Five Favorite Novels for Adults The Word Is Murder by Anthony Horowitz. Mystery starring A writer named Horowitz. Meta clever book.
The Adults by Caroline Hulse. Exes vacation. Together. Hilarious! Their pain is our gain.
How Not to Die Alone by Richard Roper. British humor? Check. Depth and romance? Check and check. My kind of novel.
The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth. Character-driven, Smart, literary thriller. My kind of book too.
Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner. Jewish divorcee Fumbles through the modern world. A smart, funny book.
Three Favorite Children’s Books Front Desk by Kelly Yang. Chinese immigrant Comes of age in a motel. Sweetly, painfully.
El Deafo by Cece Bell. An honest memoir Of a deaf girl’s childhood. Great words and great art.
The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett and Jory John. Two pranksters compete. Will enemies become friends? Fast-paced fun. Plus cows!
Three Favorite YA Novels 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston. Ten dates in ten days. Romance. Humor. A road trip. Fun Christmas beach read.
Sadie by Courtney Summers. A girl tries to find Her sister’s murderer. Dark and riveting.
Frankly in Love by David Yoon. Life of a teenage Korean-American. Funny and profound.
Five Favorite Nonfiction Books When Life Gives You Pears by Jeannie Gaffigan. Get inspired by This mom with a brain tumor. And laugh a lot too.
The Undoing Project by Michael Lewis. Econometrics Combined with psychology. Enthralling! Really.
Becoming by Michelle Obama. What a life she’s led! And how warmly it’s described! I couldn’t love her more.
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou. True tale of horror Featuring the scam artist Elizabeth Holmes
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. His great, unique voice Made even knife selection Sound fascinating.
Three Favorite How-To Books If You’re in My Office, It’s Already Too Late by James Sexton. How to stay married. Told by a jaded, divorced divorce attorney.
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss. Great advice about negotiation techniques. Cool war stories too.
Ask a Manager by Alison Green. She solves work issues. The key is (spoiler alert): Communication.
Eleanor Oliphant by Gail Honeyman. Funny, sad, touching, and original.
True Grit by Charles Portis. I never thought I’d love a Western, but the teen girl narrator is hilarious.
The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison. Character-driven, road trip novel. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll want to read everything else by this author.
The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Thriller with a great twist. And then another great twist! And then another great twist!
How Hard Can It Be by Allison Pearson. Funny and smart, and I totally relate to the older-woman-who-goes-back-to-work storyline.
NONFICTION
Madwoman in the Volvo by Sandra Tsing Lo. Menopause memoir. Laugh through your hot flashes.
Robin by Dave Itzkoff. The complicated genius that was Robin Williams, in a warts and all bio.
American Heiress by Jeffrey Toobin. Wealthy Patty Hearst gets kidnapped, robs a bank, hides in plain sight. Plus shootouts court trials, kidnapper love affair, bodyguard love affair, and Reagan. Truth is way stranger than fiction.
Hamilton by Ron Chernow. Not as good as the musical, but nothing is. A fascinating life.
Story Genius by Lisa Cron. Writing how-to book that lives up to its name.
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS
One of Us Is Lying by KarenMcManus. The Breakfast Club plus murder.
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee. Action-packed, funny historical novel starring a wealthy, gay, short teenage boy.
The Nixby Nathan Hill. Funny, epic, brilliant, and my favorite novel this year.
The Love Song of Jonny Valentineby Teddy Wayne. Compelling and sad as a train wreck.
The Hating Gameby Sally Thorne. Funny and adorable romance.
Chemistryby Weike Wang. It has an unusual structure and unlikable main character, and it was hard to get into at first. But it got so good!
Heartburn by Nora Ephron. Just as witty as I remembered. I love everything Nora. RIP.
FIVE YOUNG ADULT AND CHILDREN'S NOVELS
Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart. She never disappoints. A novel told backwards that I couldn't put down. For teens and adults.
The Hate You Giveby Angie Thomas. Fascinating look at a police shooting in an African-American community. For teens and adults.
Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen by Debbi Michiko Florence. Fun and charming children's book.
Ungiftedby Gordon Korman. So fast-paced and funny. Bonus: a character named Chloe Garfinkle.
Five Days of Famous by Alyson Noel. Great wish-fulfillment book.
FIVE NONFICTION BOOKS
Chosen by a Horse by Susan Richards. Memoir about a middle-aged horse lover. What's not to like?
If at Birth You Don’t Succeed By Zach Anner. Funny and inspiring memoir from a young man with cerebral palsy.
Ghettosideby Jill Leovy. The search for the murderer of a police detective's son in Southcentral L.A., and the interesting lives of the police detectives and residents there.
How to Murder Your Life by Cat Marnell. Heartbreakingly honest memoir of a young drug addict.
