The Art Of Racing In The Rain by Garth Stein
I listened to this book through audible.com and found it to be very touching and enjoyable even though it is written from the perspective of Enzo the dog who is dying. The publisher summarizes as follows: “Having learned what it takes to be a compassionate and successful person, the wise canine can barely wait until his next lifetime, when he is sure he will return as a man. A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a beautifully crafted and captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life…as only a dog could tell it.”
Cat Training in 10 Minutes – by Miriam Fields-Babineau
I have had so much fun teaching my cat, Barney, tricks from this book! He has learned to sit, climb a ladder, jump from chair to chair, jump up, wave, weave between my legs and move in a twirling motion. I highly recommend this book if your cat is often bored and needs stimulation to prevent him or her from acting up and it’s just plain fun!
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
When I think of this book, the image of my dear friend and I in her home in Puerto Rico reading this book to each other always comes to mind. We would read as we traveled in the car, at the beach, early in the morning before anybody else was awake and late at night when others were asleep. If we weren’t reading to each other then we were spinning theories together about the true villain and the final outcome. When we did finally finish the book, I sobbed and was speechless due to feeling that Dan Brown had helped to expand my worldview to include a perspective that was more honoring to women.
Eragon, Eldest and Brisingr By Christopher Paolini
If you enjoy reading about Dragons, Elves and people trying to discover their true selves and battle with the forces of darkness within and without themselves on their journey of discovery this trilogy is for you! Christopher Paolini started writing Eragon at age 15 when he graduated from high school after being home-schooled all his life. I am amazed that he could write with such depth, insight and beauty at such a young age.
The Golden Compass; The Subtle Knife; and The Amber Spyglass
By Philip Pullman I enjoy this trilogy so much that I’ve read the books twice and now I am listening to them on audio CD! Philip Pullman does an absolutely brilliant job in addressing the form of adventure some of religion’s most profound conflicts, which I believe is over “what is more important our beliefs or how we treat each other?! Also, I’m totally hooked by the heroine, Lyra, who is wild, loyal, strong-willed and brave. She actually befriends an armored bear and has a soul-mate animal friend who is always with her!
Harry Potter And the Sorcerer’s Stone; Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets; Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban
Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire; Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix; Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince and
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows all by J. K. Rowling
Yes, I am a Harry Potter fan through and through – so much so that I also have all of the books in audio CD! J. K. Rowling has created a whole new world for us in Howarts the school for witches and wizards. These books are full of suspense and honest portrayals of loyalty, betrayal and a vulnerable search for self and belonging. And they are just plain fun to read!
Lamb – The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Lamb and exploring the possibilities of Jesus’ childhood and his life before he started preaching the gospel in his 30’s. I don’t know how accurate the historical details are, but I do believe that this book accurately captures the heart of Jesus and his absolute passion for living a life of love and compassion.
The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
This is the first book in McCall’s ongoing series (he just finished the 8th book in this series) about the Ladies’ Detective agency in Botswana, Africa. I find all of these books to be inspiring, enchanting, delightful and hard to put down because of the different mysteries that the detectives are always trying to solve and because of the ever evoloving relationships within each book. The books also are dear to me because of my love for Africa and McCall’s accurate description of the African spirit and way of life.
The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins
This is the most detailed mystery that I have ever read –so much so that there were many times that I would just put it down because I was weary of the details.In the end though, Wilkie Collins weaves the details together in a way that is absolutely brilliant and worth any impatience that I had previously felt. This book is also set in a different time and culture and it enabled me to have a sense of a way of life very different from my own.