"It’s an old question, but a good one . . . What were your favorite books this year?
List as many as you like … fiction, non-fiction, mystery, romance, science-fiction, business, travel, cookbooks … whatever the category. But, really, we’re all dying to know. What books were the highlight of your reading year in 2007?"
This is an interesting question for me to start my BTT series with, there are so many from this past year. I don't want to make my answer too narrow and leave out some great books, but I don't want my response to go on and on and on, either. Maybe if I categorize and/or give just a short blurb on each...
Classic novels that deserve to read and reread:
1. Beloved by Toni Morrison
2. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
3. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
4. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
5. Moll Flanders by Daniel Dafoe
6. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackerary
I don't read many modern novels, but I did enjoy:
7. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Stand out non-fiction:
8. A Dog Year by Jon Katz: a must-read for dog lovers, Katz has a great sense of humor and obviously loves his dogs as much as I do mine.
9. Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner: very interesting application of economic principles to prove that what is often conventional wisdom is wrong.
10. The Innocent Man by John Grisham: everyone with an opinion on the death penalty should read this (along with Grisham's novel, The Chamber). What needs to remain in the forefront of the reader's mind is that this book is a true story and that the person described was not only real but could have been executed for no crime whatsoever. A disturbing indictment of our legal system.
11. Integrity by Stephen Carter: I wrote in my review of this book, and I again stress, everyone should read this book. Anyone with even a hint of a conscience, moral center, whatever you want to term it, will take something meaningful away from this one.
12. The Lamb's Supper by Scott Hahn: I think any Christian, Catholic or not, would get a fuller understanding of the Eucharist (a/k/a Communion) from this book. Of the several books I've read by Dr. Hahn, this one ranks as one of my favorites. I also highly recommend Rome Sweet Home by Scott and Kimberly Hahn for anyone even remotely considering entering the Catholic Church.
13. One Year Off: Leaving It All Behind for a Round-the-World Journey with Our Children by David Elliot Cohen: the subtitle says it all.
14. Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes: makes me want to pick up and move to an Italian farmhouse.
And just for laughs:
15. Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe by Bill Bryson: an author that is always, always a good choice.
16. Any Sweet Potato Queen book (and if you can get the audiobook, even better, because then you get it with the proper accent).
