Can you judge a book by its cover? In my case, yes! Many of these books that “sparked joy” for me in 2016 have wonderful covers and titles that drew me in – and delivered!

 

*Light between oceans : a novel / by M.L. Stedman. This author’s first novel, set on an island and coastal community in Western Australia, is so well written, with great characters and an interesting setting. I’m eager to see the movie!

 

*The little Paris bookshop : a novel / by Nina George. This is totally my kind of book – a pilgrimage of sorts for the characters in the book, with delicious descriptions of Paris and the French countryside. And a happy ending!

 

 

*Pastrix: the cranky, beautiful faith of a sinner and saint / by Nadia Bolz-Weber.  Nadia’s photo on the front, showing her tattoos, would hardly make you believe she was a Lutheran minister – I loved her story, a wonderful mix of sacred and profane.

 

*Mary Coin: a novel / by Marisa Silver. This novel, based on the famous photograph of a migrant mother taken by Dorothy Lange during the Depression, is elegant and beautifully written. And it will make you run to your computer to find out more about the real people and story (which to me is always the sign of a good book).

 

*The ditchdigger’s daughters: a black family’s astonishing success story / by Yvonne Thornton. This is a wonderful story about an amazing family – the six daughters of Donald Thornton, who had dreams for his daughters to be the best they can be, including being a part of a music group, and going to college. Yvonne, the author, became an obstetrician, beating many odds. This book is entertaining and inspirational.

 
*Coming home / by Rosamunde Pilcher. This classic was published over 20 years ago, but I reread it this past year and truly loved it all over again. Taking place in 1940s Cornwall, it follows the story of Judith, and the Carey-Lewis family who absorb her into their family. The very British details make for a perfect book to read with a cup of tea next to you.

 
*The Kashmir Shawl / Rosie Thomas. I read this book on our train ride to and from Washington D.C. I was enthralled with the setting of this book, as I’ve always wanted to go to Kashmir, as well as the story and characters.

 

*Hotel on the corner of Bitter and Sweet : a novel /  by Jamie Ford. Mostly taking place in Seattle, this story of a Chinese boy and a Japanese girl, alternating during World War II and present times, is entertaining while telling a story of a period of time in history that will hopefully never be repeated, of putting American citizens into internment camps, just because of their ethnic background.

 

*Me before you / by JoJo Moyes. Initially I dismissed this book as “chick-lit” but I have to admit I really loved this book – so much that I would wake up in the middle of the night thinking of the characters. While the characters didn’t do what I wanted them to do, I forgave them, and understood why they did what they did. The dialogue and interior lives portrayed in this book are excellent (and full of humor, despite the serious subject).

 

*Without a map: a memoir / by Meredith Hall. I remember when this book, by a Maine author, came out and received good reviews, so when I saw it at the Long Island Community Library book sale, I grabbed it. This is one of the best-written books I’ve read in a long time – I had a hard time putting it down. Meredith becomes pregnant at 16 during a time in that her family land hometown in New Hampshire shunned her – how far we’ve come, and how fortunate we are that Meredith wrote this book.

 

 

Happy New Year from the Long Island Community Library – may 2017 bring you many wonderful books!