Just Doing My Part To Help You Spend Your Amazon Gift Cards

If I were you, I'd stop reading this post right now.

The truth is, I don't think I'm any good at writing about books.  This is probably because I got an English degree a bazillion years ago.  For me, college was basically four solid years of book reports.  At the end of college I swore I'd never write about another book, ever again. 

But then I started getting old, and my brain, evidently, began to atrophy.  If I don't write down what I've read, with a little note about it, the story will be gone from my head before I can put the book back on the shelf.  (Why-oh-why can't I retain knowledge as easily as I retain water?)

So, more for my own benefit than anything else, here are a few notes about what I read this year.  I didn't include every book, but I tried to hit the memorable points:

Bless Your Heart, Tramp by Celia Rivenbank

A hilarious and quick read, this collection of essays about Southern life would be especially enjoyable for those of you south of the Mason-Dixon line.

Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss

Lynne Truss should be made a saint.  Anyone who can write about punctuation in a laugh-out-loud way deserves some seriously special treatment.  Do not miss this book, especially if you're the kind of person who's ever used your own Sharpie marker to correct punctuation on a menu.  Ahem.

The Chili Queen by Sandra Dallas

I love Sandra Dallas.  She writes historical fiction about women, usually in the south or the west.  This wasn't my favorite of her books, but even an average Sandra Dallas book is better than most any other fiction of its type.

Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor

I do not know how I managed to get an English degree from a southern university without ever having read Flannery O'Connor.  That's just a shame.  Because this woman was a genius with her pen--what a tragedy her life ended just as her writing career was peaking.  This novel (and all her works, I'm told) will absolutely knock your socks off.  This woman understood grace.

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

My friend Shalee recommended this book to me, and it was probably the biggest page-turner I read all year.  It was spooky and still somehow heart-warming--that's not a combination many authors could pull off!  I'm eager to try another Koontz book soon.

Same Sweet Girls by Cassandra King

I'd heard about this book, the story of a group of college girls who grow up and remain close, gathering together each year.  Since I have my own group of college friends whom I love, I thought this would be a fun read.  It was interesting, but the friendships were rather dysfunctional--just not really what I expected from the descriptions I'd read.  But then again, friendships aren't always neat and pretty.  This would be a good summertime pool-side read.

Harry Potter and Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Really, could there possibly be anything left to say about Harry?  I've already written about it here, and it's been hashed over a million other places as well.  Truly, this was a remarkable series.

A Song I Knew By Heart by Bret Lott

Ah, Bret Lott.  The man could start writing the backs of cereal boxes, and I'd show up to read them.  He can spin a tale and get inside a character's brain like no writer I've ever seen.  This particular story, a modern-day allegory to the Biblical story of Naomi and Ruth, was compelling.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

So many of my friends really loved this book, and I expected I would too.  The plot was certainly an incredibly original idea.  But I was frustrated by the author's portrayal of this love story.  In some respects, it was beautiful and enduring.  In other respects it was crude and creepy.  The sex was a little gratuitous, I thought, and it took away from what would've otherwise been a beautiful story.

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

I do not use the following phrase lightly:  this was one of the best books I've ever read, ever.  The story itself was a riveting page-turner, but the writing?  Oh, it was just like lingering over the richest dessert you can imagine.  You had to roll the sentences around in your mouth before you swallowed them. 

I won't tell you anything about the plot, because I don't want to give anything away, but I recommend this book for anyone.  I can't imagine a soul who wouldn't love it.

Lost Horizons by James Hilton

I read this book because I'd heard that my favorite show Lost was basically a remake of this 1930's era book.  And truly, the similarities were remarkable.  If the Lost writers really are using this book as a guide, then I think I have a better idea where they might be going with the plot.   

It's basically about four plane crash survivors stranded in a very mysterious, supernatural location.  Sound familiar?  I won't say anymore about it to avoid any spoilers.

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I'm about halfway through this book right now.  It's so beautiful it's downright hypnotic.  Part of me can't wait to see how it ends, part of me doesn't want it to end.  I wanted to hurry and read it before seeing the movie.

So, did you read any can't-miss books this year?  I'm already planning my list for next year, and I'm open to suggestions!

Comments

[Amanda]

I'm the first one to give you a suggestion!! I'm really loving this Wednesday Letters book that I'm reading right now. You can see that on my blog.

