Today I came across NPR’s Books We Love, a helpful and fun-to-use interactive list of recommended books. They’ve been doing this every year going back to 2013, so there is a lot to look at. Want more information? Here’s an explanation of how they select books.
There’s never a shortage of books to read these days and this list helps you sort things out according to your reading tastes. I’m often frustrated by book recommendations because they aren’t always in line with what I want to read. I haven’t gone through the whole list for 2022 (there are more than 3200 books!), but I was pleased to see that I’ve already read and enjoyed several of these. That’s a good sign to me.
I don’t like to make a long list of books to read for the new year because I find that overwhelming, so I like that I can go back to this and look when I’m ready for something new.
Do you know what your next read will be? Do you like referring to lists like these? Have you read any of the books I picked? Leave a comment!
Last week I shared a link to a reading challenge from listchallenges.comand we had a lot of fun seeing how well read we were. Today I went back to the list of 500 books and picked out these to read. I’m hoping to get to them this year because they are books I had already wanted to read.
What was funny about the list is that these two books are already on my schedule to read for our mystery book club at work
Have you read any of these books? Leave a comment and let me know what you thought!
(By the way, today I tried out the tiled image and gallery options from the new block editor and I think they worked out pretty well.)
Last week I scored big on a library book. My Facebook friends group is about to discuss Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes. The holds list is a mile long, but I was able to grab the one-week rental copy (no holds allowed) and read it quickly! It worked out great. (Read my review here.)
But now I’m in a bit of a library holds bind. Many of my other holds on new and popular books have come in at the same time. I have one eAudiobook on my phone and three eBooks on my Kindle and the clock is ticking!
It’s a little ambitious to think I’ll be able to read the three eBooks in the two-week period, but I’m going to try. I’m not so sure if I’ll have time for the eAudiobook, though. The good news about that one is that my eBook hold of the same title is coming up soon!
Here’s what’s on deck. (All book blurbs are from Amazon.)
The Warehouse by Rob Hart
I’ve seen a lot of blog reviews about this one and have already started the audio of this one.
Cloud isn’t just a place to work. It’s a place to live. And when you’re here, you’ll never want to leave.
“A thrilling story of corporate espionage at the highest level . . . and a powerful cautionary tale about technology, runaway capitalism, and the nightmare world we are making for ourselves.”—Blake Crouch, New York Times bestselling author of Dark Matter
Film rights sold to Imagine Entertainment for director Ron Howard!
The Escape Room by Megan Goldin
I didn’t think I’d get this one so fast. My mystery book club at work is going to read it…next June! I’ll probably read it twice.
“One of my favorite books of the year.” ―Lee Child
“Cancel all your plans and call in sick; once you start reading, you’ll be caught in your own escape room―the only key to freedom is turning the last page!” ―Kirkus Reviews (starred)
“A sleek, well-crafted ride.” ―The New York Times
In Megan Goldin’s unforgettable debut, The Escape Room, four young Wall Street rising stars discover the price of ambition when an escape room challenge turns into a lethal game of revenge.
We Are All Good People Here by Susan Rebecca White
I saw this one reviewed by a few bloggers and it sounded interesting to me.
From the author of A Place at the Table and A Soft Place to Land, an “intense, complex, and wholly immersive” (Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author) multigenerational novel that explores the complex relationship between two very different women and the secrets they bequeath to their daughters.
Refugee by Alan Gratz
Saw this reviewed and wanted to read it!
A New York Times bestseller!
JOSEF is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world . . .
ISABEL is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America . . .
MAHMOUD is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe . . .
All three kids go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangers — from drownings to bombings to betrayals. But there is always the hope of tomorrow. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, shocking connections will tie their stories together in the end.
We have a feature at our library that allows you to “freeze” specific holds and not lose your place in line. I haven’t tried that, but I’m thinking it would be a good idea.
I’m going to try to read all of them before they are due. Which would you read first? What’s your library book strategy?
