So you need some gift ideas for your reading enthusiast in the family, or maybe for yourself. I’ve got ten suggestions for you. These may not be the latest to come on the scene, but they are quite simply a wonderful read, packed full of human emotion.

  1.  “The Storyteller” by Jodi Picoult – A painful secret of the past can change present relationships in this story of heartache, betrayal, and forgiveness.
  2. “Ordinary Grace” by William Kent Krueger – If you’re nostalgic for the days of the drugstore soda fountain, church every Sunday, catching fireflies in the evening, secrets behind closed doors, and small town murder mysteries, you’ll love this book.
  3. “Eleanor Oliphant is competely fine” by Gail Honeyman – Eleanor is socially awkward, a hermit, operates her mouth without a filter, and is disturbingly delightful. When she finds a friend in Raymond, her co-worker, the healing of Eleanor’s damaged soul begins. 
  4. “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman – Think of the character (Carl Fredrickson) in the animated movie “UP” and you’ve got Ove. An elderly curmudgeon who’s crusty exterior hides the beautiful soul of a man who has known deep love, sorrow, adventure, and the doldrums of widowhood. 
  5. “Becoming” by Michelle Obama – What can I say, it’s Michelle Obama! So inspirational!
  6. “Where the Crawdads Sing” – by Delia Owens – Meet Kya, the intelligent marsh girl, abandoned by her family and forced to live on her own in the marshlands of North Carolina. The story spans three decades; the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s and takes you through Kya’s journey of survival, love, and betrayal.
  7. “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” – by J. K. Rowling – Yes, it’s been around, but if you haven’t read it, do. It begins the most magical series of Harry Potter and Hogwart’s School for wizardry.  
  8. “To Kill a Mockingbird” – by Harper Lee – A true American classic that faces the brutality of racial inequality. A narrative told by six year old “Scout” in Macomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. The best book I have ever read!
  9. “The House at Riverton” – by Kate Morton – Grace Bradley was a servant girl to the aristocratic Hartford family, and especially attentive to the beautiful sisters Hannah and Emmiline.  When a young poet commits suicide on the night of a sparkling gala event at the house, lives are forever changed. Now in a nursing home, Grace is asked to return to the house at Riverton by a director who is making a film of the night the poet died. Grace is finally able to reveal the secrets she has kept hidden.
  10. “Bird” by Kim E. Wilson – Of course you knew I’d be shameless and list my own novel. But hey, it’s a compelling, fast paced novel that begins with Ellen Williams, the beneficiary of a multi-million dollar estate in Brunswick Georgia. This unbelievable gift has been left to her by a total stranger, the now deceased widow of a prominent judge in Brunswick. Ellen travels to Brunswick to seek answers. With each step closer to finding the truth, disturbing childhood memories of her sister Jenny and ‘Bird’ surface, revealing the raw truth.

Okay, those are my pics. I do have a book on my “I need to read list” and that is “American Royals.” I hear it’s the rave with millennials. I’m ordering it!

Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!