THE BEST READS OF 2003
Here’s the list of books
our customers picked as their favorite reads of 2003. If you want to contribute
your own picks, just email
us. We’ll add yours to the list.
Despite
repeated reminders, I again failed to submit my “reads” list in time. Since I
sometimes do not have time to read a novel I have been especially enjoying
collections of essays or short stories that can be read in small bites. My
favorites this year have been The Dry Well by Marlin Barton, one day
in the life of a born again loser by Helen Norris, Boo of the
Silver Rod by Tom Fitzpatrick, Women in a Man’s World, Crying by
Vicki Covington and Stories from the Blue Moon Cafe. Although I’ve just
begun William Gay’s I hate to see that evening sun go down, it looks
like a great collection. I didn’t get to go to the beach this year but I took a
wild trip through
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Little Friend by Donna Tartt.
Kate Goode
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Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown
Trojan Odyssey, Clive
Cussler
Passage, Connie Willis
Order of the Phoenix, JK
Rowling
Footprints of God, Greg
Iles
…..Jimmy Bohannon
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My Mother's Witness: The
Peggy Morgan Story
Susan Brown
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These are my favorite
books that I read in 2003.
Where the Road Goes-
Greenberg, Joanne
Bel Canto- Patchett, Ann
Girl in Hyacinth Blue-
Vreeland, Susan
I Know This Much is True-
Lamb, Wally
Ship of Gold in the
Four Spirits- Naslund,
Sena Jeter
A Yellow Raft in Blue
Water- Dorris, Michael
Animal Dreams-Kingsolver,
Barbara
Gone
Basket Case- Hiaasen, Carl
October Sky- Hickam, Jr
Homer H.
Seabiscuit- Hillenbrand,
Laura
Boy's Life- McCammon,
Robert R.
Driving Mr. Albert-
Paterniti, Michael
The Last Coyote- Connelly,
Michael
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I have thoroughly enjoyed
the four books in the series by Alexander McCall Smith beginning with "The
No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency". The books are set in
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Here are my favorite reads
of 2003:
Non-Fiction:
Fiction: Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. It is about a village
in
17th century
plague. Our book club read it and it provided an interesting discussion.
-Anne Kimzey
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Hey! A quick note to
tell you that I don't recall receiving your request earlier. Please give folks
a little more time as I love to get the list and don't want it to stop.
One of my favorite books was The Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander
McCall Smith. I thought it was charming. I also enjoyed Jan Karon's
Shepherds Abiding, a very good Christmas read. Thanks!
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Hope this helps!
Just a suggestion - next year it might be a good idea to give us a deadline for
getting the lists in. Here are my favorites from 2003: WINTERKILL, by
C.J. Box. If we have "beach books" for summer, then we
must have "snow books" for winter, and Winterkill is the perfect
winter book. Bundle up because Box's descriptions of the
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I was amazed last year to
discover Jane Hamilton. I'm really glad I
disregarded my initial impulse not to read Book of Ruth because it was
an Oprah pick (it's a prejudice I have, and I should know better than to
make gross generalizations). It's like nothing I've read since The Sound
and the Fury, and although I (understandably) hesitated to mention Hamilton
and Faulkner in the same thought, there it is.
For once, my ability to put my thoughts into words may fail me in describing
the engrossment with which I enjoyed this novel. A surprise from a friend
of 4 years' standing was her telling me that she had read it, too, and that,
while she grudgingly admitted that it was "probably well-written"
(I'd never
heard her make a value judgment on her reading before--she was always
amazingly self-deprecating about her "beach-level" reading habit), it
was
also a "downer." I wasn't hooked in my reading of Ruth at that
point, and
almost decided to abandon the effort based on her comment. I'm an avid
reader, but I don't look for depressing novels.
The novel is not depressing. It's beautiful in its evocation of what
p.c.-speech calls "marginal" characters. The power with which
the effects
of the mother's (and, horrifically, a father's) personality are conveyed is
very affecting. The optimism, and--if the pun can be pardoned--the
ruthlessness with which the daughter (and a son) nonetheless perseveres in
her/his attainment of all the riches that every life offers are conveyed
with no less impact. The novel truly amazes in its depictions of the
squalor, hope, passions, and horror unthinkably (and unthinkingly) wrought
upon present human relations by past human relations. A strong reader
will come away from Ruth with some of the optimism, in wonder at the
persistence of the human need for love and the many forms it can take. A
reader less strong might put Ruth aside without being able to finish it.
Both will remember the experience. –Hunter Searle
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I keep saying I'll do this
so now...
Gregory Maguire's Wicked
is a must-read: satirical and serious, creative and challenging,
imaginative and innovative as its telling of the story of the witches of Oz
prior to Dorothy's arrival. Great for discussion in book groups --
Lee Smith's Last Girls -- a great trip down the Mississippi with four
college classmates reunited after a separation of some 30 years -- never miss a
chance to read a Smith novel!
