BEST LOVED BOOKS CHALLENGE

My Dream Room

                                                      


Let's all name 5 all time favorite books right off the top of our heads.  Let's not over think it  just the first books that spring to mind.


               SANDY'S WELL LOVED BOOKS

1. STONES FROM THE RIVER by Ursula Hegi*****
An unforgettable, beautifully written story of a German town during  Nazi occupation.The main character, Trudi, is a dwarf librarian who know everyone in the town and is the keeper of their stories. Through Trudi, you get to know a cast of characters in the town trying to go through their normal lives while reacting to Hitler's propaganda. To me this book has it all-love and loss,births and death, devotion and inhumanity. This book will never leave me. To me it is a Classic.


2.  THE DOLLMAKER by Harriet Arnow*****This is a lengthy book that is depressing while also being uplifting and hopeful.  During the war, a poor Appalachian family moves north to the slums of Detroit in hopes of working for the war effort and having a better life. A story of struggle and endurance and of a Mother's love for her children. This is a book that makes you think of it long after you have finished it--kind of like you lived through it with this family. If you read one book this year make it The Dollmaker. Its lessons are many and important. An American Classic.


3. THE STAND by Stephen King ***** In my opinion this is King at his finest. You just can't beat a battle of good over evil. I have read this book several times over the years and find its character studies fascinating. I've never forgotten Stu, Frannie, Harold, Nick the deaf/mute boy, Tom Cullen,Glen Bateman,and of course Mother Abigail and Flagg.


4. SONGS IN ORDINARY TIME by Mary McGreggor Morris****1/2 This is a terribly long book and it is slow going at the start. You have to get through the first 100 pages or so before you are pulled into this family and their intricate web of lies and truths.  A 60's single mother struggling to raise her family gets hooked up with a con man.  The story is moving and sometimes humorous but totally unforgettable.This book doesn't really have an ending just a new beginning as the family picks itself up and gets on with their lives.  Loved it.



5.  ANOTHER PART OF THE HOUSE by Winston Estes
*****Remember how Pop Pop collected Reader's Digest Condensed Books? I first read this book in Pop Pop's condensed version and fell in love with the story. Re-read it several times over the years. A few years ago I found an original copy in the Houston-Love Library in Dothan! A very well written story of a Texas family during the Depression. If any of you are interested in having some of Pop Pop's book collection let me know, I have them all hoarded up at my house.

































 SANDY'S BEST LOVED BOOKS

                                     CAROL'S FAVORITE AUTHORS

      In no particular order, just some of my favorites.

• J K ROWLING
• STEPHEN KING
• PATRICKROTHFUSS
• JAN KARON
• MAEVE BINCHY
• ROSAMUNDE PILCHER
• JANE AUSTEN
• BILL BRYSON
• ORSON SCOTT CARD
• SPENCER QUINN
• JODI PICOULT
• JOHN GRISHAM
• JANET EVANOVICH
• LAURA INGALLS WILDER
• J R R TOLKIEN
• REX STOUT
• KARLEEN KOEN
• ANN B ROSS
• GEORGE R R MARTIN
• KEN FOLLETT
• STIEG LARSON
• CATHERINE MARSHALL
• CHARLENE HARRIS
• HARPER LEE
• MARGARET MITCHELL
• LOUISE L HAY
• BARBARA KINGSOLVER
• CHARLOTTE BRONTE

                    

                                     

CAROL'S BOOK LIST, MARCH 21 THROUGH MAY2,2012

CAROL'S BOOK LIST MARCH 21 THROUGH MAY 2,2012

      22.  STILL ALICE,Lisa Genova*****Found my copy of this for AuntSandy,

but had to re-read it before I could take it to her.Love this book so much, think everyone should read it at least once.

23. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, Stieg Larson*****

Wanted to re-read this series before I watched the movie, which Chris sent me this week.  Absolutely love all three of these books, so sad the author died before he finished his vision for this series. 

24.  THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE,Stieg Larson*****See above.

25.THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNETS NEST, Stieg Larson*****I know another 5 stars! I tend to re-read my favorite books alot, and these three are excellent.

26. SALEM'S LOT, Stephen King*****Another re-read, Chris sent me a bunch of old Stephen King novels that I haven't  read in years.  I remember reading this as a teenager and falling in love with King, one of my all time favorite authors.

27.  HEARTS IN ATLANTIS,Stephen King****Just finished this one, haven't read it in so long I forgot how it ended, great book about the sixties.

28.  A WALK IN THE WOODS, Bill Bryson *****One of my favorite books, re-read it seeing that Sandy enjoyed it, just recommended it to Kevin.

29. NOBODY'S FOOL, Richard Russo**** Read on Sandy's Kindle, great story, great characters.

30.  FREEDOM, Jonathan Franzen**** Read on Sandy's Kindle, really enjoyed this lots of family drama

31.  BLACK HEELS AND TRACTOR WHEELS, Ree Drummond*** Fun story by The Pioneer Woman, one of my favorite blogs, story of her romance and marriage with her cattle rancher husband.

32. FIRESTARTER, Stephen King*****One of my favorite King stories, anothjer re-read from the books Chris loaned me.

33.  THE SHINING, Stephen King*** This one is not one of my favorites, I think the movie ruined it for me.                           

Sandy's 2012 Booklist Continues

                     
                                       

SANDY'S 2012 BOOK LIST CONTINUES

I have been reading the Chet and Bernie Mysteries about a complex private detective and his great dog, Chet the Jet.

