Top books of 2018

At the beginning of 2018, I left my employer of 28 years and took a much more demanding position. It's all good, but I'm afraid I've fallen behind in my book reviews and blogging! I'm still reading, of course.

I've been capturing my top books of each year since 2001! You can see all the lists here.

The first book I read in 2018 was You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me by Sherman Alexie, a Spokane-Coeur d'Alene writer, and I adored it! I felt certain it would be the best book I would read all year, so I was devastated to learn several weeks later that Alexie had sexually harassed several women and abused his power. Yet another fallen hero who believes he has the right to claim women’s bodies as his own. #timesup Here are my top reads of 2018:

Fiction 

1. Pachinko, Min Jin Lee
2. The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas
3. Fates and Furies, Lauren Groff
4. I, Eliza Hamilton, Susan Holloway Scott
5. My Name Is Lucy Barton, Elizabeth Strout
6. Exit West, Mohsin Hamid
7. Mr. Churchill’s Secretary, Susan Elia MacNeal
8. The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
9. Silence, Shusaku Endo
10. Faithful, Alice Hoffman
11. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers*
12. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Agatha Christie

Nonfiction

1. Becoming, Michelle Obama (still savoring)
2. The Guilty Feminist, Deborah Frances-White (still reading)
3. Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, Matthew Desmond*
4. How to Be Black, Baratunde Thurston
5. Hunger: A Memoir of My Body, Roxane Gay
6. Dare to Lead, Brene Brown
7. Spectacle: The Astonishing Life of Ota Benga, Pamela Newkirk
8. Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town, Jon Krakauer*
9. Lion, Saroo Brierly
10. Beyond the Messy Truth: How We Came Apart, How We Come Together, Van Jones
11. In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin, Erik Larson*
12. A Fine Romance, Candice Bergen
13. Drop Dead Healthy: One Man’s Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection, A.J. Jacobs*

*I continue to read books mostly by women and people of color. The asterisked books are by white men

Best books of 2014

Here are the best books I read in 2014. Click the title to read my review. They are listed in approximate order of how much I liked them (#1 being the best). I'd love to hear what you thought of any of these books. If you've read any, please leave me a comment.

You can also refer to my best books lists back to 2001 here. Enjoy! This is cross-posted in Every Day Is a Miracle.

Fiction

1. Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein
2. My Notorious Life, Kate Manning
3. The Fault in Our Stars, John Green
4. The Invention of Wings, Sue Monk Kidd
5. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, Sherman Alexie
6. Oryx and Crake, Margaret Atwood
7. Word Nerd, Susin Nielsen
8. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Rachel Joyce
9. The Ayah’s Tale, Sujata Massey
10. The Chaperone, Laura Moriarty
11. The Weight of Silence, Heather Gudenkauf
12. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn
13. The Light Between Oceans, M.L. Stedman
14. Let the Great World Spin, Colum McCann
15. After Eli, Rebecca Rupp
16. Lean On Pete, Willy Vlautin
17. What Alice Forgot, Liane Moriarty
18. We Are Water, Wally Lamb
19. Body Work, Sara Paretsky
20. My Basmati Bat Mitzvah, Paula J. Freedman
21. The Silkworm, Robert Galbraith
22. The Hundred-Foot Journey, Richard Morais

Nonfiction

1. Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar, Cheryl Strayed

2. I am Malala, Malala Yousafzai 

3. Free Spirit: Growing Up on the Road and Off the Grid, Joshua Safran

4. A House in the Sky, Amanda Lindhout

5. My Beloved World, Sonia Sotomayor

6. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, Sheryl Sandberg

7. Strength in What Remains: A Journey of Remembrance and Forgiveness, Tracy Kidder

8. God Is Disapointed in You, Mark Russell (still reading)

9. Believing Cassandra: Getting Beyond the End of the World, Alan AtKisson (still reading)

10. The Lost Child of Philomena Lee: A Mother, Her Son, and a 50-year Search, Martin Sixsmith

11. Japanese Women Don’t Get Fat: Secrets of My Mother’s Kitchen, Naomi Moriyama

12. House of Prayer Number 2: A Writer’s Journey Home, Mark Richard

Best books of 2013

With my family at the City Lights Bookstore
 in San Francisco in August

Here are the best books I read in 2013. Click the title to read my review. These are listed in approximate order of how much I liked them (#1 being the best). I'd love to hear what you thought of any of these books. If you've read any, please leave me a comment.