And read everything by
Silas House -- good stories and beautiful writing. A happy new year to
readers and writers and the people who keep us informed about books.
Nancy Anderson
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Here are some of my
favorites for '03:
DaVinci Code by Dan Brown
Demons and Angels also by Dan Brown
A Painted House by John Grisham
Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
The Best Revenge by Stephen White
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My top list for
2003--submitted by Heidi
Persuader by Lee Child
Wiley’s Lament by Lono
Waiwaiole
Deadly Legacy Robin
Burcell
Blood Junction by Caroline
Carver
Winterkill by C.J. Box
The Last Detective by
Robert Crais
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. The DaVinci
Code. Hated the theology, but loved the mystery. Very well
developed. 2. The Murder Room by P.D. James. Loyalists will
hate her editors. Clouds are "tumbling" not
"scudding," and there is no mention of Michaelmas flowers.
Rather good yarn other than that. Also "curb" is misspelled,
but I won't say where. A trivial pursuit will do you
good!
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Here are a few of mine:
The Christmas Blessing
The Five People You Meet in Heaven
The Davinci Code
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Like almost everyone else,
I read and enjoyed "The DaVinci Code" and "Angels
and Demons." But not as much as I enjoyed Cod: The Biography of a Fish
That
Changed the World. by Mark Kurlansky, or The Mother Tongue, by Bill Bryson.
-Bill Perkins,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dianne McWhorter’s Carry
Me Home captures the raw emotion and cultural upheaval surrounding the
The Mayor of Casterbridge
is Thomas Hardy’s classic tale of love, guilt and regret among the working
class and landed gentry in mid-nineteenth century
Dead Men Do Tell Tales by
William J. Maples, Ph.D., is a compelling discourse on physical anthropology,
particularly as it is used to solve crime. Maples is a recognized expert in the
field. If you’ve ever wondered just exactly what happens in a crematorium, this
book provides the gruesome answer.
Tom Franklin’s collected
short stories in Poachers a few years ago brought a lot of acclaim. Hell At The
Breech, his latest effort, tells the story of a blood feud in the wilds of
South Alabama around 1900 (only a few miles from where the author was born and
raised).It is a story artfully told, full of grotesque characters, animalistic
violence and a hero who is all too human. This first novel further
establishes
This Just In (What I
Couldn’t Tell You On TV)—is Bob Schieffer’s account of more than 60 years in
journalism. Schieffer worked his way up from the police beat in Fort Worth,
-Clark Bruner
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Currently reading
"the Flyboys" Finished DaVinci, Charlie Wilson's War,
Seabuscuit, Ship of Gold, Every Breath You Take and Pat Conroy's basketball book.
A pretty boring list but the Internet has cut into my reading time a little
perhaps.
Regards,
Andy Hornsby
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My favorite was The Three
Miss Margarets! Great read!
-Jane Knight
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Moon Women by Pamela
Duncan
Roxanna Slade by Reynolds Price
Secret life of bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith
Enemy Women by Paulette Giles
The Last Girls by Lee Smith
Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand
Sunday Wife by Cassandra King Conroy
Gap Creek by Robert Morgan
The Truest Pleasure by Robert Morgan
-Donna Pleasant
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My 4 favorite reads
in '03: In a Temple of Trees by Suzanne Hudson,
Provinces of Night William Gay, Reading Southern History ed. by Glen
Feldman, and Brad
Watson's latest – Heaven of Mercury.
Stephen Martin –
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My favorite books of this
past year:
The
Hornet's Nest, Carter
Bleachers, Grisham
King of
Torts, Grisham
Next
Door Savior, Lucado
Soul
Tsunami, Sweet
God's
Name in Vain, Carter
The
Message, Peterson
-Jim Jackson, Tallassee AL
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I know I responded
already, but I think I forgot a couple. Please add "Forever" by Pete
Hamill to my list if I forgot it and "The Physician" by Noah
Gordon. "The Physician" is an older novel about an Englishman's
efforts to become a doctor in the Middle Ages and has an interesting plot along
with fascinating information with life in that time for Christians, Jews and
Muslims. -Madelyn Dinnerstein,
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I read a couple last
year that were good.
Carolyn Haines, all her
her "Bones" books.
Five People You Meet In
Heaven by Mitch Albom
The Sparrow by Mary Doria
Russell
Children of God by Mary
Doria Russell.
