just off the bookshelf
>> Thursday, January 19, 2012 –
book review
geez... it has been a long time since we've had a book post around here. if you can't tell... when my life gets crazy busy, reading is the first thing i have to give up. sad. but true.
but now we are into my most favorite month of the year. january. [my favorite because there is absolutely nothing going on. thank goodness.] so i have been back to reading and enjoying some really great books!
ROOM
by Emma Donoghue
i'd give ROOM 4 1/2 gold stars.
it's written from the perspective of 5 year old jack and that in itself made the book different and unique for me. i didn't want to put this book down because i needed to know how everything was going to turn out for him and his ma.
Winter Garden
by Kristin Hannah
i've read quite a few of Kristin Hannah's books and i always seem to really enjoy them. i'd say this book (and most of her others) would get 4 1/2 stars. it's a good easy read that kept me interested and curious through the whole story.
i've read quite a few of Kristin Hannah's books and i always seem to really enjoy them. i'd say this book (and most of her others) would get 4 1/2 stars. it's a good easy read that kept me interested and curious through the whole story.
Moloka'i
by Alan Brennert
i absolutely loved this book. it's a 5 star book for me. i just couldn't put it down. it was one of those books that i had to go straight to the computer and google the subject to see if it really happened. it's about a young girl, rachel who is diagnosed with leprosy and sent to the hawaiian island moloka'i to a quarantined leprosy settlement. i found it to be interesting, inspiring and heartbreaking. the perfect combination for a great book!
. . . . .
[i do this at target :)]
i tried to narrow down my top 3 favorite books from last year.
it wasn't easy, but i think i've decided on...
1. the book thief
2. these is my words, sarah's quilt, and the star garden (3 books but count as 1 right?)
3. sarah's key
what were your top 3 favorite books you read last year??
. . .
**come visit us at Less Cake {more frosting} today for lara's one word - one goal series!!**
. . .
**come visit us at Less Cake {more frosting} today for lara's one word - one goal series!!**
Thanks for the suggestions! I read the "Wings" series, you should try that one. Once I got a few chapters into it, I didn't want to put it down.
I love your book suggestions! We read Room and Winter Garden this year in our book club and they were great. I'll have to try some of your top "3" that you listed.
Same Kind of Different as Me and Peony in Love were my top two from last year. I love to read but never seem to have enough time to do it anymore! - Karen
Cutting for Stone and Half a Life.
Cutting for Stone - epic type book of orphaned twins in Ethiopia. Excellent.
Half a Life - sad, but touching story of a 36 year old who, without purpose, hit a classmate on her bike with his car and killed her 18 years ago. Thus, living half a life prior to tragedy. Amazing book.
Loved Room!
I read a Kristen Hannah book for the first time last year and LOVED IT! And then I started reading everyone I could get my hands on...have yet to read one I didn't like, although Comfort and Joy was a little too unrealistic for me.
The Book Thief is awesome! It has made it on to my all time favorite book list.
I read a lot of Kristin Hannahs books - she's great. I read Room also. Looks like we have the same taste in books so I am going to checkout a few of your suggestions.
i LOVE when y'all do these posts! i loved sarah's key too. bawled my eyes out, but that's a sign of a good book, right? :) and molokai was a favorite too!
I also loved The Book Thief. My favorites from last year were probably These is My Words, Unbroken(amazing true story!),and The Hunger Games. My sixth grader recommended The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,which was also very good(but sad).
Thank you for the suggestions; I am definitely interested in reading Moloka'i.
Thanks for the recommends. I saw the movie Sarah's Key, which I know the movie and the book aren't always the same, but it was AMAZING. My fave three books from last year were: The Autobiography of Santa Claus, The Help, and The Kitchen Boy.
Alan Brennert also wrote Honolulu, which I highly recommend. The Book Thief is an all time favorite & I just finished The Hunger Games trilogy...they were great!
Thank you for the book list. I added quite a few and am looking forward to them!
I just read a thought-provoking book by the author of The Book Thief. It's called I Am the Messenger. For fans of Marcus Zusak, I recommend it!
Thanks for the reading list- love books.
Happy Day
I LOVED "Room" by Emma Donaghue!
My top books for 2011 were:
1. "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher
2. "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" by Jamie Ford
3. "The Language of Flowers" by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
4. "Friendship Bread" by Darien Gee
5. "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein
My Year with Eleanor was a fantastic read, the author has a great style of writing that made me feel like we were best friends. And, I loved the Hunger Game series.
Love the book post! Check out a new blog called
The Best Endings... lots of contributors and lots of books!
http://thebestendings.blogspot.com/
I've only read room out of the ones you mentioned and I did really like that book!
