I love to read and want to share book suggestions for the New Year. I enjoying being absorbed into a book. It’s an invitation to forget about dirty dishes and meal planning and enter into another world. I read non-fiction to help keep my mind sharp and not entirely cluttered with little things; and I read fiction to keep my love of romance and art and culture alive. With that said, here are my suggestions for good reads in 2015.
Marriage & Parenting
Two-Part Invention: The Story of a Marriage is Madeleine L’Engle’s (author of a Wrinkle in Time) authentic and tender account of her 40 year marriage to an actor.
Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son’s First Year is Anne Lamott’s sharp and spicy take on her son’s first year of life as a single mother. In my opinion, this is the book that should be handed out in maternity wards. Read the sequel for another sweet and funny perspective on her grandchild’s year of life, Some Assembly Required.
Still: Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis, written by Lauren Winner, is gut-wrenching honest prose that chronicles the unexpected twists in life (divorce and a midlife crisis).
Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife by Peggy Vincent is a book I read while pregnant with my third child. If you don’t even dip your toes in the holistic medicine world, this is still a fabulously entertaining read. Though bittersweet at moments, it provides a bird’s eye view of a modern midwife’s work and world.
Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv is a compelling read. Okay, I am not sure there’s such a thing as “nature deficit disorder,” but I read this book because I am a big city girl all the way and want to ensure my children aren’t underexposed to nature. The book enabled me to better understand the importance and significance of unstructured, outdoor play.
Fiction
The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer is true chick lit. If you are a Jane Austen-ite, then you’ll enjoy this Regency era romance, featuring a plucky heroine and her adventures in love and life.
Camilla is also by author Madeleine L’Engle. It’s a sweet coming-of-age story of a girl growing up in New York City.
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson is a beautiful, poignant story of fathers and sons and spirituality interwoven with 20th-century American history.
Kingdom of Strangers, written by Zoe Ferraris, is a murder mystery set in Saudi Arabia with a solitary female detective working to solve the case. It’s a dark and fascinating novel that you won’t be able to put down, giving a glimpse into life for women in the Middle East.
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline is one I haven’t had a chance to read yet, but I am uploading it to my Kindle as I type this. Emily Y talks a bit about the history behind the orphan trains of the 1800s in this post here. I am looking forward to reading this historical fiction novel about aging out of the foster care system.
Give us suggestions for good books to read. What are some of your “must-reads” for 2015?
I think we are reading soulmates! Love me some Madeleine L’Engle and Lauren Winner. They are awesome! I have a shelf full of to-be-read books but nothing I’m super excited about. Thinking of diving into Pride and Prejudice (again).