Something wonderful happened to me last week.  I went to the first meeting of my new book club in West Chester.  Now this may not seem overly exciting to those of you who have been part of such a group for years, but for me it meant several important things.  One, it’s a part of my new retired life and community – something I didn’t have (and didn’t have time for) during the past 30 years of owning a small business that operated 24-7.  Two, no one ever asked me to join a book club before.  And three, I love to read.

I am also very fortunate to have a sister-in-law (and good friend) who is a librarian and voluminous reader, and one who shares her knowledge with friends and family at the end of each year by publishing her “Best Books” list.  I love this because it gives me fodder for my next year, and I know I have months of great reading ahead.  So I have decided to share this list with the Chadds Ford Live audience in case you don’t have your own source.  Enjoy, and happy reading.  (And if you have any of your own to add, please let me know.)

 

Greer’s Best Books of 2012

Elegies for the Heartbroken by Christie Hodgen
In five quirky elegies to lost friends and relatives, Mary tells the story of her life.

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
The journey of a rare illuminated manuscript.

Mrs. Kimble and Baker Towers by Jennifer Haigh
She is one of the most consistent fiction writers in my opinion, and I can’t put her books down.  These were rereads, and I still gave them top marks.

Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo
Typically wonderful Russo about small town life and everyday dilemmas.

Salvage the Bone by Jesmyn Ward
This is such a painful book and one that clings to the conscience days later, but what power.  Set in the back bayou during Hurricane Katrina.

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
Deceptively simple story about a man who can’t seem to get on with the living of life.

Fatherland by Robert Harris
Dystopian page-turner set in 1960s Germany…and Hitler has won the war.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Oh, what a wonderful read!  Not quite a fantasy, more magical realism…yes, it is about a circus…just read it.

Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar by Suzanne Joinson
In 1923 sister missionaries travel the ancient Silk Road city of Kashgar.  Needless to say, adventure awaits.

The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty
In 1922 Louise Brooks (before she was a Hollywood star) traveled to New York from Wichita with an unknown chaperone.  The story fills in the blanks and provides a fascinating look at a great silent star.

The President’s Club: Inside the World’s Most Exclusive Fraternity by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy
Since Harry Truman tapped Herbert Hoover to help rebuild Europe after World War II every U.S. president has relied on the counsel and often friendship of those that came before him.  Fascinating.

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier
In 1810 when the idea of extinction was an anathema to society, Mary Anning discovered the remains of ancient marine reptiles in coastal England.

The Cove by Ron Rash
Beautifully written and haunting story of a damaged girl from the deep mountains of North Carolina, cruel idiocy, and the power of music.

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walters
The story of unfulfilled desire (and not just sexual) is explored through an unusual cast of characters moving between 1962 and today. An isolated pension near Cinqueterre, Italy, and Hollywood, California, are the unlikely dual settings. One of the most original and satisfying novels I've read in a long time.

Old Filth by Jane Gardam
What a ride! Character-driven novels are my favorites and this one is a doozy. We learn of Old Filth, a British lawyer and judge who spent his career in Hong Kong, as his story weaves from past to present. Despite the numerous British reference (most of which went over my head), this was a fantastic read.

Guilty Pleasures:  While I couldn’t give this a 5-star rating, I devoured the Hunger Games trilogy and spent the summer reading Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache mysteries.

P. S.  I couldn’t help adding a few of my own favorites:

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
A ten-year-old girl and her parents are taken by the French police as they go door to door arresting Jewish families. To protect her younger brother, Sarah locks him in a bedroom cupboard, promising to come back for him as soon as they are released.

Unbroken: A World War II Story by Laura Hillenbrand
This is such a powerful true story, I had to take occasional breaks while reading it.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
A young girl living outside of Munich during World War II scratches out a meager existence by stealing books – and sharing them with neighbors during bombing raids and with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched off to Dachau.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, Nick Dunne’s beautiful, rich wife Amy disappears from their rented McMansion. Nick is under mounting pressure as he parades a series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior, but is he really a killer?
The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman
Australian Tom Sherbourne is the lightkeeper on Janus Rock. To this isolated island, he brings a bold young wife, Isabel. After two miscarriages and a stillbirth, the grieving Isabel discovers a boat washed onshore carrying a dead man and a live baby.

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffeenbaugh
Victoria Jones is unable to get close to anybody, her only connection to the world through flowers and their meanings. Now 18, Victoria has a gift for helping others through her flowers, but a mysterious stranger forces her to confront a painful secret from the past.

* Lee Miller welcomes responses. Please email them to leemiller229@gmail.com