My Favorite Books Of the 75 books I read or listened to on audio this year, here are my 12 faves:
Fiction What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty. Fun story about family and relationships.
The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes. Great literary fiction about truth and lies.
The Birds and the Bees by Milly Johnson. Happy to have discovered a new Sophie Kinsella-ish author.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. A very entertaining classic.
One Plus One by Jojo Moyes. Page-turner of a romance.
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. Twisty novel by one of my favorite YA authors.
Nonfiction Flip: The Inside Story of TV’s First Black Superstar by Kevin Cook. Fascinating bio of this groundbreaking African-American comedian's life.
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. Compelling bio of an Olympic athlete/prisoner-of-war.
I Remember Nothing by Nora Ephron. Warm and funny essays.
The President’s Club: Inside the World’s Most Exclusive Fraternity by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy. I learned a lot about Hoover and all the Presidents after him.
Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan. Hilarious, sweet memoir about raising five young children in a two-bedroom apartment in NYC.
Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham. Surprised by what a great writer she is.
Haiku Book Reviews I haven't done these in a long time. Here are my fave books so far of 2014:
DECEMBER TENTH by George Saunders. Short stories. Engrossing stories from a creative talent. But most are so grim.
THIS IS THE STORY OF A HAPPY MARRIAGE by Ann Patchett. Essays. Charming collection. What I liked best, of course, was her writing advice.
LOVE, DISHONOR, MARRY, DIE, CHERISH, PERISH by David Rakoff. Novel in verse. Extremely clever and surprisingly poignant story told in rhyme.
FLIP: THE INSIDE STORY OF TV’S FIRST BLACK SUPERSTAR by Kevin Cook. Bio of comedian Flip Wilson. A giant talent and complex man fought his way to superstardom.
MOTHER NIGHT by Kurt Vonnegut. Novel. My first Vonnegut. Why didn’t I read him sooner? Now I must read more!
DIET 101: THE TRUTH ABOUT LOW CARB DIETS by Jenny Ruhl. Nonfiction. Informative book on the best ways to lose weight and eat healthily.
DROP DEAD HEALTHY: ONE MAN’S HUMBLE QUEST FOR BODILY PERFECTION by A.J. Jacobs. Nonfiction. Info about health presented in a fun way. I love his humor.
WHAT ALICE FORGOT by Liane Moriarty. Novel. Page-turner about the great joys and tough tolls of marriage, kids, and age.
NOT A MATCH by Brian Donovan. Nonfiction. Short and funny book about—eek!-- online dating. Glad to be married!
BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT THE BOY by Helen Fielding. Novel. I loved the first book. I loved this one less. But I’ll always love Bridget.
My Favorite Books I read/listened to 71 books this year. Here are my top ten:
Novels: THE GOOD HOUSE by Ann Leary. Character-driven novel with great humor and heart. THE HUSBAND’S SECRET by Liane Moriarty. Fast-paced novel with three wonderful protagonists. ME BEFORE YOU by Jojo Moyes. Romance, sadness, depth. LAST LETTER FROM YOUR LOVER by Jojo Moyes. Once I started this book, I resented everything in my life that got in the way of finishing it. INFINITE JEST by David Foster Wallace. Incredibly long, with little plot and no real ending. Also hilarious, brilliant, and unique.
Nonfiction: WHY WE GET FAT by Gary Taubes. New York Times science reporter explains why carbs and sugar are so unhealthy. The book changed the way I eat and helped me lose a little weight. LEAN IN: WOMEN, WORK, AND THE WILL TO LEAD by Sheryl Sandberg. A modern feminist manifesto. Loved it despite the guilt it induced about spending only nine years as a lawyer. I FEEL BAD ABOUT MY NECK by Nora Ephron. Funny, warm, intelligent essay collection. Why, oh, why did she have to die? GOING CLEAR: SCIENTOLOGY, HOLLYWOOD, AND THE PRISON OF BELIEF by Lawrence Wright. Mesmerizing and terrifying. Reading about the evils of Scientology gave me nightmares. EVERY GHOST STORY IS A LOVE STORY: A LIFE OF DAVID FOSTER WALLACE by D.T. Max. Well-written biography of a fascinating, brilliant, flawed, mentally ill writer.
HELTER SKELTER: THE TRUE STORY OF THE MANSON MURDERS by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry. Nonfiction. Well written tale of brutality and evil. It’s terrifying.
THE BEGINNER’S GOODBYE by Anne Tyler. Novel. Smart, lovely story of a widower’s journey. I love Anne Tyler.
PERFECT TIMING by Jill Mansell. Novel. Romantic hijinks and silly fun in England. A jolly good read.
ME BEFORE YOU by Jojo Moyes. Novel. A disabled man and a woman scarred inside fall in love. Great book.
TEACH YOUR CHILDREN WELL: PARENTING FOR AUTHENTIC SUCCESS by Madeline Levine. Nonfiction. Anti-Tiger Mom says children should be well loved but not too pressured.
