Happy New Year!

What did you read in 2013? Do you have any favorite books that you finished before the stroke of midnight?

I read so many fantastic books I can’t remember all of them, but I will share twelve of the best with you here.

1)      THE LIFE LIST by Lori Spielman – Do you have a life list? If you don’t, what would you put on it? If you do, have you accomplished it? The whole idea of such a list intrigues me. This was a well written story with totally believable characters.

2)      THE CLOVER HOUSE by Henriette Lazardis Power tells a captivating tale of family secrets and the stories told by the things we save. It is about love and the choices we make.

3)      THE APPLE ORCHARD by Susan Wiggs explores the importance of family relationships in our lives. The main character Tess doesn’t think she needs anyone, that is until she is called to help out at the apple farm belonging to the grandfather she never knew she had. It is here that she learns what is most important in life.

4)      THE HISTORY OF US by Leah Stewart – I loved this book for several reasons. Leah Stewart is a fantastic writer who lives in the same city I where I grew up and still live. THE HISTORY OF US takes place in Cincinnati, and I loved all the references to neighborhoods and landmarks that I know so well.

5)      WHY CAN’T I BE YOU by Allie Larkin is a hilarious tale of switching places. Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you became someone else? Allie has a wicked sense of humor, and it comes through in her writing.

6)      MOTHER, DAUGHTER, ME by Katie Hafner is poignant recounting of Hafner’s life as a happy little girl living in Rochester to the present. It is a captivating retelling of how a person’s actions, beliefs (whether right or wrong), and memories shape whom she becomes, and what it takes to mend the fences built.

7)      FLY AWAY by Kristin Hannah deals with some of life’s toughest issues – death, depression, addiction, and grief, among others, but shows that even when a person’s life is at its lowest, there is always hope.

8)      LYING TO MEET YOU by Anna Garner is full of laugh-out-loud humor, romance, friendships that have passed the test of time, family problems, and surprises.

9)      THE PROMISE OF STARDUST by Priscille Sibley is more than just a love story. It is also a story of conflict with family members, as well as with oneself.  Believing, as Elle did, in the right to die with dignity, and also in the baby’s right to live, left me in a quandary. How did I want it to end? I couldn’t have it both ways. What would you do?

10)   THE GLASS WIVES by Amy Sue Nathan is the story of an unconventional family and the two women who were at different times married to the same man. It explores the ups and downs of both sides of divorce with a twist.

11)   THE WISHING HILL by Holly Robinson is about three strong and complicated women whose lives were shaped by a family secret. It will entertain you from beginning to end with compassion, warmth, humor, and a bit of romance. Family relationships are never easy, but Holly Robinson addressed the pitfalls of secrets kept.

12)   THE AVIATOR’S WIFE by Melanie Benjamin depicts Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s life, her achievements and her difficult marriage to the hero of the time. This richly detailed story is well researched and will keep you engrossed for hours.

 

To ring in the New Year, I have compiled a list of some of the books I plan to read in the next few months.

1)      THE OYSTER CATCHER by Jo Thomas

2)      THE ROSIE PROJECT by Graeme Simsion

3)      HIDDEN by Catherine McKenzie

4)      THE WISHING THREAD by Lisa Van Allen

5)      SHAKE DOWN THE STARS by Renee Swindle

6)      PEACH BLOSSOM PAVILION by Mingmei Yip

7)      YOU KNEW ME WHEN by Emily Liebert

8)      TWENTY-FIVE by Rachel L. Hamm

9)      THE WEDDING GIFT by Marlen Suyapa Bodden

10)   THE LIGHT IN THE RUINS by Chris Bohjalian

11)   THE TRUTH ABOUT YOU by Susan Lewis

12)   SWEET EXPECTATIONS by Mary Ellen Taylor

13)   MY MR. MANNY by Jennifer Garcia

14)   PELICAN POINT by Donna Kauffman

15)   MORNING GLORY by Sarah Jio

This list is a constantly evolving list, but I hope to make a significant dent in my towering TBR list this year.

Happy reading.