It's been a year, pretty similar to last year. Weird, crazy, shaking my head that this is the world we are living in right now. The pandemic is one thing but we have book bans and so much negative energy floating around out there. It takes all our effort to keep it cool, keep moving forward, making the meals, reading the books, and taking care of our people.
I've read an amazing amount of good books this year. Here are my five star books according to my Goodreads page:
Adult Fiction:
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley - technically under the young adult category I don't want that to steer people away. I loved this story of Daunis Fontaine as she works to solve a mystery on the nearby Ojibwa Reservation.
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich- Based on Erdrich's grandfather as he worked as a night watchman and fought for Native rights in a letter writing campaign that takes him and other Elders all the way to Washington DC. *Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2021
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett- Tells the history of the Vignes sisters as they venture outside their all-black community and how their decisions influence their families to come.
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid- Debut author struts a fabulous story about family and racism embedded into everyday lives when Emira, the young Black babysitter for a somewhat famous white family is accosted at a nearby grocery store.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig- This story hung with me for months as I thought about the choices we make that lead our lives down different paths just as Nora Seed is plummeted back and forth between alternative endings that ultimately lead her back to where she started.
When All is Said by Anne Griffin- Simple yet profound story of Maurice Hannigan as he sits in a pub reflecting on his life and the five people that made a difference to him.
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak- I just finished this book and loved it very much. It could have had the top spot but I wanted to honor the books I'd loved earlier in the year as well. Ada and her father navigate life after her mother's death, alternatingly we learn their love story of a Turkish man and a Greek woman who save a fig tree. Another new author for me.
A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet- This was such a mind-blowing short read that runs parallel stories about a vacation gone awry, teenagers in charge, and adults letting the world go to hell. Hmmm.
The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz- Jacob Finch Bonner wrote one sort of good book years ago and now he teaches at a sub par school and at local writer's workshops when one of his students leaves him with a book idea that later in life sends him on a life-altering journey. Korelitz is a new author for me and one I will read again.
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave- Mystery that kept me reading as Hannah Hall and her stepdaughter try to figure out what happened to Hannah's husband and why it is so important to keep Bailey safe.
The Heart Principal by Helen Hoang-I've read all three of her sexy romance books and love them! All three have an interesting perspective from characters with autism, Asperger's, grief, burn-out and other life variances. She writes from her heart.
Anxious People by Fredrik Bachman-This is an author I love and this book, while confusing at first, did not disappoint. Life is hard but also lovely.
I have so many favorite reads this post will have to be continued...
Young Adult, Elementary Fiction, and Nonfiction to follow.
Keep reading!
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