MEMORY BOOK: THE CLASSIC GUIDE TO IMPROVING YOUR MEMORY AT WORK, AT SCHOOL, AND AT PLAY by Harry Lorayne and Jerry Lucas. Nonfiction. Visualization techniques really help when I can remember them.
SHARP OBJECTS by Gillian Flynn. Mystery. Great writing, but too horrific for wimps like me. Children are murdered!
WRITING MOVIES FOR FUN AND PROFIT by Robert Garant and Thomas Lennon. Nonfiction. Entertaining book from comedy screenwriters. I laughed while I learned.
LAST LETTER FROM YOUR LOVER by Jojo Moyes. Novel. Brits in the sixties contend with romance and pain. I couldn’t put this down.
PRETTY IN PLAID by Jen Lancaster. Memoir. Coming of age remembered acerbically. It’s hilarious.
WHY WE GET FAT by Gary Taubes. Nonfiction. Why? Sugar and carbs. If they don’t kill us first. Sigh. Decline the donuts.
My Favorite Books I read or listened to 78 books this year. After listing my favorites, I realized all my fiction faves were written by women and all my nonfiction faves by men. Weird, huh? Here they are:
Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler. I've read all her books except her new one and love them all. She writes such deep characters. The ending is especially terrific.
I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella. Another author I adore. Great pacing, plotting, characters, and humor. The scene in the jewelry store is one of the funniest things I've ever read.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple. So quirky and clever.
The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan. An overflowing lifeboat stuck at sea. Who will survive? Chilling.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Another chilling book. There's good reason it's so popular.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. So I'm a little behind the curve. Exceeded my high expectations.
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. Not exactly the nicest guy in the world, but fascinating.
Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer. The history and techniques of memorization. Sounds like a bore, but totally compelling as told by Foer.
J.D. Salinger: A Life by Kenneth Slawenski. Incredibly well researched bio of my favorite writer.
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Who knew statistical analysis could be so much fun?
Argo by Antonio Mendez and Matt Baglio. Really cool CIA stuff. Even better than the movie.
I love my new toy! I've been on it every day since I got it a few weeks ago. I walk one to three miles a day on it, at a super slow rate of one to one and a half miles per hour. That rate allows me to play around on the Net and talk on the phone easily and nearly guilt-free. And I don't even break a sweat (yuck). I haven't tried actually writing novels while on it, but I will soon. My treadmill desk takes up about the same amount of space as a small couch. I was inspired by author Arthur Slade, who made his own treadmill desk a few years ago and does write novels on it. I was also inpired by studies showing that sitting on your tush all day, even if you exercise an hour of that day, is really bad for the ole health. The best thing about my treadmill desk: It easily holds an extra-large pepperoni pizza. Kidding. It can't fit more than a large size.
Haiku Book Reviews THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT by Jennifer E. Smith. YA novel. American girl finds love and finds herself too in England. Well done.
PLAIN, HONEST MEN: THE MAKING OF THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTION by Richard Beeman. Nonfiction. A lengthy treatise. But it’s well worth the time spent. I learned a great deal.
NOAH’S COMPASS by Anne Tyler. Novel. Great, intelligent, character-driven novel. And what an ending!
THE MEMORY OF RUNNING by Ron McLarty. Novel. Stephen King loved this. As for little ole me? Eh. Not my cuppa tea.
WHY WE BROKE UP by Daniel Handler. YA novel. Gorgeous, romantic novel by—surprisingly-- Lemony Snicket.
TALENT IS OVERRATED: WHAT REALLY SEPARATES WORLD-CLASS PERFORMERS FROM EVERYBODY ELSE by Geoff Calvin. Nonfiction. The key to success: Work hard to conquer your flaws. Fascinating read.
I’VE GOT YOUR NUMBER by Sophie Kinsella. Novel. I love Kinsella. And this is one of her best. Endearing and fun.
NOTES FROM THE UNDERWIRE: ADVENTURES FROM MY AWKWARD AND LOVELY LIFE by Quinn Cummings. Essays. The Goodbye Girl girl grew up to be a charming and witty writer.
BEAUTIFUL BOY: A FATHER’S JOURNEY THROUGH HIS SON’S ADDICTION by David Sheff. Memoir. The father of a meth addict shares his story. Painfully good read.
TEN THINGS WE DID (AND PROBABLY SHOULDN’T HAVE) by Sarah Mylnowski. YA novel. Amusing chick lit about two teens secretly living on their own.
IWOZ: COMPUTER GEEK TO CULT ICON by Steve Wozniak and Gina Smith. Memoir. The writing doesn’t do justice to his great life. Read Jobs’ book instead.
WONDER by R.J. Palacio. children's novel. Wonder-ful story of a deformed boy and the people who love him.