-Amanda Edwards, Wetumpka
AL
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A few of my favorite books
for 2003:
1. The 5 People You
Meet in Heaven
2. 3 Daughters by
Letty Pogrebin
3. The Lovely Bones
4. The Little
Seamstress
5. The Secret Life
of Bees
6. Pat Conroy - My
Loosing Season
7. A Tree Grows in
8. The Wave
-Linda Taffet
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When I found the Cordelia
Gray mysteries by P. D. James on the sale table last year, found a whole new
set of books to enjoy. The most disturbing book I read was Nickeled and Dimed
in
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Tears
of the Giraffe by A.M. Smith
Middlesex
by Jeffrey Eugenides
Rules
of Evidence by Jay Brandon
The DaVinci
Code
are
my favorites of the year. -Hilma Ezell Nelson
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For a new funny, sassy
Southern voice I recommend The Red Hat Club
and Queen Bee of Mimosa Branch by Haywood Smith.-Marcia Lindstrom
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Train by Pete
Dexter. Dark, powerful book. Probably the best golf prose ever written buried
in a typical Dexter story of doomed people who are as aware as the reader of
their ultimate fate. –Jeff Smith
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Sorry, your request must
have been deleted accidentally within my hoards of spam--I must get close to
100 junk emails every time I open my mail and I just go along deleting faster
and faster and sometimes lose the good ones:
My absolute favorite book this year was The Little Friend by Donna Tartt, which
I just finished. I admit it was emotionally difficult getting through the
first pages because of the subject matter (which is spelled out on the cover
flap so you know what's coming), but the rest of the book is absolutely
mesmerizing. I absolutely loved Harriet‹she is my favorite child since
Scout, and the book has the same identifiable Southerness of To Kill a Mockingbird.
What was amazing to me is how the author is dead-on with her characters that
run the gamut from spinster aunt, to traumatized mother to inquisitive
mischievous children to salesmen to drug addicts. She writes so naturally (her
descriptions are so real and un-contrived) that you aren't aware of the words,
you just 'visualize without realizing.' The adventure was so real and so
Southern. Can't say any more or I'll ruin the story for others, but it's
still rolling around in my head. The version I read was paperback, but I'm
going to try to find a first edition hard cover, hopefully signed. That might
prove difficult! -Wiley White
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I am sure a lot of people
have read the really profound choices such as the DaVinci Code, Big Fish the
same as I did; however, my favorite was the lighthearted southern humor of
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The best book I read this
year - Hell at the Breech, by Tom Franklin. Mr. Franklin simply told a
story. While there were many "bad" guys, there really were no
"good" guys. The people simply reacted to the world around
them. I read it the first time for the story line - the second time I
read it for the details. One could not read this story without feeling
the poverty, the dust, the simplicity in which these people lived their
lives. It is funny - my husband thought it was the most boring thing he
had read...ever. I think it is something every person in
Well OK--Though mysteries
are not my favorite reading genre, "The DaVinci Code was my favorite read
of 2003, just because it was such an engrossing tale well told. My backup favorite
was "Close To Shore" by Michael Capuzzo, for the same reason, plus
the fact that I spent many summers at The
Good luck with this endeavor. I hope you are inundated with responses.
-Fran Cleveland
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Peace Like a River
A Girl Named Zippy
Devotional Classics
Color
Girl With the
The Devil Wears Prada
-Camilla Armstrong
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Hey there,
I loved reading the reviews
the last couple of years so I guess it's my turn to contribute.
I'm not sure if this is
something you guys can use. Use any (or none) that you want.
I'm not sure all these
books came out this past year, but that's when I read them.
- Harry Potter and
the Order of the
- In the Bleak
Midwinter was a recommendation from either Cheryl or Eleanor. (I'm always so
grateful for the reading advice I get from them; they never lead me
wrong.) This was a great "mystery" book. It had
interesting characters who the author (Julia Spencer-Fleming) fleshed out
nicely. I loved the female Episcopal priest helping the sheriff solve the
case; this was a new twist on things. Both characters were so human; I
found myself caring them. I think these two have quite a future
together. I can't wait to see where Spencer-Fleming takes them
in her next book.
- Reading Adriana
Trigiani's Big Stone Gap was a nice experience. This was one little
town I enjoyed visiting. I found myself wanting to be friends with
the main character and find out more about her and her friends.
Their lives were pleasant diversions from the stress of my own. After
finishing the book, I went out and immediately bought Trigiani's next book; I
wanted to read the next chapter and find out how the story would unfold in the
Gap.
- The DaVinci
Code: This book was incredible. It was one of those that made me
want to come home early so I could read. Dan Brown mixed art, history and
intrigue (3 of my favorite things in the world) and produced one of the most
captivating reads I've had in a long time. It was storytelling at its
best. I learned a lot of things (at least I think it was all true) and
had a great time as I read this book. There were so many twists and turns
(I'm very proud to say I even figured one or two of them out on my own.)
I couldn't wait to find the answers to all the questions Brown raised; at the
same time, I really didn't want this book to end. I'll be reading this
one again.
-RichardArmstead
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are captivating
books in addition to The DaVinci Code. And a fine
example from 2003 is The Student Conductor. Fictional young conductors
and
musicians during Nazi
happenings in their demanding, fast-paced musical adventures. If you have
been even
briefly on the perimeter of life in a music department you will recognize the
accuracy of the experiences and details incorporated in this delightful read.
