Best Reads of 2015

January 1, 2016January 1, 20162 Comments

Best Fiction: Wonder by R.J. Palacio– Everyone should read this book, it is well written, an important story, and deeply moving. A boy with a severe facial deformity goes to school for the first time. You will travel through every emotion as this boy traverses through the joys and pains of life. I loved it.

To order from Amazon, click here: Wonder

Best Serious Non-Fiction: Deep Down Dark by Hector Tobar– The story of the trapped Chilean miners, their suffering, and their miraculous rescue. It was informative, and I was moved by the story of their survival.

To order from Amazon, click here:Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free

Best Light Non-Fiction: Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari– Personally, I adore Mr. Aziz and his sense of humor. This book is sweet and light, but explains the crazy changes the inter-webs have made in our dating lives. Well researched, informative, and jovial.

To order from Amazon, click here: Modern Romance

Best Love Story: The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough- This book stole my heart from the first page. There were so many elements and layers to love. Set in 1930’s Seattle, yet it traveled the globe through historical events. The writing is brilliant, historical facts are woven into the story with impeccable and fascinating detail. I didn’t want it to end.

To order from Amazon, click here:The Game of Love and Death

Best Book About a Long Walk: Etta and Otto and Russel and James by Emma Hooper– A most peculiar, charming little book. Etta decides to walk across Canada to see the Ocean; her husband is left at home to ponder life, their courtship, and learn to cook. Read it for yourself, especially if you want something out of the ordinary.

To order from Amazon, click here:Etta and Otto and Russell and James: A Novel

Best Historical Fiction: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah– This book has been given many accolades, and they are well deserved. An exceptional, well told tale of living in Nazi occupied France.

To order from Amazon, click here:The Nightingale

Best Children’s Book Adults Need to Read: Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan– The lives of three children in different parts of the world in World War II are woven together as the reader follows the path of a magical harmonica. I devoured this book and reveled in the language, the plot, and the touching stories of children living through war times. A must read.

To order from Amazon, click here: Echo

Best Mystery Novel: I Love You More by Jennifer Murphy– I am a wimp when it comes to mysteries, I can’t handle anything slightly scarier than a Law and Order episode, but this book was remarkable. Three women figure out their husband has secret families and entire lives they never knew about, and the plot gets thicker and thicker. Perfect if you want suspense and a psychological thriller.

To order from Amazon, click here:I Love You More

The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel– If you liked Water for Elephants, read this. A trains first journey through the deep mountains, filled with bandits and robbers chasing after the good guys. It was gripping from the first page to the last.

To order from Amazon, click here: The Boundless

Best Book by a Movie Star: Why Not Me by Mindy Kaling– This may sound shocking, but most movie stars are terrible writers. However, Mindy Kaling wrote a lot of The Office, and she was pretty darn good. This was light, cheery, and uplifting. It felt like talking with your best friend. Reading it made me happy; I hope it makes you happy too.

To order from Amazon, click here: Why Not Me?

Best Beginning Chapter Book: Princess in Black by Shannon Hale– If you have a child transitioning into chapter books, Shannon Hale is perfect to feed your book worms. If you have a boy, do not be afraid, it is funny and appealing to all children. Shannon Hale has done some great writing about, “there are not such things as boy books and girl books.” I agree! This book has funny monsters, an adventurous princess, and it is simply delightful. Read it with your kids, by yourself, or have your kids read to you. Just read it.

To Order from Amazon, click here: The Princess in Black

Best Short Stories: The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan– Sadly, Marina passed away before she saw her short stories and essays published. They are moving, honest, edgy, and full of passionate ideals. She is a brilliant writer gone before her career could start. I am glad I took the time to read her work.

To Order from Amazon, click here:The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories

The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel

August 25, 2015December 24, 2015Leave a comment

If you are looking for a book full of suspense and twists, read ‘The Boundless.’ The protagonist, William, is the son of a railroad worker. When the book opens the race to complete the railroad through the deep wilds of the United States is heated. The works is dangerous, the men are desperate, and William is caught in the madness of men seeking fortune, power, and immortality.

While William waits for his father to come down off the mountain from his job laying train tracks, he stumbles upon a traveling circus. A cunning girl catches his eye and lodges herself in his heart for good. William lets her convince him to meet his father in the mountains. He can simply board the train going up and ride the train back down with his father. However, a simple plan rarely remains simple. William heads into the snowy mountains and is reunited with his father. As soon as he thinks he is safe and sound, the crew is about to drive the last stake into the track, his plans are destroyed. A bloodthirsty Sasquatch, a gold hungry railroad worker, and an intricate conspiracy take William on an untamed ride in unchartered territory. Part magical realism, with historical references to the first railroads, there is suspense on every page. It is thrilling, wild, and touching. Perfect for a 6th-8th grade reader looking for an adventure novel, with full adult appeal as well.

To Purchase this book on Amazon, click here: The Boundless

Josie Jameson and the Stone Witch by Jennifer Hotes

July 27, 2015Leave a comment

Josie Jameson delves deeper into the supernatural, her mother’s unknown powers, and her destiny in the second installment of the Stone Witch Series. When our story opens Josie is in distress, emergency surgery has her in pain, and wracked with confusion. She has all too realistic dreams of old England, with a clear connection to some long hidden secret in her family’s past. This book travels in time through Josie’s dreams. The dreams both explain her present day circumstances, and leave her with unanswered questions. Through her dreams she knows there is an ancient curse drawing her into a world of spiritual mystery. She has a calling of deep purpose, but must seek out answers and find her mother’s hidden secrets. Josie seeks the truth about her mother, and her own identity. In the middle of her spiritual journey she still finds time to graduate from 8^th grade and go through ups and downs of friendships and romances.

I loved the historical mystery component, if historical mystery is not a genre, I think Jennifer Hotes just created it. The friendships are more mature, but with a tender coming of age spin. The book is just a touch creepy, in an intriguing and compelling way. A great read, especially if you like history, folklore, and ghost stories woven together.

To purchase this book on amazon, click here: Josie Jameson and the Stone Witch (The Stone Witch series) (Volume 2)

If you liked The Book Thief…

July 13, 2015December 24, 20152 Comments

Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan

If you liked The Book Thief or All the Light We Cannot See, this is your next book, without the sadness. The value of this novel is two fold; it is a brilliantly written and powerful historical fiction. The story is about three children facing different life circumstances as World War II is unfolding. All the children are musical prodigies, with their own hardships to overcome. The children’s lives follow an invisible magical trail as a harmonica is passed around the world. Music plays an integral role in the novel; it is the background character orchestrating the life paths of each child.

Their stories seem separate, yet there is a magical and invisible tie that connects their lives. It exemplifies for children the complicated and devastating rise of Adolf Hitler, the irrational and unfair treatment of the Japanese, and the people who never stopped working for good in the face of evil. These hard themes are balanced with the hope of love and family, and the power of music to comfort and create beauty in hard times. The beautiful writing and finely crafted story make this a read for a voracious grade school reader, or any adult.

To Purchase this book from Amazon, click here: Echo