I love reading. I want to share what I read this past year with you. For me, reading is a way to journey to other places without leaving my chair, my bed, my soaking tub. Whenever I read, I travel. My favorite place to travel to is inside the mind and heart of another human being or an animal. On my list there are tender stories of people's relationships with animals. (I especially love horse stories because my spirit animal is a horse). I was inspired by the historical fiction and biographies on my list of courageous people doing incredible things. I experienced the bittersweet feeling of coming to the end of a wonderful story. I felt the joy of reading everything an author wrote (Ann Napolitano was that author for me this year) and then mourned the realization that I'd reached the end of her body of work.
In addition to traveling, reading is a way I feel accompanied on a journey of change or healing. Reading the story of another's journey through trauma or grief helps me to feel the love and support of one who has traveled a hard path and generously shares it. You will find several excellent memoirs of healing on my list.
When I want to take a break from my life, I sink into a delicious story of another person's life just for the pure diversion of it. When I cover up with a quilt and settle on the couch with a book in my hand, my little dog Roxy knows I am down for a couple hours of escapism and jumps up and drapes herself across my lap. Fiction---pure bliss.
While consuming fiction is like enjoying decadent chocolate, I also read to learn--I read my "fruits and veggies," in other words. I want to know how to be a better human, a better therapist, a better gardener, a better yoga teacher, a better spouse, a better friend, a better daughter of God (not necessarily in that order). Lots of self-help books on my list to consider.
I love the weight of a book in my hands, the rustle of the pages turning, the smell of a book. I don't listen to books or read them on a device, so I can't vouch for any of these selections being available as an audiobook or on a kindle. I'm old school that way. I also love collecting books. Seeing the spines of books stacked on bookshelves all throughout my home and office gives me a sense of delight as I remember how much I enjoyed the book, how it made me feel, and what changed within me after reading it.
Regrettably, the only book I started this past year and couldn't finish---which is rare for me, it goes against my rule of always finishing a book I start---is Richard Powers Playground, 2024. I thought I would like it because I loved his previous book The Overstory, 2018. I just couldn't make any sense of Playground and my confusion persisted, so I finally gave in and gave up. Books come into our lives at the right time and this wasn't the year for me to read it. Good luck to you if you pick it up!
Once a finish a book, I typically never read a book again. Prior to this year, I re-read a only once. I read Gone With the Wind as a 12 year old and then read it again at least 5 times---I literally wore it out and finally replaced my copy this year. That book brought me from childhood into being a teenager. I was entranced by the ways adults lived and interacted with such passion. This year I read Small Things Like These a second time. I would love to know what you think about it!
Finally---and I hesitate to say this, but I will, since I always want to know what someone's favorite is from a shared list of books they've read---my favorite book this year was Dear Edward.
See below for my list. Gift yourself the time to read in 2025. May you find a book on this list that will bring you joy, make you laugh, help you to cope, or learn something new. Happy reading!
Historical Fiction to be inspired by:
The Women, Kristin Hannah, 2024. Fascinating story of the enlisted women nurses in Vietnam.
The Frozen River, Ariel Lawhon, 2023. Engrossing story about Martha Ballard who was a midwife practicing in Maine in the 1700's, who uncovered the truth about a rape of a woman who birthed a child from that rape.
Margot, Jillian Cantor, 2013. Explores what if Margot Frank, Anne Frank's older sister, had survived and come to live in post-war America. Celebrates the power of both love and competition between sisters.
Small Things Like These, Claire Keegan, 2021. Beautiful little story about a father of 5 daughters who makes a decision from his heart in 1985 Ireland. He rescues a girl on Christmas Eve from a home for pregnant girls run by cruel Catholic nuns known as the Magdalene Laundry.
Horse, Geraldine Brooks, 2022. Story of the greatest racing thoroughbred in the 19th century, Lexington, and his devoted Black groom. Weaves together the Civil War, an art collector a generation later who seeks paintings of Lexington, and the modern day museum scientist who safeguards Lexington's skeleton.
Biography to be awed by:
The Ride of Her Life, The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America, Elizabeth Letts, 2021. The amazing true story of a 63 yr old woman farmer from Maine who followed her dream to see the Pacific Ocean before she died by riding her horse alone across America with her dog in tow in 1954. Just wow.
