November 2013

The Good Lord Bird by James McBride

Henry Shackleford is a young slave living in the Kansas Territory in 1857, when John Brown, the legendary abolitionist, arrives in the area and ends up taking young Henry under his wing. In my opinion this book had the potential to be great historical fiction but it fell flat again and again. However it won the 2013 National Book Award for Fiction so what do I know?

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Young Theo Decker miraculously survives a horrible accident that kills his mother. His father long gone, Theo is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. He clings to the one thing that reminds him of his mother -- a small painting that he ‘borrows’ from the museum where the accident took place. After his father re-appears his life takes a turn and we watch Theo grow up and try to do the right thing. Through it all the painting holds his life together. Until it doesn’t. Fabulous story line, awesome characters who you love so much you want to reach inside the pages and stop them from self-destruction.

FAVORITE BOOK OF THE YEAR. ♥♥♥♥