Ziegler's passion for Brahms is sure to pique your interest and catapult
you
to further study and musical immersion. But the conductor accepts novice
musicians as well as oboe majors on this fact filled fictional journey.
~Carolyn Barnette
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Having looked forward to
your Best Books List for the past couple of years, I thought perhaps it was
time to add some of my own favorites from 2003:
The Lovely Bones
Alice Sebold
Seabiscuit
Laura Hillenbrand
Balzac and the Little
Chinese Seamstress Dai Sijie
The Way the Crow
Flies Ann Marie MacDonald
An American
Summer Frank Deford
Rabbit Factory
Larry Brown
Ahab's Wife
Sena Jeter Naslund
Happy reading to all in
2004
-Gail Anderson,
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2003 Favorites:
The Heaven of Mercury, Brad Watson
White Doves at Morning, James Lee Burke
Enemy Women, Paulette Jiles
Hollow Ground, Stephen Marion
-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My favorite read of 2003
was Naguib Mahfouz's massive "
Mahfouz is thus far the only Arabic writer to have won the Nobel Prize
for Literature. The "Trilogy" (about 1400 pages in the Everyman
edition
you ordered for me) consists of three novels, "Palace Walk," "
an upper middle-class family in
World War II. The "Trilogy" is at once vastly amusing, sorrowful,
and
historically insightful.
My most important reads were two books by Noam Chomsky,
"9/11" and "Hegemony or Survival: The American Quest for
Global
Dominance." Having revolutionized linguistics to the degree that
revolutionized biology, Chomsky has written extensively on global
politics for the past 30 years. The "New York Times" dubbed him
"arguably the most important intellectual alive." A couple of
years ago,
I recommended to your readers a book titled "Reinventing the Wheel:
A
Bhuddist Response to the Information Age," by Peter Hershock. I
concluded with the question, "Is your mind really your own? Read
this
book and find out." Chomsky's writings confirm Hershock's
thesis. "No.
It isn't." And the consequences are devastating for life on our
planet.
--Robert Ely
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Time Travelers Wife
was one of my favorites for 2003 because it did a great job of an unusual
theme. I enjoyed Pompei for the same reason, plus I learned a lot. A
mystery, a travel book a real page turner with a twist and a half was Bangkok
8; Ed McBain's latest The Frumjous Bandersnatch I liked because of the many
many plays on words and the latest Reginiald Hill (can't remember title think
it is Dialogues of the Dead) from another master who makes the English language
sing. Two that were disappointments were Hornet Flight from Follett and
Split Second from Baldacci -- authors that I usually rave over and this time
just were either very simple sort of non-brainers like the Hornet Flight and
the Split Second strained credulity. Firefly (which may be this years
since I finished it last night) was really great till the last twist then I
wanted to throw the book across the room and into the garbage can.
Hope all this helps a bit
-- make of it what you will. Sarah Robinson
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HELL AT THE BREECH.
period.
the end.
Laurie Weil
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My favorite book of 2003
is The DaVinci Code. I love its
intelligent treatment of fine art, history, and mystery. Of course, I love
Valerie Gribben's Fairytale. My
daughter's favorite of 2003 (age 12) is Bartimaeus.
-Renee Ferguson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Favorite reads for 2003:
Life of Pi by Yan Martel
Bel Canto by Ann Padgett
A Short History of Just About Everything by Bill Bryson.
-Betty Cork
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All right, you asked for
it! By far my favorite book of the past year was "Big Fish" by
Daniel Wallace. The first time I sat down to read it (New Year's weekend of
02-03), I gulped it down in one sitting and promptly turned back to page one to
read it again! I only hope the movie captures some of the "mythic"
proportions of Wallace's terrific story. I have re-read the book several times
during the year and it has never failed to delight me.
Another amazing book was
Brad Watson's "The Heaven of Mercury"! This is the sort of book that
only poets can write, because as you read the story the words flow so
beautifully that you would swear someone is just reading aloud a volume of
poetry. (This is the same reaction I had when I first read Anne George's
"This One and Magic Life" a few years ago.)
An unexpectedly
engrossing novel that tracks the disintegration of a marriage, "The
Sunday Wife" by Cassandra King, is the third on my list of best books of
2003. Rarely can a writer base an entertaining novel on dysfunctional
families (with the obvious exception of Pat Conroy), but King writes so well,
that I actually looked forward to picking up her novel at the end of a long
day. Of course, it may be a psychological mind-game, but the fact that our
friend from
On a much different note,
but also very well-written was Louise Shaffer's "The Three Miss
Margarets." I thoroughly enjoyed her thinly-veiled discussion of the
And yes, I did read a few
titles that were NOT written by local/southern writers this year. In fact, my
book club read "John Adams" by David McCullough, a book that I had
been meaning to read since its publication some time ago. McCullough's thorough
(and eminently readable) approach encouraged me to purchase a copy of
"Founding Fathers" by Joseph Ellis, a book that may make the 2004
list!