Her Again, Becoming Meryl Streep, Michael Shulman, 2016. Inside story of the evolution of Meryl to the iconic actress she is today. Nice reminder that amazingly talented people have to work at being great too.
Master Slave Husband Wife, Ilyon Woo, 2023. Story of the Crafts, an enslaved couple who escape to freedom in 1848 from Georgia to Canada with the wife posing as a wealthy white male planter accompanied by his property.
Kobe: Life Lessons from a Legend, Nelson Pena, 2021. Reveals the motivation behind Kobe's drive for success both on and off the court and how he handled setbacks.
Memoir to vicariously experience others' lives:
The Wives, Simone Gorrindo, 2024. Her powerful story of being a part of community of military wives in rural Georgia coping with the trauma of their enlisted husbands' experiences.
Promise Me, Dad, Joe Biden , 2017. Tender and eye-opening story of Joe Biden coping with the impending death of his adult son Beau while he is serving as Vice President under Barack Obama.
Perfection: A Memoir of Betrayal and Renewal, Julie Metz, 2009. How a woman copes with and heals from the discovery of her husband's affairs after he suddenly dies.
Fiction to sink into:
Within Arm's Reach, Ann Napolitano, 2004. Tender generational saga of an Irish American family jarred into crisis by an unexpected pregnancy.
A Good Hard Look, Ann Napolitano, 2011. Searing story of how the choices we make can sometimes have terrible and permanent consequences. One of the characters is her interpretation of Flannery O'Connor, an iconic American author.
Dear Edward, Ann Napolitano, 2020. How does a 12 year old boy, who is the only survivor of a plane crash which killed his parents and brother learn to keep living? With love and devotion from others. Oh, the power of love to heal....
Hello Beautiful, Ann Napolitano, 2023. Saga of four sisters and the man who loves them. Explores the complicated bonds of sisterly love and the pain of estrangement.
The Vulnerables, Sigrid Nunez, 2023. One of several books I read this year with references to life during the pandemic. Single older woman quarantined unluckily with the young adult son of a friend and her friend's parrot.
Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus, 2022. Strong female scientist in sexist 1960's culture who creates a life on her terms and stars in a wildly successful cooking show after the sudden death of her boyfriend and the father of her surprise baby. Her dog is a crucial character who understands over 300 words. (Read the book before watching the streaming series).
Cutting For Stone, Abraham Verghese, 2009. Every bit as stunning as his Covenant of Water. Story of twin brothers being forsaken at birth by their mother and abandoned by their father. Includes a deep dive into medical procedures.
Just For the Summer, Abby Jimenez, 2024. Hilarious, yummy romantic comedy with a sobering theme of overcoming childhood trauma in order to feel safe committing to a romantic relationship.
Funny Story, Emily Henry, 2024. Follows Librarian Daphne and Miles, whose exes are dating each other. Fun twists and turns.
Rules of Civility, Amor Towles, 2011. Set in 1938 NYC, Towles paints a picture of how relationships and events shape our lives permanently as both lessons and blessings.
Table for Two, Amor Towles, 2024. A "two-fer"---Six excellent short stories and a novella in the same book! My favorite story was "The Line." The novella is the sequel to Rules of Civility. I love sequels!
Same As It Ever Was, Claire Lombard, 2024. Powerful story about being a mother, getting lost in motherhood, being estranged from one's own mother, building and re-building one's marriage. (Sounds like me and many of the women I know and love).
All Fours, Miranda July, 2024. Omg! This is a very racy story of a woman who has a personal and sexual awakening.
Tell Me Everything, Elizabeth Strout, 2024. Love in all of its permutations is woven into this elegant rich book. I love everything she writes.
Remarkably Bright Creatures, Shelby Van Pelt, 2022. Beautiful story of a woman working at an aquarium grieving the mysterious disappearance of her son 30 years ago in Puget Sound and the octopus that befriends her and solves the mystery.
The Idea of You, Robinne Lee, 2017. Steamy love story between a boy band star and the much older mom of one of the band's teenage fans. Reveals the price and burden of intense fame.
It Ends With Us, Colleen Hoover, 2016. Explores the legacy of childhood trauma as a woman takes steps to escape the physical abuse from her husband. (I liked the book much better than the movie, but that is almost always the case for me.)
It Starts With Us, Colleen Hoover, 2022. The sequel to It Ends With Us describes the work it takes for the main character to rebuild her life post divorcing her abusive husband. Triumphant.
