It’s hard to believe that yesterday was the 14th anniversary of my blog. As has become my habit, this is the time that I list my favorite books of the ones I reviewed during the year. As usual, I make my list from the Best of Ten books during the year.
This year was a tough one to pick, because I had twelve books that were difficult to choose among, along with all the other Best of Tens. I ended up with three or four fairly recent books and five or six classic novels, one comic novel, three novels about the course of the main character’s childhood and life, four historical novels and one partially historical, one nonfiction memoir, one mystery, and one drama with a twist. Three were by men, and seven by women. Two of these books were re-reads for me.
So, here they are, in the order I reviewed them:
- Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
- How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn
- The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
- The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett
- Clear by Carys Davies
- Life Among the Qallunaat by Mini Aodla Freeman
- The Pink House by Nelia Gardner White
- A Pale View of the Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro
- The Deepening Stream by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
- Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips
What? Me Read? 
Wow, 14 years! Congratulations!
Thanks!
Happy 14th-blog-birthday 🙂
Thanks, Kate!
Congratulations, that’s such a long time!
Thanks!
Congratulations to 14 years of blogging. A great achievement. I like your list of top books. I have only read Lessons in Chemistry and The Name of the Rose, both great books.
Thanks!
wow, 14 years is fabulous! I must read The Pink House in particular
I think my best two from last year are that and The Deepening Stream.
I loved How Green Was My Valley, The Name of the Rose and Clear, but haven’t read any of the others. Congratulations on your anniversary!
Thanks, Helen!
Congratulations on so many years of blogging! I also very much enjoyed A Pale View of Hills and The Name of the Rose. (The Magician’s Assistant and Lessons in Chemistry were also fun, but not such big hits with me.)
Thanks!
I can’t believe it’s been 14 years! And still going strong, as I limp along. Lol
I loved the Ann Patchett, and I’ve added Clear and Life Among the Qallunat to my list!
You’ve had a lot to do. I would love to have a bookstore.
If I can do it, so can you! 🙂
No, I’m 75, and we don’t have the money for something like that. But good luck!
Thanks, Kay! 🙂