Rounding out the list
of my favorite books of 2003 are Sue Monk Kidd's "The Secret
Life of Bees," Isabel Allende's "My Invented Country," and Dava
Sobel's "Galileo's Daughter." Sobel breathes life into a previously
unseen counterpoint to Galileo's feud with the Catholic Church: his
intellectual and emotional bond with his eldest daughter, who was a nun. I also
enjoyed reading Wallace's "The Watermelon King," wherein the author
returns to "Big Fish" country (
Thanks so much for all you
do for us readaholics!
-Julie Sinclair
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Far and away, my favorite
reads of 2003 were "The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay," Michael
Chabon, and "The Bee Season," Myla Goldberg.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Good reads in
2003...
Birthright by Nora Roberts
The DaVinci Code - Dan
Brown
Dying to Please - Linda
Howard ( I really, really hope you can get her to visit this year)
The Price - Joan Johnston
Wilde Thing - Janelle
Denison
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Favorite read of 2003:
Small Wonder by Barbara Kingsolver.
This series of essays, written from the standpoint of a fiction writer who is also
a trained biologist, focuses on the environment, peace, and family. Reading
this book brings about soul-searching, wonder, tears, and laughter. A must for
any Kingsolver fan since she reveals things about herself and her family that
make you realize where she was coming from when she wrote her novels.
By the way, I am a huge fan of Kingsolver...Any chance you could get her at the
store? (You'll have to read the book to understand what an outside chance that
would be. No offense intended.) -Betsy Coley
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The Big Fish and the
DaVinci Code
-Jerry
Baxley
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Favorites: Love by Toni Morrison
thanks, alex
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Living with Music: Ralph
Ellison's Jazz Writings, edited by Robert O'Meally The essays are less
about the technical aspects of jazz and more about jazz as a metaphor and
reflection of society. A few of the essays are good, the rest
are wonderfully written.
-Mac Hall
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oh, well, check my author
and title bef. releasing my all year read that is one of the most compelling
books in over 50 years of devouring books, books, books: Leon Kass' The
Beginning of Wisdom is an in depth analysis of the Book of Genesis. Dr.
Kass is chmn. of the Pres.' Council on Bioethics, prof. at
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I never received an email
asking for favorite reads. I have been looking for it and since I never
received it I thought you were not doing it this year. I will go ahead and give
you my favorite read. When Good Men Do Nothing: the Assassination of Albert
Patterson by Alan Grady. The book is well researched and based on sound
scholarship. The author had access to the files of Bernard Sykes, the acting
attorney general who was in charge of the investigation. The files were sealed
until 1994 when Attorney General Jimmy Evans granted the author access to the
files. This is probably the most accurate and objective book written on the
Patterson assignation. -Bill Hicks
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Okay, since you REALLY
want to know, one of the books I thoroughly enjoyed is THIS ROCK by Robert
Morgan. It's very well written and the dialect rings true. It must
have done rather poorly, because (I hate to say this) I bought it at the
Dollar Tree. One of the best dollars I ever spent! -Molly Martin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I liked Stolen Lives by
Malika Oufkir
-Marguerite Wood
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Lovely Bones –Ami
Simpson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For a quick page turning
read, I really enjoyed DaVinci Code, for something a little more ponderous -
The Three Junes was great! -Michelle Goodwyn
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Oh, no!
My notables:
1. Atonement, Ian MacEwan. I cannot remember with
certainty if I read this in 2002 or 2003, but I loved
it. It's my first book by him and I couldn't put it
down. It was filled with a marvelous quiet dread and
regret and a very delicious sex scene in the library
of a grand old house (as told from the nosy little
sister's point of view). I have recommended this book
to several people.
2. Child of My Heart, Alice McDermott. After reading
several favorable reviews of this book, I suspected it
would be a difficult read for me because I'm the
mother of a toddler. It was. Nonetheless, it was
beautifully written. McDermott's descriptive language
is concise and lush at the same time. Nearly a year
after reading it, I am still thinking about Child of
My Heart.
3. I read this one at least once a year: This Is My
Daughter, Roxana Robinson. It's WASPy and full of
dysfunctional families, but it's perfection, to me.
The plot is tightly woven and the characters are
delightfully well-developed. I always like to have a
fly-on-the-wall view of how the other half lives.
4. The People Who Knock on the Door, Patricia
Highsmith: Talk about quiet dread! I read this book
in a sitting because I couldn't put it down. Highsmith
is a master in her genre and has an ability to reach
out of a book, wave a magic storytelling wand and hold
this particular reader spellbound. I love her Ripley
books for the campy retro language and I love her
other books for their weirdness. I think Highsmith is
a person whose company I would have enjoyed very much.
