Usually, I like to write a separate post on each book I enjoy and want to recommend…but I’ve been reading so much lately, partly due to being on vacation and because we have been using our motorhome a lot, I’ve gotten way behind on my posts. So I need to tell you about several books right now to get caught up! Hopefully you didn’t miss my last post on the best book I read on vacation.
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Usually I don’t publish a reading list until “Spring” but I had to put this together NOW because SO MANY intriguing books are being released early in the year.
Here they are, new titles for early 2020 that I’ll be reading. Publishers notes in boxes and click on the title or picture to take you to Amazon. I hope you see something interesting you will read along with me!
American Dirt: A Novel by Jeanine Cummins
Already being hailed as “a Grapes of Wrath for our times” and “a new American classic,” Jeanine Cummins’s American Dirt is a rare exploration into the inner hearts of people willing to sacrifice everything for a glimmer of hope.
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Devil in the White City and Dead Wake delivers a fresh and compelling portrait of Winston Churchill and London during the Blitz.
Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown by Anne Glenconner
Continue readingAn extraordinary memoir of drama, tragedy, and royal secrets by Anne Glenconner–a close member of the royal circle and lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret. As seen on Netflix’s The Crown.
As has become tradition (I am now at the end of my fourth year of running this blog) I enjoy looking back on my year of reading to remember and recommend my favorite books of the year. To keep my process consistent from year to year I only consider books published within the past year.
My five favorite books of 2019:
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I’ve been compiling my summer reading list for some time on my goodreads page but am just now presenting it officially.
For my seasonal reading lists I pick books that look interesting, enjoyable, and will hopefully add something to my life even if it’s just insight into a particular time and place of history. So if you are looking for mindless beach reads you will want to find a different list though I can recommend this book. I do hope you will find a book or more that interest you on this list and will read along with me this summer. Be sure to follow my blog; I will post more on these books as I read through my list (no spoilers).
Publishers notes are in block quotes. You can click on the titles or book covers to find out more and/or to purchase on Amazon.
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Twice a year I peruse the descriptions and publishers’ notes for new releases to find the books I’m most excited to read. If you have stumbled across my website, I hope we have some of the same tastes in books, and you will also find something in this list to read this winter.
While putting together this list, I realized I am becoming extremely particular about what I want to spend my time reading….when I finish a book I love, I want to pick up a book I’m going to love just as much; I don’t have time (who does??) to read bad books or books that are just not for me. So all of these books below offered me that hope.
Publishers notes are in block quotes. You can click on the titles or images to purchase from Amazon or just find out more before purchasing from your local bookseller or borrowing from your local library. (Even though I am obviously an Amazon affiliate I also support both these institutions).
I will update this post with new links as I read through this list like I did for my summer reading list. Or go straight to my favorite books of the summer.
Happy winter reading and please let me know which ones interest you and if you end up loving any of these books!
As the summer winds down – and I consider it summer all the way through September!! – I am contemplating my favorite books from my summer reading list.
I am still finishing up a couple of these, but I am confident in which books I can whole heartedly recommend. I wrote a blog post on all of these (no spoilers!!), so if you want to know more about any of the books, click on the link that says “Read my post here.”
Ahhhh summer reading…I am going to need lots of books to take to the pool, to the beach, to read while traveling, and in my favorite reading chairs.
So, I spent the last couple of days surveying what’s coming out this summer and reading first chapters and previews.
As expected, I found several books I’m excited to read. My list of 12 new books includes historical fiction about a literary figures, a couple of psychological thrillers, a love story, a fairy tale about war, and memoirs from a refugee and a veteran/politician. I’ll be returning to Russia (via book) and France. All and all, I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited about one of my seasonal reading lists!!
I hope you’ll join me in reading some of these books. You can click on the titles or pictures to find out more and purchase on Amazon. (Publishers notes are in quote boxes.) I’ll post links to my reviews (no spoilers) as I read through my list.
Jury duty…one of the few places in today’s world you will see ALMOST EVERYONE carrying a book. Why? Because electronic devices (even e-readers) are not allowed in the courtroom and potential jurists know they may have LOTS of downtime. Therefore, even people who haven’t picked a book up years may be reading.
I actually like jury duty and not just for the chance to read – ha! However, this time around I reported on Monday for a very short time and was never called back during the week (darn it!!).
During the half hour or so I was in the jury room on Monday, I was playing “book detective” trying to see what books people brought. Would it have been creepy to obviously look at the books and jot down titles? I thought so. So my list below only includes the books I could reasonably and non obviously look at and also remember until I was released and had time to make notes (this was difficult!!) Oh how I wish I could have continued this “study” throughout the day and week!
Is this a recommended reading list? NO. Although I did find a couple I may buy for myself or others.
As you probably know, in the courtroom, jurors are anonymous and only identified by a number. Therefore, the potential jurists reading these books will also remain anonymous and are only identified as Jurors 1-6. Also I need to remember to use “carrying” not “reading” as I have no evidence they were actually reading the book (as we never got to the “downtime) please let the record show these books were only carried in by the person 😉
Here are the books I spotted at jury duty:
I am excited to present my fall and winter reading list: the books I plan to cozy up with during these upcoming colder months (I meant to create this list sooner but it just got cold here!!).
I hope you’ll join me in reading the books that interest you.
What do I look for in a book, and why did these make my list? I’m still looking for my “favorite book of the year” and although I have some contenders, nothing yet has compared to my favorite book of last year. I am looking for “epic” books that teach me something about life and myself, and they have to be entertaining as well. A lot to ask, I know!
So here are the newly published (or soon to be published) books that I’m most looking forward to reading soon:
After reading through publisher notes, sample chapters, and entire books (books that delayed me from writing this post because I couldn’t put them down!!), I am excited to present my summer reading list.
This eclectic list includes several thrillers, some environmental dystopia, a drama about love in Hollywood, new WWII fiction, long-lost stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald, and more. I have covered all my reading personalities and thus included something for everyone. I will update this post with links as I read these books and add my own reviews.
You can click on the titles or pictures for more information or to buy the book from Amazon. Happy summer reading!