Bibliophile By the Sea: December 2019

A Summary of a Decade of Favorite Books Read and Loved - 10 years and 1,326 books read (122/books a year average)

TOP 10 Favorites of 2019
(no particular order)

The Dutch House; Ann Patchett (audio)
Ask Again, Yes; Mary Beth Keane (audio)
A Stone for Danny Fisher; Harold Robbins (audio)
Chances Are; Richard Russo (audio)
Summer of 69; Elin Hilderbrand (audio)
The Wartime Sisters; Lynda Cohen Loigman (print)
Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls: (NF) memoir; T. Kira Madden (print)
Morningstar: Growing Up With Books (NF); Ann Hood (print)
As We Are Now; May Sarton (print)
An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good; Helene Tursten (print)

TOP 10 Favorites of 2018
(no particular order)

Sunburn; Laura Lippman - eGalley 5/5 - (April)
A Noise Downstairs; Linwood Barclay (eGalley) - 5/5 - (April)
A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership; James Comey (audio) - 5/5 - (July)
84, Charing Cross Road; Helene Hanff (library) - 5/5 - (July)
Calypso; David Seders (audio) - 5/5 - (August)
Where the Crawdads Sing; Delia Owens (eGalley) - 5/5 - (October)
Strike Your Heart; Amelie Nothomb (library) - 5/5 (November)
Red & Lulu; Matt Taveres - personal copy 5/5 (November)
Becoming; Michelle Obama - audio - 5/5 (December)

FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2017
(in no particular order )

Favorite Books of 2016

(in no particular order)

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things; Bryn Greenwood
My Name is Lucy Barton; Elizabeth Strout
Under the Influence; Joyce Maynard
Looking Back: A Chronicle of Growing Up Old in the Sixties; Joyce Maynard (nonfiction)
The Heavens May Fall; Allen Eskens
Eleanor and Hick: The Love Affair that Shaped a First Lady (NF); Susan Quinn (nonfiction)
When Breath Becomes Air; Paul Kalanithi (nonfiction)
Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter; Kate Clifford Larson (nonfiction)
The Notorious RBG; Cameron & Knizhnik (nonfiction)
My Sunshine Away; M.O. Walsh

Favorite Reads for 2015

A Little Life

by Hanya Yanagihara

When I first decided to read this book, I thought that the cover image was a terrible choice, however, after finishing this 700+ pp book over the course of a few weeks, I now think the image is perfect. It so accurately depicts the emot...

Aquarium

by David Vann

Aquarium is an addictive read that hooked me early on, shocked me as the story progressed and made me wonder whether emotionally wounded individuals can ever truly heal. The story opens in 1990's Seattle, where 12-year-old Caitlin live...

The Beautiful Bureaucrat

by Helen Phillips

When I saw that readers who enjoy Murakami and Atwood would likely enjoy this book, I knew I had to give it a try. It's a great choice for book groups with plenty to discuss. After being out of work for way too long Joseph and Josephine...

Ghostly: A Collection of Ghost Stories

by Audrey Niffenegger

Ghostly, was a pleasant surprise, an awesome collection of short ghost stories. Each story can be completed in a short sitting, preferably by a nice warm fire or glowing candle with something warm to drink. Each story begins with a sma...

Eileen

by Ottessa Moshfegh

Just who is Eileen? In a town only referred to as X-ville in Massachusetts lived 24 year old Eileen Dunlop. Some might see her simply as a lonely young woman with low self esteem who cares for her alcoholic ex-cop father. To me, Eileen w...

What I Remember Most

by Cathy Lamb

What I Remember Most was a terrific story and one that kept me wondering as I eagerly turned each page. Part mystery, part contemporary fiction, the only thing that the reader knows for sure is that the protagonist, Grenadine Scotch Wild...

Our Souls at Night

by Kent Haruf

I loved this audiobook narrated by Mark Bramhall. The story left me feeling a bit sad, and with a thought that I often ask myself these days -- "Why can't people just live and let live?" The story is a pretty simple one and involves two...

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End

by Atul Gawande

It took me a while to write this review because it covered so much important information, I wasn't sure possibly write a review that would it all the credit it deserved, as I'm sure I will have glossed over lots of important information....

