Here’s what I’ve been reading

2022

• Everything Sad is Untrue, by Daniel Nayeri (*****)
• Facing the Mountain, by Daniel James Brown (****)
• Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott (****)
• The Memoir Project, by Marion Roach Smith (***)
• Here in Hart’s Crossing: Four Charming Small Town Novellas, by Robin Lee Hatcher (***)

2021

• Greenlights, by Matthew McConaughey (**** ½)
• The Boys in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown (****)
• Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone, by Brene’ Brown (****)
• Disloyal: A Memoir: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump, by Michael Cohen (***)
• The Giver, by Lois Lowry (****)
• The Book of Lost Friends, by Lisa Wingate (*****)
• This Tender Land, by William Kent Krueger (*****)
• The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, by Kim Michele Richardson (****)
• In the Shadow of the Valley: A Memoir, by Bobi Conn (*** 1/2)

2020

• Back Roads to Belonging: Unexpected Paths to Finding Your Place and Your People, by Kristen Strong (****)
• The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (*****)
• Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man, by Mary L. Trump (***)
• So You Want to Talk about Race, by Ijeoma Oluo (***)
• A Higher Loyalty, by James Comey (*** 1/2)
• Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman (****)
• Finding Chika: A Little Girl, an Earthquake, and the Making of a Family, by Mitch Albom (*****)
• Your Blue Is Not My Blue: A Missing Person Memoir, by Aspen Matis (**** 1/2)
• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain (****)
• Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, by Elizabeth Gilbert (*** 1/2)
• Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens (*****)

2019

• Love and Other Consolation Prizes, by Jamie Ford (****)
• Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me: A Memoir… of Sorts, by Ian Morgan Cron (*** 1/2)
• The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald (*****)
• The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories, by Dr. Seuss and Charles D. Cohen (****)
• Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything, by Joshua Foer (****)
• My Brother’s Keeper: Christians Who Risked All to Protect Jewish Targets of the Nazi Holocaust, by Rod Gragg (*** ½)
• Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, by Lauren Graham (*** ½)
• Little Bee, by Chris Cleave (**** ½)
• I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer, by Michelle McNamara (****)
• Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, by J.D. Vance (*****)
• Hidden Figures, by Margot Lee Shetterly (****)
• The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah (****)
• Educated: A Memoir, by Tara Westover (****)
• The Solace of Water: A Novel, by Elizabeth Byler Younts (*****)
• Home Another Way, by Christa Parrish
• Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace, by Anne Lamott

2018

• The Family of Jesus, by Karen Kingsbury (****)
• Before We Were Yours, by Lisa Wingate (*****)
• Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer (****)
• While We’re Far Apart, by Lynn Austin (****)
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling (****)
• When Crickets Cry: A Novel of the Heart, by Charles Martin (****)
• When Breath Becomes Air, by Paul Kalanithi (****)
• The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, by Marie Kondo (*)
• Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (**)
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (*****)
• The Undoing of Saint Silvanus, by Beth Moore (** 1/2)

2017

• A Country Year: Living the Questions, by Sue Hubbell (****)
• A Long Way Home, by Saroo Brierley (****)
• The Orphan Keeper, by Cameron Wright (****)
• When the Morning Glory Blooms, by Cynthia Ruchti (***)
• Go Set a Watchman, by Harper Lee (***)
• The First Phone Call from Heaven, by Mitch Albom (****)
• My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, by Fredrik Backman (*****)
• Gone, by Jonathan Kellerman (***)
• Though Waters Roar, by Lynn Austin (****)
• The Help, by Kathryn Stockett (*****)
• Letter to My Daughter, by Maya Angelou
• The Shack, by William Paul Young (*****)
• My Name is Lucy Barton, by Elizabeth Strout (***)
• You and Me, Always, by Jill Mansell (***)
• Year of Yes: How to Dance it Out, Stand in the Sun, and Be Your Own Person, by Shonda Rimes (**** 1/2)
• The One You Really Want, by Jill Mansell (*** 1/2)
• Trouble Maker, by Leah Remini (*** 1/2)
• Beach Music, by Pat Conroy (****)
• A Lowcountry Heart: Reflections on a Writing Life, by Pat Conroy (*****)
• Born a Crime, by Trevor Noah (****)
• A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman (*****)
• Harriet Beamer Takes the Bus, by Joyce Magnin (*)
• Lost Boy, by Brent W. Jeffs (****)
• America’s Hidden History: Untold Tales of the First Pilgrims, Fiighting Women, and Forgotten Founders Who Shaped a Nation, by Kenneth C. Davis (****)
• Secrets of a Charmed Life, by Susan Meissner (****)
• The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah (*****)
• The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend, by Katarina Bivald (***)
• Lucky Man: A Memoir, by Michael J. Fox (***)

