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Another year of reading has come and gone! How is this possible?
Each year my reading goal is 100 chapter books... this year I fell way short of the goal after being diagnosed with breast cancer in mid-October.
Like 19 books short, whoopsi.
I don't know about you, but my brain just doesn't slow down the same for reading when I've got big, hairy things I'm thinking about.
Oh well, there's always this next year!
Before I share with you what I'm looking forward to reading in 2017, let's look back at the reads that stuck with me the most in 2016.
This list includes all adult novels. The children's and young adult list will be coming from my other blog, The Reeding Librarian in the next couple days.
Below you will see the cover art of each book, a short summary, and why it stuck with me or is worth recommending. The order they appear is simply the order in which I read them.
And as always, please share your recommendations with me!
The Ex by Alafair Burke
Summary: Twenty years ago she ruined his life. Now she has the chance to save it. Olivia Randall is one of New York City’s best criminal defense lawyers. When she hears that her former fiancé, Jack Harris, has been arrested for a triple homicide—and that one of the victims was connected to his wife’s murder three years earlier—there is no doubt in her mind as to his innocence. The only question is, who would go to such great lengths to frame him—and why? For Olivia, representing Jack is a way to make up for past regrets and absolve herself of guilt from a tragic decision, a secret she has held for twenty years. But as the evidence against him mounts, she is forced to confront her doubts. The man she knew could not have done this. But what if she never really knew him? (From Back Cover)
My Thoughts: This book was recommended and borrowed from a co-worker that was just raving about this un-put-downable read. And I totally agree. It was very fast paced in trying to figure out what was really going on with Jack and the twists and turns made for an unpredictable read all the way to the end, which I thoroughly enjoy in a book.
The Lake House by Kate Morton
Summary: Living on her family’s idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories. One midsummer’s eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. He is never found, and the family is torn apart, the house abandoned. Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as a novelist. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather’s house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old Edevane estate—now crumbling and covered with vines. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone...yet more present than ever. (From Amazon)
My Thoughts: Once again, another book that keeps you turning pages to find out what is truly happening to the family within a woven web of twists and turns revolving around a missing baby and hidden loves. I love Kate Morton books because of the fact they go back and forth between present day and the past, allowing the reader to figure out how they two time periods connect. I cannot recommend her books enough and definitely plan on reading more of her books this next year. They are a little lengthier than other reads so I do have to set aside time to deeply read her novels.
Brush of Wings by Karen Kingsbury
Summary: The third novel in an unforgettable series about divine intervention and the trials and triumphs of life for a group of friends. Despite needing a heart transplant and against the advice of her doctor, Mary Catherine moves to Uganda to work at a new orphanage. Whatever time she has left, Mary Catherine wants to spend it helping children—especially since there will be no children of her own. The only problem is Major League Baseball player Marcus Dillinger, the man she never meant to fall in love with. Neither Marcus nor Mary Catherine’s other friends—Tyler Ames and Sami Dawson—know just how serious her heart condition is. Still, Marcus is sure in the depths of his soul that something isn’t right. Ultimately his correspondence with Mary Catherine leads him on a desperate life-or-death mission to rescue her and get her to a US hospital before time runs out. Meanwhile, Sami and Tyler struggle with issues of their own. In a season when Tyler plans to ask Sami to marry him, the very core of their relationship is in jeopardy. The team of angels walking is busier than ever in this epic battle between life and death. (From Amazon)
My Thoughts: I am not a series reader at all! This trilogy has made it into my top reads the last three years. Somehow they keep getting better with each book, which I feel is very rare. This series will be a hit for any reader that believes in miracles and the work of angels. Loved it!
Most Wanted by Lisa Scottoline
Summary: Donor 3319 Profile: Tall. Blonde. Blue eyes. Medical Student. Wanted for Serial Murder.
Christine Nilsson and her husband, Marcus, are desperate for a baby. Unable to conceive, they find themselves facing a difficult choice they had never anticipated. After many appointments with specialists, endless research, and countless conversations, they make the decision to use a donor. Two months pass, and Christine is happily pregnant. But one day, she is shocked to see a young blond man on the TV news being arrested for a series of brutal murders―and the blond man bears an undeniable and uncanny resemblance to her donor. Delving deeper to uncover the truth, Christine must confront a terrifying reality and face her worst fears. Riveting and fast-paced with the depth of emotionality that has garnered Lisa Scottoline legions of fans, Most Wanted poses an ethical and moral dilemma: What would you do if the biological father of your unborn child was a killer? (From Amazon)
My Thoughts: I definitely agree with the summary above that this is very fast-paced. It also helped that I was listening to it while inventorying my library at school, ha. I have always been intrigued with novels about fertility and donors since it is something I wasn't very knowledgable about until recently. Then to throw in the thought of what would you do if your donor wasn't who you thought they were? Thought provoking until the very end.
