We’re shared our 30 most anticipated books of 2012 and told you about the most buzzed-about debuts of 2012 (parts one and two).
Now we’ve tallied up your top books of the year, based on number of pageviews on BookPage.com.
Here are the top 20 books of 2012 (so far!). Which ones are your favorites? Which ones do you most want to read? What’s missing from this list? Let us know in the comments.
1. Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult
“Lone Wolf has much to say about families—both human and animal—and the love, resentment and desperation that come into play during one human family’s time of trouble.” —Arlene McKanic, March 2012
2. The Fault In Our Stars
by John Green
“Sixteen-year-old Hazel Lancaster is the narrator, and the heart, of The Fault in Our Stars. Diagnosed with incurable thyroid cancer at age 13, Hazel left school, but got her GED and now attends community college. She gets around all right, oxygen tank in tow—and dreads going to a weekly support group.” —Linda M. Castellitto, January 2012
3. The Night Swimmer by Matt Bondurant
“The Night Swimmer is about a young American couple who move to Ireland and open a pub in a small coastal village outside of Cork. But Matt Bondurant’s suspenseful third novel is more Hitchcock than A Year in Provence . . . it tells a familiar, almost archetypal story of an outsider trying to adapt to an impenetrable and violent rural community.” —Lauren Bufferd, January 2012
4. The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey
“Loosely based on Charlotte Brontë’s beloved classic Jane Eyre, the newest gem from acclaimed novelist Margot Livesey follows the trials of a determined young orphan as she searches to find her place in the world.”
—Amy Scribner, February 2012
5. Forgotten Country by Catherine Chung
“The night her sister was born, Janie was warned by her grandmother to take good care of the new baby, since in their family, a sister disappears in every generation. So begins the beautiful debut novel Forgotten Country by Catherine Chung, a masterful exploration of generational tensions within a Korean family on two continents.” —Lauren Bufferd, March 2012
6. By the Iowa Sea by Joe Blair
“Though the memoir deals with many things—the trials of middle age, parenting a disabled child, life in the Midwest, marital hardship—the book is at its heart a combination love story and coming-of-age story. Readers will discover opalescent truths on every page.”
—Katherine Wyrick, March 2012
7. The Starboard Sea by Amber Dermont
“The privileged and insular society of an Eastern prep school in the 1980s is unveiled and brought vividly to life in Amber Dermont’s emotionally rich debut novel.”
—Deb Donovan, March 2012
8. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
“‘Is she real?’ is the question the reader asks about the strange, wild little girl at the center of Eowyn Ivey’s debut novel, The Snow Child. Faina shows up in the dead of winter at the home of Mabel and Jack, a married couple who are trying, without too much success, to make a go of it as homesteaders in post-World War I Alaska.”
—Arlene McKanic, February 2012
9. Hope: A Tragedy by Shalom Auslander
“What if, instead of dying in Auschwitz, Anne Frank had lived, spirited away to America to spend the next 60 years huddled in an attic, tapping out a book she hopes will equal the emotional power of her Diary? Shalom Auslander’s absurdist comedy explodes from that outrageous premise.”