Another one I hear is wonderful is PS I love you ~ the one in the movies of course.

And my all time favorite book EVER Vally of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann ~ that was one I couldn't put down and it even has a sequel!!

I might be adding a few that you read this year to my To Read list!!

[ThoughtfulMom]

If you're liking Garcia Marquez, you might try out Laura Esquival's Like Water for Chocolate or something by Isabel Allende - her telling of Zorro is beautiful.

[Kathy]

If you liked Bless Your Heart, you are gonna love Not tonight dear, wait till I'm a size 6! It had me rolling on the floor!

[Haden]

The Glass Castle - Jeaneete Walls
A memoir that will have you laughing and crying throughout the entire story. It is beautifuly written. You feel as if you are living with her family and feeling the pain, confusion, and love she feels. I recommend it greatly. My friends mom is borrowing it and has read it, and kept it to read it again.

[Wendylicious]

As a HUGE Koontz fan, I must warn you to skip the other Odd Thomas books. Forever Odd and Brother Odd just don't measure up to the first one.

Go for my all time favorite Koontz..."Life Expectancy". Followed closely by "Corner of His Eye". Those two alone are worth calling Koontz my favorite author.

Also if you like Southern fiction, anything by Billie Letts. She wrote the book that the Natalie Portman movie "Where the Heart Is" was based on. Another one she did was "Honk & Hollar Opening Soon" which I also liked.

[Cheri]

Oh, thank you! I read Time Travelers Wife a couple of years ago. Everyone spoke of how fantastic it was and I just didn't feel it. Hearing someone else say outloud what I felt makes me feel like I'm not that bad of a person. LOL

My first read of the new year? An Incomplete Education. I've wanted to read it for years and finally bought it with Christmas cash. :)
http://www.amazon.com/Incomplete-Education-Things-Learned-Probably/dp/0345468902/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198913424&sr=8-1

[Makeshift Mama]

Have you read Captivating by John and Staci Eldredge? If you haven't, please do! I found it to be a completely life-changing read...

[Edi]

I think I saw the movie that Lost book was based on...A few years ago we watched a movie from 1937 called "Lost Horizon" and it was great!

I've never watched the Lost TV program so I don't know how similar it is to Lost Horizon.
----

[dcrmom]

Wow, that's quite a list. I think I want to read them all! :-) Except Harry Potter. I don't know why, I just have no desire to read those books.

[Cathy]

The Shack, by William P. Young.

OH MY GOODNESS is all I can say. Worth wading through the tragedy of child abduction (I almost didn't read because of that) for the beautiful allegory that makes up the second half.

[Lorraine]

I used to read all the time. I can totally devour a 400 page book in less then a day if I'm given the time.

If you want some good Christian romance - must be Francine Rivers. her stories are awesome! I'm also loving the Liz Curtis Higgs series about Jacob, Leah, and Rachel. Thorn in my side is the name of one of the four books (the last book in the series focuses on the daughter, Dinah). The series retells the Biblical story of Jacob and his wives, but with a Scottish twist. Very good.

[chaotic joy]

Oh! Thanks for this, I love book list recommendations. The current stack on my nightstand are mostly recommendations from other bloggers, and "Love in the Time of Cholera" is there waiting for me. I am reading "My Antonia" right now and while this is a classic I had somehow missed it. I described the writing almost as you did "Peace Like a River" each phrase begs to be savored like hard candy. It's just written so beautifully, if I was able to wish myself into a real writer, I think I would wish myself Willa Cather.

[Mrs. Who]

1. I have to say, I don't agree with the person above who said don't read the other Brother Odd books. As far as I am concerned, if it is by Dean Koontz, read it. They are not quite as good as the first, but his books are always, always good. The later ones are much more spiritual, but they are all good.

2. If you are going to recommend books for people to purchase on Amazon, you might want to join their associates program, where you make money when people buy the books you recommend. I write about books often and that's what I did and I expect the money to start pouring in any day. Just any day. Well, maybe someday. Anyway, go here: http://affiliate-program.amazon.com/join and you can sign up.

3. I have been wanting to thank you for the Casting Crowns CD and tell you how much I am enjoying it! Thanks again.

[Mommy]

Safely Home by Randy Alcorn. Life-changing.

