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My favorite book recs
40
items I love to read historical fiction, literary fiction, and memoirs. Sometimes I read outside of my genres but those are my comfort zone.
Sections
5
Top 10 Books I Recommend
My Top Books of 2024
Weird but Wonderful Books
What I Read in September
Books that Make You LOL
Top 10 Books I Recommend
Who knew a western would take the top slot in my favorite books but here we are. This is the best example of character development ever. You love every person in this book. Even the ones you hate. And you miss them when you turn the last page. Don't ...
Lonesome Dove: A Novel by Larry McMurtry
Best ending ever!!! All these weird details and events happen throughout the book and you don't think there's a point but it all weaves together in the most fantastical ending you've ever read in a book. John Irving's best!
A Prayer for Owen Meany - Irving John: Books
If you only read one American classic, let this be the one. So beautiful. So unforgettable.
To Kill a Mockingbird: Lee, Harper: 9780446310789
This is such a profound novel about making your story work for you.
Life of Pi: A Novel by Yann Martel
Oh my gosh I loved this book so much!! Very original, told with sadness, humor, love, danger, and magic. I absolutely loved this book!
Boy Swallows Universe: A Novel - Trent Dalton
I cannot recommend this epistolary novel enough! You will laugh. You will cry. And you will read it in a day. It's just that good!
Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger
Colleen McCullough is such a diverse writer but this is definitely her most epic novel by far. Such a fantastic story of Meggie and Father Ralph. It still holds up today!
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
One of the best memoirs ever. I was so angry with her parents for so long after I read the book. Jeannette Walls is a truly gifted writer.
The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls
Talk about the strength of women! This is a powerful story of two women married to the same man in Iran. The grim reality of their life is one of cruelty and despair, while trying to find a way out.
A Thousand Splendid Suns: Hosseini, Khaled - Books
A truly beautiful story of family bonds and God's special people here on Earth.
Peace Like a River: A Novel by Leif Enger
My Top Books of 2024
These are books I read in 2024, not all were published then - follow me for individual reviews on BookTok!
One of the strongest female characters in historical fiction! Martha Ballard is a midwife post-revolutionary war. But something happens in her town that forces her to also be coroner and witness. So good!
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
Charlie Thurston is the best reader in audiobooks. Hands down! I highly recommend this one on audio. Charlie has nailed this character and gives the story the right blend of sarcasm and self-pity. Love Love Love!
Demon Copperhead Audiobook by Barbara Kingsolver
You don't have to know Huckleberry Finn to read this book. It stands alone just fine. So much meaning in so many little things in this book. A perspective not told enough.
James (Pulitzer Prize Winner): A Novel
This reads like a book of short stories, each one compelling and powerful. But it's actually the lineage of two half-sisters who never meet. One a slave trader's wife. One a slave. So beautifully told.
Homegoing: 9781101971062: Gyasi, Yaa: Books
An odyssey journey of four orphans that totally captured my heart. Beautiful historical fiction.
This Tender Land: A Novel: Krueger, William Kent
Who knew a western would take the top slot in my favorite books but here we are. This is the best example of character development ever. You love every person in this book. Even the ones you hate. And you miss them when you turn the last page. Don't miss the book. I promise you will love it.
Lonesome Dove: A Novel by Larry McMurtry
Big emotion in a small book. This little novella is full of heart. Such a quiet beauty to it.
Review: Foster (2010) by Claire Keegan - Literary Potpourri - WordPress.com
This little book is so poignant. It led me down a rabbit hole of other stories about the Magdelan laundries.
Small Things Like These (Oprah's Book Club)
This was written in the 1920s. I loved it. A beautiful story about letting your heart guide you and finding friends.
The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
A great American novel for sure! Steinbeck's powerful storytelling of good and evil in people will sweep you away!
East of Eden (Oprah's Book Club) - Steinbeck
Weird but Wonderful Books
I went into this blind but WOW what a powerful statement this book makes. Thought provoking and intriguing!!
Never Let Me Go: Ishiguro, Kazuo: 9781400078776
Mystical and delicious! So many strange and dreamlike moments in this historical/fantasy/romance
Like Water for Chocolate: Novel with Recipes
You never know what to expect when following a woman afflicted by schizophrenia. Lovely and short book.
The Ha-Ha by Jennifer Dawson
Wow, did NOT know what to expect with this book. Hilarious, kooky, and confirmed what I suspected all along about cats.
Starter Villain by John Scalzi
Who doesn't want to get into a story about twins with human spontaneous combustion?
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
So strange. So beautiful. And a little snarky at times, which is why I loved it so much!
Remarkably Bright Creatures: A Read with Jenna Pick
Such an original story. A young man trying to get hold of his life seeks comfort in a performance artist who seems to hold all of the answers to life and more.
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
The audio was excellent and helpful, as this book apparently has no punctuation. The ending will torture me for days to come but totally worth it!
The Bee Sting Audiobook by Paul Murray
Lily is a sweet dachshund living with an octopus on her face. And her owner is on a mission to avoid the truth at practically any cost.
Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley
Truth is DEFINITELY stranger than fiction here. Augusten Burroughs' own story of being dumped by his mother at her psychiatrist's house to grow up while she goes off to work on her poetry career.
Running with Scissors: A Memoir by Burroughs
What I Read in September
The sequel to Lonesome Dove. Grittier and darker than Lonesome Dove but I still loved it.
Streets Of Laredo: A Novel by Larry McMurtry
Cool story about an Irish-American family and their drama, secrets, and lies.
We Are the Brennans: A Novel by Tracey Lange
This was such a cool book!!! Chinese lore and magical realism where foxes can shapeshift into humans. I absolutely loved this!!
The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo
Sweet and wonderful story of a man who comes to a small town in Georgia and ingratiates himself with the locals by doing good deeds. But who is he?
Theo of Golden - Levi, Allen: Books
Books that Make You LOL
Every page makes you laugh until you cry with this book. Hysterical and beautiful epistolary novel.
Last Days of Summer
Never was awkwardness so funny. Eleanor is a young woman who hasn't a clue how to relate to other humans, until one works his way into her life and changes everything.
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine (Novel)
This book definitely made me laugh out loud and confirmed my suspicions about cats and dolphins.
Starter Villain by John Scalzi
I love the sarcasm of the main character, that and the fact that his precious Lily, a sweet little dachshund, has an octopus on her face.
Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley
Richard Russo knows how to write about men who are stuck in life. Straight Man is about a tenured professor who can't make a decision about his career, his coworkers, or his marriage.
Straight Man: A Novel by Richard Russo
This book is a scream! I love all the anecdotes from him about the wildlife in Africa. Especially the one where a scorpion is crawling up his pantleg.
Don't Look Behind You!: Safari Guide's Lion Encounters