—Harvey Freedenberg, January 2012
10. The Underside of Joy by Seré Prince Halverson
“It isn’t surprising that Ella Beene’s husband, Joe Capozzi, dies within the first 10 pages of The Underside of Joy. After all, the jacket copy reveals that this story is about the personal struggles and family challenges Ella faces after her husband’s death. But the juxtaposition of Seré Prince Halverson’s descriptions of pure, unadulterated joy, and the reader’s knowledge that Ella’s joy has an expiration date, is breathtaking.” —Carla Jean Whitley, February 2012
11. Gypsy Boy by Mikey Walsh
“‘Somehow, this time, I would make it work.’ That’s the quiet plea of 12-year-old Mikey Walsh, desperate to fit in with his Romany Gypsy family. Such is the power of Walsh’s fantastic memoir, Gypsy Boy, that your heart breaks for his empty hope.” —Pete Croatto, February 2012
12. Arcadia by Lauren Groff
“The subject of technology is just one slim thread in the novel’s rich tapestry of story exploring how we sustain hope and idealism in a world that presents us with unavoidable sadness and sometimes seems bent on its own annihilation.” —Alden Mudge, March 2012
13. The Expats by Chris Pavone
“How well do you know your spouse? Or your best friends? Even if the thought never occurred to you, it will by the time you’re halfway through The Expats, Chris Pavone’s clever debut spy novel that’s suspenseful enough for a man yet introspective enough for a woman.” —Jay MacDonald, March 2012
14. The Invisible Ones by Stef Penney
“While the novel’s rich subplots are brimming with romance, family pathos and details of Romany culture, The Invisible Ones remains a mystery at heart.” —Karen Cullotta, January 2012
15. Carry the One by Carol Anshaw
“Between the opening, at a country wedding, and the ending, at an unfortunate funeral, Carol Anshaw tells the story of three siblings who are bonded together not only by blood, but also by the tragedy of having accidentally run over an unknown girl.” —Megan Fishmann, March 2012
16. A Good American by Alex George
“It’s often said that our country is a melting pot, and we all came from somewhere else. In his U.S. debut, Alex George, an Englishman practicing law in Missouri, portrays this quintessentially American experience.”
—Eliza Borné, February 2012
17. The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson
“Part thriller, part love story, part tale of daring impersonation, part wrenching examination of repression and its toll on human nature, the novel is set in North Korea (with a side trip to Texas).”
—Alden Mudge, January 2012
18. The Odds by Stewart O’Nan
“Stewart O’Nan (Emily, Alone) has packed a huge amount of emotion into this slim novel. In less than 200 pages, he manages to examine the whole history of a marriage—complete with excess baggage, lingering resentments, equal amounts of frustration and fondness.”
—Becky Ohlsen, February 2012
19. A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson
“Like Joshilyn Jackson’s previous four novels, A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty presents the real South in a tale that is less interested in the stereotypical poverty, hackneyed regional idioms (think “knee-high to a grasshopper”) and unbearable humidity than in the lives of three fiercely brave women, who just happen to be Southern.” —Katie Lewis, February 2012
20. No One is Here Except All of Us by Ramona Ausubel
“It takes a very fresh perspective, a very particular voice, to tell a new tale of the WWII era. Ramona Ausubel is one of those voices, and with her debut novel she’s managed to weave a WWII story that is utterly revolutionary.” —Matthew Jackson, February 2012
Well I guess I know how to pick them, I’ve read 3 of them already. I have 2 of them waiting to read at home and 3 more on the waiting list at the library. So far the ones I have read have been fantastic!
So far I’ve read two of the books, and have 3 more waiting in my tbr pile. There are a number of books on the list that I know I will enjoy…all I need is time!
And, coming soon, stephen king’s the wind through the keyhole!
So many books , so little time! Two are on my tbr list, I thought Lone Wolf was not only good but informative, but not one of my favs from Jodi.
I have read Lone Wolf but didn’t care for it. Too much information and slow moving narrative.
Genna Hardy,excellent book.
Good American was very moving generational story.
I have several on my “to read” list, and it’ll be interesting to find out if they’re as good as “The World We Found.” By far Umigar’s work is the best I’ve read in a long time.
I read “The World We Found” and liked it a lot as well. “The Invisible Ones” was pretty good.
I usually really enjoy Jodi Piccoult but I thought Lone Wolf was pretty awful and kind of silly.
The Night Swimmer –I intend to read it.
The Snow Child –I won it and will read it soon.
THE INVISIBLE ONES–I WON IT, READ IT, AND LOVED IT. READ IT.
Carry the One –I intend to read it.
The Orphan Master’s Son –I intend to read it.
Update:
I read THE SNOW CHILD. It was OK.
I just bought The Orphan Master’s Son and will read it soon.
Update:
I read “THE SNOW CHILD”–it was OK
I read “THE ORPHAN MASTER’S SON”–this is a highly overrated, awful book. I feel mislead by all the glowing reviews.
