December Book of the Month

Happy 2014 all! Start off the new year right and read!

I've been trying to decide what to recommend to you all. On one hand, there's the classic A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens . . . but Christmas is over now (not that you can't read it anyway). There's also a new Julie Berry book, but I've already recommended a book by her, just last month. So, do I recommend another fairytale-like book? It's so complicated sometimes. le sigh.

How 'bout I just share thirteen books from 2013 that I didn't recommend already? That sounds good. Here you go!

For murder mystery fans, I'd suggest Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie. This is the first Miss Marple mystery.

For a retold fairytale, there is The Wager by Donna Jo Napoli. Napoli doesn't shy away from some of the grittier details, but there is nothing in the book very scandalous. This is a retelling of a little known Sicilian fairytale.

If you want a fun, light read, Going Vintage by Lindsay Leavitt is probably the way to go. It's the story of a girl who decides to try to live a simpler life by living with only things available in the 1950s.

Winnie-the-Pooh by AA Milne is a great throwback to childhood. You never know what little pearls of wisdom there are in children's stories until you read them as an adult.

If you're looking for a cozy "cottage" mystery, the Aunt Dimity by Nancy Atherton books are some of my favorites. Start with Aunt Dimity's Death and go from there!

Sometimes you need a book that is told in a unique way, and that is where The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick comes in. This is a book told sort of like a silent film in print--with pages of pictures that tell the story along with prose.

I'd recommend Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, just because it's a good book. It's a little bit like Groundhog Day, but instead it's a girl living the last day of her life 7 times. This was a reread and I found it interesting that almost every "day" was a different stage of grief.

For fans of theme parks, fairytales, and love, How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Stromeyer might be the book for you. Zoe is working the summer at the Fairytale Kingdom as the assistant to the "evil queen."

The Caged Graves by Dianne K. Salerni is a historical novel based on two real mysterious "caged graves."

If you want a fun time travel book, I'd suggest My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris. There is also a sequel called A Tale of Two Centuries.

If you're looking for a more serious read about family, grief, self discovery, faith, and facing your fears, then I'd recommend The Opposite of Hallelujah by Anna Jarzab.

For my last book, there is Scarlet in the Snow by Sophie Masson. It's a new fairytale with elements of tales that you are familiar with.

Happy reading!