Top Ten Books of 2015

My top ten books read in 2015. I looked back at my top ten of 2014 and see that I wrote that it was just an average year. I’m happy to report that this year was better. These weren’t necessarily published in 2015 (and probably weren’t since I mostly read from my own library of older books) and I’ve tried to avoid listing re-reads.

Heart’s Blood by Juliet Marillier–A retelling of Beauty & the Beast written by this author is pretty much a guaranteed 5-star read for me. This was my only 5-star book that wasn’t a re-read.

In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette by Hampton Sides–After a slow start, I couldn’t put this nonfiction book down. I had to know what happened to the crew of icebound Arctic explorers.

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok, read by Grayce Wey–I’ve seen bloggers rave about this book for years and now I’m adding my own voice. Kimberly is such a likable character and I wasn’t at all sure where her difficult life as an immigrant would lead her and her brilliant mind. The ending was unexpected but perfect.

The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat by Edward Kelsey Moore read by Adenrele Ojo and Pamela D’Pella was a heart-warming tale of female friendships across decades. I laughed and cried along with these characters.

Frances and Bernard by Carlene Bauer, read by Angela Brazil and Stephen R. Thorne–I was surprised by how much I came to care about the titular characters in this epistolary novel.

All Over but the Shoutin’ by Rick Bragg–I have laughed and cried my way through Rick Bragg’s memoirs. He writes with such beauty about growing up dirt poor in a harsh South and the sacrifices his momma made for him and his brothers.

The 100-Year-Old-Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson, read by Steven Crossley, translated by Rod Bradbury–The adventures that Alan Karlsson has after climbing out that window are hilarious, as is his unbelievable life story.

Mississippi Jack by L.A. Meyer, read by Katherine Kellgren–The combination of Jacky Faber and Katherine Kellgren is an unbeatable one as far as I’m concerned. I have enjoyed the heck out of every book in this series. They’re outrageous tall tales that are indescribably fun.

I Am One of You Forever by Fred Chappell–A fictional story of a boy growing up fairly poor in the Blue Ridge Mountains but rich in the things that count.

The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty, read by Elizabeth McGovern–I enjoyed this tale of Cora, the  chaperone who, rather late in life, takes control of her own fate and happiness.

Honorable Mention:

Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett–I read this back in college so I didn’t want to include it in my official top ten, but it was so good I have to mention it somewhere. I loved this story of simple people in a simpler time in a beautiful part of the world. It was even more special this time since I read it while vacationing on the coast of Maine, the novella’s setting.

That’s it! What do you think? Agree? Disagree?

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