKing comparatively when looking at his early stuff.

[@EdwardLorn]

I can't imagine it being anything else. Classic King is right.

[@bengrayson214]

How was Castlerock?

[@EdwardLorn]

Convoluted, confusing, and at times incomprehensible.

[@randharma]

There are so many books and I have so many unread now, that reviews are important to me, thanks.

[@JoanieMaeZie]

I’m surprised you had such an issue with Elevation but liked Our Kind of Cruelty so much. I felt like OKC sacrificed story to make points. I had issues with Elevation, but thought it was overall more enjoyable than OKC. I totally agree about The Outsider! So excited you liked Providence so much! I’m hoping to get to it soon.

[@EdwardLorn]

SPOILERS FOR OUR KIND OF CRUELTY BELOW OKoC is the story that stuck with me the longest this year. The way it confused me and tricked me into rooting for the bad guy was disturbing. In YOU you're suppose to feel sympathy and root for Joe, at least I feel that way, but in OKoC, you weren't supposed to, and that was, in my opinion, a fantastic twist. The story affected me greatly and made me rethink how I see books like YOU. It balanced the genre for me. It's a perfect response to the-victim-is-the-bad-guy trope. ELEVATION was tone-deaf propaganda, even if I do agree with King's politics.

[@JoanieMaeZie]

Edward Lorn Agree to disagree I guess 🙂

[@EdwardLorn]

Yup 😁

[@tracyrobinson8668]

YES thank you for shouting out the second half of The Outsider!!

[@stevetrowbridge7425]

I thought "The Outsider" was a real good book through and through. And a VERY welcome return after "Sleeping Beauties." Just too bad that he followed that up with "Elevation." As far as my top 5 of 2018, it would probably be more like top 4: 1. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken 2. The girl who loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King 3. The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice 4. The Outsider by Stephen King (two King novels this year). Only 4 because I felt that everything else I read didn't warrant being on the list. None that they were bad, just not on par with those 4.

[@mitchellwilliams2491]

Thought Creature was going to make the top 5. Nice list I need to pick some of these up

[@EdwardLorn]

Best horror novel, but nowhere near the best I read this year. I was going to do a breakdown by genre but I just didn't have time.

[@pritammajumder7149]

Happy holidays

[@juanmanuelameriso3811]

Really loved The Outsider´s Audiobook

[@thefussyfox1861]

I really enjoyed the video-a few of these books actually made my Christmas List, haha. As for some of my favorites (in no particular order): -Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson: This is Winterson's memoir of growing up in her adoptive home with her poor, evangelical parents that abused her, especially after the realization that she is gay. This book is beautiful, and full of nuance in its portrayal of the characters. Winterson doesn't excuse her parents, but she does attempt to understand them, and it leads to a very human portrayal of some very odd people. -I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O'Farrell: This was a year of memoir for me! This one was interesting in that it is told in memories of seventeen "near death experiences" that Nelson had. Some of the near death experiences are more literal than others; one may involve an accident, or a severe illness, but others focus on things that O'Farrell was certain would kill her like her miscarriages. -Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo: This is a novel about a Nigerian couple that find they are unable to conceive children. At his family's insistence the husband takes a second wife, and his relationship with his first wife is really put to the test. A story about family, tradition and expectation, the stories we tell ourselves, and how lies can destroy us. -Un Lun Dun by China Mieville: I'm not sure you would enjoy this one, because it's an urban fantasy middle grade novel, but this is honestly one of the most unique middle grades I've come across in a while. The way this story deals with conventional tropes and serious issues (not in very subtle ways mind you but it is geared towards children) really surprised me, and the world felt very Gaimanesque. -The Summer That Everything Melted by Tiffany McDaniel: I think you've read this one? It was beautiful.

[@mayorofrlyeh8042]

Some interesting picks, Murakami is currently on my night stand. Will definitely give "Gun Love" a try. Sounds interesting and I am glad to hear, that it does not try to push a narrative and leaves the reader to make up their own minds about things. Way too much fiction has been hijacked for agressive social commentary and pushing agendas these days if you ask me. As for my top 5 reads in 2018 (not all released in 2018 since I simply can't keep up with my TBR-pile, but all rather recent releases): 1. Jon Bassoff - The Blade This Time 2. Adrian Tchaikovsky - Dogs of War 3. Ben H. Winters - Underground Airlines 4. Andy Davidson - In The Valley of the Sun 5. C.V. Hunt - We Did Everything Wrong 6. Glen Cook - Port of Shadows Woops, that turned out to be six ;o) Honourable mentions in terms of older books/classics read this year: 1. Herman Hesse - Steppenwolf 2. William Gibson - Neuromancer 3. Jack Ketchum - The Girl Next Door

[@chadlutzke5509]

"I'm horrible at remembering character names." Names all the characters from the other books...LOL... On a serious note, I'll be putting together a top 10 in the next week or so. Once I finish a few books I'm reading now. Will post it on Twitter.

[@EdwardLorn]

Looking forward to it! 😁

[@wahtusy3519]

I dunno man.. The Outsider is a little bit anti climatic.. but definitely better than Sleeping Beauties

[@susanburgess820]

Oh darn it e, i need your email again. Good grief!🤯

[@EdwardLorn]

[e-mail]

[@susanburgess820]

🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