Favorites
1. No Ordinary Time by Doris Kearns Goodwin A great book! And a wonderful way to understand history.3. Destiny of the Republic, A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard Excellent! Enlightening and the way I like to learn history…via personalities.
4. Snowdrops by A. D. Miller
5. The Cat’s Table by Michael Ondaatje
6. The Round House by Louise Erdrich Marvelous novel. Told from view of 13-year-old boy who seeks revenge for his mother’s brutal assault. A good look at the injustices endured by our Native Americans.
7. The Devil’s Star by Jo Nesbo
8. The Snowman by Jo Nesbo
9. The Leopard by Jo Nesbo
10. Phantom by Jo Nesbo
11. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn The big mystery hit of the year and deservedly so.
12. The Sojourn by Andrew Krivak Loved it! Finalist for the National Book Award.
13. It’s Fine By Me by Per Petterson What is it with these Scandinavian writers? Another wonderful book. I also read Petterson's “Out Stealing Horses” and became an admirer.
Classics:
14. My Antonia by Willa Cather15. The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford Supposedly a classic but I found both the plot and the writing annoying.
16. Washington Square by Henry James The classic that became “The Heiress.” Wonderful!
17. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
18. Howards End by E. M. Forster
Others:
19. Prague Winter by Madeleine Albright Not really an autobiography since Albright was a little child at the beginning of WWII. I especially was taken with her chapter on the camp Terezin since I had been there. Those memories will never fade.20. Nemesis by Jo Nesbo I love Jo Nesbo but this is not his best.
21. Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson
22. The London Train by Tessa Hadley
23. Lakota Woman by Mary Crow Dog
24. And Furthermore by Judi Dench
25. Blue Nights by Joan Didion
26. Then Again by Diane Keaton
27. Empire of the Summer Moon – Quanah Packard and the Rise and Fall of the Commanches, The Most Powerful Indian Tribe in History by S.C. Gwynne Although I am very interested in the settling of the American West and the lives of Native Americans, I did not find this book very compelling.
28. What Remains by Carole Radziwill Didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. Very compelling look at illness from the viewpoint of a caregiver.
29. How It All Began by Penelope Lively
30. Canada by Richard Ford
31. Homer and Langley by E. L. Doctorow The true story of the Collyer Brothers, hoarders who lived in a Fifth Avenue mansion.
32. This Side of Brightness by Colm McCann A very interesting tale of a generation of sandhogs.
33. Desperate Characters by Paula Fox A selection of the NY Times “Big City Book Club.”
34. On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
35. Care of Wooden Floors by Will Wiles What a surprise this was! Quirky, original and very entertaining.
36. Felicia’s Journey by William Trevor I chose to read this because it was mentioned in Schwalbe’s book. Creepy story but well done.
37. This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz Despite the hoopla, I didn’t enjoy it that much.
38. The Forgotten Man – A New History of The Great Depression, Amity Schlaes
39. The Likeness by Tana French
Not Up to Expectations:
40. Books– A Memoir by Larry McMurtry41. The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler
42. Nocturnes– Five Stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro
45. Mission to Paris by Alan Furst
46. How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran Crude, crass and not worth its time. I actually threw it in the garbage.
