Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Looking for Something to Read?

When I had a giveaway recently, I asked participants to recommend a "good read" for 2014 in exchange for a bookmarklet.  In case you are looking for some book titles, I thought I would compile the list of recommendations for you here!
  1. A Fine Romance:  Falling in Love with the English Countryside, by Susan Branch
  2. The Art of Silliness:  A Creativity Book for Everyone, by Carla Sonheim
  3. Bird by Bird:  Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamott
  4. The Language of Flowers:  A Novel, by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
  5. The Paris Wife:  A Novel, by Paula McLain Jacqueline Winspear
  6. The Reason I Jump:  The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy With Autism, by Naoki Higashida
  7. Sing Them Home:  A Novel, by Stephanie Kallos
  8. The Maisie Dobbs Mystery Series, by Jacqueline Winspear
  9. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shafer and Annie Barrows
  10. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand:  A Novel, by Helen Simonson
  11. Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey:  The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle, by the Countess of Carnarvon (This was recommended by more than one person!)
  12. The Art of Happiness:  A Handbook for Living, by the Dalai Lama
  13. Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
  14. I Dare Me:  How I Rebooted and Recharged My Life by Doing Something New Every Day, by Lu Ann Cahn (A timely recommendation, since I got to see her speak at a local library just two weeks ago!)
  15. Fifteen Minutes:  A Novel, by Karen Kingsbury
  16. The Rosie Project:  A Novel, by Graeme Simsion
  17. Promised Land:  Thirteen Books That Changed America, by Parini
  18. Stitches:  A Handbook on Meaning, Hope, and Repair, by Anne Lamott
  19. Blink:  The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, by Malcolm Gladwell
  20. 29 Gifts:  How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life, by Cami Walker
  21. Harriet the Spy, and The Long Secret, by Louise Fitzhugh
  22. The Book Thief, by Marcus Zusak
  23. The Chaos Walking Trilogy, by Patrick Ness
  24. Mark Hearld's Workbook, by Simon Martin
It looks like there is a little something for everyone:  some art and creativity, some fiction and some non-fiction, some self-help, some childhood favorites, some single books and some series. 
As I checked the Amazon web site to find authors and confirm titles for this list, I enjoyed reading the subtitles and getting a peek at the book covers.  I will be checking my library system's web site, first, though, to see if I can access them there. 
As "they" say, be careful what you wish for!  I asked for all of these book recommendations in spite of the fact that I have hundreds and hundreds (I'm serious) of books on shelves and in basement bins here at home waiting to be read.  (And I continue to go to the library instead of grabbing one of them!)  For me, though, books are a delicious excess.

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I have included some peeks into my most recent journal throughout this post.  It is the result of Lisa Sonora Beam's Root:  30 Day Journal Project.  I will share more of my pages in upcoming posts, so stay tuned!

12 comments:

Victoria said...

Hi Andria,
I received your lovely butterfly bookmarklet today.
Thanks so much!!
I'll be sending you some happy mail soon.
All the best,
Vicki

Linda Gibbons said...

These pages are really beautiful, Andrea. I especially like the Chaos page!
That's an ambitious reading list.
Good luck with it.

Anne said...

Great book list! I also liked having a peek at your Challenge journal. And thank you so much for my bookmarklet -- I was glad I braved the cold to check mail!!

Beverley Baird said...

What a great list of books. I've read some but now have more to add to my list!
Love your journal pages!

Jewels said...

My bookmarklet arrived today - always love those kind of "surprises" in the mail - thanks so much!

Janet said...

Thanks for sharing the list of books. I love the Maisie Dobbs series and have read every one so far. Like you, I check my local library first...no need to pay for a book when I can read it for free!

iHanna said...

Lovely journal details! And I do that too: get new books instead of reading what I already own. Need to be Inspired to read something! :)

Tina said...

Thank you so much for my bookmarklet, it's beautiful! Thanks also for compiling this list of books - I'll be checking my library for them!

Jo Murray said...

Now THAT"S a book list. Nice to see my latest fave there.

Parabolic Muse said...

I love that doodled hand!

I have read Bird By Bird. It's so good. Even though I am not religious or spiritual, I found it a calming and enlightening book. This list is a great reference. I'm tired of seeking ideas on the 'best of' lists. They never seem to quite measure up!

Melody said...

"Books are a delicious excess" ~ now THAT is a sentiment I can embrace! I found you on the post card swap linky thing, and I'm really enjoying your blog! Susan Branch's A Fine Romance is an awesome book, and she has a wonderful blog too! I'm off to poke around here some more! Happy Day to you! :)))))

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