The BEST Books to Read

Another season has passed, so I’m once again sharing the BEST books that I read so that you’ll have some new reading ideas! Add these to your list – you won’t be sorry.

Books also make terrific holiday gifts, and this list contains something for every reader! If books aren’t your favorite gifts to give, check out these other terrific gift ideas, and get that holiday shopping finished!

The Best Non-Fiction Books

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, but all opinions are my own*

Art Starts is the perfect gift for your favorite art lover. Or, if you are like us and just looking for indoor activities for the long winter ahead of us! It’s geared towards kids ages 3-8 but my teens had fun with a few of these projects on a cold and rainy afternoon. I got out art supplies (most of the projects use items you probably already have around the house) and set them to work. It was a relaxing and enjoyable time! My rating 4.5 out of 5.

Present Over Perfect isn’t a new book, I purchased it a few years ago and just never got around to reading it. I’m not sure why it took me so long as I love Shauna Niequist. In fact, Bread & Wine is one of my all-time favorite books. My copy of that book is well used and I’ve made EVERY SINGLE recipe from it through the years.

Right now, I feel that Present Over Perfect is exactly what I need to be reading. The inside cover says it all “Live a life of meaning and connection instead of pushing for perfection.” Yes! My rating 5 out of 5.

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, but the opinions stated are all my own*

If you’ve been wanting to add meditation to your life and have little kids that often distract you, Sit with Me just might be the book you need! A storybook designed to make meditation fun and simple for young children, you could read it to them and then practice together. If nothing else, I bet you’ll have a fun time trying it out! It’s pretty adorable. My rating 4 out of 5.

I’ve always been a sucker for a great memoir and Hollywood Park doesn’t disappoint. Mikel Jollett was born into the Church of Synanon and lived the first few years of his life separated from his parents. When his mother decided to leave the cult, she snuck Mikel and his brother out and they began a life on the outside and often on the run.

Mikel’s description of how the “real” world operates beyond life in the cult was fascinating as he tells it from the perspective of himself as a young child. The book begins with his escape, moves to his unusual childhood, years at Stanford, and ends with his current life as the lead singer of the Airborne Toxic Event indie band. My rating 4.5 out of 5.

The Best Fiction Books

I really loved The Last Flight! I found it so engrossing I ended up reading the whole book over the course of a busy two day weekend. If I hadn’t been so busy I probably would have finished it in one sitting. Although Claire Cook appears to have a perfect life, in reality, it’s anything but perfect.

Claire’s been plotting for a year to leave her husband and her life behind but a last-minute schedule change ruins everything. Eva is also on the run and when their paths cross, luckily (???) a solution appears just as both women begin to panic. I won’t go any further as I don’t want to give it away – and don’t read ahead! My rating 4.5 out of 5.

As my free* Amazon Prime book for November, I thought The Last of the Moon Girls was an entertaining and enjoyable story. Although I read it curled up by the fire, I also think it would be a great beach read. As the last of the Moon girls, Lizzy Moon is called back to the family farm when her beloved Grandmother dies.

Although Lizzy loved growing up on the farm, there were also a variety of reasons she couldn’t wait to leave. All Lizzy wanted was to live a normal life, and the Moon girls are anything but normal. The pull of the family history versus the life she’s created for herself mixed in with an unsolved murder creates a tumultuous few weeks for Lizzy as she decides where her future will take her. My rating 4 out of 5.

Horrifying enough to discover your young child is missing from a school field trip. Even worse to learn that the wrong child was taken. This twisty thriller ticks down the timeline as Kat moves through the nightmare that her life has become when her son Ethan goes missing. Although I did figure out who took the child before the end, the journey is still engrossing. Three Days Missing is another one of those books that you shouldn’t read ahead! My rating 4 out of 5.

*One of my favorite benefits of Amazon Prime is the FREE monthly Kindle books! Every month you’ll get to pick a free book (sometimes TWO) out of about 5 or 6 options. I’ve found some really terrific books this way and I love having a selection of books to read on my Kindle when I travel! Click on this link to try Amazon Prime with a special deal!

What’s the BEST book you’ve read recently? I need to beef up my to-be-read list as it’s getting a little slim! Please share in the comments!

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