Best Book I've Read this Year: Day One in a 30 Day Book Meme

Last week I posted about a 30 Day Book Meme. There are 30 days of questions, and I'll try to answer one a week, if not more often.

Day One: The Best Book You Read Last Year

That's so hard! I have a list of my favorite books on the sidebar, but I haven't updated them in awhile. This past year has been a stellar reading year! Not only did I read some wonderful bestsellers, I found some excellent gems in smaller books.

My five star reviews for 2011 (in random order):

1. Max and Menna, Shauna Kelley
2. Valhalla, Jennifer Willis
3. Art of Racing in the Rain, Garth Stein
4. Turning Point, Melissa Luznicky Garrett
5. Come Back to Me, Melissa Foster
6. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot
7. Emeralds Never Fade, Stephen Maitland-Lewis
8. Call Me When You Land, Michael Schiavone

I loved each of these books for different reasons and they span genres. I look forward to reading more books in 2012 and adding to my 5-star list.

What is your top favorite 2011 book?

Emeralds Never Fade, Stephen Maitland-Lewis (5 stars)

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For a girl who falls asleep as soon as her husband turns on the History channel, I love historical fiction. My first foray into the genre was Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross, another highly recommended 5 star novel.

So imagine my delight when I saw an historical fiction novel awaiting review at Rebeccas Reads. I took it and am so glad I did.

From Amazon:

Before World War II, two German boys enjoy playing piano, and one visits each week to teach the other. When the Nazis seize power, the lessons must end -- one of the boys is Jewish. Leo Bergner, the Jewish pupil, escapes Germany while his piano teacher, Bruno Franzmann, is called to serve the Fatherland. As the war ends, Bruno escapes to Buenos Aires and Leo begins a career in banking, only to uncover a conspiracy of Jewish persecution that puts him in direct opposition to his beloved Israel, while also jeopardizing his career, his marriage, and his life. In Argentina, Bruno hatches an unscrupulous plot to finance a multi-national corporation, and in time, his efforts require a business trip to London -- his first visit to Europe since he escaped. After forty years, a lost family heirloom will decide their fate.

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My full Rebeccas Reads review can be found here. But here's an excerpt:

The author intricately weaves together the stories of Leo and Bruno throughout the novel. Each man is affected by the war, but uses different means to cope and move on. From the moment Bruno steals the emerald, we know their fates are intertwined. With each page turn, we eagerly anticipate how the two stories will collide. The author leaves us guessing until the very end.

Although the novel is a thrilling page-turner, it is still steeped in emotion. Both men are victims of circumstance. I found Leo’s letters from his mom particularly touching, and Bruno grew up under the thumb of selfishness and judgment. Neither man’s character is clear cut, both are just men held strongly in the often cruel hands of fate. You will enjoy this rich story, and its well-crafted characters, from beginning to end. An amazing cover seals the deal.

*****

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well-told tale, full of twists and turns and memorable characters. If you love historical fiction, move it to the top of your to-be-read pile.

5 stars

For more information, please visit the author's website.

WWW Wednesdays: So Many Wonderful Choices

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading:

Emeralds Never Fade, Stephen Maitland-Lewis

Intriguing and engrossing so far. I'm only 45 pages in, but it's clear there's heartache ahead. I hope there's some triumph to balance it out, but the subject matter could go either way. A mother's emerald necklace seems key, and I know very little so far.

Recently Finished:

Turning Point, Melissa Luznicky Garrett

5 stars. Amazing! So not what I was expecting. A tale rich in characters and plot, I couldn't put it down once the really meaty part kicked in less than one-third of the way through.

"Jenna discovers there’s a liar in La Grange, and he’s deceived everyone. Now she must decide whether to run away from the truth, or blow his secret wide open." This teaser, from Melissa's press release, in no way prepares you for the deception and secrets exposed in the book.

A full review will hopefully be up in the next day or so. I'm a bit behind in reviews, since I still haven't posted my Henrietta Lacks one. But I promise to get on it!

Will Read Next:

So many wonderful choices. I want to read another one by Melissa Foster and Melissa Luznicky Garrett, but also want to mix it up.

Drum roll... next is Cancelled by Elizabeth Ann West. I met Elizabeth through A Round of Words in 80 Days. Always on the ball and giving, I can't wait to read her book. It's been on my list to buy for a long time, so imagine my happy squeals when I was able to pick it up for 99 cents at last week's launch party for Melissa Foster's Come Back to Me.

Find out more about Elizabeth here.

I've also committed to reading Stephen King's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. I hope it lives up to the hype.

Looking forward to hearing from other readers. What are you reading?

WWW Wednesdays: Sharing the Love of Reading

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading:

Turning Point, Melissa Luznicky Garrett

I'm seven chapters in and love the characters and storyline so far. Bummed to have sidelined this for a few days so I could finish my book club read. But, I'm back to it and focused.

A brief synopsis: Convinced a fresh start is all she needs to escape the problems at home, seventeen-year-old Jenna Lyons runs away in the middle of the night. But when her car breaks down on the outskirts of La Grange, Missouri, population less than a thousand, she gets sucked into the small town, and one family in particular. Jenna discovers there’s a liar in La Grange, and he’s deceived everyone. Now she must decide whether to run away from the truth, or blow his secret wide open.


Recently Finished:

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot

Amazing! I rarely read nonfiction, but everyone told me this book read like fiction. It does! A powerful story about the woman behind HeLa cells. I have a block when it comes to science, it was one of my least favorite subjects in school, but only a few times did I feel bogged down in science while reading this.

The author did an excellent job weaving the family's story with the wonders of science. A must-read. Will publish a complete review later this week.

Will Read Next:

Emeralds Never Fade, Stephen Maitland-Lewis

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book from RebeccasReads to review, set to be published November 30, 2011.

Synopsis (back cover): Before World War II, two German boys enjoy playing piano, and one visits twice each week to teach the other. When the Nazis seize power, the lessons must end—one of the boys is Jewish.

Leo Bergner, the Jewish pupil, escapes Germany while his piano teacher, Bruno Franzmann, is called to serve the Fatherland. His assignment to work at a concentration camp turns to peril as the war nears an end. With the Allied forces closing in, he risks capture and prosecution as a war criminal.

After the war, Leo begins a career in banking and uncovers a conspiracy of further Jewish persecution, involving the assets of concentration camp victims. His investigation into the corrupt dealings of his own bank puts him in direct opposition to his beloved Israel, while also jeopardizing his career, his marriage, and his life.

Bruno escapes to Buenos Aires and must begin anew, lost in a strange land where only his wits can save him. He hatches an unscrupulous plot to finance a multi-national corporation, and in time, his efforts require a business trip to London—his first visit to Europe since he escaped.

After forty years, a lost family heirloom will decide their fate.

*****

After this, I'm looking forward to reading some indie reads I just picked up through the great Come Back to Me launch party event (going on through tomorrow).

What are you reading?