Good Books of 2013!

This is where I list the books I've read this year and liked well enough to recommend. New books will be added to the top of the list, so check back every so often.  (Sadly, I didn’t keep up my 2012 list, but you can see what I read for about the first half of that year here.) Have you read any good books lately? Please share them in the comments!

Wonder by R. J. Palacio – This book is SO good, I have even walked up to total strangers eyeing it at the bookstore and told them to get it! Wonder is about a boy named August who was born with severe craniofacial deformities and is going to an actual school (rather than homeschool) for the first time in fifth grade. Meanwhile, his older sister is going into high school and has challenges of her own that sometimes go unnoticed. It’s told from the different perspectives of the tweens and teens in the story. It’s uplifting, inspiring, and will make you think about the way you treat others. A MUST READ!!! (One word of warning: August loves Star Wars, so if you do not know as much about Star Wars as I have come to know while parenting two boys, you may not get all of the Star Wars references… but read it anyway!) The author's website includes questions to help teachers and book club leaders facilitate discussion.

Friendship Cake by Lynne Hinton – This is a perennial favorite of mine. Five very different ladies living in Hope Springs, North Carolina, discover true friendship with each other after ending up together on a church’s Cookbook Committee. Margaret, Beatrice, Charlotte, Jessie, and Louise become more dear to me every time I rejoin them. (FYI, sequels to this book are Hope Springs, Forever Friends, Christmas Cake, and Wedding Cake.)

How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas by Jeff Guinn –  This is the sequel (sort of) to The Autobiography of Santa Claus, which I absolutely loved (and, if I’m honest, wish I had thought of). In this book, Mrs. Layla Claus inspires and is inspired by English citizens who stand up for Christmas when the Puritans try to outlaw it. It also tells the story of Layla’s life before she became Mrs. Claus.

Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland – I asked for this book for Christmas, and I'm glad I did! It’s historical fiction based on the lives of the very real women who created and designed some of the most memorable Tiffany stained glass works, particularly the lamps. Woven into the tale are a number of historical events such as the Chicago World’s Fair, the turn of the 20th century, the construction of iconic New York buildings, and the first time the New Year’s “Ball” dropped in Times Square. This book was entertaining but also taught me a lot of American history.