House Rules, Jodi Picoult, 2010. Gripping story about a young adult male with Asperger's Syndrome accused of murder in Vermont.
Sandwich, Catherine Newman, 2024. Funny novel about a woman "sandwiched" between her aging parents and young adult kids. I laughed and laughed.
Here One Moment, Liane Moriarty, 2024. Riveting story of a plane full of people being told how and when they will die by another mysterious passenger and the subsequent choices the travelers make when they return home to try to avoid their predicted premature death. How might you respond if you were told of your impending premature death?
Blue Sisters, Coco Mellors, 2024. Raw and honest story of 3 adult sisters coping with grief and addiction after the death of their fourth sister.
Counting Miracles, Nicholas Sparks, 2024. Weary and lonely Army vet travels to North Carolina in search of his long lost father and finds love and renewed faith in, well, miracles. Beautiful story. Will be released as a movie.
Non-Fiction to learn from:
The Comfort of Crows, A Backyard Year, 2023, Margaret Renkl. Beautiful essays exploring and celebrating the plants and creatures in her own yard over the course of the four seasons.
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Annie Dillard, 1974. Renkl said she was inspired to write her book reading by this classic depiction of Dillard's year living on Tinker Creek. Beautiful contemplative sentences describe her hours of stillness observing plants and animals. Lowered my stress level just reading it. Mesmerizing.
The Inspired Yoga Teacher, Gabrielle Harris, RYT 500, 2021. Creative ways to offer yogis a great experience on their mats.
The Secret of the Yoga Sutra, Pandit Tigunait PhD, 2014. Interprets the ancient yogic text to better understand the philosophy behind our westernized version of yoga that we practice here in the US.
The Stories Behind the Poses, the Indian Mythology that inspired 50 Yoga Postures, Dr. Raj Balkaran, 2022. Beautifully illustrated book; gives historical insight into the meaning behind 50 common yoga poses.
The Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan, 2006. We have so many food choices but don't really know what is good or bad for us because we are so distant from where food is grown. Pollan explores the politics and pleasure of eating food grown and raised sustainably.
The Lyrics of Life, Lisa Harper, 2023. Study of The Psalms from the Bible. Lisa is a passionate, hilarious teacher and brings the Psalms to life.
The Gift of Change: Spiritual Guidance for a Radically New Life, Marianne Williamson, 2004. Every change--even the hard and painful ones--gives us the opportunity to grow. She maintains that the only failure in life is not to grow from what we go through. She weaves in ideas from A Course In Miracles.
The Body Keeps the Score, Bessel Van Der Kolk MD, 2014. Seminal work on how traumatic stress affects our body, mind, and brain. If you have experienced trauma in your life, read this. Can be understood by the lay reader.
Smoke and Ashes, Opium's Hidden Histories, Amitav Ghosh, 2023. Sweeping examination of the history of opium across centuries and how it harmed India, China, and other Asian countries generations before the drug epidemic decimated the US.
Better, Faster, Farther, How Running Changed Everything We Know About Women, Maggie Martens, 2024. Detailed and surprising expose about how women have fought to break into the sport of running and have had to overcome obstacles again and again. Must read if you are a runner.
The Relationship Cure, John Gottman PhD, 2001. The guru of healthy relationships writes an easy to read book detailing 5 skills to grow all types of healthy relationships. Fun quizzes in each chapter that partners can compare their answers and learn from.
Grief Companions to be comforted by:
After Annie, Anna Quindlen, 2024. How four kids and their father cope in the first year after the sudden death of their mother and wife. Written especially from the kids' point of view.
Tell Me Good Things, On Love, Death, and Marriage, James Runcie, 2022. Beautiful memoir of Runcie's experience of coping with his wife's long anticipated death.
Conscious Grieving, A Transformative Approach to Healing from Loss, Claire Bidwell Smith LCPC, 2024. Useful concrete journaling tips and exercises to help you keep moving through losses of all sorts.
The Life Impossible, Matt Haig, 2024. Fictional story about how a woman in her 70's suffering from grief over the loss of her husband and son starts over on a remote tropical island and has magical adventures in the sea. Really lovely.
Grief is for People, Sloane Crosley, 2024. Memoir about the author's twin losses of her home being burglarized and her best friend's suicide in the same month.