Happily (and now wishing I was curled up in a chair at
home, reading),
-Stephanie Hill
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The DaVinci Code, John
Grisham's Skipping Christmas, Alex de Toqueville's A Fortnight in the
Wilderness, and lots more. Happy New Year
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here are some favorites
from last year, some but not all published in 2003:
“Sailing Alone Around the
Room,” Billy Collins
“Revenge of the
Middle-Aged Woman,” Elizabeth Buchan
“Owls and Other
Fantasies,” Mary Oliver
“A Year by the Sea,” Joan
Anderson
“Amost There,” Nuala
O’Faolain
“Not Fade Away,” Peter
Barton & Laurence Shames
“The Power of Now,”
Eckhart Tolle
Thanks for asking!
-Karen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My best read of 2003 was a
book I had picked up and put down several times as
it did not seem appealing to me. I got it as a gift from my daughter so I had
to read it. "The DaVinci Code" by Dan Brown grabbed me from page one
and did
not turn loose for 3 days. It became the topic of much discussion and further
research. Fascinating!
A totally charming book was "The Girls with the Grandmother Faces,"
maybe
because I now fit into that category. I underlined, turned down page corners
and
decided there is a celebration of life for those over 55. If you want a better
understanding of your mother, grandmother, or yourself -- this is the book.
David Baldacci was a beach read this past summer. "Split Second" was
OK, but
"Last Man Standing" was a big disappointment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You are not bugging
me. Just been busy after the holidays.
I liked Big Fish - for
obvious reasons, but wouldn't have called it a favorite if it were not for the
link to Montgomery/River Region area.
I have discovered a new
author - of course my books are at home and I can't think of her name right now
(Dorothea Benton Frank,could that be it?) - but the books I have read are
"Sullivan's
Loved Grisham's
"Bleachers". Didn't much like "The Summons."
Wish he'd write another book that would match "A Time to Kill."
Tried Harry Potter (so I
could relate to my grandchildren) and found myself drawn in. Have read
all but the last one so far. Love them!
Read Pat Conroy's "My
Losing Season." - can't follow the play by play since I don't really know
the game of basketball, but loved hearing the "real story" of his
family - since we all know he writes his life in every book of fiction.
Wonder when we'll ever see another one. I really love his work.
Discovered another author
- triple name, last name Straub (?) that I enjoyed. Mysteries.
Bought the book at your store on a $1.00 table. Well worth it.
Don't read much non-fiction
but these are some of my thoughts for 2003.
Reading "The
Wedding" right now. Hard not to like. Have read all Nicholas
Sparks books, some twice - especially "The Notebook." Hope this
is what you are looking for. I enjoy your emails and the Sunday paper
articles.
-Kay Stabler
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Great reads for 2003-
The God File - Frank Turner
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Favorite books of 2003:
Life of Pi -- Yann Martel
Night Watch -- Terry
Prachett
My Losing Season -- Pat
Conroy
Coraline -- Neil Gaiman
Nickel and Dimed --
Barbara Ehrenreich
Under the Banner of Heaven
-- John Krakauer
Sunshine -- Robin McKinley
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
well of course I'd submit
But if I had to pick
someone else's book....I'd pick Last Train to
-Don Bruns
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DaVinci Code (Brown)
The Landscape of Man (Jellicoe)
The Nantucket Table (Simon)
The Nantucket
Insalata (Simon)
Contorni (Simon)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My favorite read of the
year has been Abraham, by Bruce Feiler. In a time when we especially need to be
looking for common ground between different religious faiths and different
countries, this book provides a wonderful search for information on a person
interwoven with Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Written by an American
Jew, the work offers much more than this topic, though, with discoveries that
speak to other problems of the day, such as social issues our own churches are
examining.
Second favorite was Sister of My Heart by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. Prose so
powerful it hurt my heart at times. A wonderful picture of life in a modern
Indian family, trying to bring up the daughters the traditional way when many
others have left behind the old traditions. A discovered secret changes the
lives of two cousins forever.
-Mildred Wakefield
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh my goodness! I
will send you some as soon as I get home, I just figured you probably already
had tons! I'll send some thoughts about these too later but meanwhile...
I loved:
The Nanny Diaries
The Eyre Affair
The Lovely Bones
Four Spirits
You Look Nice Today
The Age of
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Happy New Year friends at
CB&N,
In order of
preference, my favorite reads of 2003:
Redeeming Love - Francine Rivers
Life Is So Good - George Dawson
The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
Sea Glass - Anita Shreve
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
A Ship Possessed - Alton Gansky
Bleachers - John Grisham
Talk Before Sleep - Elizabeth Berg
The Bean Trees - Barbara Kingsolver
Looking forward the "lists" soon. -Jackie Culpepper
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I think 2003 has been an outstanding year
for reading. The most memorable part for me, I guess, has been my
introduction to the world of Thursday Next, the literary detective (in more
ways than one) featured in Jasper Fforde's books "The Eyre Affair"
and "Lost in a Good Book." Thursday Next lives in England in 1985,
but it's a slightly different
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PS - it is probably no
secret but my favorite book of the year was - HELL AT THE BREECH by Tom
Franklin. I've been waiting on Tom's novel for a longtime and he really
delivered. His storytelling grabs you and you know the characters
- "good and bad". The conclusion was perfect and the
world needs a few more good guys like Sherriff Billy Waite to protect us all.
