It’s the last Wednesday of January. Which means the last installment of Favorite Books Read in 2013. However, we are not done yet! Find out below, but first here are few more books that were some favorite read last year.
Pauline Hsia
Title: Salvage the Bones
Author: Jesmyn Ward
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
“Beautifully crafted and heartbreaking, I came completely undone after reading this novel.”
Linda Rosen
“I have several books I loved in 2013. Mary Coin(Blue Rider Press) by Marissa Silver is one because the characters and settings are rich and evocative and I like how Silver took an iconic photograph from the depression, Migrant Mother, and crafted a page-turner from it. Plus, I enjoy historical fiction and this gave us a glimpse into a single mother’s struggles during The Depression mixed with a family mystery in present day.
Another book I loved is Americanah(Knopf) by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The story drew me in immediately as did the setting in Nigeria. The characters jump off the page, they are so well developed and there are many themes to ponder: race; African Americans; and American Africans; and many questions to dig in to: What leads someone who was raised well, educated, and comfortable to emigrate – to have to deal with adversities and disappointments, to live in poverty, to do things illegal in order to survive? The difference between running away from a country at war, from starvation and rape, to running away because of the “ominous lethargy of choicelessness.” (pg 276) Lots to think about in this novel and great characters to root for.”
Nancy Newman
“One fiction favorite was The Cuckoo’s Calling(Mulholland Books) by Robert Galbraith,pseudonym forJ.K. Rowling. It’s a literate, engaging mystery with an interesting and original protagonist. Rowling’s prose is nimble, her plot witty.
Non-fiction favorite was The Examined Life: How we Lose and Find Ourselves(W. W. Norton & Company) by British psychiatrist Stephen Grosz. By describing his therapeutic relationship with various patients, Dr. Grosz illuminates the process by which he helps people piece together the story of their life by using behavioral patterns as “clues” to the past.”
Reba White Williams
“My favorite book of 2013 was Doctor Sleep(Scribner) by Stephen King. Why? I was charmed when King told an audience that he wrote the book–his only sequel–because he wanted to know how the boy who had such a terrifying experience in The Shining(Hodder & Stoughton, 1980) turned out. I greatly enjoyed learning about that boy, grown-up, and I was thrilled to meet a fabulous new female. I hope to hear a lot more about her.”
Sylvia Oshypko
“I read a lot of wonderful books this past year, but my favorite was: Things Fall Apart(Anchor Books) by Chinua Achebe. Written by a Nigerian college professor, this powerful, deeply-moving novel explores Ibo tribal life in a Nigerian village before and after the arrival of the white man. Highly-recommended reading.”
Liberty Schauf
I like many other bibliophiles had more than one favorite from last year. The Fate of Mercy Alban (Hyperion) by Wendy Webb just scared me. I love that rush you get from reading a scary book so I couldn’t put it down and read it one night. I just had to know the mystery and when I did…spine tingles!
Counting by 7s (Dial) by Holly Goldberg Sloan hits you right in the heart and humanity. Twelve-year-old Willow is a genius and with that comes certain eccentricities such as a nature obsession and diagnosing medical conditions. She finds counting by 7s a comfort. After her parents die she struggles but perfect strangers come to her rescue because they see an exceptional young girl and connect with her. After reading the last page, your heart will be filled with love and joy.
The Question of the Month for February is: What is your favorite love-themed book? It can be anything from a romance to a self-help book that teaches your to love yourself. Send the title and author’s name and tell us why you liked that book and it’s love-theme to blog@wnba-nyc.org.
