Books I read in 2016

My twin great-grandsons reading in 2015

My rating system

10 - Loved it!! Couldn't put it down!!
9 - Excellent!
8 - Very Good
7 - Good
6 - Above Average
5 - Average
Anything lower - Nah (and all of this is totally my subjective feeling about a book)
* DNF - Did Not Finish

JANUARY

January favorite (#6)

1.  Go Set a Watchman ~ by Harper Lee, 2015, fiction (Alabama), 8/10
2.  The Time Keeper ~ by Mitch Albom, 2012, fiction, 8/10
3.  The Fifth Floor ~ by Julie Oleszek, 2015, fiction (illinois), 8/10
4.  Countdown to Go Set a Watchman: A Celebration of To Kill a Mockingbird ~ by HarperCollins, 2015, advertising, 7/10
5.  A Sister's Promise (Sisters Series, Book 1) ~ by Karen Lenfestey, 2010, fiction, 8/10
6.  Say That Again (The Faderville Novels, Book 2) ~ by N. Gemini Sasson, 2015, fiction (Kentucky), 10/10
7.  Desire Lines ~ by Christina Baker Kline, 1999, fiction (Maine), 8/10
8.  The Obituary Society ~ by Jessica L. Randall, 2014, fiction, 6/10
9.  The Dead Wife's Handbook ~ by Hannah Beckerman, 2014, fiction (England), 9/10
10.  Until the Next Time ~ by Kevin Fox, 2012, fiction (Ireland), 6/10

FEBRUARY

February favorite (#15)

11.  Hippos Go Berserk! ~ by Sandra Boynton, 1996, children's, 8/10
12.  Miss Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind ~ by Judy Finchler and Kevin O'Malley, 2006, children's, 9/10
13.  Going Home! Life After Treatment ~ by Priscilla Cane, 1987, self-help, 7/10
14.  The Secret Son ~ by Jennifer Burke, 2013, fiction (Ireland), 8/10
15.  Convictions: How I Learned What Matters Most ~ by Marcus J. Borg, 2014, religion, 10/10
16.  The Secret River ~ by Kate Grenville, 2005, fiction (Australia), 8/10
17.  A Man of My Words: Reflections on the English Language ~ by Richard Lederer, 2003, language, 9/10
18.  Witnessing Whiteness: The Need to Talk about Race and How to Do It ~ by Shelly Tochluk, 2010, race, 9/10
19.  Danny’s Mom ~ by Elaine Wolf, 2012, fiction, 9.5/10
20.  Rewilding the Way: Break Free to Follow an Untamed God ~ by Todd Wynward, 2015, religion, 8/10
21.  The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World ~ by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu, 2014, race, 8/10
22.  Kindle User's Guide (4th edition)
23.  The Apollo Program: The History and Legacy of America's Most Famous Space Missions ~ by Charles River Editors, 2015, astronomy, 6/10

MARCH

March favorite (#24)

24.  Keep Quiet ~ by Lisa Scottoline, 2014, fiction (Pennsylvania), 10/10
25.  The Color of Heaven (Bk 1) ~ by Julianne MacLean, 2011, fiction, 7/10
26.  Out of the Blue ~ by Gretta Mulrooney, 2007, fiction (Ireland), 7/10
27.  The Color of Destiny (Bk 2) ~ by Julianne MacLean, 2013, fiction (Canada), 6/10
28.  A Funeral for an Owl ~ by Jane Davis, 2012, fiction, 6/10

APRIL

April favorite (#37)

29.  When Your Mother Doesn't ~ by Jill Kelly, 2015, fiction, 6/10
30.  Wreckage ~ by Emily Bleeker, 2015, fiction, 10/10
31.  Memory House (Book One of The Memory House Series) ~ by Bette Lee Crosby, 2015, fiction (Virginia), 9/10
32.  Disappearing in Plain Sight (Crater Lake Series Book 1) ~ by Francis Guenette, 2015, fiction (Oregon), DNF (at 20%)
33.  House Rules ~ by Jodi Picoult, 2010, fiction (Vermont), 10/10
34.  Religious Literacy ~ by Stephen Prothero, 2007, religion, 8/10
35.  The Mine (Northwest Passage Book 1) ~ by John A. Heldt, 2012, fiction (Montana; Washington), 10/10
36.  The Show (Northwest Passage Book 3, the sequel) ~ by John A. Heldt, 2013, fiction (Washington), 8/10
37.  Unprocessed: My City-Dwelling Year of Reclaiming Real Food ~ by Megan Kimble, 2015, food, 8/10
38.  How Kate Warne Saved President Lincoln: The Story Behind the Nation's First Woman Detective ~ by Elizabeth Van Steenwyk, illustrated by Valentina Belloni, 2016, children's, 8/10
39.  The Color War (Kindle Single) ~ by Jodi Picoult, 2013, fiction, 9/10
40.  She Who Remembers ~ by Linda Lay Shuler, 1988, fiction (Colorado), 8/10
41.  Crooked River ~ by Valerie Geary, 2014, fiction (Oregon), 7/10