I don’t keep an official TBR list, but I always have a dream list of books I want to read. Oh, but if time weren’t such a problem, how many more books I would read! If I had unlimited time (and resources), I’d buy a bunch of the latest books that have caught my eye, load up my bookshelf and settle myself into my favorite chair. What would be on that shelf? Here’s that list:
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
The Bees by Laline Paull
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
Clock Dance by Anne Tyler
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Factfulness by Hans Rosling
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
Layover by David Bell
Less by Andrew Sean Greer
The Lost Man by Jane Harper
The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth
Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner
Naturally Tan by Tan France
New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson
Our House by Louise Candlish
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Recursion by Blake Crouch
The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali
Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
There There by Tommy Orange
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
One of the reasons I don’t make an official TBR list is because I feel pressure to stick to it and that takes the fun out of it. I hope I’m not jinxing it by posting the list! What’s your TBR strategy? Do you make a list? Do you feel obligated once you do?
Reading lists only grow. Isn’t that the truth? It’s a good thing I’m a bit of a planner because my list has gotten pretty darn long and it’s time to do something about it! Here’s a look at some of the many books in my near future:
The Bone Curse by Carrie Rubin – I’m starting this one today, Carrie Rubin’s newest medical thriller. This one says “Medicine has no cure for evil.” Can’t wait to see what it’s about! You can check out all of Carrie’s books here.
Second Street Station by Lawrence H. Levy – I’m re-reading this historical mystery about Brooklyn’s first woman detective because my Whodunits book club at work is skyping Larry Levy in for our discussion. Can’t wait!
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin – there is a lot of buzz about this new book, called “a captivating family saga” by The New York Times Book Review. My book club is reading it in March.
The Storyteller Speaks by Annika Perry – Annika recently published her 5-star debut collection of short fiction. I read her blog all the time and you can visit it here.
I have a bunch of additional titles waiting patiently on my Kindle. I hope to read these in 2018. Here’s a peek:
Bridge of Scarlet Leaves by Kristina McMorris Commonwealth by Ann Patchett David Bowie – a Life by Dylan Jones
Leaving the Beach by Mary Rowen Reserved by Tracy Ewens Still Alice by Lisa Genova
Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine Talent by B. Goodwin The Edge of Lost by Kristina McMorris
Those Girls by Chevy Stevens
I feel good knowing I have a little library stashed on my Kindle. It’s not hoarding if it fits into a slim leather case, right? What about you? Do you have a lot of unread books on your eReader?
There’s something exciting about finishing a book and thinking about what to read next. I’ve gotten a little ahead of myself this month, though, because now I have a mini stack of books to be read. It’s not a bad problem to have. Even when I’m in a bit of a time crunch, I always relax while I’m reading. It’s my escape!
Here’s a peek at what’s coming up:
Last Stop in Brooklyn: A Mary Handley Mystery by Lawrence H. Levy
I know this is going to be a fun read and I can’t wait to start. This is the third book in the Mary Handley historical mystery series, featuring New York’s first female detective. For all you NetGalley readers, Last Stop in Brooklyn is up and ready to go!
And if you want to start at the beginning, click on the links below to learn more about the first two books in the series:
I read about this on Cleopatra Loves Books and knew I wanted to read it! Originally published in 1940, it’s part of the British Library Crime Classics collection and follows a jury’s intense deliberation. At 237 pages, it’s a shorter read, something good to read between the bigger books.
Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson
My ladies book club is reading this for our December meeting. This is another short one, published in 2016. It’s about a group of friends in 1970s Brooklyn and sounds great, perfect to read during the busy holiday season. We’ll be chatting about this one while we celebrate the holidays with our annual book exchange.
Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate
You see a lot of books when you work in a library and this one caught my eye. It’s a Young Adult book about high school kids, friendship, scandals and lies. Redgate wrote this as a senior economics major at Kenyon College and it is her first novel.
The Secrets of Wishtide by Kate Saunders
Our mystery book club at work has chosen this one for December, the first in `The Laetitia Rodd Mysteries’, six novels featuring a Victorian lady detective. Here’s what Amazon has to say:
“The Secrets of Wishtide brings nineteenth century society vividly to life and illuminates the effect of Victorian morality on women’s lives. Introducing an irresistible new detective, the first book in the Laetitia Rodd Mystery series will enthrall and delight.”
David Bowie: A Life by Dylan Jones
This biography came to me from NetGalley and I’m looking forward to it because of Bowie’s music and my high school memories, including one of my friend singing “Changes” in Algebra II and hanging out in the cool crowd’s “Bowie Room” one night.
I’m ready to go with this nice mix of books, including a couple to add to my New York Books list!
Did you know that today is National Read a Book Day? Well that’s good news because my reading binge is about to begin! I have three NetGalley books to read and two book club titles on the list. No need to procrastinate because they all look good to me!