You can also refer to best books lists back to 2001 here. Enjoy! (This is cross-posted in Every Day Is a Miracle.)

Fiction

1. A Tale for the Time Being, Ruth Ozeki: Canadian novelist finds a diary of a Japanese girl washed up on the beach…loved this lyrical, spiritual tale and got to see Ozeki read from the book

2. The Sleeping Dictionary, Sujata Massey: Pom loses her family in a tsunami, and her life takes many difficult courses around Indian independence (another one of my favorite authors)

3. Cinnamon and Gunpowder, Eli Brown: England, 1819…female pirate kidnaps a male chef…great foodie adventure!

4. And the Mountains Echoed, Khaled Hosseini: vivid landscape and complex, multilayered, and interesting characters

5. The Street of a Thousand Blossoms, Gail Tsukiyama: sweeping, WWII-era story of two orphaned brothers in Japan

6. The Cuckoo's Calling, Robert Galbraith: J.K. Rowling’s new detective novel—worth a read!

7. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, Helen Simonson: stiff English major and Pakistani shop keeper fall in love

8. In the Woods, Tana French: Irish literary detective novel

9. Bruised, Sarah Skilton; young adult fiction

10. Cross Currents, John Shors; takes place in Thai desert island struck by the tsunami

11. The Burning, Jane Casey; another Irish detective novel

12. Maisie Dobbs, Jacqueline Winspear: historical detective novel

13. The Little Book, Selden Edwards: time travel in Austria

14. The Chosen One, Carol Lynch Williams: young adult fiction

15. The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint, Brady Udall: coming of age novel of abandoned Native American boy

Nonfiction

1. Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner and Saint, Nadia Bolz-Weber: the title says it all—memoir of a tattooed, alcoholic ELCA pastor with an emergent church

2. Somewhere Inside: One Sister's Captivity in North Korea and the Other's Fight to Bring Her Home, Laura and Lisa Ling: one sister rescues the other sister in North Korea

3. Wave, Sonali Deraniyagala: A woman loses her entire family in the Sri Lankan tsunami and battles huge grief

4. Talking Taboo: American Christian Women Get Frank about Faith, Erin Lane and Enuma Okoro, ed.: essays by female Christian leaders about taboo topics

5. The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times, Jennifer Worth: Inspired “Call the Midwife,” which I love

6. Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison, Piper Kerman: Inspired “Orange Is the New Black” show, even better than the book

7. The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible, A.J. Jacobs: title says it all

8. Notes from a Small Island, Bill Bryson; author returns to USA after living in the UK

9. The Invisible Girls: A Memoir, Sarah Thebarge: cancer survivor befriends Somali refugees

10. Bruce, Peter Ames Carlin: the life of the Boss

11. Loud in the House of Myself, Stacy Pershall: poignant memoir of mental illness

12. Banished: Surviving My Years in the Westboro Baptist Church, Lauren Drain and Lisa Pulitzer: insider account of what makes the hateful Westboro Baptist Church function

13. Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir, Cyndi Lauper with Jancee Dunn: she’s quirky, strong, and fascinating

Best books of 2012

With my book group (and our holiday book exchange)

Here are the best books I read in 2012. Click the title to read my review. These are listed in approximate order of how much I liked them (#1 being the best). I'd love to hear what you thought of any of these books. If you've read any, please leave me a comment.

You can also refer to best books lists back to 2001 here. Enjoy!


This is cross-posted in Every Day Is a Miracle.