This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance!

by Jonathan Evison

This is Your Life, Harriet Chance is a wonderful story told through the POV of Harriet, a 78 year old widow who had been married for 55 years. After her husband Bernard passes away, Harriet learns he had planned an Alaskan cruise for ...

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory

by Caitlin Doughty

While many people choose not to think about death and dying, 20-something author Caitlin Doughty was obsessed by it at an early age. At the age of eight she performed a ritual the she believed would help keep death at bay. After growing ...

Top 10 Reads of 2014
Favorite Reads of 2013

2012 Favorite Books Read

Top 10 Fiction

East of Eden; John Steinbeck
A Sense of an Ending; Julian Barnes
The Beginner's Goodbye; Anne Tyler
The Spectator Bird; Wallace Stegnar
Tell the Wolves I'm Home; Carla Rifkin Brunt
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry; Rachel Joyce
A Grown Up Kind of Pretty; Joshilyn Jackson
The Bartender's Tale; Ivan Doig
Translation of the Bones; Francesca Kay
Heft; Liz Moore

Top Non Fiction

Lot's of Candle's Plenty of Cake ; Anna Quindlen
A Moveable Feast; Ernest Hemingway
No Buddy Left Behind; Terry Crisp
Quiet; Susan Cain
Say You're One of Them; Akpan

Top Audio Books

The End of Your Life Book; Will Schwalbe
Defending Jacob; William Landay
Live By Night; Dennis Lehane
Winter of the World; Ken Follett
Canada; Richard Ford

Top Kids Picture Books

The Day Tiger Rose Said Goodbye; Jane Yalon
A House in the Woods; Inga Moore
If You Spent a day With Thoreau at Walden Pond; Burleigh and Minor
It's Okay to Be Different; Todd Parr
How to Babysit a Grandpa; Jean Reagan

Favorite Books of 2011

Favorite Fiction

A Kind of Intimacy; Jenn Ashworth - Annie is a whacky gal, who I found endearing in a bizarre sort of way. At times I pitied her, and her desperate attempts for love and acceptance. The story is dark and addictive. An unforgettable birds-eye view of the dark side of a fractured mind.
A Good Hard Look; Ann Napolitano - a fictionalized version of the life of the late author Flannery O'Connor. An at times heart-wrenching story, which changes everyone, as they quickly understand what the author meant when she said, "the truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it." This book made my go out and purchase all of Flannery O'Connor's books. Loved it.
The Homecoming of Samuel Lake; Jenny Wingfield - A richly detailed account of good and evil in 1950s Arkansas. It's both heart-breaking and uplifting; simple wonderful.
11/22/63; Stephen King - Having been born in the early 50's, reading this novel was like a blast from the past. Whether it was the music references, the vehicles, or the laughable price of gasoline, every detail from that period seemed authentic. It's one of those books that if you allow yourself to suspend belief and just go along for the ride, I think you'll agree it was worth your time.
Of Mice and Men; John Steinbeck - The story of two drifters, Lennie, a mentally challenged, gentle giant, and George, the man who looks after Lennie. Heart-breaking but wonderful.
Sing You Home; Jodi Picoult - Having read all of Picoult's novels, this one --her 18th, is probably her most controversial yet. A powerful story about what constitutes a family, and why committed gay couples should be seen no differently from straight couples when it comes to marriage and raising a family.
The Elegance of the Hedgehog; Muriel Barbery - The Elegance of the Hedgehog is truly a beautiful novel about life, and about looking for the beauty in every person you meet. It gave me so much to think about. It's not the type of story with lots of action, it more philosophical, but don't let that scare you. It's a wonderful character study that examines not only what makes the main characters tick, but it is also a deep exploration of all that surrounds us in the world we live in.
State of Wonder; Ann Patchett - Pharmaceutical researcher Dr. Marina Singh sets off into the Amazon jungle to find the remains and effects of a colleague who recently died under somewhat mysterious circumstances.Beautiful writing, page turning plot.
How to Read the Air; Dinaw Mengestu - A wonderful story about the immigrant experience. The writing is beautiful and detailed and the story intimate. If you love introspective stories, this one gets high marks in that area.
The Easter Parade; Richard Yates - This book too deals with the disenchantment of everyday life, and the longing for something more....the illusive butterfly, that if found, would make our life just perfect. The people in this novel drink too much, make bad choices in relationships and live their lives afraid to share how they really feel. It's wonderful.