Here’s what’s in line:
Bunny Mellon – The Life of an American Style Legend by Meryl Gordon –
NetGalley Description
“A new biography of Bunny Mellon, the style icon and American aristocrat who designed the White House Rose Garden for her friend JFK and served as a living witness to 20th Century American history, operating in the high-level arenas of politics, diplomacy, art and fashion.
Bunny Mellon, who died in 2014 at age 103, was press-shy during her lifetime. With the co-operation of Bunny Mellon’s family, author Meryl Gordon received access to thousands of pages of her letters, diaries and appointment calendars and has interviewed more than 175 people to capture the spirit of this talented American original.”
The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian
Excerpts from NetGalley Description
“From the New York Times bestselling author of The Guest Room, a powerful story about the ways an entire life can change in one night: A flight attendant wakes up in the wrong hotel, in the wrong bed, with a dead man – and no idea what happened.
Set amid the captivating world of those whose lives unfold at forty thousand feet, The Flight Attendant unveils a spellbinding story of memory, of the giddy pleasures of alcohol and the devastating consequences of addiction, and of murder far from home.”
The Surrogate by Louise Jensen
Excerpts from NetGalley Description
“Kat and her husband Nick have tried everything to become parents, and are on the point of giving up. Then a chance encounter with Kat’s childhood friend Lisa gives Kat and Nick one last chance to achieve their dream.
But Kat and Lisa’s history hides dark secrets.
And there is more to Lisa than meets the eye.
As dangerous cracks start to appear in Kat’s perfect picture of happily-ever-after, she realises that she must face her fear of the past to save her family…”
The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain
September choice by my book club friend for this month’s literary gab fest!
Excerpt from Amazon description:
“Riley MacPherson has spent her entire life believing that her older sister Lisa committed suicide as a teenager. It was a belief that helped shape her own childhood and that of her brother. It shaped her view of her family and their dynamics. It influenced her entire life. Now, more than twenty years later, her father has passed away and she’s in New Bern, North Carolina, cleaning out his house when she finds evidence that what she has always believed is not the truth. Lisa is alive. Alive and living under a new identity…”
The Chessmen by Peter May
Book 3 of The Lewis Trilogy and September choice for my library mystery book club. Books 1 and 2 were great so I’m looking forward to this one!
Excerpt from Amazon description:
“Living again of the Isle of Lewis, ex-Detective Inspector Fin Macleod is working as a security officer for a local landowner. While investigating illegal activity on the estate Fin encounters the elusive poacher and former childhood friend, and bandmate, Whistler Macaskill.
When Fin catches up with Whistler among the windswept hills of the estate, the two witness a freak natural phenomenon–a bog burst–which drains a loch of all its water in a flash, revealing a mud-encased light aircraft with a sickeningly familiar moniker on its side…”
Will you be reading a book tonight? What’s on your September reading list?
Someday I’d like to say I have read all the Pulitzer Prize winners for fiction. I took a look at the all-time list, and discovered I have a long way to go!
1919: The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington
1918: His Family by Ernest Poole
To reward you for making it to the bottom of this list, here are a few facts about the Pulitzer Prizes!
The Pulitzer prizes were established in 1917 to recognize outstanding journalism, photography, literature, history, poetry, music and drama.
There are twenty-one award categories. Only United States citizens are eligible to apply for the prize in Letters, Drama and Music, except for the History category of Letters, in which the book must be about the United States, but the author may be of any nationality.
John F. Kennedy has been the only President to receive the Pulitzer Prize. He was awarded the prize in 1957 for his biography, Profiles in Courage.
And for all those self-published and indie authors: Self-published books are eligible for the prize, but they must be available in print!
Image: Wikipedia
Click here to visit an earlier post with interesting facts about the man behind it all, famous newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer.
Visit pulitzer.org to learn more about the Pulitzer Prizes.
Talking about books is just as fun as reading them. Choosing the next one is lots of fun too. And lists are a great way to get things started. Today I’m between books, but I’m looking forward to picking something new soon! I’ve added a page to show my running list of books read in 2017. Check it out up top or click on the link below.
The end of the calendar year is always a time to look back, but it’s also a fun time to look forward. While I don’t always stick to a reading list, I do like to make one. Here’s what is looking good to me. What books are in your reading future?
(All summaries provided by individual publishers. I have edited for space.)