Top 3 last year.... The Book Thief (like you and so many others), Left to Tell and I'd have to say I really liked Sarah's key as well!
I love the book thief, it's such a great book.
My 3 favorites I've read last year;
1. The time traverler's wife
2. Columbine
3. One Day
I LOVE LOVE LOVE The Book Thief!!!!
I read Room over the summer and LOVED it, can't wait to check out your other book suggestions. I just finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series.
Jennyfer
www.teachinginthecouv.blogspot.com
I picked up Molokai at a dollar book sale at the library a few years ago and devoured it - it is such a strong story and so touching. It will make you want to know more about a period of history that is rarely discussed
Loved ROOM and also, I am not a HUGE fan of Kristin Hannah, but really liked Winter Garden...I also loved the Girl W/ the Dragon Tattoo series, an autobiography of Johnny Cash that I got for Christmas! My daughter made me read all the Eragon books (the last of which just came out) and I loved them!
Can't wait to read the one about the girl who had leprosy...
Okay now I'm going to have to check some of those out! I love a good book! Thanx for sharing!
Natalie
www.projectdowhatyoulove.wordpress.com
Loved all of your top 3 so i think I'll try these -- by the way, Sarah's Key as a movie is FANTASTIC!!!! You have to rent it.
Thanks for the suggestions. I got an ereader for the holidays and have been wanting to purchase some thing really good for my first book. My absolutely favorite book that I read was The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
What a timely post, I was just going through my book groups reading from last year and picking out my favorites! Cutting for Stone, The Help and Major Pettigrew's Last Stand were at the top. And now we are reading The Book Thief. And I so agree about Moloka'i...loved it.
Room was one of my most favorite books ever!! I read Still Alice recently and really loved it. Totally recommend it. I'll have to check out the other 2 books. Thanks!
Wow, we must be connected on some cosmic scale, those are some of my favorite books of all time too. I hope I get a chance to site down and read these is my words again! Maybe when I am 60.
Thanks for posting about books. What could be better?!!! Some of your choices are on my reading list. My favs from this past year include: 1. The Killer Angels, 2. Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons (do not judge a book by its title!)and 3. My Name is Mary Sutter. Right now I am reading The Eighty Dollar Champion, Little Bee and Flower Net.
I think I am the only person on the planet who did not like Room. I was so depressed afterwards. Last year I read and loved the ever so trendy "The Help;" it was just delicious! And, being pregnant and in an emotional wreck state, I tapped back into abother trendy classic, The Purpose Driven Life (ya' know, just to make sure I am "ok" and should be having a third child.) Other than that I just finished reading three books for Elle Magazine:
By the Iowa Sea (Joe Blair)
Some Assembly Required (Anne and Sam Lamott)
Making Babies (Ann Enright)
I share a breif blip on my blog, but suffice it to say, read them and Enjoy Yourself! Each is briliant!
(and...Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons and The Bok Theif are awesome!
I think I am the only person on the planet who did not like Room. I was so depressed afterwards. Last year I read and loved the ever so trendy "The Help;" it was just delicious! And, being pregnant and in an emotional wreck state, I tapped back into abother trendy classic, The Purpose Driven Life (ya' know, just to make sure I am "ok" and should be having a third child.) Other than that I just finished reading three books for Elle Magazine:
By the Iowa Sea (Joe Blair)
Some Assembly Required (Anne and Sam Lamott)
Making Babies (Ann Enright)
I share a breif blip on my blog, but suffice it to say, read them and Enjoy Yourself! Each is briliant!
(and...Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons and The Bok Theif are awesome!
I enjoy reading a good book, and am always looking for advice on what to read next. Two books I read recently that I enjoyed were: "Dreams of Joy" by Lisa See - A book set in communist China, and "Fringology" by Steve Volk - A fun read about ghosts, near death experiences, UFOs, and the power of meditation and prayer.
Just got done reading These is my Words, and I was so sad when it was over. I LOOOOVED this book and wanted more. I thought it kind of had a slow start but the rest of the book made up for it. Great suggestions. Thank you!!
I just love new book ideas, and you're right, January is the best month for reading! Cold + quiet + book = bliss!
ooh, I just found your blog - a link somewhere to a kid's art project I loved and went back a few posts. So glad you do book reviews occasionally, I feel like I'm always needing something new to read. My faves of last year were #1 Ken Follett's The Fall of Giants (stalking Amazon daily for the sequel - that amazing), #2 The Post Mistress, #3 Born to Run.
Just started reading Kristen Hannah and now I get to meet her next week at a book signing. Can't wait.