Property of a Noblewoman by Danielle Steel
Summary: Faded photographs of a glamorous couple in postwar Europe. Old letters hinting of tragic loss. And a breathtaking array of magnificent jewelry, spectacular stones in exquisite settings. These are the contents of a safe-deposit box long abandoned in a New York City bank. If no heir can be identified, the jewelry will be auctioned. But who was the woman who left such a fortune and no will? Two people, drawn together by chance, begin to unravel the mystery. Jane Willoughby is a law clerk at the surrogate’s court and Phillip Lawton a fine arts expert for Christie’s auction house. They are simply doing their jobs when they come to the bank to inspect the contents of the box. But for both Jane and Phillip the search turns personal—and their efforts to reconstruct an enigmatic life will lead from New York to London and Paris, to Rome and Naples, and a series of stunning revelations. (From Amazon)
My Thoughts: Another great read that connects past scandals to present day lives. I just loved how the characters of this book were weaved together from the beginning to end. With the postwar Europe and the interesting details of the extravagant jewels in the safe-deposit box, this was another book that was hard to put down from start to finish.
Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave
Summary: London, 1939. The day war is declared, Mary North leaves finishing school unfinished, goes straight to the War Office, and signs up. Tom Shaw decides to ignore the war—until he learns his roommate Alistair Heath has unexpectedly enlisted. Then the conflict can no longer be avoided. Young, bright, and brave, Mary is certain she’d be a marvelous spy. When she is—bewilderingly—made a teacher, she finds herself defying prejudice to protect the children her country would rather forget. Tom, meanwhile, finds that he will do anything for Mary. And when Mary and Alistair meet, it is love, as well as war, that will test them in ways they could not have imagined, entangling three lives in violence and passion, friendship and deception, inexorably shaping their hopes and dreams. This dazzling novel dares us to understand that, against the great theater of world events, it is the intimate losses, the small battles, the daily human triumphs that change us most. (From Amazon)
My Thoughts: I'll be honest. I really struggled getting into this novel. I think it was the style of writing. However, I knew I needed to get through it because I was reading it for an online book club. I decided to try the audio version, and man, was that the way to go. I enjoyed hearing it in the tone it was intended for by the English author. During the webcast with the absolutely delightful author, I found out that this novel was based on the story of his own family and he intends to write a sequel... score!
The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin
Summary: What would you do if your four-year-old son claimed he had lived another life and that he wants to go back to it? That he wants his other mother? Single mom Janie is trying to figure out what is going on with her beloved son Noah. Noah has never been ordinary. He loves to make up stories, and he is constantly surprising her with random trivia someone his age has no right knowing. She always chalked it up to the fact that Noah was precocious―mature beyond his years. But Noah’s eccentricities are starting to become worrisome. One afternoon, Noah’s preschool teacher calls Janie: Noah has been talking about shooting guns and being held under water until he can’t breathe. Suddenly, Janie can’t pretend anymore. The school orders him to get a psychiatric evaluation. And life as she knows it stops for herself and her darling boy. For Jerome Anderson, life as he knows it has already stopped. Diagnosed with aphasia, his first thought as he approaches the end of his life is, I’m not finished yet. Once an academic star, a graduate of Yale and Harvard, a professor of psychology, he threw everything away to pursue an obsession: the stories of children who remembered past lives. Anderson became the laughing stock of his peers, but he never stopped believing that there was something beyond what anyone could see or comprehend. He spent his life searching for a case that would finally prove it. And with Noah, he thinks he may have found it. (From Amazon)
My Thoughts: This is unlike any other book I've ever read, and I think that's why I enjoyed it so much. The idea of reincarnation does not mesh with my own spiritual beliefs, but I found it so intriguing to read and understand what other cultures believe. It was very engrossing to learn something new in a context that was written so well. Once again, I appreciated how the characters were weaved together, whether in present day or past.
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Summary: Erik Larson—author of #1 bestseller In the Garden of Beasts—intertwines the true tale of the 1893 World's Fair and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death. Combining meticulous research with nail-biting storytelling, Erik Larson has crafted a narrative with all the wonder of newly discovered history and the thrills of the best fiction. (From Amazon)
My Thoughts: This book has been recommended to me time and time again, but I was intimidated by the length of this nonfiction work. I decided once again to turn to the audio version, which was another great call to get through this long body of writing. The time period was one of which I don't read from often which helped keep my interest, as well as the obvious story of a serial killer during the busiest time in the United States history.
You by Caroline Kepnes
Summary: When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card. There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance” meeting. As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder.
My Thoughts: Wowza. This book is not for the faint of heart. At all. I have not read another book from this particular point of view, the perspective of the stalker. If you have ever watched Dexter you would like this book. Totally dark and twisty, with a hint of humor when the character does not understand social cues. It is also very unfiltered in the thoughts of the narrator, so you can't say you haven't been warned! This is another I listened to on audio, so I think that may have added to the shock factor. There is also a sequel to this book called Hidden Bodies.
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
Summary: Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years’ experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she’s been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don’t want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene? Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a result, is charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, takes her case but gives unexpected advice: Kennedy insists that mentioning race in the courtroom is not a winning strategy. Conflicted by Kennedy’s counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her family—especially her teenage son—as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward, Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other’s trust, and come to see that what they’ve been taught their whole lives about others—and themselves—might be wrong. (From Amazon)
My Thoughts: Jodi Picoult is my favorite author, so I'm already pretty biased, but this book was amazing as well as very timely. I think this read is an eye opening read no matter what racial background you are coming from. Like any Picoult book, there is a twist at the end that will help bridge everything together... just not as twisty as My Sister's Keeper. I promise. This is a must read!
There were so many more great reads this year than I initially thought!
I can't wait to see what the reads of 2017 bring.
What should I add to my list? Please share!
Back to the books,
Audra