Other titles I
enjoyed this year.
Bringing Down the
House Ben Mezrich
Faint Cold
Fear
Karin Slaughter
Fatal
Flaw William
Lashner
Anyway - not too long but
books that I thought were good and some of my favorite authors. –Michael
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Folks at Capitol Book
Wonderland—
Oops, all I tried to do was make a space between two words, and the email flew
off! Back to favorite reading in 2003 from Mae Mallory Krulak formerly of
Uniontown, Alabama, now living in Baltimore, Maryland: Alexander McCall
Smith’s beguiling series set in Botswana featuring Precious Ramotswe in The
#1Ladies Detective Agency not saccharine but genuinely touching and
charming. So far four books available in
adding local interest, but
most of all for its Churchillian message, “Never give up, Never, Never.”
Shirley Hazzard entranced me 20 years ago with The Transit of Venus so her new novel
The Great Fire once again displays Hazzard’s superb literary legerdemain.
Another serial treat is Adriana Trigiani’s Big Stone Gap trilogy. And a
Yankee who moved to Mississippi gave me insight and context to my birthplace,
Greenwood, Mississippi, as Richard Rubin wrote Confederacy of Silence, a True
Tale of the New Old South—football, racism, and murder. Finally I’d like
to compliment a young
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About those favorite books
of the year, I vote for "Flyboys" as numero uno for the real stuff,
and "The Avenger" as the best fiction. As to my all time
favorite bookstore, well, heck. What other place than Capitol Book? Merry
Christmas, Thomas, Cheryl and Eleanor! -Wayne Engbretson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Of the books I have read
this year, I had five favorites.
-Bel Canto by Ann
Patchett is about opera, terrorism, and the psychology of group behavior.
That may seem to be a strange combination but it works in this book.
- Atonement by Ian
McEwan. This book is set in
-Year of Wonders by
Geraldine Brooks. Based on an actual historical account of a village in
-Falling Angels by Tracy
Chevalier (who wrote Girl with a Pearl Earring) takes place in
-The Da Vinci Code by Dan
Brown. My book group had one of its best discussions of the year on this
book. This book has a lot of action and a fast moving plot. The
information put forth in the book about art and religion, however, provoked
much greater discussion than the plot. –Jean Smyth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My favorite reads of 2003
have been by Sena Jeter Naslund's Ahab's Wife, and Four Spirits. I read Ahab's
Wife first, how amazing Ms. Naslund's writing is! It makes you feel as if
you are really there.....whether she's writing about life on a secluded island,
or a wife pining for her husband. I just finished Four Spirits, again,
Wonderful writing, such a difficult topic to write about.....the events in this
book were a bit before my time, and I found it to be a real learning experience
of history in the South in the 1960's. I'm looking very foward to reading
more of her books in the near future! (Capitol Books, I would like to add
that I love your newsletter, and hope to return to your wonderful bookstore in
the coming year.)
Thanks, Laura F. Thornton,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Happy Holidays!
My best book list for 2003 would have to include:
-Haven Kimmel's The Solace of Leaving Early -- deeply compassionate, smart, and
funny -- she's one of my favorite "young" authors.
-Jeanne Ray's Eat Cake --warm, witty, and comforting -- she's become my
favorite author for "sharing" with girlfriends.
-Mark Curtis Chapman's
-Kelly Cherry's We Can Still Be Friends explored the theme of the lengths to
which a woman will go to form a family. Readers unfamiliar with her work
should also read My Life and Dr. Joyce Brothers and The Society of Friends.
-Michelle Richmond's The Dream of the Blue Room secured her reputation as a
writer to watch.
-No reading list for Alabamians would ever be complete without Mary Ward
Brown's two collections -- Tongues of Flame and It Wasn't All Dancing, which
was published in paperback this year. Mrs. Brown's work balances the painful
truths about living with extraordinary grace and kindness.
-Pam Kingsbury,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Since my current writing
project is a novel based on the lives of real people who were
significant during the 19th century, I've been drawn
to fiction in that mode by other writers. I enjoyed Lydia Cassatt Reading the Morning Paper,
by Harriett Scott Chessman, an elegant little novel which utilizes as
its main character the sister of Mary Cassatt; Abe, by Richard Slotkin, a
well-written, coming-of-age novel about Abraham Lincoln, aimed to an
audience beyond the YA market; and the racy page-turner Douglass's Women (as in Frederick
Douglass) by Jewell Parker Rhodes. In the best tradition of literary
fiction set in the past, two recent novels stand out: Tom Franklin's Hell at the Breech and Enemy Women, by Paulette
Jiles. -Judy (Julia) Oliver
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One of my favorite books
from this year was "Lucia, Lucia" by Adriana Trigiani. A
thoroughly delightful read. And it was made even more special when I got to
talk to the author via email and by phone with the rest of our women's book
club. She is terrific! It made me immediately go out and get the rest of
her books, beginning with "Big Stone Gap," which also became one of
my favorites for '03. Her other two books are next on my list to read.