MAY

May favorite (#44)

42.  Nothing to Tell: Extraordinary Stories of Montana Ranch Women ~ by Donna Gray, 2012, history (Montana), 8/10
43.  Looking Like Me ~ by Walter Dean Myers, illustrated by Christopher Myers, 2014, children's, 8/10
44.  The Boston Girl ~ by Anita Diamant, 2014, fiction (Massachusetts), 9/10
45.  The Namesake ~ by Jhumpa Lahiri, 2003, fiction, 8/10 (re-read before leading Crown Center discussion)

JUNE

June favorite (#46)

46.  Ferguson and Faith: Sparking Leadership and Awakening Community ~ by Leah Gunning Francis, 2015, racism, 9/10
47.  Painting for Peace in Ferguson ~ by Carol Swartout Klein, 2015, children's, 9/10
48.  Painting for Peace: A Coloring Book for All Ages ~ by Carol Swartout Klein, illustrated by Robert O'Neil, 2016, racism, 9/10
49.  White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son (The Remix) ~ by Tim Wise, 2011, racism, 9/10
50.  The Thing Is ~ by Kathleen Gerard, 2016, fiction, 9/10
51.  Rediscovering Friendship: Awakening to the Power and Promise of Women's Friendships ~ by Elisabeth Moltmann-Wendel, 2000, religion, 8/10
52.  Forever, Erma: Best-Loved Writing From America's Favorite Humorist ~ by Erma Bombeck, 1996, humor, 8/10
53.  Regarding Anna ~ by Florence Osmund, 2015, fiction (Illinois), 8/10

JULY

July favorite (#55)

54.  At Risk ~ by Alice Hoffman, 1988, fiction, 9/10
55  King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village ~ by Peggielene Bartels and Eleanor Herman, 2012, memoir (Ghana), 10/10
56.  My Sister: A Treasury of Companionship ~ by Running Press, 1995, a pop-up miniature, 9/10
57.  I'm Sorry ~ by Running Press, 1997, a pop-up miniature, 9/10
58.  Bon Voyage! ~ by Running Press, 1997, a pop-up miniature, 9/10
59.  Again, Alabama ~ by Susan Sands, 2015, fiction (Alabama), 7/10
60.  Bending Toward the Sun: A Mother and Daughter Memoir ~ by Leslie Gilbert-Lurie with Rita Lurie, 2009, memoir, 9/10
61.  Chicken Sunday ~ by Patricia Polacco, 1992, memoir for children, 10/10
62.  Remarkable Recovery: What Extraordinary Healings Tell Us About Getting Well And Staying Well ~ by Caryle Hirshberg and Marc Ian Barasch, 1995, cancer regression, 8/10

AUGUST

August favorite (#63)

63.  Unsaid ~ by Neil Abramson, 2011, fiction, 10/10
64.  Sophie's Way: The Power of Informal Learning ~ by D. S. Francis, 2016, fiction, 8/10
65.  Packing Light: Thoughts on Living Life with Less Baggage ~ by Allison Fallon, 2013, memoir, 8/10
66.  Why Is God Laughing? : The Path to Joy and Spiritual Optimism ~ by Deepak Chopra, 2008, religion, 8/10
67.  The Ladies Auxiliary ~ by Tova Mirvis, 1999, fiction (Tennessee), 8/10
68.  The Big Book for Peace ~ edited by Ann Durrell and Marilyn Sachs, 1990, children's, 9/10
69.  Full of Grace ~ by Dorothea Benton Frank, 2006, fiction (South Carolina), 8/10
70.  When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple ~ edited by Sandra Haldeman Martz, 1987, women's studies, 9/10

SEPTEMBER

September favorite (#72)

71.  Sweetwater Creek ~ by Anne Rivers Siddons, 2005, fiction (South Carolina), 7/10
72.  The Aviator's Wife ~ by Melanie Benjamin, 2013, fiction, 9/10
73.  The Ocean at the End of the Lane ~ by Neil Gaiman, 2013, fiction, 7/10
74.  Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife ~ by Mary Roach, 2005, religion and science, 9/10
75.  A Man Called Ove ~ by Fredrik Backman, 2012, fiction (Sweden), 9/10
76.  Echoes ~ by Maeve Binchy, 1985, fiction (Ireland), 7/10

