I love the written word. I love the smell of old books. I love the sound of a good narrator reading to me. I love the look of books stacked up by my bedside. I’m a collector of books. I make a habit of stopping in independent, local bookstores when I travel. I even drug poor Doug through Beaufort, SC to see all the places my favorite author, Pat Conroy lived and wrote about. I’m the kind of reader who, when she finds an author she likes, reads everything they’ve ever written.

I read a lot of books this year, and I was thinking about which books were the best. What books would I recommend to someone else to read? There are several, but I wanted to narrow it down to 4: a business book, a spiritual/inspirational book, a cookbook and my favorite, a novel. These are the sort of books that I read that managed to stick with me for weeks after I closed the last page.

Business: Stories that Stick, by Kindra Hall is an absolute must read if you find yourself in situations where you are instructing or selling or building relationships. Everyone has stories that can instruct, inform and captivate. The author explains how to use stories in your work and in your life. She uses some of her own amazing stories to illustrate the point and she discusses how best to choose and structure your stories for maximum impact. I have a feeling that I’ll be returning to this one over and over.

Spiritual/Inspirational: Einstein and the Rabbi, by Naomi Levy hands down wins this category for me. I am not Jewish, but I have to tell you, this is a beautiful book. Einstein said that we are all connected. He said, “A human being is part of the whole, called by us, “Universe…” Rabbi Levy found this quote and was inspired that such a mystical quote came from a man of science, and so she went on a journey to learn how science and mysticism intersected. This book is full of stories that challenge the reader to listen to the small voice inside them and become the person they were born to be. The stories are enchanting and amazing. I urge everyone to read this book.

Cookbook:Italian Cuisine, Through Time and Space, by Marcella Ansaldo. This is really a textbook, in addition to a cookbook. First and foremost, I am a terrible cook. Doug and I bought this book when we took a cooking class at GiglioCooking School in Florence, Italy. Marcella was our instructor, and she is the author of this book. Marcella explains things in an easy to understand way that give confidence to us beginning cooks. The book is a must read if you want Italian food that’s much more than pasta and tomato sauce.

Novel: Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens. I don’t have a picture of this book because I’ve loaned it out. This book has been written about and reviewed by people who are much smarter and more eloquent than I am, but I will say this. I loved this beautifully written book. The heroine is a poor, abandoned child growing up alone in the swamps of North Carolina. She has a deep survival instinct and a thirst for knowledge. The book is a murder mystery, and at times, very difficult to read. It will stay with you for months after you finish it. If you haven’t read it yet, let it be your first novel of 2020!

What were your favorite reads of 2019?

Uncategorized