I'll use a 3 star rating system. The more stars, the more highly I would recommend the book... however, please note that I am NOT a book reviewer, I simply recommend books that I enjoy reading, that I relate to in some significant way, that challenge me to think differently (hopefully more correctly) about a certain subject, or that are just plain old beautifully written.
Those in purple are non-fiction. I haven't included the few that I started but never finished. After all, if I couldn't get through them, I probably wouldn't recommend them, right?
So Many Ways To Begin - Jon McGregor **
Ines of My Soul - Isabel Allende **
The Princess and the Goblin - George MacDonald **
Love and War - John and Stasi Eldredge (for book club) That's right, zero stars.
The River Why - David James Duncan ***
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer **
The House At Riverton - Kate Morton **
Nurture By Nature - Paul D Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger (for book club) **
Of Love and Shadows - Isabel Allende *
Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light - Brian Kolodiejchuk (for book club) **
The Blue Parakeet - Scot McKnight **
The Forgotten Garden - Kate Morton **
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck ***
I Curse the River of Time - Per Petterson **
Alias Grace - Margaret Atwood *
A Mercy - Toni Morrison **
The Turn of the Screw - Henry James *
If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things - Jon McGregor **
The Help - Kathryn Stockett (for the second time, for book club) **
Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne (aloud with Nora, per Jessye's suggestion) ***
I seem to read in fits and spurts. As I look back, most of these were read before we moved (end of August.) The past few months seem to have been very full of things other than reading (like moving and getting ready for another kid) but because of that I have a growing list of things I want to read. Currently Ben and I are reading My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok together aloud. And although we haven't finished I will, having previously read several Potok novels, highly recommend it. Nora and I have moved on to The House at Pooh Corner also by AA Milne and she's loving it.
Have any suggestions for me for 2012?
Here's to lots more reading in the year to come!!!
And I didn't include any pregnancy books (and the like.) Not exactly pleasure reading if you ask me...
ReplyDeleteLove this list! I'll have to look into your top picks and add to my "to read in 2012" list. Off my reading list from 2011, I think I'd tip Cutting for Stone your way. (And I'm assuming you've read The Brothers K).
ReplyDeleteI love AA Milne. *hugs books*
ReplyDeleteI read The Forgotten Garden and really enjoyed it. Ines also wasn't my favorite Allende, but she is one of my favorite authors. And I am SO glad you guys liked Pooh. I knew Nora would love it when Elie and I were reading it together.
ReplyDeleteHi, Deanna! If you have any time to read now, I recommend Silence by Shusaku Endo. It's a fantastic historical novel about the time when Christianity was illegal in Japan. Certainly not light reading, but deep and beautifully written, even in English translation. Endo was one of Japan's best novelists of the 20th century. And I'm glad you love Winnie the Pooh. :)
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