[Melissa]

I love The Hawk and the Dove by Penelope Wilcox. It's just beautifully written and an amazing story friendship and loyalty.

[Robin (the pensieve one)]

Did you read "Kite Runner"? It was weighty and compelling and I couldn't put it down in spite of the gravity of circumstance. It paints a portrait of Afghanistan that brings history to life, and to me, not only a fascinating read, but an important one. Ultimately, it's a tale of redemption and when all is said and done, more than worth the time to read it. I've yet to read Hosseini's follow up, "A Thousand Splendid Suns", but I will, soon.

Wanna read a few books that will blow your mind? I'm not a big John Eldridge fan, but his book, "Waking the Dead" blew me out of the water; also, because I have kids (now in elementary, MS and HS), I read "Teaching True Love to a Sex at 13 Generation" by the Eric and Leslie Ludy, and it, too, BLEW my mind. Very untraditional views about dating, and it challenged the way I think....

[Elizabeth]

No way. I read Flannery O'Connor while at "our school". You were probably just more focused than I was. Who knows, I might have read it in a physics, law, geology, Shakespeare, anthropology, calculus, or accounting class. And that's how I became an Art Teacher.

Do you know about Good Reads? Look at what Ann Taylor has read. She reads more that anyone else I know.

[Barbara H. @ Stray Thoughts]

If you haven't discovered Sharon Hinck, you need to read her books. The Secret Life of Becky Miller and Renovating Becky Miller are about an "average" Christian Mom who wants to do "big things for God." It's so real, so true to life, so poignant, and so funny! She also has a fantasy series with The Restorer, The Restorer's Son, and a third in the series coming this year. It's about another "average Mom" accidentally pulled into a portal to an alternate universe, finding herself with a task only she can do that she feels grossly inadequate for. I love Sharon's style -- she's become my favorite new author and one of a few whose new books I eagerly anticipate and buy as soon as I can after they hit the shelves.

I've seen Peace Like a River recommended by so many bloggers, I really need to see what it is all about. And A Song I Knew by Heart sounds intriguing, too.

[Jenny]

I second Safely Home by Randy Alcorn. Stunning. Also, Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.

[Rachel May]

I echo the Francine Rivers comments. The Mark of the Lion Trilogy is incredible. My two sisters, our mom, some friends and I keep passing them around. I've started them for the fourth time. :) I have to admit that it starts a bit slow; the first time I read the trilogy, I restarted the first book a few times because I had a hard time getting into it. However, after the first half of the book, it went very quickly. I think I read the first book in about 10 days, and the last two books in three days (for both)!

[Dee/reddirtramblings.com]

I love, love, love your sidebar list of books to read. I think the idea is fabulous. My two favorite books of the year are: The Thirteenth Tale, a spooky Gothic, and Cry, the Beloved Country, a classic about South Africa, which shows that I have a varied reading menu. I also can recommend The Glass Castle. It is haunting in the extreme, but I savored every bite. Oh, and the Kite Runner is wonderful too. Thanks for your list. I see a couple that I want to peruse.

[gretchen from lifenut]

Read The Complete Short Stories of Flannery O'Connor. I wrote my big senior paper on several of her short stories. I was an English major, too. My professors were mad for Flannery.

Short story was my theme of the year. I read all my anthologies and short story collections again. I like having a complete idea, story, theme, and character development in about 30 pages. Not one word is wasted in this form. They are usually quite powerful because so much is conveyed with so few words.

In one day, you can read Hawthorne, then Wharton, then Twain, then Gilcrest or Cheever or Hemingway....which makes for interesting comparisons. So many great novelists were also masters of the short story.

I have a few more stories I want to read, then I am going back to a novel. On the top of my list is Carson McCuller's The Member of the Wedding.

[Judi]

Water For Elephants was the best book I read all year. Wonderful.

Just finished Maxed Out. Fascinating.

[Kathy]

This is wonderful! I'm always on the lookout for books to read. One of my favorite non-fiction books is Don't Leave Me This Way: Or When I Get Back On My Feet You'll Be Sorry, by Julia Fox Garrison.

Now, I'm off to find your recommendations and add them to my PaperBackSwap wish list!

[Christy]

Wow. I have nothing to recommend, but I do want to thank you for opening this up for comment! I am always on the look out for new stuff to request from Paper Back Swap!