I’ve loved to read my entire life. What’s better than curling up with a book, a blanket, tea, and Henry? No matter what season of my life, I read voraciously…and I’m always looking for new suggestions!
Here’s what I’ve read lately:
A Gracious Plenty Sheri Reynolds
The Giving Tree Shel Silverstein
The Remains of the Day Kazuo Ishiguro
A Guide to the Birds of East Africa Nicholas Drayson
The Worst Thing Aaron Elkins
The Feast of Love Charles Baxter
So Long, See You Tomorrow William Maxwell
Away From Her Alice Munro
The Song of Names Norman Lebrecht
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Dai Sijie
Sideways Rex Pickett
The Saturday Wife Naomi Ragen
A Death in the Family James Agee
The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde
Happily Ever After Susan May Warran
The Game Jack London
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Lewis Carroll
Traitor’s Wife Susan Higginbotham
The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett
Reinventing Leona Lynne Gentry
Ravenous: A Food L0ver’s Journey from Obsession to Freedom Dayna Macy
Mockingjay Suzanne Collins
A Journey to the Center of the Earth Jules Verne
Catching Fire Suzanne Collins
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Betty Smith
Portugese Irregular Verbs Alexander McCall Smith
A Handful Of Dust Evelyn Waugh
Resurrection in May Lisa Samson
As I Lay Dying William Faulkner
The Anarchist John Smolens
Animal Farm George Orwell
If You Follow Me Malena Watrous
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
The Quickening Michelle Hoover
True Grit Charles Portis
The Witches of Eastwick John Updike
Range of Motion Elizabeth Berg
Mansfield Park Jane Austen
The Awakening and Selected Stories of Kate Chopin Kate Chopin
For One More Day Mitch Albom
Inés of My Soul Isabel Allende
Galore Michael Crummey
The Street of a Thousand Blossoms Gail Tsukiyama
Sag Harbor Colson Whitehead
Cannery Row John Steinbeck
Amaryllis in Blueberry Christina Medrum
The Headhunter’s Daughter Tamar Myers
Wench Dolen Perkins-Valdez
These Things Hidden Heather Gudenkauf
American Pastoral Philip Roth
Appointment in Samarra John O’Hara
All the Pretty Horses Cormac McCarthy
Black Boy Richard Wright
Prayers for Sale Sandra Dallas
Love Stories in This Town Amanda Eyre Ward
Small Island Andrea Levy
Let the Great World Spin Colum McCann
Rooftops of Tehran Mahbod Seraji
The Solace of Leaving Early Haven Kimmel
Their Eyes Were Watching God Zora Neale Hurston
The Pillars of the Earth Ken Follett
The School of Essential Ingredients Erica Bauermeister
Pope Joan Donna Woolfolk Cross
Black Heels to Tractor Wheels Ree Drummond
The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins
A Thousand Splendid Suns Khaled Hosseini
The Omnivore’s Dilemma Michael Pollan
The History of Love Nicole Krauss
Karen Marie Killilea
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay Michael Chabon
White on Black Ruben Gallego
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake Aimee Bender
Road Map to Holland Jennifer Graf Groneberg
Look Me in the Eye John Elder Robinson
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter Kim Edwards
On Beauty Zadie Smith
Falling Home Karen White
All the King’s Men Robert Penn Warren
Amy and Isabelle Elizabeth Strout
The Yiddish Policemen’s Union Michael Chabon
The Swallows of Kabul Yasmina Khadra
The Hole We’re In Gabrielle Zevin
So Big Edna Ferber
The Wives of Henry Oades Johanna Moran
The Painted Veil W. Somerset Maugham
The English Patient Michael Ondaatje
The Help Kathryn Stockett
Northanger Abbey Jane Austen
Fireflies in December Jennifer Erin Valent
The Hobbit J.R.R. Tolkien
Outside the Ordinary World Dori Ostermiller
The Solitude of Prime Numbers Paolo Giordano
American Rust Phillip Meyer
That Old Cape Magic Richard Russo
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Stieg Larson
Fruit of the Lemon Andrea Levy
The Adventures of Augie March Saul Bellow
Shutter Island Dennis Lehane
Narcissus and Goldmund Hermann Hesse
White Noise Don DeLillo
Tallgrass Sandra Dallas
For Whom The Bell Tolls Ernest Hemingway
In Defense of Food Michael Pollan
Hannah’s Dream Diane Hammond
The Night Trilogy Elie Wiesel
The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini
Breath, Eyes, Memory Edwidge Danticat
Time and Again Jack Finney
Water for Elephants Sara Gruen
What have you read lately? I’m always looking for a good suggestion!
Loved a book called Smiling Bears (non fiction).
Love the Outlander series of books by Diana Gabaldon–and so did my husband!
Love the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo series by the late great Stieg Larsson.
Recently read something called Mr Rosenblum Dreams in English, which is new, and I found it to be pretty unique.
I’ve heard a lot about The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo–it’s definitely on my list of must-reads. Thanks for the other tips I’m currently running low on library books!
I loved The Help and just finished Sarah’s Key – both good reads. Enjoy your long Christmas break!
Hi Lauren. Your mom posted something on facebook that brought me to your blog. Love it! I have to comment on your reading…..
When I used to drive your bus, every morning I would pull up to your driveway and you and Kristen would be standing, so poised and pretty, at the end of your driveway with books in your faces. I used to comment to everyone about how wonderful it was to see your love of reading – even while waiting for the school bus at 7am in the morning! I love your site. You are a beautiful young lady with such a zest for life. It gives me hope for the next generation!!! Take care! Nancy
Thank you so much! That was the sweetest thing to say and totally made my day! I’m glad you like my blog!!
