Sunday, January 14, 2007

Best Book of 06!



Writing this blog ended up being a rather depressing endevour. For all the manuscripts, research, writing books, and such I read in 2006--not much of it was fun and not much of it was good enough to reccomend. Pretty pathetic. I love to read, and yet it seems in 06 I didn't find much time for it. I've already worked on fixing this for 07, and I'm off to a good start, but I realized that writing this blog was for purely selfish reasons. I need some good books this year!
As for my reccomendations, as you can see , I have three. The First Year by Crystal Liechty, The Counterfeit by Robison Wells & The Coming of Elijah by Arianne Cope. They are all very different as I enjoy a broad range of books.
The First Year is a hilarious comedy about the first year of marriage. I absolutely loved it and couldn't put it down. Crystal came to our the LDStorymakers writers' conference last spring and I was thrilled when she found publication. She has a very fun and easy to follow style.
The Counterfeit is an action packed adventure novel that takes place partly in the tunnels beneath Paris--I didn't know they existed. It was a fascinating and high-paced novel with a lot of humor and intriquing twists. It is the sequel to Wake Me When it's Over, which I haven't read of yet, but it stood on it's own.
The Coming of Elijah was the winner of the Marilyn Brown LDS fiction contest and is classified as an LDS literary novel. It is beautifully written and has been compared to The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint as it follows the life of a Navajo girl in the Indian Placement Program of the Church. I will warn you that it's not for every reader. It is raw in places and shows our human frailties in a startling light, but also shows an incredible depth of spirit that is very unique and is ultimately supremely redeeming--in my opinion. I found it very powerful and incredibly well written. It's Adrianne's first novel, though she's a very expreinced writer, and a story that stayed with me long after it was finished.
I reccomend all three depending on what you like to read, and keep in mind that if you're library doesn't carry them, put in a request. Usually they'll buy it and you'll be first to get it.
That's all I've got, but my pen is at the ready for your suggestions.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

My favorite read of the year was hands down Stephenie Meyer's Twilight. The spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black, Janette Rallison's How to take the "ex" out of Ex-Boyfriend, Annette Lyon's At the Journey's End, Robison Well's Counterfeit, and Josi's Unsung Lullaby. I read tons of other books that I really liked but not that I really loved.

Anonymous said...

hello i would like to enter in for the drawing my favorite book is by anita stansfield and it is the gables faces east i love it because it is a love story with revenge and jealousy i just love it!!

Anonymous said...

I read your books, Tempest Tossed, Surrounded by Strangers, To Have or To Hold, and Unsung Lullaby and they are some of the best books I have ever read! And I'm not just saying that because this is YOUR blog. They have an amazing real-life feel, not the too-good-to-be-true kind that I usually read, and I would recommend them to everyone! I also just read The Heavenly Surrender and Shackles of Honor by Marcia Lynn McClure and I just couldn't put them down until they were finished unless I literally couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. I can't wait to read Dusty Britches, also by her, but haven't dared start it now that I'm back at work or I won't get enough sleep. So, next break I'll be reading it! And looking forward to getting her other books.

Anonymous said...

I don't even know where to start on what my favorite books were or are for 2006. I love anything Anita Stansfield writes. I am starting to love Rachel Nunes. I reall all of her books this year she hooked me in. I can't get her website to cooperate but her books catch me. Let's not forget I read Josi's Unsung Lullaby in a few hours because I couldn't put it down. Reading is my sanity. So the only favor I ask WRITE MORE BOOKS I love to read them.

Anonymous said...

Hey Josi. I'm a bit slow, but my favorite book I read was The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. Some others I enjoyed were Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton, A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel, and Peace Like A River by Leif Enger. One that I haven't read but was a huge recommendation from my last book club is East of Eden by John Steinbeck. I also re-read my all time favorite The Count of Monte Criso by Alexandre Dumas. These have mostly all been around a while, so maybe nothing new, but I enjoyed them. :)

Anonymous said...

I loved Secret Life of Bees too and The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. Different types of books but loved them both. And, of course, Pride & Predjudice

Anonymous said...

This year I read the books your giving away--House on a hill and At the Journeys end. I really liked both of them a whole lot. I also read To kill a mockingbird again. I haven't read it for years but really like it and it was fun to read it again.