(Edited to include some other recent reads recorded in a note on my phone and my bookstagram account: well_read_reads.)
"Ordinary Grace" by William Kent Krueger. A lovely, lyrical book.
"War and Peace" by Tolstoy. It has it's moments, but not worth the 60 hours of my life.
"The Way of Kings" by Sanderson. I've been putting it off, but it was so so good. WHY do I have to wait 20 years for the series to be finished?? WHY?!?!?
"Yes, Your Teen is Crazy". I wish every parent with kids at home would read this excellent book.
A Christmas Carol by Dickens. I didn't think I needed to read it and then I loved it.
"The Power of Habit". Lots of great information to chew on. Great read.
"The Collapse of Parenting". Same review as above. So very helpful!
"Devil in the White City" Interesting! But format wise, not my favorite juxtaposition of themes.
"The Fault in our Stars". Great and sad. Lots of swearing.
"Jonathan Strange and Mr. Morel". This book went on and on and I was loving it--until the ending.
"My Father's Dragon" I honestly have no recollection of what I thought of this book
"The Pursuit of Love" and
"Love in a Cold Climate" by Nancy Mitford. Loved these. They have a few adult themes if I remember correctly.
"Ten Percent Happier" Interested in meditation? This is the book for you.
"The First Daughter" SUPER long historical fiction but I found it really interesting.
"The War That Saved My Life" Cute, quick read.
"Sackett" by Louis L'amour. Doug and I have been making our way through the series on Audible. Pretty entertaining but wouldn't be my number one choice.
"Lord of the Flies" 1/17. It frequently surprises me when I really love a classic. It surprised me how terrible I thought this one was. I mean, of all the great books in the world--why is this so frequently required reading in High School?
"Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" Took me a minute but then I loved it.
"Some Buried Caesar" by Rex Stoker 8/16. Pass.
"Bolt" by Dick Francis - Always great on Audio for road trips. You run into a sex scene about every third book with him. Be warned.
"Heart of Darkness" by Conrad. Recommended by my friend Wes. Left me feeling like crying for a week and also like I wanted to punch Wes. Studied it a little in a lit class and got a little more from it, and after awhile, have found some redemption. But honestly--I would not recommend it.
"Alas, Babylon" by Pat Frank. Took me a long time to start this one but then I cruised right through and loved it. Get your emergency preparedness stuff in order people! Also made me want to read up on Pat Frank--fascinating life and man.
"Wonder" by RJ Palacio. Thumbs up. But more of a thumb in the middle from most special needs moms. (Thinking of a review I read on "This Little Miggy" blog.)
"The Picture of Dorian Gray" So well known, but not my favorite Wilde. I would pass in favor of...
"The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde. Do yourself a favor read this. So fun!
"An Ideal Husband" by Oscar Wilde. Have you seen the movie with Minnie Driver? So great. Love it.
"Jane Eyre" Loved it and loved the two different Jane Eyre movies I watched before and after reading it.
"Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" LOVED IT
"Dracula" by Bram Stoker. So entertaining! Loved it!
"A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens. 11/16. Surprised by how much I loved it.
"David Copperfield" by Dickens. Definitely one of my favorites. Had a good amount of humor to keep things moving.
"Nicholas Nickleby" by Dickens. Great but the characters weren't as lovable for me.
"Bleak House" by Charles Dickens. I LOVED it. But I recommend watching the BBC miniseries first. Makes it much easier to follow and get into.
"Sanditon" by Jane Austen/Juliette Shapiro. Wish I knew where one finished and the other started.
"The Portrait of a Lady" by Henry James. A raspberry and two thumbs down.
"The Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man"
"The Boys in the Boat" LOVED it! Made Max read it. Great examples of grit.
"The Wright Brothers" by David McCullough. LOVED this one. A lot! But if you are listening on Audible, you will want to speed it up!!
"Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn" and "Pudd'nhead Wilson" by Mark Twain. Loved listening to them on Audible.
"Woman in White" Surprised how much I loved it. First time I've ever read a Classic Thriller
"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith. Awesome. Two thumbs up and 4/4 Stars! . Highly recommend! Rated PG-13 because it's about life--good, bad, ugly and beautiful.
