2016 is the fifth year in a row I've kept track of all the books I've read (well, except cookbooks) on Goodreads! In celebration of this fact, I thought I would share a list of my utmost favorites with all of you today. These books are not in order of favoritism, but merely chronological by year.
2012
Columbine by Dave Cullen
This book still haunts me. It was an outstanding piece of journalism I read while rocking baby Orion in his bouncer all the wee hours of the morning at my parent's house.
What We Have: A Family's Inspiring Story of Love, Loss, and Survival by Amy Boesky
This was a book about a family where women all passed away from ovarian cancer. It was one of the first books dealing with cancer I read after mom's diagnoses.
2012 was also the year I read the Game of Thrones series and discovered the writing of Anne Lamott.
2013
The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown
I liked this one so much I gave it as a Christmas gift. How could you not love a book that contains the quote: “Instead, we'd do what we always did, the only thing we'd ever been dependably stellar at: we'd read.”
Hungry Monkey: A Food-Loving Father's Quest to Raise an Adventurous Eater by Matthew Amster-Burton
Even now, having raised one non-adventurous eater and one borderline one, I LOVE this book. I recommended it to so many people in 2013-2014. I went bonkers when I discovered the Spilled Milk podcast with the author, Matthew, and Molly Wizenburg. I downloaded every back episode and listened to them all while walking Orion around the neighborhood. I still listen to and fan-girl hard for that podcast and this book.
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
If I could be as bold as to recommend one book to read at this time of year from this list, it would be The Snow Child. A modern fairy tale of sorts that kept me captivated.
2014
A Good Marriage by Stephan King
SO scary. Absolutely terrifying. I loved it. This is really a small novella and a very quick but potent read. I got into reading Stephan King novels while Mike was on business trips that year...silly, right??
My Life in France by Julia Child
I absolutely love food memoirs...they are my favorite genre. Reading a book by Julia Child is as good as it gets and you can pass on that movie Julia & Julia and just read this instead for a vivid and full picture of what an amazing life she led.
An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace by Tamar Adler
I know...another food book, but I mentioned this one in my last post and it really is a game changer.
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
Haunting. Disturbing. Beautiful.
The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan
I actually disliked this book after I read it. But then I kept thinking about it. And thinking about it. And then I realized it was a really great book because of it's ability to stay stuck in my mind. It's an intense read & very explicit, so be warned if that isn't something you are okay with in a novel. Now looking back, I would not only recommend it, but read it again. I love Amy Tan.
2015
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
I had no idea they had made this into a TV show when I found my copy at the library used bookstore. In fact, my first thought was "Hey! It's that really large and elegant looking book that always used to stand out to me when I worked at the library but I never opened it" (thank goodness, I was in high school then).
Since I love HUGE novels that take me forever to go through...I decided to buy and read it...and now here I am, seven HUGE novels later, reading the 8th and final book she has out in the series for the moment.
This book has everything. My least favorite genre is historical fiction because I usually feel like they don't have enough time to capture everything. Well, this series certainly does. There is time travel for folks who that matters to, sex, death, war, love, many medical procedures described that will make you glad you live in modern times...etc...
I'm also very glad that I've been lucky enough to share my experience reading this series with my friend, Kristen. It's the kind of book you definitely want to share opinions on, make fun of, and have someone you can text at all sorts of weird hours to say "OMG!!" about.
An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination by Elizabeth McCracken
When I was in college, I went to go see Elizabeth McCracken speak one night, because I had read and enjoyed her novel The Giant's House. She talked about writing a book about a circus family, but I believe that that never came to fruition, because this was the next book she wrote, after that talk. It's terrible and so very sad, but beautiful and something everyone should read, regardless if you are a parent or not.
2016
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy O'Toole
I haven't enjoyed a book as much as I enjoyed this one in at least the last five years. It was the perfect thing to read in the current political climate. I studied English in college and postmodern literature and searching for hidden meanings/enjoying subtleties was one of my favorite parts of my classes. This classic delivered in spades. I actually laughed out loud multiple times, something that no author except maybe P.G. Wodehouse has had me do before.
Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hahn
I've read a lot of spiritual books in the past five years, but this is the one that stuck. Quotes from it bubble up in my head nearly every day and remind me to be more mindful and present. I'm very grateful for books like Hands Free Mama, The Saint's Guide to Happiness, Woman Who Run with the Wolves, etc...but this book is presented so simply and effectively that it was hard to top:
- “We are very good at preparing to live, but not very good at living. We know how to sacrifice ten years for a diploma, and we are willing to work very hard to get a job, a car, a house, and so on. But we have difficulty remembering that we are alive in the present moment, the only moment there is for us to be alive.”
- “Each time you look at a tangerine, you can see deeply into it. You can see everything in the universe in one tangerine. When you peel it and smell it, it’s wonderful. You can take your time eating a tangerine and be very happy.”
- “Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.”
There you have it! My (hopefully) exciting book recommendations. I would love to hear what your favorite read of the past year was if you'd like to leave a comment! Maybe I will read it in 2017 :)
If we aren't already friends on Goodreads, I would love to connect there too!
