Welcome back to another Open Book Blog Hop!

Today’s topic is: What’s the best book you’ve read this year?

And remember to visit my fellow writers to see what they have come up with. You can find their works here!

This one is a tough one, as I’ve read a few absolute blinders this year! I think I’m just going to check off a few of my highlights as picking one is going to be tough.

The War of the Worlds is definitely up near the top for me. I’ve loved the Jeff Wayne musical of this classic sci-fi tale for many years. But I’ve never actually read it. I decided this year I needed to start reading some classics in genres I enjoy, and this was the first. And what a brilliant read it was. The tale is amazing, and the writing so perfect. I’ll not lie – I can see it being a challenge for many given its very Victorian style of writing. That said, I’ve read A Christmas Carol every year now for quite a few years and am fairly comfortable with that, so this wasn’t an issue. I certainly want to try more H.G. Wells in the future.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas makes the list as well. Earlier this year, I visited Krakow. While there, we visited Auschwitz. These two sites left a mark on me. I’ve been to another camp in Germany before, but Auschwitz was another level. It kind of made this book a must-read for me. And it didn’t disappoint. Told from the perspective of two children – one the son of the camp commandant and the other a prisoner of the camp – the story is poignant and harrowing. It’s a wonderful if heart breaking tale.

The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries is the third book on my list, and it’s actually the book I’m currently reading. It’s jam-packed with over 100 short stories set around Christmas in the mystery genre. It opens with a wonderful, fun Hercule Poirot number from Agatha Christie, which is still my favourite tale so far. Naturally, some stories are better than others but overall, the book is a brilliant read heading into the Christmas season!