OCTOBER

October favorite (#81)

77.  The Middle of Somewhere ~ by J. B. Cheaney, 2007, YA fiction (Kansas), 9/10
78.  Sometimes I think I hear my name ~ by Avi, 1982, YA fiction, 9/10
79.  The New Yorker 75th Anniversary Cartoon Collection ~ edited by Bob Mankoff, 1999, cartoons, 9/10
80.  Duck! Rabbit! ~ by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld, 2009, children's, 10/10
81.  Small Great Things ~ by Jodi Picoult, 2016, fiction (Connecticut), 10/10
82.  The Day the Sun Stood Still ~ three original novellas in one book:  "A Chapter of Revelation" by Poul Anderson; "Thomas the Proclaimer" by Robert Silverberg; "Things Which Are Caesar's" by Gordon R. Dickson ~ 1972, fiction, 4/10
83.  Amazing Grace ~ by Mary Hoffman, illustrated by Caroline Binch, 1991, children's, 9/10
84.  Princess Grace ~ by Mary Hoffman, illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu, 2008, children's, 9/10
85.  Grace at Christmas ~ by Mary Hoffman, illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu, 2011, children's, 9/10

NOVEMBER

November favorite (#92)

86.  Body Not Recovered: A Vietnam War / Protest Movement Novel ~ by Alan Spector, 2015, fiction (Vietnam and St. Louis, Missouri), 8/10
87.  And Again ~ by Jessica Chiarella, 2016, fiction (Illinois), 7/10
88.  Boundless Grace: Sequel to Amazing Grace ~ by Mary Hoffman, illustrated by Caroline Binch, 1995, children's, 9/10
89.  Starring Grace ~ by Mary Hoffman, illustrated by Caroline Binch, 2000, early reader, 10/10
90.  The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother ~ by James McBride, 1996, biography, 9/10
91.  Morality for Beautiful Girls ~ by Alexander McCall Smith, 2001, fiction (Botswana), 7/10
92.  Booth Girls: A Love Story ~ by Joan Uda, 2013, fiction (Iowa), 10/10
93.  The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax ~ by Dorothy Gilman, 1970, fiction (Istanbul, Turkey), 8/10
94.  Mrs. Pollifax on Safari ~ by Dorothy Gilman, 1977, fiction (Rhodesia), 8/10
95.  Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle ~ by Dorothy Gilman, 1988, fiction (Thailand), 8/10

DECEMBER

December favorite (#98)

96.  The Three Questions: Based on a Story by Leo Tolstoy ~ by Jon J. Muth, 2002, children's, 8/10
97.  Each Kindness ~ by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E. B. Lewis, 2012, children's, 9/10
98.  A Sick Day for Amos McGee ~ by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead, 2010, children's, 10/10
99.  The Invisible Boy ~ by Trudy Ludwig, illustrated by Patrice Barton, 2013, children's, 10/10
100.  Last Stop on Market Street ~ by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson, 2015, children's, 9/10
101.  Enemy Pie ~ by Derek Munson, illustrated by Tara Calahan King, 2000, children's, 9/10
102.  Rude Cakes ~ by Rowboat Watkins, 2015, children's, 6/10
103.  The Giving Tree ~ by Shel Silverstein, 1964, children's, nah (teaches children to be selfish and not worry about the giver, who is always happy)
104.  Horton Hears a Who! ~ by Dr. Seuss, 1954, children's, 8/10
105.  Cinder Edna ~ by Ellen Jackson, illustrated by Kevin O'Malley, 1994, children's, 9/10
106.  The Circle ~ by Dave Eggers, 2013, fiction, 9/10

"Under the guise of having every voice heard, you create mob rule, a filterless society where secrets are crimes" (p. 488).

107.  Night of Many Dreams ~ by Gail Tsukiyama, 1998, fiction (Hong Kong and San Francisco), 8/10
108.  The Friendship of Women: The Hidden Tradition of the Bible ~ by Joan Chittister, 2006, religion, 8/10

"There is no doubt about it ― women are definitely leaders.  But they lead differently.  Their goal is not to force people to do anything.  Their goal is to lead people to do what is best for everyone.  They do not function as enemies of a common good.  They do not raise armies.  They do not kill the opposition.  Instead they seek to stop the oppression.  They seek to empower the people they serve.  They arrive at major decisions, not as enemies of the opposition, but as friend to everyone involved" (p. 31).

109.  Providence: The Story of a Fifty-Year Vision Quest ~ by Daniel Quinn, 1994, religion, 8/10
110.  Piggybook ~ by Anthony Browne, 1986, children's, 8/10