Amy's Top 10 Reads of 2006
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The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (The best book of the year!!) It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul. *
Review: With amazing descriptions,
death as narrator had a fascinating personality/perspective; I cried through the
last 100 pages. |
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The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption. When sober, Jeannette's brilliant and charismatic father captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn't want the responsibility of raising a family. Review: Her parents gave their kids a great adventure. It reminded me how unimportant material possessions are.
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Invitations to the World by Richard Peck
From one of the most respected
voices in young-adult literature comes this impassioned, inspiring book of
observations and ideas. Part memoir, part writing manual, part social
commentary, Invitations to the World spans Richard Peck's entire
career-from his first days as a high school English teacher to his current life
as a Newbery-winning author-and touches on the issues that have followed him
throughout it: the dangers of conformity and censorship, the limits of our
education system, and the desire to provide young people with books that will
nourish their fragile individuality. |
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In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez A skillful blend of fact and fiction, In the Time of the Butterflies is inspired by the true story of the three Mirabal sisters who, in 1960, were murdered for their part in an underground plot to overthrow the government. Alvarez breathes life into these historical figures--known as "las mariposas," or "the butterflies," in the underground--as she imagines their teenage years, their gradual involvement with the revolution, and their terror as their dissentience is uncovered. Review: Each daughter has a welcoming persona. I felt for them as I breathed in the culture, the terror of the dictatorship. |
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Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, drifters, and misfits, a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression. Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. Review: Jacob as an old man in a nursing home was as entertaining as his younger self’s story. I loved the unique setting, the unforgettable characters, and the writing style. |
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Shopgirl by Steve Martin Mirabelle is the "shopgirl" of the title, a young woman, beautiful in a wallflowerish kind of way, who works behind the glove counter at Neiman Marcus "selling things that nobody buys anymore..." Slightly lost, slightly off-kilter, very shy, Mirabelle charms because of all that she is not: not glamorous, not aggressive, not self-aggrandizing. Mirabelle captures the attention of Ray Porter, a wealthy businessman almost twice her age. Review: This little book surprised me: Martin’s style, the perceptive nuances in his characters. Lots of emotion in a small package! |
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The Places in Between by Rory Stewart In January 2002 Rory Stewart walked across Afghanistan-surviving by his wits, his knowledge of Persian dialects and Muslim customs, and the kindness of strangers. By day he passed through mountains covered in nine feet of snow, hamlets burned and emptied by the Taliban, and communities thriving amid the remains of medieval civilizations. By night he slept on villagers' floors, shared their meals, and listened to their stories of the recent and ancient past. Review: A remarkable, authentic glimpse about a culture we only think we know. I couldn’t believe Stewart survived the trip. |
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The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult Trixie Stone is fourteen years old and in love for the first time when a single act of violence tears her apart. Her father will do anything to protect her, but for fifteen years, Daniel Stone has been an even-tempered, mild-mannered man: a stay-at-home dad and a husband who has put his own career as a comic book artist behind that of his wife, Laura, who teaches Dante's Inferno at a local college. Review: I was mostly intrigued by the ties to Inferno and the graphic art throughout. Picoult always writes a page turner. |
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Uglies by Scott Westerfeld Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. Not for her license -- for turning pretty. In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there. But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world -- and it isn't appealing. Review: One of my favorite YA books this year. I couldn’t put it down, loved the concept. Anyone who reads it wants the sequel. |
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Jude by Kate Morgenroth After Jude watches his drug-dealer father get gunned down at the kitchen table, he's taken from their dangerous neighborhood to a comfortable home, an elite private school, and a mother he doesn't remember. Only fifteen, Jude is under suspicion for his father's murder, but to save his own life, he can't tell the police what he knows. To make things worse, Jude's mother is the district attorney. Review: I read it in one day. Morgenroth apparently writes thrillers for adults. Strong, memorable characters, and surprising turns. * Summaries adapted from Amazon.com |
