The Great American Read Finalists 2018

It's always exciting to see people reading, reading everywhere, reading their favorite books, and so much more. What's even better is to get a sense of what others think are the BEST BOOKS EVER!

The Great American Read https://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/home/  is / was a four month program that asked people across America to vote for their favorite book, the one that they love the most, has touched them most deeply.

Finalists were announced on Tuesday Oct 23, 2018 https://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/results/

The top five won't surprise many, although personally I wonder at number one. Here's the list of the top ten:

1. To Kill a Mockingbird
2. Outlander (Series)
3. Harry Potter (Series)
4. Pride and Prejudice
5. Lord of the Rings
6. Gone with the Wind
7. Charlotte's Web
8. Little Women
9. Chronicles of Narnia
10. Jane Eyre

Anne of Green Gables came in at number eleven.

The moral of this story is, when people ask you, and librarians, if reading is dead, if books are dead, if libraries are going away, the answer is a resounding NO. And the Great American Read is proof of that.

If you missed any of the episodes that ran on your local PBS station, here's where you can watch the shows today https://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/about/show/

Pick up a good book today and share it with a friend!

 

Mysteries in Series

There’s something comforting about diving into a book where you know the main characters, their habits, speech patterns, and even their passions. That's why people read books in series. 

I'm a fan of starting at the beginning, seeing how the characters evolve, and joining them as they find their way around the world their author created. Of course the danger in starting at the beginning of a series is the author is just honing his or her craft, figuring out how the main characters will interact with one another. I find this is true with book series where I've become hooked on the TV series first and want to read how the author conceived of the characters and their world. 

In the case of J.D.Robb and her In Death series, the characters come alive on the page not on the screen. Each character has evolved from the very first book in the series Naked in Death (1995) to the most recent Dark in Death, released on January 30, 2018. While the books stand alone, they are part of the continuum of the series and the deadly, sparkling world of New York City in the 2060s.

Dark in Death, the 46^th book in the series, is a book within a book, where the serial killer is re-enacting crimes in mystery / thrillers by an author. The killer is rewriting the murder scenes, placing herself in the role of the killer doing the killing, making the stories come to life. Lt. Dallas, Roarke, and Det. Peabody are hot on the trail of this killer, reading the mysteries, following the written and real life clues, and racing to get a head of the murderer.

Robb’s writing leaves the reader breathless, waiting for the next clue to drop, the next murder to happen, while hoping against hope that the trio will head off the murderer, the serial killer before the story plays out. Most of all, readers will want to read the imaginary mysteries created by the talented, ever creative mystery writer.

If you are just joining the series, it’s okay, you’ll figure out who’s who and then want to start at the very beginning with Naked in Death. No matter which of Robb’s mysteries you read, you’ll finish each will a sigh and a tremor, thankful it’s fiction yet yearning for another installment of the In Death series.

Family History through Heirlooms

Little things like charms, aprons, recipes, and even stuffed animals are ways to reminisce and remember family members and events. Perhaps you have a few favorite items that always spark a memory, happy or sad.

Author Viola Shipman has hit upon the perfect way to tell family stories. Shipman has two books already in print and a third due out in March 2018. Each book weaves together the lives and loves of a family through objects in the house. While the plot lines are similar, the stories will warm your heart and make you consider what’s in your house that captures moments in your family.

The Charm Bracelet (Thomas Dunne Books, 2016) follows the life and times of matriarch Lolly, her daughter Arden and granddaughter Lauren. The story is told through charms each woman wears on a bracelet that grows heavier by the months and years. The charms mark common and unique events in their lives. Through the telling of the stories behind the charms, the women grow closer, reconnecting their lives and gaining appreciation for one another.

In Shipman’s second book, The Hope Chest (Thomas Dunne, 2017) the main character is Mattie Tice who is dying from ALS, her husband Don, and Mattie’s caretaker Rose Hoffs and her daughter Jeri. Of course it’s Five year old Jeri who breaks the ice by exploring Mattie’s hope chest, asking about dolls, glass vases, and Christmas ornaments. Mattie tells stories about the objects sharing their lives with Rose and Jeri. Through the keepsakes, the two families bond, sharing love, hope, and learning to overcome challenges. While more of a tearjerker than The Charm Bracelet, The Hope Chest will inspire you to put aside some precious and common memories to share with your family and friends.

We all have family recipes, those tried and true favorites served at every holiday and special occasion. That’s what Samantha Mullins discovers in her family’s Recipe Box. Set in the family orchard in Northern Michigan, The Recipe Box includes stories about the family, remembrances of the tough and fantastic years. All the while, Samantha bakes recipes from her mother, grandmother, while rediscovering her passion for food and baked goods. Family stories abound as does love and friendship.

The Recipe Box proves that Shipman has found the perfect formula, or recipe, for telling tales and sharing the stories behind every day heirlooms.

These books are the perfect gift for family historians, genealogists, and fans of a good family story.