Hi Lally!
You should read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon. Other books by the same author that I also liked: Wonder Boys and The Mysteries of Pittsburgh.
XOXOX
thanks! i’m going to request some of those from the lib right now…im reading the yiddish policemen’s union also by him and i’ll let you know what i think!
Just finished “The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake” by Aimee Bender. I need to discuss this book with someone else. So much to think and talk about!
I’ll add it to my library list–then we can discuss!
you have to read the help, a thousand spendind suns and the kite runner. Those were my 3 faves last year.
I read the help and the kite runner this year already–both GREAT books! i’ll add the last one to my list!
Sing You Home-Jodi Picoult’s newest book
Ravenous a food lover’s journey from obsession to freedom by Dayna Macy
The Pioneer Woman Black Heels to tractor
Wheels-a*true* love story by Lee Drummond.
Her cookbook is fun though definitely not low fat.
I also love ANYTHING Gluten Free Girl writes-the cookbook she and her husband wrote together was a lovely read-part love story, part cookbook, and the photography…
oh la la…
Anything by Lee Childs-love his Jack Reacher Series on CDs-which I listen to on the way to work sometimes….
I have a very eclectic reading list I know:)
I loved the Kite Runner and In Defense of Food!
Just discovered your blog-love it-can’t wait to make your Mexican Hot Chocolate Spiced Almonds-found the recipe from http://www.foodgawker.com and later on a similar site….
Thanks! Like I said, I’m always looking for new titles to add to my lists so I appreciate the recommendations (I also have eclectic taste in reading :))
There are a few books on your list that look interesting. Since I’m adding them to my must read library list, I thought I’d leave one for you… The History of Love by Nicole Krauss is a lovely, if lonely, tale filled with glints of hope. I would think from the list you have here that The History of Love might be something you would enjoy. Have a lovely day…
I just requested it from the library! Thanks for the tip
Currently, I am reading “The School of Essential Ingredients”, by Erica Bauermeister. So far (about 3/4 of the way done) I love it. It’s about mastering the ingredients of cooking, life, and relationships. Now when I read it, I think of your wonderful blog. If you wouldn’t mind, I would love to include your blog in my blog roll. I have already shared your site with a friend that LOVES to cook. Happy cooking AND reading! ~Carol~
I would love that 🙂 Share away! And thanks for the recommendation it sounds like something I’ll love!
I am excited to come upon your reading list. I am going thru books so quickly because of my situation. So neat to see we share some favorite books. I also have my first memory of you reading. Being in church with your dad and not taking your face out of your book the whole time.So cute. I loved The Help. Water for elephants too! Now it is going to be a movie. Have you read Pope Joan by Donna woolfolk Cross ? How about THe Pillars of Earth By ken Follett. Keep up the hard work
I haven’t read either of those but I will add them to my list very shortly! Since I posted my own reading I have gotten tons of recommendations from people and it has been the richest reading resource ever! So many readers out there! I’ve been thinking of you and praying for you and I hope my booklist can help pass some time for you 🙂
Based on your list, which quite overlaps mine, I am willing to bet you will love a couple of books I’ve read in the past year including When We Were Romans (can’t remember the author just now); This Must Be the Place (same author deal); and I See You Everywhere by Julia Glass. I read a lot as well!
thanks so much for the suggestions!
Hi, Lauren! Glad I stumbled upon your site! You write very well. You’ve got great photos here, too.
I love reading, just like you, but am selective about what I read. Unfortunately, most of the people around me, in my region here, don’t have the habit of reading regularly – thanks to the education system, which has turned everyone into fellas who read only for the sake of passing or getting distinction for the exams. (You have heard of Asian education systems, no?)
Anyhow, will drop by to visit in the future for sure. Lovely site, I must say. =)
White Noise is in my top ten.
Everything is Illuminated, by Jonathan Safran Foer. Excellent movie too. 🙂
I’ve two good ones for you: 1) The Help 2) Before I go to sleep. Both of these are great!
Yes I agree with the above recommendations for the History of Love by Nicola Krauss, and Everything is Illuminated by Jonothan Safron Foer, and would add Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by the same guy. Krauss and Safron Foer are married and you can see their influence on each other in their writing. Great books. Love your site, and love your taste in books 🙂
thanks so much–appreciate the tips, and I had no idea that they were married! I love fun facts like that!
I just read The Shadow if the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, and really enjoyed it.
I lreally liked your blog. It really looks sincere, something you dont see often these days. You should read 100 years of soltitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez,it has the essence of all latin america on it.Congratulations .
I have read that! Beautiful book 🙂 I also had to pay the library a few dollars in fines ’cause I accidently put it away in MY bookshelf and then couldn’t find it…but it was worth it!
The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera
I was hoping that you could help me choose a book to read for enjoyment. I am a stay at home mom with a 7 and 10 year old. I read a lot of self help books. I also do quiet time with my bible study. The last 3 books I have checked out I have returned to the library after reading the first chapter! I want something interesting…a can’t put it down type of book. I was going to look at Oprah’s list. 🙂 Any suggestions? Anyone? Lauren?
Thanks!
I really liked The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender or A Thousand Suns (or The Kite Runner) by Khaled Hosseini, or the Help by Kathryn Stockett or if you want an educational book, In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan is a realllly fascinating look at the way we eat here in America! Hope you LOVE your next book!