"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. An excellent book. Reminds you that the days of rampant racism aren't that far in our past. Excellent writing. Two thumbs up. Rated PG-13 for language (not gratuitous, though) and adult themes. Brief silly nudity.
"War Breaker" by Brandon Sanderson. Another one that hooked me right at the beginning and kept me turning pages and hoping it wouldn't end. Very enjoyable. Rated PG-13.
"Elantris" by Brandon Sanderson. Sci-Fi is NOT my favorite genre, but this book sucked me right in and I loved it. Wish there was a sequel! Rated PG.
"The Lady and The Monk" by Pico Iyer. Really cool perspective on Japan. But the author is a little too smart for me.
"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" LOVED IT! Clean, clever, well written! Rated PG for adult themes. (takes place after WWII) I highly recommend it!
"Goose Girl" by Shannon Hale. Loved it. Read it in one day. Rated G. Great for a day in bed or day at the beach.
"The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde. I enjoyed it though I admit I skimmed over the hedonistic references. Classic's are NR!
"Passage to India" by E.M. Forster. Unless you're FASCINATED by Anglo/Indian relations, just give this one a pass.
"Host" by Stephenie Meyer. Couldn't put it down! (I don't really love Sci-Fi, but I still liked it!)
"Ethan Frome" and "Summer" by Edith Wharton. Both were in the same volume and both were excellently written though very depressing!!!
"Howard's End" by E.M. Forster - Really good. A little twisted, but really good.
"Pigs in Heaven" by Barbara Kingsolver - Fabulous sequel to "The Bean Trees". Possibly better than the first one!
"The Bean Trees" by Barbara Kingsolver - Excellent, quick read. Rated PG-16
"Blessings" by Anna Quindlen - She's a great writer.
"Gilead" by Marilynne Robinson - Also took awhile to read because it was very deep and requires pondering. Excellent!
"Chesapeake" by James Michener - So good, Sooooooo long! It took a month to read but it was worth it.
"Girl in Hyacinth Blue" by Susan Vreeland. Two thumbs up. Very engaging. Love the premise. Rated PG-13 for brief sexuality.
"The Amateur Marriage" by Anne Tyler. Ten hours of my life I'll never get back.
"Life of Pi" by Yann Martel - Two thumbs up.
"A Town Like Alice" by Neville Shute - Two thumbs up.
The Gift of Pain by Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey - Two thumbs way up!
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - see my review
Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood - Practical Parenting from Birth to Six Years by Jim and Charles Fay - I'll let you know how it works...then give it a rating.
Something by Clive Cussler...can't remember the title. Just silly.
"Ink Spell" by Cornelia Funke - 2nd in a series. Love the idea more than the actual story.
"I Heard That Song Before" by Mary Higgins Clark - Exactly what you'd expect if you've read her before. Good, clean suspenseful entertainment.
"Suspicion of Guilt" by Barbara Parker - Mediocre at best.
"The Knitting Circle" by Ann Hood - A very good--and sad--story. Rated R for gratuitous sex and swearing!
"Eclipse" by Stephenie Meyer - Great but not as great as the first two.
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling - Love Love LOVED it! Can't wait to read all 7 again with Max in a few years!
"The Memory Keeper's Daughter" by Kim Edwards - two thumbs down and a raspberry!
"Slay RIde" by Dick Francis - despite his unfortunate name, he's a great author and I always love his books.
"A Gathering of Days, A New England Girl's Journal 1830-32" by Joan W. Blos - cute!
"Vanishing Acts" by Jodi Picoult - Very engaging, but had some R-rated scenes that I hated
"I Am A Mother" by Jane Clayson Johnson - Very affirming and uplifting!
"New Moon" by Stephenie Meyer - Loved it like a high school crush
"Sick of Shadows" by Marion Chesney - This series is silly but entertaining
"Hasty Death" by Marion Chesney
"Half Moon Investigations" by Eoin Colfer
"Mermaid Chair" by Sue Monk Kidd - BOO! HISS!!!! Hated it.
"Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony" by Eoin Colfer - Love this whole series
"Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer - 4/4 stars
"Sidetracked Home Executives" by Pam Young and Peggy Jones
"The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova
"Snobbery and Violence" by Marion Chesney
"The Anatomy of Peace" from The Arbinger Institute
"Mornings On Horseback" by David McCollough
"Sins of the Wolf" by Anne Perry
