Winter Book Picks


Okay friends....I have had so many people come up to me lately saying they have finished all the books on my summer list and need new books. So here they are, enjoy!

Happy Reading,

Alison

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

In this mysterious novel renowned author Vida Winter finally decides to share her biography with the world. She chooses Margaret Lea, a London book-seller's daughter to write her biography. Vida has always in the past either been obscure or just plain lied about her life; the world has always wondered what her true past might entail. This book honestly takes awhile to get into, but once you do it is elegant and enchanting. It is the mystery of a life that enfolds with twists and turns and sometimes more questions than answers. I adore this book and always recommend it to people to read in the winter. It requires a crackling fire and a hot cup of coffee.




The First Family by David Baldacci

The first lady hires two former Secret Service agents when her niece is kidnapped following her birthday party at Camp David. Nothing in this book is exactly what it seems. I don't usually go for political intrigue books but this one was especially fun. This is one of the only books I have ever read that I could not see any further into the story than what page I was on. Meaning, I could not figure this one out which made it so interesting. I finally had to just stay up really late one night and finish it. It was driving me crazy not knowing what would happen next and how it all tied together. Fun for something really different.




Cane River by Lalita Tademy

This is is a generational novel about four women born into slavery on a plantation in Louisiana. These women fight for their lives by any means necessary. One way in which they try to provide a better life for their families is though the systematic "bleaching" of their race. Life on the plantation is constantly changing as war is breaking out and the plight of a slave is evolving. This book though sometimes difficult to swallow, is profoundly fascinating. I recommend this book to people all the time and I have yet to hear of anyone not loving it.






The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons

Okay for something really different and fun... in an upscale suburban Atlanta neighborhood an ambitious young architect builds a decidedly modern house in a traditional neighborhood. The real story unfolds when the house is finished and the family moves in. Tragedy befalls anyone who moves into the amazing house leaving next door neighbors to wonder if there is an energy to this house that is evil. Basically this is a haunted house story and it is so enjoyable. For those who scare easy have no fear I don't think this will give you nightmares. Just fun fun fun.





Nefertiti by Michelle Moran

This is an absolute page-turner. I enjoyed this book so much even though I don't think you can even call it historical fiction since so little is really known about Queen Nefertiti. Nefertiti's younger sister narrates this most interesting story about a young girl's rise to the thrown, an impressionable young king, and a nation in religious turmoil. I know this is incredibly girly of me, but I thoroughly appreciated the clothes, make-up and wigs of the day. Just an all around great read.






The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Okay this truly one of the best books I have ever read. And you people know how much I read so that is really saying something. It is the elaborate story of the building of a 12th-century English cathedral. I know it doesn't sound all that appealing, especially when you consider that it is about 1,200 pages long of very small print, but it is an almost magical book. It is so incredibly well-written and elegant, but also just plain interesting. I never tired of this book even though it took me almost (brace yourself) a month to read it. I truly loved every minute of it. It is the perfect book to read during the winter because so much of it takes place in the freezing cold English winters. I would recommend picking this book up at Half Price books instead of your local library though. It does just take a while to finish. So worth it.