| Indicates a children's book. x indicates an unfinished book
January
- The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie. Rachel Linden
"When we make a choice, we necessarily limit all the other choices. Every path narrows our options, every decision closes many other doors. Yet we make a choice hoping we’re trading all the other options for the one that will be the best.” p. 81-82 - x The Old Place. Bobby Finger
- x The Measure. Nikki Erlick
- x The Book of Longings. Sue Monk Kidd
- The Ascension of Larks. Rachel Linden
- The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle. Jennifer Ryan
- The Sisters of Sea View. Julie Klassen
February
- The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett. Annie Lyons
- Whose Waves These Are. Amanda Dykes
- The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip. Sara Brunsvold
March
- |The First Notes. The Story of Do, Re, Mi. Julie Andrews & Emma Walton Hamilton. Illustrated by Chiara Fedel
- |Special Deliveries. Alexandra Day & Cooper Edens. Illustrated by Alexandra Day
- All the Lost Places. Amanda Dykes
- Feed Sacks. The Colorful History of Frugal Fabric. Linzee Kull McCray
- The Hideaway. Lauren K. Denton
April
-
The Great Passion. James Runcie
Nagel, the teacher: “When I was your age, my father taught me how important it was to find something to celebrate each day. It didn’t matter how small it was, or how long it lasted, but each simple pleasure needs to be marked. It can be something as honest and straightforward as the sight of the first hawthorn blossom or the light on the path ahead through summer trees.... It can be the smile of a friend who is pleased to see you or the silence at the end of a piece of music; as long as it is something precious and private to store up and treasure by nightfall. They are moments of grace. My father called them ‘amulets of time.’” p. 133 ¶4 - These Tangled Vines. Julianne Maclean
May
- A Cup of Silver Linings. Karen Hawkins
- xAtlas of the Heart. Brené Brown
- The White Lady. Jacqueline Winspear
- Beneficence. Meredith Hall
June
- Yours Is the Night. Amanda Dykes
- Beyond That, the Sea. Laura Spence-Ash
- Well-Read Women: Portraits of Fiction’s Most Beloved Heroines. Samantha Hahn
- xThe Wishing Game. Meg Shaffer
- The Museum of Ordinary People. Mike Gayle
“All I’d been hoping to do was draw a line under my grief, to shake the feeling of exhaustion that had been with me all year. Because that’s the thing about grief no one ever tells you: it’s greedy.... It eats up every last scrap of energy you have, leaving you spent and empty.” p. 12 ¶7
July
- All the Days of Summer. Nancy Thayer
- Foster. Claire Keegan
The wife suggests the man take a lantern for a night walk. He doesn’t find it necessary but takes it anyway, and needs it.
“‘Ah, the women are nearly always right, all the same,’ he says. ‘Do you know what the women have a gift for?’
“‘What?’
“‘Eventualities. A good woman can look far down the line and smell what’s coming before a man even gets a sniff of it.’” p. 66 ¶2-4 - Love Has No Age Limit: Welcoming an Adopted Dog into Your Home. Patricia B. McConnell, Karen B. London
- xCassandra in Reverse. Holly Smale
- xWeyward. Emilia Hart
- |I Like Airedale Terriers. Linda Bozzo
- Dreams of Falling. Karen White
August
- The Secret Book of Flora Lea. Patti Callahan Henry
- Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly. Marie Bostwick
“... Over the years I had learned that the best way to tackle any problem is to ignore personalities, check your emotions at the door, and focus on facts.” p, 65 ¶4 - Rules for a Knight: The Last Letter of Sir Thomas Lemuel Hawke. Ethan Hawke
- At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities. Heather Webber
- The Bookbinder. Pip Williams
September
-
The Door-to-Door Bookstore. Carsten Hen
“Some families show their love with food—an extra thick layer of butter on your bread, or a second slice of wurst on top. Others hold each other close and often, sharing warmth to keep the cold of the outside world at bay. For generations, my family have shown their love through books.” p. 68 ¶2 - The Sound of Glass. Karen White
- xThe Echo of Old Books. Barbara Davis
- The House on Tradd Street. Karen White (Tradd Street #1)
October
- The Girl on Legare Street. Karen White (Tradd Street #2)
- |We Are Starlings: Inside the Mesmerizing Magic of a Murmuration. Robert Furrow, Donna Jo Napoli. Illustrated by Marc Martin
November
- The Strangers on Montague Street. Karen White (Tradd Street #3)
- Chance Encounters. Temporary Street Art by David Zinn. David Zinn
- xTom Lake. Ann Patchett
- Return to Tradd Street. Karen White (Tradd Street #4)
December
- The Guests on South Battery. Karen White (Tradd Street #5)
- |In the Dark. Kate Hoefler. Illustrated by Corinna Luyken
- |The Book of Mistakes. Corinna Luyken
- The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street. Karen White (Tradd Street #6)
- |The Baby Tree. Sophie Blackall
- The Attic on Queen Street. Karen White (Tradd Street #7)
Books I loved and recommend
- The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, Rachel Linden
- The Ascension of Larks, Rachel Linden
- The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle, Jennifer Ryan
- The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett, Annie Lyons
- Whose Waves These Are, Amanda Dykes
- The Great Passion, James Runcie
- The Museum of Ordinary People, Mike Gayle
- Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly, Marie Bostwic
- Rules for a Knight: The Last Letter of Sir Thomas Lemuel Hawke, Ethan Hawke
- The Door-to-Door Bookstore, Carsten Hen
- The Sound of Glass, Karen White
- The Tradd Street series by Karen White
Have you read any of these and, if so, what did you think?
--Nancy.
I am always so happy to see someone's book list and get new ideas. I ordered a couple Kindle free samples to try out from your list. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI usually hesitate to post that list because I read so much (common) fiction. Glad you got some ideas for books, LIzzy. Which ones are you trying out?
DeleteThe only book I have read from your list is Tom Lake. I finished it and liked it. I am a huge Ann Patchett fan. I’ve read 4 or 5 of her earlier books. I am curious that you read a lot of children’s books. Are there young children in your family that you read them for, or do you browse the children’s sections for interesting books for yourself? Carol in Texas
ReplyDeleteI'll have to give other Ann Patchett books a try. I can't think of any of hers that I've read.
DeleteI don't usually seek out children's books, , Carol, but if someone recommends one as wonderful, I'll reserve it from the library, especially if it won a Caldecot Medal. Occasionally, I'll borrow children's books if we're going to be getting together with our grandchildren.
Carol, what is the url of your blog, please?
Love your book list and recommendations. I need to get back to reading. Since I started quilting in earnest I use up all my free time sewing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Robin. It's hard to read AND sew (unless one listens to audio books). When my daughters were young we used to listen to books on tape in the car but I usually listen to conference talks or scriptures these days. And really, the only way I get any reading done is to have a book in the bathroom. (Non-traditional reader here. Haha.)
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