The Best (and Worst)

I've read 53 books this year. I really don't read all the time, so I am not sure how the number got so high. In looking back over the list of books I've read, I am reminded of some amazing and some not-so-amazing reads. Here is my list of recommendations for the best books in a few genres.

Fiction:
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini 10
This book received a perfect 10 from me. This story touched me deeply. The two main characters, both women, really come to life. The reader struggles right along-side with them, rejoices and grieves with them, and ultimately is stunned as sacrifice and redemption play out in a heart-breaking way. I wish this book had gotten as much attention as his first book, The Kite Runner, because it is so much better, in my opinion.

Runner Up Fiction:
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood 9
Anyone who appreciates novels like Brave New World or 1984 are going to love this one. It's set in a futuristic society in which women have subservient roles to men. There is a hierarchy of women with different jobs to do. The handmaid's job is to provide children for the married couples. It is gripping, revealing of society, and hard to put down.

Classic Fiction:
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier 10
This was another perfect 10. Du Maurier is an expert story-teller. This book has it all: romance, mystery, thrills, secrets, tragedy, and more. I can't believe I had never read this book until this year. It is a must-read. I liked it so much that I read another book by the same author (My Cousin Rachel) which was also very good. I hope to read more by her soon.

Runner-Up Classic Fiction:
Summer by Edith Wharton 9
Everyone has heard of or read Ethan Frome (which is good), but this lesser known work by Wharton was such a thrill to read. It was not a happy story by any means, but it was written so incredibly well. I was hanging on every line. The subject matter (which was explained in one review I read as "the story of a young woman's sexual awakening") is also extremely advanced for the era in which it was written.

Non-Fiction:
Adrift by Steven Callahan 9
The author's small boat sank during the night and he escaped to a life raft. He survived 76 days on the open seas before coming ashore. This tale is unbelievable, adventurous, and brings out emotions of elation and despair from the reader. I bet this book would appeal to many male readers because it is such an adventurous story.

Non-Fiction Runner Up:
My Hitch in Hell by Tenney 8
This book is not for the faint of heart. It is a graphic tale of the author's horrible experience after his US military unit surrendered to the Japanese in the Philippines during WWII. The author took part in the infamous Bataan Death March and was a POW for several years. It opened my eyes to the intense suffering of so many during the war and also to the terrible ugliness of war for everyone involved.

Religious:
The Beautiful Fight by Gary Thomas 10
Thomas is my favorite religious writer. Read anything by him you can get your hands on. Sacred Parenting, Sacred Marriage, Seeking the Face of God, etc. This man has the most insightful, inspiring way of writing about Godly living. He is truly gifted...truly in tune with God's Word and will.

A Few More Random Suggestions:
The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton 9
Atonement by Ian McEwan 9
Persuasion by Jane Austin 9
Getting the Girl by Markus Zusak 9
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult 8
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut 8
The Preservationist by David Maine 8
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison 8
Drowning Ruth by Christina Swartz 8
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon 8
A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis 8
The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar 8
The Queen's Fool by Phillipa Gregory 8

And now for the WORST. I recommend staying away from these books.

The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan 4
Atonement was so good. But this one is so bad. I hated it so much I almost could not finish. A decent story is a must in order to enjoy a book and I don't think this one has one.

Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez 4
This author jumps around from topic to topic with no rhyme or reason, is completely self-absorbed, and does one stupid thing after another. I really did not appreciate this memoir.

Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich 3
This book was Plum Stupid. It could have been written by a third grader. Except a third grader might have done better. Seriously, one of the most poorly written books I have ever had the misfortune to read.

The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd 4
I liked The Secret Life of Bees, but this story didn't do anything for me. I could not relate to the main character. It was drawn out and boring. Just skip it.

Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie 4
This was more like a spoof of a detective story than a real story. It was predictable, boring, stupid, and a waste of time.

The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard 3
My neighbor gave this to me out of her garage sale for free. Please never spend money on this book because it was worth the price I paid. Stupid story, boring characters. I plodded through it in order to finish and regretted it.