2016

• Sisters One, Two, Three, by Nancy Star (*)
• The Story Keeper, by Lisa Wingate (*****)
• Looking for Me, by Beth Hoffman (****)
• Songs of Willow Frost, by Jamie Ford (***)
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot (*****)
• Enrique’s Journey: The Story of a Boy’s Dangerous Odyssey to Reunite with His Mother, by Sonia Nazario (***)
• Ordinary Grace, by William Kent Krueger (*****)
• A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson (*****)
• Firefly Lane, by Kristin Hannah (***)
• The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah (*****)
• Made in America, by Bill Bryson (****)
• Windfallen, by JoJo Moyes (****)
• Top Secret Twenty-One, by Janet Evanovich (***)
• Her Daughter’s Dream, by Francine Rivers (****)
• Her Mother’s Hope, by Francine Rivers (****)
• Angle of Repose, by Wallace Stegner (****)
• The Monkey Wrench Gang, by Edward Abbey (***)
• Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, by Helen Simonson (***)
• The Indifferent Stars Above, by Daniel James Brown (*****)
• The Road to Little Dribbling, by Bill Bryson (****)
• The Island of Heavenly Daze, by Lori Copeland and Angela Hunt (***)
• Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead, by David Meerman Scott and Brian Halligan (***)
• Design to Thrive: Creating Social Networks and Online Communities that Last, by Tharon Howard (***)
• Leaving Time, by Jodi Picoult (****)
• Miracle at the Higher Grounds Cafe, by Max Lucado (**)
• Writing on the Wall: Social Media – The First Two Thousand Years, by Tom Standage (*****)
• The Hiding Place, by Corrie ten Boom and Elizabeth Sherrill (****)

2015

• In the Unlikely Event, by Judy Blume (****)
• Between Heaven and Ground Zero, by Leslie Haskin (***)
• Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs, by Heather Lende (*****)
• Crisis Communications: The Definite Guide to Managing the Message, by Steven Fink
• Made in America, by Bill Bryson (****)
• Theorizing Crisis Communication, by Timothy Sellnow & Matthew Seeger
• The Truth According to Us, by Annie Barrows (****)
• If You Lived Here, I’d Know Your Name, by Heather Lende (*****)
• One Summer, by Bill Bryson (****)
• All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr (*****)
• Staying at Daisy’s, by Jill Mansell (***)
• One Plus One, by JoJo Moyes (*** 1/2)
• Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen, by Susan Gregg Gilmore (*)
• Beyond Fear, by Joel P. Kramer (**)
• Dead Wake, by Erik Larson (*****)
• At Home: A Short History of Private Life, by Bill Bryson (**** 1/2)
• Eleanor Roosevelt: Volume I, 1884-1933, by Blanche Wiesen Cook (****)
• Orphan Train, by Christina Baker Cline (***)
• Goodnight June, by Sarah Jio (*** 1/2)
• Being Mortal, by Atul Gawande (****)
• Book of Ages: The Life and Opinions of Jane Franklin, by Jill Lepore (****)
• Where We Belong, by Emily Giffin (*** 1/2)
• Argo: How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue Ever, by Antonio Mendez and Matt Baglio (****)
• Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II, by Douglas A. Blackmon (*****)

