All The Books I Read or Listened To in 2018
A Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel. I completed the entire audiobook in less than 24 hours and it was fascinating. And totally creeped me out too. “In 1986, twenty-year-old Christopher Knight left his home in Massachusetts, drove to Maine, and disappeared into the woods. He would not have a conversation with another person for the next twenty-seven years.”
Can you imagine? Living in the woods, for 27 years, alone, in silence, in Maine? You would think the first winter alone in a tent would kill you. But 27 years? Holy cow it was a compelling story. I can’t recommend it enough. Especially the audio version {which I was able to download from Overdrive}.
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman. Depressing.
Love Life by Rob Lowe. How can you not like this guy? He’s funny. And real. And at the end of the day, all he really cares about is his wife and kids. He sees the little bubble he lives in/has created for what it is.
Starry Night by Debbie Macomber. The Debbie Macomber books are totally predictable {like, you know how the book is going to end within the first 5 minutes} but it’s something easy to listen to as I work on my rug hooking or pottery so I kept on going back for more of them this past summer. Comfortable I guess, that’s what I’d call them.
Calypso by David Sedaris. I enjoyed about 80% of the book {the other 20% I could do without. But it seems to be that way with all his books for me}. He’s a funny writer, and his observational humor is spot on.
The Egg and I by Betty Mac Donald. Funny, but dramatic, eye rolling at times. Kind of like that book about the one lady {writer?} who moved to Vermont and opened a country store {then sold it}. I think I only finished the audio version because it was keeping me company as I worked on ornaments.
Beauty in the Broken Places by Allison Pataki. Well told and it made me want to pick up some of her historical drama books. I wonder how her husband is doing now.
Glass House by Brian Alexander. It was all going so well, until it wasn’t. And after listening to all the sell offs and corporate back end deals, it made me not want to buy their products anymore. Until I discovered they made the perfect canning jar. And once I found the perfect jam jar, I ordered 8 cases.
Educated by Tara Westover. This memoir was by far the best book I read/listened to this year and is totally worth your attention. #2 would be A Stranger in the Woods. Leonard #3 and Bunny #4.
Bunny Mellon: The Life of an American Style Legend by Meryl Gordon. What an AMAZINGLY complicated person. The collector part in her reminded me of Huguette Clark.
Martha’s Vineyard, Isle of Dreams and A Fine Romance by Susan Branch. I liked about 75% of the first book {too much talk about Cliff!} and the second book, not so much. I think it was the mish-mash of pictures, doodles, text, {flashbacks to Cliff} woe is me that I wasn’t to fond of. I think I returned the second book before I finished it.
Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man by William Shatner. A little self serving {on Shatner’s part}, but WOW, what an interesting guy Leonard Nimoy was, and I’m totally not a Star Trek fan.
I Remember Nothing by Nora Ephron. I almost hit the delete button after the first 10 minutes because I felt like she was repeating herself and I wasn’t going to like the book, but I am glad I hung on. It seemed more like a long phone conversation with a friend at times. The last list though…. got to me.
A Secret Gift by Ted Gup. I wasn’t really keen on the narrators voice {he kind of sounded like a newscaster} but I REALLY enjoyed listening to the stories and just how much pride the people who wrote in had. Times were tough and rather than a hand out, what they wanted more than anything was a job. It’s a really good read and I highly recommend the book.
Bad Days in History by Michael Farquhar. Interesting, but also kind of boring.
New England Farmgirl by Jessica Robinson. {A must if you live in New England} I especially liked the stories and all her suggestions for farm stands and other spots of interest in the Northeast region. I would like to own a copy to keep on hand for summer adventure ideas.
Founding Gardeners by Andrea Wulf. I LOVED learning about how the gardens at Monticello, Mount Vernon and Montpelier came together. Plus, having been to all three of those places, made the stories, even better.
