Since I love to read, this challenge is tailor-made for me. Last year, my friend Shelly Henley Kelly from Of Sound Mind and Spirit created this challenge, and I recommended A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, one of my two favorite books ever. (I hope she loved it!)
This year, I decided to take part. I asked friends on Instagram and Facebook to share their recommendations. If I’d read a recommended book already, I didn’t include it. And I only included one book per author (there were two repeat authors: Matthew Kelly and Fr. Walter Ciszek, SJ). Three of the books aren’t yet published, but will be available in the spring. So I’ll work on the ones that are available now–and the order in which I read is going to depend on the books’ availability from my local library or Amazon.
Here’s my list, with the name of the person recommending this book in parentheses:
1. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. (Karen Estep)
2. I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys. (Marie Griffiths)
3. A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus. (Mimi Michelle)
4. True Grit by Charles Portis (Michelle Arnold)
5. For Love of the Broken Body by Sr. Julia Walsh, FSPA (coming in the spring)
6. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (Jane Lebak)
7. The Night Train by Lorelei Savaryn (coming in August)
8. Maria Gallagher‘s upcoming book about the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary, from Marian Press
9. Africa is Not a Country by Dipo Faloyin (Margaret Dwyer)
10. No Regrets by Allen Hunt & Matthew Kelly (Sherry Hayes-Peirce)
11. With God in Russia by Walter Ciszek, SJ (@BlessedCatholicMom on Instagram)
12. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (Renee Klaske Wiesner)
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Copyright 2024 Barb Szyszkiewicz
I wonder if True Grit the book is as good as True Grit the movie. Books are usually better, but John Wayne…
The person who recommended it said there are 2 movie versions, and that the book is just as good. I haven’t seen either movie, so I’m starting fresh here.
I’ve read #2 I Must Betray You, #6 The Rose Code, and #12 The Midnight Library. In my opinino the first two are excellent! I liked The Midnight Library, but not it. I’ll be watching for your opinion on these three (and the others).
For the record – A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was beautiful and I loved it. Thank you for recommending last year!
I’m well into number 3 (it was the first one my library could send me) and 6 is cued up next. And I’m so glad you loved my very favorite book!
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