Don’t you hate it when you get halfway through a book and realize you have already read it? On occasion it has taken me most of a book to realize I have read it — and even though I obviously didn’t remember much about it at all, I still resent having read it again!
So lest you think I can remember all the books I have read, I admit I now track the books I read on the Goodreads website. That is how I can write this post (and the next one). I thought this was going to be one post, but now I see I have too much information for one post, so I am splitting it between this week and next. I did the best I could when I started using Goodreads to recall all the books I had ever read, but of course, that was a futile task! So I think I have about 650 books listed as READ on the site, and I have been pretty good about keeping it updated for several years.
I rarely write reviews, but I try to rate the books I have read. Here are many of my five-star reads. Most are fiction, but not all of them. And they are not all the five-star books on my list, but many of them. Some of them I can’t remember at all because I am one of those people who cannot remember what one book is about by the time I start reading the next.
I envy those people who can read multiple books at a time, and I have tried, but I prefer to read one book at a time.
Here are some of my five-star books. The best of the best are at the end of the list. I would recommend any of these books. Please keep in mind that I do favor women’s literature (or, as some like to call it, “Chick Lit”). Oh, one more thing. I tried not to include books that I talked about in the prior three posts in this series.
The Kite Runner -Khaled Hosseini. Most everyone loved this book.
Freakonomics – Steven Levitt. Nonfiction, and I found parts of it fascinating.
Like Water for Chocolate – Laura Esquivel
The Girls’ Guide to Hunting and Fishing – Melissa Banks
The Help – Kathryn Stockett
Unbroken – Laura Hillenbrand. This one is a memoir. Excellent.
Quiet – Susan Cain. This is a nonfiction book about introversion. I believe she wrote more than one, and I read them all.
On the Road – Jack Kerouac. Of course.
The Girl with the Pearl Earring – Tracy Chevalier
Far from the Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy – Possibly the only classic in the list.
The Art of Racing in the Rain – Garth Stein. A beautiful book for dog lovers. You will cry.
11-22-63 – Stephen King. One of the two books I read and liked by Mr. King.
The House of the Scorpion – Nancy Farmer. I read this young adult book when I was teaching, and I loved it.
Divergent #1 – Veronica Roth. Another young adult book. All the girls were reading it when I was teaching 7th grade.
The Good Daughters – Joyce Maynard. Joyce is a Facebook friend and lives around where I lived in California. She has had a book made into a movie; I believe it was called Labor Day. She done good.
The Girl on the Train – Paula Hawkins. I don’t remember loving it that much, but I gave it five stars.
Goodnight June – Sarah Jio (and The Look of Love by Sarah Jio also). This book was recommended to me, and it was wonderful.
Re Jane – Patricia Park. Another winner.
Falling – Jane Green
The Sunshine Sisters – Also by Jane Green
Still Alice – Lisa Genova (Everything by Genova, who is a neuroscientist, is a masterpiece.) This book was made into a movie.
The Mourning Parade – Dawn Reno Langley. I met Dawn on Facebook when we made a political comment on the same post. We became Facebook friends. She lived across the country from me, but she had set up a book tour to promote this book and was coming to my favorite local bookstore. So we met, and I got an autographed copy of the book. I loved it and gave it to my daughter, who also loved it. It is a novel about the elephants in Thailand. Great book.
The Light We Lost – Jill Santopolo
Before We Were Yours – Lisa Wingate
The Alice Network – Kate Quinn
Tuesday Nights in 1980 – Molly Prentiss. I saw this book on display at the library and was attracted to the cover. This book and I were meant to be. It is a novel about an art critic with synesthesia (an overlapping of the senses, sometimes called a gift and other times called a handicap!). Not too long before I found this book, I finally figured out that I had synesthesia and had started researching it. I really appreciated reading this book, although it was about a different type of synesthesia.
The Little Paris Bookshop – Nina George. Bookshop? Paris? What could be bad?
The Glass Castle – Jeanette Walls. One of the most outstanding memoirs ever!
Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens. Your typical bestseller.
The Flatshare – Beth O’Leary. I read about this book in some list of recommended books I was sent by e-mail. I loved it and read another book by the same author. Not too heavy, but a fun read.
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle – Haruki Murakami. I gave this book five stars because of its beautiful writing.