The Bookshop Around the Corner by Jenny Colgan. I remember absolutely nothing about this book.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer. I tried reading the book, then listening to it and couldn’t get into either. Then the movie popped up on my tv screen one night and I ended up watching the movie two times back to back it was so good!
The Bassoon King by Rainn Wilson. Too quirky. I put it down after a few chapters.
Angela’s Ashes and ‘Tis by Frank McCourt. I’ve read each book twice over the years, and this time around I listened to them on Overdrive in his voice and they were even better.
Sister’s First by Jenna Bush Hager. I stop listening to it about 1/4 of the way in. Ehhh, it wasn’t for me.
Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicholas Sparks. I made it about 45 minutes in before giving up on that one two.
Lab Girl by Hope Jaren. Good. Made me think.
Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson. Second time around it wasn’t as funny
Life Itself by Roger Ebert. Good!
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain. If you are an introvert, and you feel like a weirdo, read this book. It will make you feel like a normal person.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris. Heartbreaking, difficult to listen to at times but highly recommend it.
Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon. I tried listening to the book and couldn’t make it more than 10 minutes {her voice}. So I am going to put a request in for the print version.
22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson. Excellent.
Cookbooks
The Art of Pie by Kate McDermott. Excellent.
Cheeses of Vermont by Henry Tewksbury. I would have loved this book if there had been more photos. But it was also written in 2002 and before researching cheese farms online {that you want to hop in your car to visit} is much easier than relying on something that was written 16 years ago.
One Potato, Two Potato by Roy Finnamore. Just okay.
Yankee Magazine’s Lost and Vintage Recipes by the Editors of Yankee Magazine. Tried 3 recipes, liked 1 of them.
The Best of America’s Test Kitchen 2018 by America’s Test Kitchens. So far both the recipes we’ve tried have been delicious!
Not Really Reading Books, More Like Picture Books for Grown Ups
Tasha Tudor’s Heirloom Crafts and Tasha Tudor’s Garden by Tovah Martin. The books were lovely. Reading about someone else’s journey through the ebb and flow of the seasons, and really just making their home and garden their sanctuary, that’s where it’s at. That’s what I am striving for. Life before Amazon.
Vintage Cottages by Molly English. Pretty pictures of things I’ve probably seen a million times. But there is something comforting in that.
Colonial: Design in the New World by David Larkin. {I’ve checked this out from the library 3 times!} I love this book. I need to buy myself a copy so I don’t become the crazy lady who checks it out 237 times. Also, it reminds me that less is more when it comes to decorating.
Basketry by John E. McGuire. I just borrowed this.
Mason Jar Nation by Joann Moser. Tons of history, pictures and Ideas packed in between the pages and I highly recommend this book for canners!
Podcasts
- How I built This {I LOVE this podcast}
- The Art of Manliness
- Fresh Air
- Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast
- Stuff I Should Know
- Stuff You Missed in History Class
- The Dave Ramsey Show
- The Minimalists
- The Way I Heard It
- This American Life
- Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me
So there you have it. All the books I read and or listened to in 2018. How about YOU? Did you read anything good this past year that you want to tell us about?
Have a wonderful Thursday everyone,
~Mavis
Mrs. C. says
What a helpful post! Thank you!
Also, my HH and I started making goal lists a few years ago thanks to you, and this may have been our best year to date in a compliahing our goals. Thank you so much for being you!
Beth says
Thank you for compiling this list and sharing! You have inspired me to do a better job of tracking my reading in 2019. I am always looking for books to read or listen to with my 11 year old and I think some of these will be enjoyable for us both!
Wendy says
Thank you for the recap! I have a podcast recommendation. Caregiver storyteller from caringkind. I am a dementia caregiver so this holds a special place in my heart, but even from a human interest aspect these stories are compelling and even entertaining.
Jennifer Jo says
I’ve read a number of books on this list…just not this year!
Cindi says
Thank you for the list and the great reviews. I also give up on books quickly if they don’t hold my interest. Thanks to you, I have a list of books to look for.
