Some of my favorite books from this past year
As the year draws to a close listed are some of my favorite books. This wasn’t easy to compile as I’ve read some truly great books this past year and probably left out a few that deserve mentioning. Though not in any particular order you may detect a theme.
Historical fiction ~ Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors
Historical fiction ~ Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
Historical fiction ~ The Dark Lantern by Gerri Brightwell
Memoir ~ Escape by Carolyn Jessop
Historical fiction ~ The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent
Historical fiction ~ What Angels Fear: A Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery by C.S. Harris
Non-fiction ~ The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music by Steve Lopez
Historical/contemporary fiction ~ The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff
Memoir ~ Tears of the Desert: A Memoir of Survival in Darfur by Halima Bashir and Damien Lewis
Historical/contemporary fiction ~ Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Historical fiction ~ Shades of Gray: A Novel of the Civil War in Virginia by Jessica James
Historical fiction ~ Etta: A Novel by Gerald Kolpan
Women’s fiction ~ Perfect on Paper: The (Mis)adventures of Waverly Bryson by Maria Murnane
Memoir ~ Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist’s Wife by Irene Spencer
Fiction ~ Enchanted, Inc. (Katie Chandler, Book 1) by Shanna Swendson
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What are some of YOUR favorites from this past year? Do any I’ve listed make your favorites list?
I see several in my TBR pile on here, so I need to get busy. I was thrilled to learn that I won a copy of Perfect on Paper, so I’ll have that one soon. Thanks for the list.
Tears of the Desert was one of my favorites for the year, too. I’ve got Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet on deck for next month and I’m very much looking forward to it!
I read Escape and Shattered Dreams too and thought they were good. I got Beneath a Marble Sky from my secret santa at LibraryThing, and was excited about it because I remembered I had read a good review of it. Now I remember that it was your good review I read!
I’m so glad to see you liked Etta. It ’s sitting in the tbr pile. I just loved Perfect on Paper. Maria is so delightful!
I’m so glad Bermudaonion won a copy. Congrats
I also loved The Heretic’s Daughter. I sense a historical fiction trend here!
A few of my faves this year:
Guernica by Dave Boling
The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King
Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Barrows & Shaffer
These are some great books. I have 19th Wife in my TBR.
I really want to read ‘Tears of the desert’. I’ll need to hunt for it in my part of the world.
Based on your list, I have to recommend Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall – it’s another story of a young girl leaving the FLDS. I actually liked it better than Escape.
What a great list! This year I hope to read more memoirs, I didn’t get around to very many in 2008. Both Escape and Shattered Dreams are on my memoir pile, so I’m glad to see them make your favorites list.