Top Ten Reads of 2016
Throughout 2016 I read over 30 books, most of which I highly enjoyed. There were a few duds as well as a few that I started reading and still have not finished. There were some that truly stood out the most to me when reflecting on this past year's reads. Below you will find my favorites and a little insight into just why they grabbed my attention and stayed with me throughout the year. Enjoy!
This poetry collection, for me, was simply beautiful. It was honest, straight forward, and heart felt. It was very refreshing to read poetry from her perspective. Loads of emotion and insight pour from the page. At one point I was sitting on the kitchen counter, reading, waiting for dinner to finish. I loved her book so much that I looked her up searching for more beautiful and honest written words. I won't go into what she does exactly, as she does a lot. It is very inspiring work and I recommend that you look her up if you get the chance.
Tales from a Child of the Enemy by Ursula Duba
This one stuck in my head for days after I finished it. Parts of it I loved, parts of it haunted me. The imagery was excellent and the setting just drew me in. I read a good portion of this on a four hour flight. The characters are flawed, twisted, and unique and I just loved it.
Although my husband isn't in the police force, he is military, and this book came highly recommended. It focuses, as the title suggests, on the emotion aspects that can negatively affect the individual and family of an officer. I appreciated the honesty, insight, and recommendations. It's an aspect of our lives that I had only thought of previously in passing. I know simply reading this book doesn't make things immediately easier, but it is a good start to a healthy emotional future. My husband read it after I did, and it has started a lot of good conversations about us and our future. It has been an eye opener and I highly recommend it even if you or your loved one isn't in the military or police force. I have a felling this might be a reread for us later.
This was the first poetry collection I read in 2016. After seeing various poems of his on Pinterest and adoring them, I got the book. So many of the poems are starred and underlined in my copy. I just loved this collection.
I have loved and cried over the movie version of this for years. It is one of the few movies / books that can make me cry. Oddly enough though, the part that made me cry in the book was not the parts that made me cry in the movie. Yes, parts in the movie, singular part in book. It was an odd experience reading this, as I would find myself having to put it down in order to recover emotionally. With that said, I had been putting off reading it for a long time, with it just sitting on my shelf, staring and judging me for not plucking up the courage to read it. I'm glad I read it when I did, and I can't wait to read more of his works.
A reread, but a beautiful book. I first read this book after graduating college and moving back into my parents house, three years ago. It was a perfect graduation gift. This book is about the good and the horrible bits of life, and why we need them both. It is a beautiful transition book made up of short stories from the author's life. This fall, after our kitten passed away, and the stress of everything entailed in another pcs move started to set in, I thought it was the perfect time for a reread. Again, it did not disappoint. Thank you Andrea for this beautiful gift that keeps giving.
The cover initially drew me to this little gem. I loved so many of the poems in this collection. I'm looking forward to reading more of her work.
I found this book from one of Jen Campbell's booktube videos and I fell in love with the idea of it. Then I read it and I fell in love even more. I can honestly say I have not read anything like this before. I won't give much of the story away, but I will say this: it's about this simple woman and how she lives. I could see my much loved grandmotherly neighbor in this book, as well as myself at times. When I finished it, I just started crying and crying.
This was beautifully written and such an easy and addicting read. I was originally drawn to this book because of my love and addiction to myth, folk lore, and fairy tales. This book focuses on albinism and Emily's search as a mother; two things I do not have experience with, but adored nonetheless. It expanded my thinking and had me mulling over decisions and topics I haven't had to deal with personally.
I absorbed this book. The poems are so old, simple, and beautiful; evoking mindful emotion quickly. I've been trying to find more books that are similar to this. I think I have a new addiction.
Happy creating, and happy reading!
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