Category: Favorite Books

Favorite Book Club Book:

A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute

Favorite Memoir:

Educated by Tara Westover

Favorite Author:

Fredrik Backman – I read 4 of his books this year and really enjoyed them.

Favorite Re-read:

The Guernsey and Literary Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows **

Favorite Mystery:

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Favorite Fluffy YA Romance Author:

Kasie West – I read 5 books by her this year.

Favorite Family Audio Books:

Garvey’s Choice by Nikki Grimes

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Matilda by Roald Dahl (version read by Kate Winslet)

Favorite Middle Grade Novels:

Ghost by Jason Reynolds

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis

Favorite Books I Read with Jane:

Where are you Going, Baby Lincoln? by Kate DiCamillo

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis **

Favorite Books I Read with Isaac:

Wonder by R.J. Palacio **

There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom by Louis Sachar

Wish by Barbara O’Connor

** This book has made the list before.

I only read 2 classics in 2018 – A Christmas Carol and The Grapes of Wrath. One of my goals for 2019 is to read more classic novels.

Favorite Mystery:

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Favorite Middle Grade Books:

So B. It by Sarah Weeks

Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur

Favorite Book Club Book:

The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry

Favorite Young Adult Romance:

Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Favorite Young Adult:

The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner

Favorite Non-Fiction:

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE by Phil Knight

Favorite Newbery Books I read:

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo

Favorite Books I Read to Isaac:

Holes by Louis Sachar **

Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl **

The Witches by Roald Dahl

Favorite Book I read to Blake & Clark:

Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl

Favorite Family Audio Books:

Charlie & the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl **

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo **

No Talking by Andrew Clements **

** This book has made my list before.

I posted 2 pictures on Instagram in December of my favorite books from 2015.  First I posted my 5 favorite chapter books that I read to the kids this year:  Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor; Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis; Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary; Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald; and Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner.

To be honest, I didn’t read Roll of Thunder out loud to my kids.  My oldest read it in 4th grade at the beginning of the year and I wanted to talk with him about it so I read it too.

I read Bud, Not Buddy and Dear Mr. Henshaw to Blake and Clark (11 and 9).  And I read Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Stone Fox to Isaac (7).  I had read both of these books before to Blake and Clark so I knew they were good and Isaac enjoyed both of them.  In fact, my husband sat down to read some of Stone Fox to Isaac, and after Isaac went to bed Dan had to read the whole book.  Because it’s that good.

My 5 favorite books that I read were:  Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, and The Only Alien on the Planet by Kristin D. Randle.

These books all left me happy and fulfilled after reading them.  Some of them had hard subjects, but I think the stories were real and dealt with the issues so well.  I felt connected to the characters, which is very important to me, but they also had excellent plots.  Check them out.

Previous Favorites: 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009

Favorite re-read:

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

Best New Author found for the boys:

Andrew Clements, we read: No Talking, Troublemaker, Room One, A Week in the Woods

Favorite Book Club books:

Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

Favorite Young Adult book:

All the Truth That’s In Me by Julie Berry

Favorite Read Alouds:

With Isaac (6 yrs old): Wayside School, My Father’s Dragon, The Wizard of Oz, Charlotte’s Web

With Blake & Clark (8 and 10): Hatchet, Shiloh, Number the Stars, Maniac Magee

Favorite Children’s Audio Books:

Missing May by Cynthia Rylant
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary

New Author I am Liking:

Jojo Moyes: One Plus One, Me Before You

Favorite Middle-Grade Books:

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Good Romance:

My Name is Memory by Anne Brashares
Love Water Memory by Jennie Shortridge

Best Non-Fiction:

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Favorite Classic:

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Previous Favorites: 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009

I read a total of 18 books to Isaac, 11 books to Blake & Clark, we listened to 7 audio books, and I read 44 books for myself: a grand total of 80 books. 11 of those were Newbery winners. It was a good year of reading. And I’ve already planned a lot of good books to read in 2015. 🙂

Favorite Read-Alouds with the Kids:

Frindle by Andrew Clements
Chocolate Fever by Robert Kimmel Smith
Wayside School is Falling Down by Louis Sachar
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Favorite Middle Grade Reader:

Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea

Favorite Picture Books:

A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
Mrs. Goat and Her Seven Little Kids by Tony Ross
Bink & Gollie Series by Kate DiCamillo
Brownie & Pearl books by Cynthia Rylant
Turk & Runt: A Thanksgiving Comedy by Lisa Wheeler

Favorite Sports Book for Kids:

The Best of Everything Basketball Book by Nate LeBoutillier

Favorite Romance:

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

Favorite Audio Book:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Favorite Book Club Book:

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

Fun Series to Keep You Up Late Reading:

The Selection by Kiera Cass
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Previous Lists: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012