Lessons from Lucy – Dave Barry. Florida humorist writes about his dog. Great book. I saw him at a book fair, and he is very funny!
The Oysterville Sewing Circle – Susan Wiggs. I think I have read another book or two by this author and have liked them.
American Dirt – Jeanine Cummins. Lots of controversy about this one. I don’t remember loving it five stars worth, but that is what I gave it.
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek – Kim Michele Richardson. You just know this is not a romantic comedy.
The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho. I finally read this famous book.
French Illusions: My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley – Linda Kovic Skow. True story that reads like a novel. I am fascinated with all things French.
A Mango-Shaped Space – Wendy Mars. A young adult book recommended by a friend — another book about synesthesia.
The Bookstore on the Beach – Brenda Novak. Bookstore? Beach. What could be bad?
Accidentally Engaged – Farah Heron. I just read this one. Pleasantly surprised it was a fun read with a good plot.
The Best of the Best
Here are some of the best books I have read out of my five-star list. Highly recommended!
The Red Tent – Anita Diamant
The Interestings – Meg Wolitzer. Made into a TV movie. Loved it.
Room – Emma Donahue – I left this off my list entirely, but I know it is up there. Made into a movie for which Brie Larson won Best Actress. Riveting story!
The Nightingale – Kristen Hannah. I believe this was voted the best book of the year on Goodreads a couple of years ago. World War II story.
Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries – Kory Stamper. I LOVED this book about the making and updating or dictionaries. For word lovers everywhere.
A Man Called Ove – Fredrik Backman. My favorite book I have read as an adult. Made into a wonderful movie as well. BRAVO!
Little Fires Everywhere – Celeste Ng. Another one streaming on Netflix or somewhere. I haven’t seen it, but plan to. Great book!
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine – Gail Honeyman. Reminded me of A Man Called Ove, female style. Loved it.
The Ensemble – Aja Gabel. This was a beautiful story about a musical quartet. Highly recommended.
Educated – Tara Westover. An outstanding memoir.
The Library Book – Susan Orlean. A book about the fire at the Los Angeles Central Library. Recommended to me by a Facebook friend. Well worth the read!
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents – Isabel Wilkerson. Amazing book about endemic racism.
The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern. A very original story. A magical book.
Next Week, these books are featured (not necessarily 5-star, but notable nonetheless):
- Some memorable nonfiction
- Books I loved and that stick in my mind, but not quite five-star books
- Authors I like
- Books people liked and I hated
- Books by people I know that you should read (some of which I copyedited)
- Wow, I have read a lot of political books!
Dear Arlene,
You are missing McTeague, A Story of San Francisco, by Frank Norris (1895). A sample follows:
his operating chair at the bay window, reading the paper, drinking his beer, and smoking his huge porcelain pipe while his food digested; crop-full, stupid, and warm. By and by, gorged with steam beer, and overcome by the heat of the room, the cheap tobacco, and the effects of his heavy meal, he dropped off to sleep. Late in the afternoon his canary bird, in its gilt cage just over his head, began to sing. He woke slowly, finished the rest of his beer—very flat and stale by this time—and taking down his concertina from the bookcase, where in week days it kept the company of seven volumes of “Allen’s Practical Dentist,” played upon it some half-dozen very mournful airs.
Thank you for the addition. I have never heard of that book. It looks a little too descriptive for in impatient reader like me!
I’m one of the oddballs who read several books at a time–in the kitchen, living room, and the bedtime and the car. LOL
Presently, I’m reading Barking to the Choir by Gregory Boyle; Shorter Way Home by Pete Buttigieg
When I commuted, I enjoyed Southernmost by Silas House and books by Anna Quidland.
Thanks for your list and your blog.
And thanks for your list. I can’t even seem to concentrate on what is happening in one book these days! right now I am reading The Paris Library, which I am really enjoying.
The Warmth of Other Suns is also an excellent read! By Isabelle Wilkerson (Caste)
Thanks! I heard that too. Thanks for the suggestion.
Vice-versa: Books you liked and people hated(?)
That is a tougher one. I do know that a friend of mine hated The Nightingale, which I loved.
Arlene,
Many thanks for this eclectic list of books. I’ve read a lot in my life, but you have given me a whole ‘nother arena to explore.
Phyllis Houseman
You are welcome. Glad to give you some new ideas….I especially love whole ‘nother! 🙂