Amazon 2012 Best Books
Publishers Weekly Best Books 2012
New York Times 10 Best Books of 2012 Podcast
Huffington Post 2012 Best Books
Barnes and Noble Best Books 2012
Yesterday, I shared my all-time faves of children/youth literature. Today it is into the adult world. So, drumroll.....
Fave Adult Fiction
Two books with extraordinary characters and plots have both entertained and intrigued me this year.
The Good Dream by Donna VanLiere
The Good Dream placed me in a small town in the life of a young "spinster" who in trying to heal her heart becomes a mother. This feel-good tale reminded me of the healing powers of giving to others in one's own time of need.
Goodreads Summary-
From The New York Times bestselling author comes a poignant, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting novel about an unlikely path to motherhood, and of two lost souls healing each other
1950 Tennessee, a time and place that straddles the past and present. Ivorie Walker is considered an old maid by the town (though she’s only in her early thirties) and she takes that label with good humor and a grain of salt. Ever since her parents passed away, she has hidden her loneliness behind a fierce independence and a claim of not needing anyone. But her mother’s death hit her harder than anyone suspects and Ivorie wonders if she will be alone forever.
When she realizes that someone has been stealing vegetables from her garden—a feral, dirty-faced boy who disappears into the hills—something about him haunts Ivorie. She can’t imagine what would make him desperate enough to steal and eat from her garden. But what she truly can’t imagine is what the boy faces, each day and night, in the filthy lean-to hut miles up in the hills. Who is he? How did he come to live in the hills? Where did he come from? And, more importantly, can she save him? As Ivorie steps out of her comfort zone to uncover the answers, she unleashes a firestorm in the town—a community that would rather let secrets stay secret. The Good Dream is Donna VanLiere is at her absolute best.
A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash
A Land More Kind than Home was a favorite mainly due to the deep connection to home. Having grown up in Western North Carolina, I was able to deepen my knowledge of a culture that deeply intrigues and disturbs me. Wiley Cash's willingness to expose the dark side of religion and his development of characters has me hooked as one of his readers.
Goodreads Summary-
A stunning debut reminiscent of the beloved novels of John Hart and Tom Franklin, A Land More Kind Than Home is a mesmerizing literary thriller about the bond between two brothers and the evil they face in a small western North Carolina town.
For a curious boy like Jess Hall, growing up in Marshall means trouble when your mother catches you spying on grown-ups. Adventurous and precocious, Jess is enormously protective of his older brother, Christopher, a mute whom everyone calls Stump. Though their mother has warned them not to snoop, Stump can't help sneaking a look at something he's not supposed to—an act that will have catastrophic repercussions, shattering both his world and Jess's. It's a wrenching event that thrusts Jess into an adulthood for which he's not prepared. While there is much about the world that still confuses him, he now knows that a new understanding can bring not only a growing danger and evil—but also the possibility of freedom and deliverance as well.
Told by three resonant and evocative characters—Jess; Adelaide Lyle, the town midwife and moral conscience; and Clem Barefield, a sheriff with his own painful past—A Land More Kind Than Home is a haunting tale of courage in the face of cruelty and the power of love to overcome the darkness that lives in us all. These are masterful portrayals, written with assurance and truth, and they show us the extraordinary promise of this remarkable first novel.
Fave Cookbook
Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food From My Frontier by Ree Drummond
On a rainy, dreary day, I first discovered Pioneer Woman on her blog. What a delight! I was ecstatic that I had found this treasure-trove of delicious recipes and witty writing. A further testament to the power of taking your passions and talents and using them to your advantage. Due to her books and Food Network show, Ree Drummond is now a household name. Her latest cookbook has her signature photos and funny stories woven into good all
American recipes.
Goodreads Summary-
I'm Pioneer Woman.
And I love to cook.
Once upon a time, I fell in love with a cowboy. A strapping, rugged, chaps-wearing cowboy. Then I married him, moved to his ranch, had his babies . . . and wound up loving it. Except the manure. Living in the country for more than fifteen years has taught me a handful of eternal truths: every new day is a blessing, every drop of rain is a gift . . . and "nothing" tastes more delicious than food you cook yourself.
"The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier" is a mouthwatering collection of the simple-but-scrumptious recipes that rotate through my kitchen on a regular basis, including Perfect Pancakes, Cowgirl Quiche, Sloppy Joes, Italian Meatball Soup, White Chicken Enchiladas, and a spicy Carnitas Pizza that'll win you over for life. There are also some elegant offerings for more special occasions at your house: Osso Buco, Honey-Plum-Soy Chicken, and Rib-Eye Steak with an irresistible Onion-Blue Cheese Sauce. And the decadent assortment of desserts, including Blackberry Chip Ice Cream, Apple Dumplings, and Coffee Cream Cake, will make your heart go pitter-pat in the most wonderful way.
In addition to detailed step-by-step photographs, all the recipes in this book have one other important quality in common: They're guaranteed to make your kids, sweetheart, dinner guests, in-laws, friends, cousins, or resident cowboys smile, sigh, and beg for seconds. (And hug you and kiss you and be devoted to you for life.)
I hope you enjoy, devour, and love this book.
I sure did love making it for you.
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