51. THEREBY HANGS A TAIL by Spencer Quinn ***1/2 light reading

52. TO FETCH A THIEF by Spencer Quinn***1/2 a fast read


53.  GHOSTLY MEN : THE STRANGE BUT TRUE STORY OF THE COLLYER
BROTHERS,NEW YORK'S GREATEST HOARDERS, AN URBAN HISTORICAL by Franz Lidz****
Very interesting book about two brothers well educated at Columbia U, one an engineer, one a lawyer.   They became reclusive at a young age and their 12 room mansion on 5th Avenue NYC became a hoarders paradise.  Twelve Grand pianos, a Model T, millions of newspapers,and  almost every musical instrument known to man.  I myself am a hoarder of all things sentimental, and everything I have is sentimental to me in some way. You may not know this but our  Gamama is a blouse hoarder, and Josh is a hoarder of all things musical so I really can identify with these brothers.


54. A KILLING IN IOWA by Rachel Corbett **1/2 A true account of a murder/suicide.

55. MAMA SAYS: A MEMOIR BY Peggy McClain Barr ** So So.


56.  THE CORRECTIONS by Jonathan Franzen****1/2   I love a Jonathan Franzen novel.  I love a vivid character study of family life.  I love this wonderful dysfunctional family and their struggles with parental decline.  Franzen won a National Book Award and was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in fiction for this book.  That was the year they awarded the Pulitzer to Richard Russo for EMPIRE FALLS and I have to say he deserved it.  Love, love Richard Russo and Empire Falls is one of my all time favorite books.  An intense novel about a failing New England mill town with in- depth characters you can see in your mind's eye.  If you haven't read Richard Russo I highly recommend that you try him. 

SANDY'S 2012 BOOK LIST CONTINUES

I found this online and think this girl looks so much like our Lauren age 9.

                            SANDY'S 2012 BOOK LIST CONTINUES


47. BLOOD, BONES, AND BUTTER:  The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef  by Gabrielle Hamilton***1/2   An entertaining memoir of the chef and owner of PRUNE Restaurant in NYC.

48.  LEFT NEGLECTED by Lisa Genova **** I liked this book about a medical phenomenon I had never heard of called Left Neglect.  It sometimes happens after a severe head injury causing the patient to be completely unaware of anything to the left side.  After reading this  Genova novel i know have to get ahold of her book STILL ALICE.



49.THE ART OF RACING THE RAIN by Garth Stein***1/2  Fast read.Enjoyable.

50. A DOG'S PURPOSE by W. Bruce Cameron*****  Lovely novel written from a dog's perspective.  This book left me thinking about it long after I'd finished reading it.  To me, that's  a great book.

SANDY'S FAVORITE AUTHORS

Our family stays so busy and I realize that maybe some don't have a list yet this year.  So let's all make a page of our favorite Authors. Here are some of my much loved authors in no particular order.

and yet I can not look away.

• Anne Tyler
• John Steinbeck
• Jodi Picoult
• Augusten Burroughs
• Stephen King
• JK Rowling
• Toni Morrison
• John Irving
• Ernest Hemingway
• John Grisham
• Scott Turow
• Jan Karon
• Suzanne Collins
• Louisa May Alcott
• Harper Lee
• Harriet Arnow
• Amy Tan
• Larry McMurtry
• Anna Quinland
• Maya Angelou
• Jonathan Franzen
• Carson McCullers
• Wally Lamb
• Anita Shreeve
• Truman Capote
• Elizabeth Berg

               

               Sandy's Book List 2012 Continues

35.  THE EYE IF THE DRAGON by Stephen King*****Great story.I don't remember reading this when it came out.  I usually jump right on any new King novel. Don't know how I missed this one. 
I think it is fascinating that the evil in this book's name is Flagg and the evil in my favorite Stephen King book, THE STAND is also Flagg. Also the heroine in this book's name is Naomi and that is the name of his daughter in real life. Just saying.

36.  MILE 81 by Stephen King **** a Kindle short. Reminded me a little of CHRISTINE.

37.  MISS JULIA SPEAKS HER MIND by Ann B. Ross
***1/2  This is a series of books about a small town in North Carolina and its people.  Amusing, light reading.  You can practically read one of these books in a sitting.Carol had  9 of these Miss Julia books on her kindle so I read all. Give all of them a ***1/2
38. MISS JULIA STANDS HER GROUND
39.MISS JULIA PAINTS THE TOWN
40.MISS JULIA STRIKES BACK
41.MISS JULIA DELIVERS THE GOODS
42.MISS JULIA MEETS HER MATCH
43.MISS JULIA RENEWS HER VOWS
44.MISS JULIA'S SCHOOL OF BEAUTY
45.MISS JULIA ROCKS THE CRADLE

46.THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows****I saw this title on several Best Books of 2010 lists and wanted to read it.  Then Aunt Denise brought it to me awhile back and I just read it over Easter weekend.  A charming book consisting only of letters to and from different people during the German occupation of Guernsey Island. An uplifting story of survival after World War II. This book recognizes the bond that can be brought about by literature. I enjoyed this book.