At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier
James Goodenough, whose family had originally settled in Connecticut from England brings his family to Ohio to carve out a new life for them in the Black Swamp in 1838, but as swamp fever gradually picks off their children and they wrestle daily with survival, this course will see their family engulfed in tragedy. Fifteen years later we pick up with their youngest son, Robert, who has been running west since then trying to escape his memories of what happened, taking solace in a very different kind of tree–the redwoods and sequoias of California. But Robert’s past catches up with him and he’s forced to confront what he’s running from and work out for himself that you can’t run for ever.
Born To Run by Bruce Springsteen
Over the past seven years, Bruce Springsteen has privately devoted himself to writing the story of his life, bringing to these pages the same honesty, humor, and originality found in his songs. He describes growing up Catholic in Freehold, New Jersey, amid the poetry, danger, and darkness that fueled his imagination. He vividly recounts his relentless drive to become a musician, his early days as a bar band king in Asbury Park, and the rise of the E Street Band. With disarming candor, he also tells for the first time the story of the personal struggles that inspired his best work, and shows us why the song “Born to Run” reveals more than we previously realized.
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan
A gripping memoir and medical suspense story about a young New York Post reporter’s struggle with a rare and terrifying disease, opening a new window into the fascinating world of brain science.
In this swift and breathtaking narrative, Susannah tells the astonishing true story of her inexplicable descent into madness and the brilliant, lifesaving diagnosis that nearly didn’t happen.
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
The enthralling story of how an unexpected romantic encounter irrevocably changes two families’ lives. Spanning five decades, Commonwealth explores how this chance encounter reverberates through the lives of the four parents and six children involved. A story of love and marriage, death and divorce, and a dark secret from childhood that lies underneath it all.
Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art by Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo
The extraordinary narrative of one of the most far-reaching and elaborate deceptions in art history. Investigative reporters Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo brilliantly recount the tale of a great con man and unforgettable villain, John Drewe, and his sometimes unwitting accomplices. His story stretches from London to Paris to New York, from Manhattan art galleries to the archives of the Tate Gallery. Provenance reads like a well-plotted thriller, filled with unforgettable characters and told at a break-neck pace.
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
Alice Howland is proud of the life she worked so hard to build. At fifty years old, she’s a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard and a world-renowned expert in linguistics with a successful husband and three grown children. When she becomes increasingly disoriented and forgetful, a tragic diagnosis changes her life—and her relationship with her family and the world—forever. As she struggles to cope with Alzheimer’s, she learns that her worth is comprised of far more than her ability to remember.
The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok
In the tradition of The Glass Castle, two sisters confront schizophrenia in this poignant literary memoir about family and mental illness. Through stunning prose and original art, The Memory Palace captures the love between mother and daughter, the complex meaning of truth, and family’s capacity for forgiveness
The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin
When Truman Capote gains access to New York high society, he builds an unlikely friendship with socialite Babe Paley.
Of all the glamorous stars of New York high society, none blazes brighter than Babe Paley and her friends, the alluring socialite Swans. But beneath this elegantly composed exterior dwells a passionate woman, desperately longing for true love and connection. Enter Truman Capote. Through Babe, Truman gains unparalleled access to the scandal and gossip of Babe’s powerful circle. Babe never imagines the destruction Truman will leave in his wake– even when the stories aren’t his to tell.
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
In this tightly wound, enthralling story reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s works, Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the veneered, select guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea. At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard.
What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan
Rachel Jenner is walking in a Bristol park with her eight-year-old son Ben when he asks if he can run ahead. It’s an ordinary request on an ordinary Sunday afternoon, and Rachel has no reason to worry–until Ben vanishes. Police are called, search parties go out, and Rachel, already insecure after her recent divorce, feels herself coming undone. As hours and then days pass without a sign of Ben, everyone who knew him is called into question, from Rachel’s newly married ex-husband to her mother-of-the-year sister.
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
A profoundly moving, exquisitely observed memoir by a young neurosurgeon faced with a terminal cancer diagnosis who attempts to answer the question, What makes a life worth living? At the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade’s worth of training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer.
What makes life worth living in the face of death? What do you do when the future, no longer a ladder toward your goals in life, flattens out into a perpetual present? What does it mean to have a child, to nurture a new life as another fades away? These are some of the questions Kalanithi wrestles with in this profoundly moving, exquisitely observed memoir.
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