Well, I guess I’m the exception of this crowd:
Out of that list, I’ve finished reading “The Fault In Our Stars” – worth finishing, but I honestly didn’t see what all the fuss was about.
I got about 1/3 of the way into “Hope – A Tragedy”, “Orphan Master’s Son” and “No One Is Here Except All of Us” before putting them down again. I had high hopes for all three of them, and found them all really un-interesting and un-readable. I love a good story, but in each of those, the writer’s voice got in the way for me.
I’ve read 4 of them and have 6 on my TBR pile. The Fault in Our Stars would have to be my favorite of the bunch. I still get emotional thinking about it.
“No One is Here Except All of Us.” No one is here, no one was ever here, we will never get out of here…except all of us…the us wholly transformed by “the stranger” who is implanted via literary device and who is not one of us, but yet, so easily, becomes one of us, the secular, the insular premise thrown to the wind by all of us…the same wind that carries the sky, the broad, sapphire breach that is absent the silhouette of winged bombardiers screaming War…no allusion, no village delusion…war must never be hinted at for effect, its absolute devastation is felt, deeply mourned by ALL OF US. THE HOLOCAUST IS A CRIME AGAINST ALL OF US, WE ARE ALL BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
Chris Roberts
I found No One Is Here Except All Of Us extraordinary. To the person above, you MUST finish the book. One of the most uplifting experiences in Holocaust fiction I have ever read. Yes, the voice is clear, but amazing. So happy the book is included here. A great debut novel.
Have a few of these on my list to read. Read Hope: A Tragedy and found it to be HILARIOUS!!!!
Where’s HOME FRONT, by Kristin Hannah? An important issue facing our country, and women soldiers, returning to their families with their lives destroyed by war. Timely subject for feminist and everyday reader alike. What a terrible shame it’s not on the list.
I loved the Flight of Gemma Hardy. Read it in 4 days. Have 3 more on the list on my next to read list. Can’t wait. So many good books this year already !!!!
I have 4 on my TBR pile. Now which one to read first.
Although I normally love Jodi Picoult, I do not feel that Lone Wolf is one of her stronger efforts and I am really surprised to see Lone Wolf at the top of the list. The Fault in Our Stars was so much better!!! Looking forward to reading the others.
Loved, loved, loved The Underside of Joy! Beautifully written. I’m still hanging out with Ella in Elbow underneath the redwoods. Have a few of the others on my tbr list. Just need to add a few more hours in a day.
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I can’t wait to read The Odds and Carry the One…..I need another day in the week just to read!
it’s not the first time i hear about The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey.
I hear it (or a part of it) came out in a journal first. It’s not even 2012 it’s 2011 right? November was it?
I am glad there is a whole list of good books even though a year just started.
Sounds like a lovely list of books , a great selection.
Here’s an interview with Joe Blair about his life, his writing, and his book which we just taped in Iowa City:
http://patv.tv/blog/2012/04/18/talking-with-joe-blair/
I like the list very much because it is very rounded, something for everyone.
I am reading Janet Evanovich’s “Explosive Eighteen”. Her books are like a box of good chocolates… to be enjoyed but then it is over.
I also enjoyed her “Love in a Nutshell” but it is for fun not for a book club.
Laura B.
I am now well informed about wolves! I liked it but not her best. Where is Defending Jacob? Great book.
Wow
I wish you would print your booklists with a print command.
as a translator,let me know which one of your recent english books are worthwhile and also not time consuming to deal with. thanks
I just finished Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn…it should be #1 on your list. I couldn’t put it down, yet I never wanted it to end! BRILLIANT!!!!
dear lori thank u for your kindness .it seem u be a bookworm .great novel u recommand!!!!
I won GONE GIRL and am very anxious to read it. I haven’t received it yet, though.
i dont need novel to translate .please introduce a practical and unespecial one
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I am excited about this current contest, and most excited about reading “Tigers in Red Weather”.