Fiction

1.  The Invisible Bridge, Julie Orringer

2.  The Book Thief, Markus Zusak

3.  Marcelo in the Real World, Francisco X. Stork

4.  Wonder, R.J. Palacio

5.  Sing You Home, Jodi Picoult

6.  The Casual Vacancy, J.K Rowling

7.  All Passion Spent, Vita Sackville West

8.  Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs

9.  The Kitchen House, Kathleen Grissom

10. The Descendants, Kaui Hart Hemmings

11. This Beautiful Life, Helen Schulman

12. Shutter Island, Dennis Lehane

13. Everyone Is Beautiful, Katherine Center

14. Naoko, Keigo Higashino

15. The Wishing Trees, John Shors

16. The Girl Next Door, Elizabeth Noble

17. Song Yet Sung, James McBride

18. Second Fiddle, Rosanne Parry

19. Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, Beth Hoffman

20. Shine, Lauren Myracle

21. Glow, Jessica Maria Tuccelli

22. The Family Fang, Kevin Wilson

23. How It All Began, Penelope Lively

24. The Book of Dahlia, Elisa Albert

25. The Treasure Map of Boys, E. Lockhart

Nonfiction

1. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, Cheryl Strayed

2. Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots, Deborah Feldman

3. Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity, Katherine Boo

4. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, Laura Hillenbrand

5. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot

6. The Mama's Boy Myth: Why Keeping Our Sons Close Makes Them Stronger, Kate Stone Lombardi

7. Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture,
Peggy Orenstein

8. Crazy Enough, Storm Large

9. Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir, Jenny Lawson

10. My Monastery Is a Minivan: Where the Daily Is Divine and the Routine Becomes Prayer, Denise Roy

11. A Complaint-Free World: Take the 21-day Challenge, Will Bowen

12. Think: Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in a Dumbed-Down World, Lisa Bloom

13. Poster Child, Emily Rapp

14. Moonwalking with Einstein, Joshua Foer

15. Happy Accidents, Jane Lynch

16. The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Lives, Katie Couric, ed.

17. You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up, Annabelle Gurwitch and Jeff Kahn

Best Books of 2011

As I've done in previous years, I've created a list of the best books I read in 2011. Click the title to read my review. Enjoy!

Fiction

1. Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese
2. The Red Tent, Anita Diamant (reread)
3. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee (reread)
4. State of Wonder, Ann Patchett
5. Words in the Dust, Trent Reedy
6. The Personal History of Rachel DuPree, Ann Weisgarber
7. The 19th Wife, David Ebershoff
8. The Wedding Officer, Anthony Capella
9. Girl in Translation, Jean Kwok
10. The Sisters from Hardscrabble Bay, Beverly Jensen
11. You Believers, Jane Bradley
12. Midnight at the Dragon Café, Judy Wong Bates
13. After You, Julie Buxbaum
14. Pomegranate Soup, Marsha Mehran
15. Hardball, Sara Paretsky
16. Backseat Saints, Joshilyn Jackson
17. House Rules, Jodi Picoult
18. Bitter Bitch, Maria Sveland
19. Faith, Jennifer Haigh
20. Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons, Lorna Landvik
21. Wishin’ and Hopin’, Wally Lamb
22. Wild Ride Up the Cupboards, Ann Bauer
23. Bel Canto, Ann Patchett
24. Mink River, Brian Doyle
25. The Book of Fires, Jane Borodale
26. Bad Marie, Marcy Dermansky
27. The Beekeeper’s Apprentice: Or on the Segregation of the Queen, Laurie R. King
28. The Gilded Chamber, Rebecca Kohn
29. South of Broad, Pat Conroy
30. Operation Bonnet, Kimberly Stuart
31. Odd Thomas, Dean Koontz
32. Attack of the Theater People, Marc Acito
33. The Ruins of Gorlan, John Flanagan

Nonfiction

1. Knowing Jesse: A Mother’s Story of Grief, Grace, and Everyday Bliss, Marianne Leone
2. Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
3. Drama: An Actor’s Education, John Lithgow
4. It Takes a Worried Man, Brendan Halpin
5. The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie, Wendy McClure
6. Touching the Void, Joe Simpson
7. Growing Up Laughing, Marlo Thomas
8. The Male Factor: The Unwritten Rules, Misperceptions, and Secret Beliefs of Men in the Workplace, Shaunti Feldhahn
9. Bossypants, Tina Fey
10. Buzz: A Year of Paying Attention, Katherine Ellison
11. Saving Graces, Elizabeth Edwards
12. Laughing without an Accent, Firoozeh Dumas
13. Up the Capitol Steps: A Woman’s Guide to the Governorship, Barbara Roberts
14. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Amy Chua
15. Cockeyed, Ryan Knighton
16. Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee, Charles J. Shields
17. Untied: A Memoir of Family, Fame, and Floundering, Meredith Baxter
18. Letters to My Daughter, Maya Angelou
19. That Day in September, Artie Van Why
20. In Stitches, Anthony Youn

Best Books of 2010

As is my typical end-of-year tradition, I've created a list of the best books I read in 2010. Generally, these are the ones that received 3 stars and above.