While these are not new books, I also enjoyed "The No. 1 Ladies Detective
Agency," "Peace Like a River" by Leif Enger, "Gap
Creek" by Robert Morgan, "Wish You Well" by David Baldacci and
"First to Die" by James Patterson.
-Lenore Vickrey
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi, Thomas &
Cheryl. I'm smack out of time, but do want to contribute. Would you
mind double-checking the authors for me? I've since loaned out (or burned
as the case may be) all of these books. Thanks!!! krb
I've been on a bit of an adventure novel kick this year, and the best of the
bunch was "The Coldest March" by Susan Solomon. The book
recounts the tale of Robert Scott's fatal Antarctic expedition as told and
researched by Solomon, a climatologist. While the subject is old, the
perspective of Solomon is most captivating in that she delves into the science
behind the failure, but thankfully doesn't get bogged down by the same.
And speaking of science, my I-can't-believe-I-enjoyed-this-book award goes to
E=mc2 by David Bodanis. No one would ever categorize me as a science
buff, so when this book was recommended I was extremely hesitant. So
reticent, in fact, that it took me over a year to actually purchase it.
We have all heard of the equation, but do you know the history behind it or
even Einstein? You'll be enthralled from the very beginning, and fear
not, it reads like a novel instead of a textbook.
So that we may raise more Einstein's, you really must read "Raising
Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys" by Dan Kindlon and
Michael Thompson, PhDs. As mothers, fathers, teachers and role models, it
is imperative that we give our boys the emotional vocabulary that allows them
to mature into thoughtful, well-adjusted and expressive men. So much past
research focused on girls, and as such we have woefully neglected the
psychological needs of our boys. Read this book with a red pen to underline
key points.
For a break from the serious, I recommend "The No. 1 Ladies Detective
Agency" by Alexander McCall Smith. Set in
Are you a woman who earns a paycheck and is raising children? The bus
stops at "I Don't Know How She Does It" by Allison Pearson. You
will laugh out loud at Kate's chaotic life, and the survival skills she
develops to make it all "work." Hysterical because it's
true! You will see yourself in this book, and whether that's good or not,
I'll leave up to you.
Because I like to go out all guns blazing, do we really need another book by
John Grisham? Is there a value-added component that I'm missing? I
think not. I say to you, release yourself from the shackles of publishing
house drones, and vow to explore authors unknown. 'King of Torts' was
uninspired, stale, boring........ad nauseum. [vomiting on my
keyboard]
-Kathleen Rozic Barr
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Tom & Cheryl,
For what it's worth- some
good books read during 2003:
LONGITUDES AND ATTITUDES
by Thomas Friedman, NYTIMES columnist
RUN TO THE MOUNTAIN,The
Journals of Thomas Merton by Thomas Merton
DEATH COMES TO THE
ARCHBISHOP by Willa Cather
ELECTRIC LIGHT by Seamus
Heaney
EINSTEIN'S DREAMS (a
re-read) by Alan Lightman
HEISENBERG'S WAR by Thomas
Powers
SHAKESPEARE,THE INVENTION
OF THE HUMAN ( a continuing read)
by
Harold Bloom
A HEARTBREAKING WORK OF
STAGGERING GENIUS by Dave Eggers
INTO THIN AIR by Jon
KRAKAUER
A fun list to think
about. Thanks... -Greg
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My favorite book for 2003
is The Three Miss Margarets by Louise Shaffer. I also got around to
reading Clay’s Quilt by Silas House, which I liked. Thanks!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thomas,
Please, please reserve for me the Dick & Jane set and the
Wonderland pop-up. I will send my mother over to pick them up! I promise
I'll write something for "my favorite book....” Right now I'm very high on
the #1 Ladies Detective Agency, which I seem to have come to later than
everyone else. But I'm going to dig down deep, and reflect on what I've
read this year. Now that I'm of a certain age, most books seem to go in one
eyeball and straight out the other. Happy holidays! -Alice Hart
Wertheim
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, here goes: 1.) The
Rural Life-Verlyn Klinkenborg - all about seasons of nature and seasons of the
author’s life 2.) Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman-
Alice Steinbach 3.) For the Time Being- Annie Dillard.
Those are my picks for 2003! -Emmi
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Because I'm invited to a
baby shower of books, I decided to get a copy
of my very favorite, for all times: THE LITTLE PRINCE. For the most
enjoyable fun book of the year: BOO OF THE SILVER ROD by one of my, and
everybody else's very favorite persons, Tom Fitzpatrick. For non-fiction
it is: AND THE DEAD SHALL RISE AGAIN, THE MURDER OF MARY PHAGAN ADN THE LYNCHING
OF LEO FRANK by Steve Oney. The small
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