Top Ten Tuesday: My Favorite Books Read in 2018, So Far
- Goldenhand by Garth Nix---the fifth book in the Abhorsen series. I LOVE this series and this book was very satisfying. Read January 4th, published in 2016.
Favorite re-read (tie):
- Going Bovine by Libba Bray---a YA book which is both zany and poignant. It takes the protagonist on a heroes journey where he discovers so many things about himself, about life, about friendship. I originally read it in December 2009, and June 8th this year, published in 2009.
- Ready, Player One by Ernest Cline---this is just a fun book, for anyone who remembers the beginning of video games. I reread this book on March 29th in anticipation of the movie coming out. I originally read it in October 2012, reread it in March, and it was published in 2011.
Favorite book about The Beatles:
- Dreaming the Beatles: The Love Story of One Band and the Whole World by Rob Sheffield---believe it or not, I have read more than one book about the Beatles so far this year, and the year is just half over. Read on January 14th, published in 2017.
Favorite audiobook:
- Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders---this amazing audiobook was narrated by cast of 166 unique voices. It was an amazing experience to read this story set in a cemetery after the death of Abraham Lincoln's son. This is the format you should use to consume this book. Wow. Listened on March 1st, published in 2017.
Favorite audiobooks as a shared experience:
- Going Bovine (see above)---Carly and I listened to this book during our cross-country car trip. We both ended up crying as we discussed it afterwards. It is a very moving book.
- Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and a Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance--- Don and I listened to this book which got so much attention during the 2016 campaign for what it had to say about disillusioned people in our country. It gave us a lot to talk about together. Listened on July 1st, published in 2016.
- Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann--- a nonfiction account of a series of events in US history we knew nothing about. Very interesting and maddening. This book generated an excellent discussion. Read February 6th, published in 2017.
Favorite YA novel:
- The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert---I would pick Going Bovine (I love the book so much!), but since I have already mentioned it twice, I picked this story which is a twisted fairy tale with a bit of Alice in Wonderland thrown in. Very creepy and atmospheric. Read June 27th, published in 2018.
- The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill---OK, truth be told, it is the only middle grade novel I've read this year, but I loved it. LOVED it. Read June 28th, published in 2016.
Favorite adult novel published over 30 years ago:
- True Grit by Charles Portis---I find as I age that I can finally go back read or reread books published along ago and finally understand why they have stood the test of time. This book has a remarkable narrator, Mattie Ross. I highly recommend it. Read March 18th, published in 1968.
Favorite graphic/illustrated book:
- Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagieu ---These YA graphic biographies are so important for today. Women who made a difference in the world. History should be just about what the men did. Read May 22nd, published in 2018.
Book I have talked about the most:
- Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach---whenever I read a book authored by Roach I spend the next several months telling everybody what I learned from it. This book is no exception. If you haven't read any books by Roach I should tell you that she takes serious subjects like digestion and reports about all kinds of issues related to it, and lots of the topics are gross, but does it with a great sense of humor. Read May 1st, published in 2013.
