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<\/p>\nOne of my goals for 2018 was to read or get rid of all the unread books in my library, with the exception of a couple reference books, and a wee French book I have, because je ne parle pas francais. It was a hefty stack, although some of them were gotten out of the way in short order, such as the treasury of Beatrix Potter. I really couldn’t help myself from throwing some additional ones into the mix, so all in all, I ended up reading 60 chapter books last year, including plowing through an interminable stack of Jane Austen.<\/p>\n
Let me tell you about some of the best ones I read, and please tell me if you’ve read and loved any of them too!<\/p>\n
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How to Celebrate Everything<\/em><\/a>, by Jenny Rosentrach. This was a gift from the roomie who knows how much I like foodie books, and it was everything it ought to have been. Colorful and engaging and delightful and can we please throw a party now? Jenny tells us the importance of traditions and parties, my favorite being her tradition of making a “Yay It’s Wednesday Cake!” cake. And yes, cake needs to be in that sentence twice. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n Stir, My Broken Brain and the Meals That Brought Me Home<\/em><\/a> by Jessica Fechtor. Jessica was at the gym one day when out of nowhere, she experienced a blinding pain in her head. She was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with a burst aneurysm on her brain, which she had survived despite the odds. The book describes her journey to healing, and how cooking aided her recovery. Fascinating, especially if you like medical stuff\u00a0and<\/em> food.<\/p>\n Adventures of Frog and Toad<\/em><\/a> by Arnold Lobel. Will you all kick me out of the adult club if I admit how much I like Frog and Toad? They just, they just\u00a0get it<\/em>, you know? “‘We must stop eating!’ cried Toad as he ate another.” I mean, who doesn’t relate to that?<\/p>\n Mere Christianity<\/em><\/a> by C.S. Lewis. I know I’m late to the game with this one. I think, to be quite honest, that I expected it to be a little dull, and so I avoided it. But how wrong I was. This book was originally a radio series, so the chapters are short and sweet little bites, and so, so good. Reading it, I rather wished I was an agnostic so I could be persuaded all over again. I also read his\u00a0A Grief Observed,\u00a0<\/em>and while I quite liked it, it left me a little disturbed by its rawness and honesty. But a good disturbed.<\/p>\n Surprised by Joy<\/em><\/a> by C.S. Lewis. Yes, I read a bunch of Lewis as well as Austen this year. Gotta keep myself balanced, you know? There are few minds out there who can put those nagging and cloudy ideas we have into clear words as well as Lewis. This book was one of those, “Yes! Yes! Yes! Someone else gets it!” books. I loved his description of joy so much, and frankly, he’s one of the people I most look forward to meeting in Heaven.<\/p>\n Persuasion<\/em><\/a> by Jane Austen. Speaking of Austen, of the four of her books I read last year, this one was the best in my opinion. It’s shorter which is kind of nice, and in general, the story line was better than most of the others. Take\u00a0Emma<\/em> for instance- what an imbecile that girl was! Anne had much more sense.<\/p>\n Never Split the Difference<\/em><\/a> by Chris Voss. This book is about negotiating as if your life depended on it, because for Mr. Voss, it really is a life and death matter. You see, he was a hostage negotiator for the FBI, and worked crazy international and local cases dealing with crazy people. Super duper fascinating, especially if you enjoy crime stories and understanding the human psyche.<\/p>\n Come Matter Here<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>by Hannah Brencher. I’ve never pre-ordered a book before, but I read Hannah’s blog<\/a> and I just had to. This book stepped on all ten of my toes, but also, I would really like to be Hannah’s friend please. I love her writing style in addressing ordinary problems- it feels like you’re sitting across the table from her with coffee, but the casualness isn’t forced or contrived.<\/p>\n The Bean Trees<\/a>,\u00a0<\/em>by Barbara Kingsolver. This novel from 1988 completely fascinated me. It’s the story of a young girl who packs up her world into her rattly car, and drives west to escape the life she is weary of. Along the way, an American Indian baby is suddenly deposited upon her, and unsure of what else to do and also seeing that the baby has been abused, she takes her along and cares for her. The story follows her settling down in Arizona and picking up odd jobs to create a new life for herself and her little girl, who she names Turtle. The book is slightly…eerie, for lack of a better word, but very very interesting. I can’t recommend everything in it, but I did enjoy the story line and writing style very much.<\/p>\n A Gathering of Old Men<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>by Ernest J. Gaines. My cousin Naomi recommended this book to me, and boy, it is gripping! It’s the story of a gathering of old men who all met to claim they each committed the crime, to protect the actual perpetrator. It’s full of racial tensions and it is elegantly written and I recommend you read it too!<\/p>\n So there we have it, my top ten for 2018. (Although really, it’s a bit like asking me to choose my favorite of my children.) Did you read anything compelling last year that I should put on my list for this year?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Out With the Old, In With the New<\/a><\/p>\n My Book Challenge for 2017<\/a><\/p>\n Family Photos<\/a><\/p>\nA Year Ago:<\/h3>\n
Two Years Ago:<\/h3>\n
Three Years Ago:<\/h3>\n