12 Favorite Books on My Bookshelf: Fiction and Non-Fiction

It’s possible that I collect books as much as I collect yarn! I can’t claim to read a lot of books but I do try to read for a while each day.

Here’s a selection of books I have really enjoyed over the years. Some of these are recent titles that avid readers will probably recognize. A few are books I read years ago. Perhaps there are a few that are new to you!

If you have a local bookstore in your area… give them a call and see if they have a book on your wish list available. Or, check out Bookshop.org… an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores.

For more book ideas… see my list of favorite books on Bookshop.org.

MODERN FICTION:

Here are six of my favorite modern fiction books… loosely defined as taking place sometime in the present day or post 1980…

From the bottom of the stack to the top…

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens - There’s a reason why this book has been a best seller for a really long time. I read it last fall and really enjoyed it! Set in a remote location in the marshlands of North Carolina this book has well developed characters and several thought provoking themes… including the issue of isolation. Shop: Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion - A cheerful, funny and human story of Don who wants to find a wife using his scientific survey to find a “perfect” match. Shop: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman - Eleanor is a young woman who struggles with traditional social skills in modern life. This is a warm, gentle and uplifting book. Shop: Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 Years Old by Hendrik Groen - translated by Hester Velmans - This fictional daily journal chronicles Hendrik’s adventures and determination to keep going at the age of 83. He starts the “Old-But-Not-Dead Club” for his eccentric group of friends. This book is funny with a warm-hearted focus on the challenges of aging. Shop: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng - I looked at this book in the bookstores so many times before I finally gave it a chance. Set in Shaker Heights, Ohio, it focuses on the lives of two families with teenagers in the modern but pre-cell phone era. There’s drama and misunderstandings… and I could not put it down. Shop: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn - Ella lives on the fictional island of Nollop off the coast of South Carolina where the town council gradually outlaws the use of certain letters of the alphabet. The residents of the island get quite creative (and humorous!) in their written correspondence as more and more letters are banned from use. Shop: Amazon | Bookshop.org

MY FAVORITE BOOKS ON BOOKSHOP.ORG

HISTORICAL FICTION AND NON-FICTION:

Here are a few of my favorite books that are based on, or inspired by, historical time periods or events…

Six favorite books inspired by historical time periods or events.

From the bottom of the stack to the top…

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles - Set in the 1920’s in Russia, Count Alexander Rostov has been sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. This book is a bit of a challenging read compared to some of the others on this list. But, it’s very interesting with rich, engaging characters who the Count connects with during his isolation in the hotel. Shop: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Another book I enjoyed by this author is Rules of Civility. Shop: Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Light Between the Oceans by M.L. Stedman - The setting is post WWI on an island off the coast of Australia. Tom Shelbourne has returned from the war and has taken the post of lighthouse keeper… and he brings his young wife. The secluded life at the lighthouse brings unexpected surprises and life altering choices and challenges. Shop: Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less by Terry Ryan - The true story of a Midwest mother trying to keep it all together by entering every advertising jingle contest she could during the 1950’s and 60’s. The book was lovingly written by her daughter. Shop: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard - If you like US history, read this one for an appreciation of how far the world has come in the understanding of medicine and germs. This historically based book focuses on U.S. President James Garfield who was shot just four months after he was inaugurated in 1881. It’s gripping. Shop: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Another interesting book by Candice Millard is River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey. Shop: Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig - I have read several books by this author and this one is my favorite. The setting is 1909 in a small town in Montana… great characters, a one-room school house and life in the remote western U.S. Shop: Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows - Avid readers have probably read this book! But, if you somehow missed it… this might be the time to pick it up. Set in 1946, on the island of Guernsey during the war it’s the story of a community getting through hard times together. Shop: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Click here to see more of my favorite books!