Fiction

1.  The Crying Tree, Naseem Rakha

2. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer

3. The Favorites, Mary Yukari Waters

4. The Girl Who Fell from the Sky, Heidi Durrow

5. Windfalls, Jean Hegland

6. The Day the Falls Stood Still, Cathy Marie Buchanan

7. A Disobedient Girl, Ru Freeman

8. Before Women Had Wings, Connie May Fowler

9. The Color of Lightning, Paulette Jiles

10. The Millennium Trilogy (Girl with Dragon Tattoo, Played with Fire, Kicked the Hornet’s Nest), Stieg Larsson

11. In the Convent of Little Flowers, Indu Sundaresan

12. Vancouver, David Cruise and Alison Griffiths

13. Catching Fire and Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins

14. When You Least Expect It, Whitney Gaskell

15. Secret Daughter, Shilpi Somaya Gowda

16. Push, Sapphire

17. Midori by Moonlight, Wendy Tokunaga

18. The Vagina Monologues, Eve Ensler

19. The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Muriel Barbery

20. Queen of Dreams, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

21. Dreaming in Cuban, Cristina Garcia

22. The Help, Kathryn Stockett

23. Tales of the City, Armistead Maupin

24. The More You Ignore Me, Jo Brand

25. Small Wars, Sadie Jones

26. Broken Glass Park, Alina Bronsky

27. Supermarket, Satoshi Azuchi

28. The Palace Tiger, Barbara Cleverly

Nonfiction

1. This Lovely Life, Vicki Forman

2. Bad Mother, Ayelet Waldman

3. Open: An Autobiography, Andre Agassi

4. Stitches, David Small

5. Dating Jesus, Susan Campbell

6. Living Oprah, Robyn Okrant

7. Cowboy & Wills: A Love Story, Monica Holloway

8. Tattoos on the Heart, Gregory Boyle

9. Babyface: A Story of Heart and Bones, Jeanne McDermott

10. Pink Brain, Blue Brain, Lise Elliot

11. Siesta Lane, Amy Minato

12. Eat My Globe: One Year to Go Everywhere and Eat Everything, Simon Majumdar

13. Menu for the Future, Northwest Earth Institute

14. The Other Wes Moore, Wes Moore

15. In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan

16. Eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven, Ute Ranke-Heinemann

17. Kabul Beauty School, Deborah Rodriguez

18. Mennonite in a Little Black Dress, Rhoda Janzen

19. Get Real: What Kind of Real World Are You Buying, Mara Rockliff

20. Rethinking Thin, Gina Kolata

And here are the recommendations from the rest of the family:

Mike’s Mentionables of 2010

1. Duma Key, Stephen King. My first experience with the master of horror.

2. The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins. Best young adult novel.

3. Without Fail, Lee Child. Best thriller.

4. Jesus Freak, Sara Miles. Best religious book.

5. The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Muriel Barbery. Best book about French snobs.

6. Dune, Frank Herbert. Read it to see how to create a world.

7. Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card. Dystopian before dystopian became ‘in.’

8. Love, Aubrey, Suzanne LaFleur. Most touching children’s book I read this year.

9. I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President, Josh Lieb.
Most hilarious children’s book I read this year.

Kieran enjoyed the Boys Against the Girls series, the Lemony Snicket series, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, and the A to Z Mysteries. Nicholas loves Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs and Christmas books, among many others. Chris’ favorites were Cricket Man; Point Blank; #6, #7, and #8 of the 39 Clues series; Eat My Globe; and George Clooney, Please Marry My Mom.