2014

• Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape, by Jenna Miscavige Hill
• The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry: A Novel, by Gabrielle Zevin (****)
• My Story, Elizabeth Smart
• The Language of Sycamores, Lisa Wingate
• The Shape of Mercy, Susan Meissner
• Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins
• To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
• Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins
• A Fall of Marigolds, Susan Meissner
• Good Hope Road, Lisa Wingate
• The Invention of Wings, Sue Monk Kidd (*****)
• Four Seasons in Rome, Anthony Doerr (*****)
• One Lavender Ribbon, Heather Burch
• A Lineage of Grace, Francine Rivers
• In the Garden of Beasts, Erik Larson (*** 1/2)
• The Sister Circle, Nancy Moser & Vonette Bright
• The Book Thief, Markus Zusak (*****)
• The Life List, Lori Nelson Spielman
• The Department of Lost & Found, Allison Winn Scotch
• I’ll Watch the Moon, Ann Tatlock
• The Prayer Box, Lisa Wingate
• The End of the Road, Tom Bodett (*****)
• Tending Roses, Lisa Wingate (*****)
• The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society, Darien Gee (*)
• Miss Brenda and the Loveladies, Brenda Spahn & Irene Zutell
• All She Ever Wanted, Lynn Austin
• Thinking of You, Jill Mansell
• The Horse of Pride: Life in a Breton Village, Pierre-Jakez Helias

2013

• Black Boy, Richard Wright
• A Rumor of War, Philip Caputo
• The Jungle, Upton Sinclair
• The Healing, Jonathan Odell
• Mercy Me, Margaret Graham
• Following Atticus, Tom Ryan
• Coast Road, Barbara Delinsky
• The Strength of His Hand, Lynn Austin
• Starting Now, Debbie Macomber
• Voyager, Diana Gabaldon
• Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Jamie Ford (*****)
• Dragonfly in Amber, Diana Gabaldon
• Outlander, Diana Gabaldon
• Song of Redemption, Lynn Austin
• Gods & Kings, Lynn Austin
• Works Cited: An Alphabetical Odyssey of Mayhem and Misbehavior, Brandon Schrand
• Leota’s Garden, Francine Rivers
• The End of Your Life Book Club, Will Schwalbe (*)
• The Girl in the Glass, Susan Meissner
• Heaven is for Real, Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent
• A Sound Among the Trees, Susan Meissner
• Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand (*****)
  

2012

• Seahorse in the Thames, Susan Meissner
• Same Kind of Different As Me, Ron Hall and Denver Moore (*****)
• Heaven is Here: An Incredible Story of Hope, Triumph, and Everyday Joy, Stephanie Nielson
• The Slave Ship: A Human History, Marcus Rediker (*****)
• Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World, Tracy Kidder (****)
• Run to the Roar, Joe Hurston & Martha VanCise (****)
• In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day, Mark Batterson
• The Digital Photography Book, Scott Kelby
• The Enders Hotel, Brandon Schrand (****)
• The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How my Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less, Terry Ryan (****)

2011

• Shattered Dreams, by Irene Spencer
• Aunt Dimity and the Duke, by Nancy Atherton
• The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo
• The Writing Class: A Novel, by Jincy Willet
• The Huckleberry Murders, by Patrick McManus
• Triumph, by Carolyn Jessop
• The Betrayal, by Beverly Lewis
• The Covenant, by Beverly Lewis
• Mississippi! by Dana Fuller Ross
• Her Daughter’s Dream, by Francine Rivers
• Missouri! by Dana Fuller Ross
• Idaho! by Dana Fuller Ross
• Utah! by Dana Fuller Ross
• Dakota! by Dana Fuller Ross
• Montana! by Dana Fuller Ross
• Washington! by Dana Fuller Ross
• Nevada! by Dana Fuller Ross
• Colorado! by Dana Fuller Ross
• California! by Dana Fuller Ross
• Texas! by Dana Fuller Ross
• Oregon! by Dana Fuller Ross
• The Enders Hotel: A Memoir, by Brandon Schrand
• The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, by Ree Drummond
• Wyoming! by Dana Fuller Ross
• House Rules, by Jodi Piccoult
• Nebraska! by Dana Fuller Ross
• ‘Tis the Season, by Lorna Landvik
• Independence! by Dana Fuller Ross
• St. Dale, by Sharyn McCrumb
• Dead in the Family, by Charlaine harris
• Lady in Waiting, by Susan Meissner
• As Husbands Go, by Susan Isaacs
• Work Song, by Ivan Doig
• Queen of the Road, by Doreen Orion