Mary says
Before We were yours. My mother spent 7 years in an orphanage during the time that the book covered. Excellent read just unbelievable someone could do this to children. Wish I could have talked to my Mom about this before she passed away last year.
Lynda says
I read this recently and agree it was an excellent read.
J says
This was a really fun and informative list. I really like the posts you’ve been doing without the Amazon deals of the day. As someone trying to live more simply, Amazon just doesn’t belong in my life.
jan says
I love the Amazon lists! Because I have MS and do not walk well or easily Amazon has been a lifesaver for me. Having so many supplies delivered to my door is a blessing. For me as well as my family who would have to make time to make sure that I have what I need. I also live in a smaller city where a variety isn’t always available. Amazon is the greatest!!
CARRIE says
I agree J! Maybe exceptional deals like the vanilla extract would be enough.
Rita says
I love the free kindle book links. Is there an easy way to teach me how to find them?
Sue says
Thanks for the book list and the reviews, I was amazed, at The Stranger in the woods,
Have recommended it several times. I usually read books that are written by authors that I know. I love Susan Branch and Tasha Tudor because they were and are artist.Im not a fan of TV so I have a book going all the time.
My grandson is a reader also, I gifted him a collectors edition of Harry Potter and he has read the whole collection. One of my goal this new year is to read all of them also.
Happy New Year to you and your family. Everyone loved the gifts you made, especially the candy canes and my favorite one the crazy chicken lady made me smile. Can’t wait to hear your new secret goal, it has to be a biggie to beat the pottery ornaments.
Sara says
I read a lot of good stuff this year. I read the whole Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French. Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan. I think those were my favorites.
Ellen Smith says
The Chalk Man by CJ Tudor. One of my favorites of the year
Anna says
I enjoyed most of Calypso as well. There were parts that had me bust out laughing but I could have done without the tumor escapade. So gross!
Anne says
I would love to know what app you use to listen to your books. Do you pay for an app or is there a free one that you use?
Mavis Butterfield says
Overdrive. A lot of libraries offer it for free.
Patty P says
Thanks for sharing what you are reading throughout the year. I read several of the books that you said you enjoyed (Stranger in the Woods, Educated are two I remember off the top of my head) because of your recommendation. I record the books that I read on a google doc when i finish (because if I don’t I have the tendency of starting a book–again—and thinking…ooh, this sounds familiar…). It’s also a good way to track how many books I have read over the years. I made it to 50 this year! I count novels that I read with my son (we read the entire Narnia series over the last two years, and are currently working on Harry Potter).
CARRIE says
A Google doc is a good idea! I use goodreads.com to keep track of the books I read. You can set a yearly goal and it makes recommendations on books. You can also connect with your friends to see what they are reading. I have read/listened to 45 books this year and about to finish up Something in the Water. I never considered myself a reader but I started listening to audio books on my hour commute and I love it!
Patty P says
I had a Goodreads account ages ago, but didn’t really utilize it. I’ll have to look into it again. Thanks for the idea!
When I worked further away from home I listened to audio books during the commute…I loved this part of the day!
As an English teacher I have found that we are all readers, we just have to find out what it is we enjoy reading. Some people enjoy reading poetry, short essays or articles much more than they enjoy novels. I prefer novels…I need to let a story take over!
Nancy K Sadewater says
You might enjoy the movie “The Egg and I”. It is the movie that introduced Ma and Pa Kettle characters.
amy says
Im kind of sad you didnt like a light between oceans. i LOVED that book, but then again it was deeply relatable to me….
Laura says
I wonder if you will like Whiskey in a Teacup better in the print version. It is more of a ‘lifestyle’ book and doesn’t seem like it would lend itself well to listening. I have it in print and it’s a wonderful book to leaf through for a few minutes while enjoying a cup of tea.
Marcia says
I’ve finished reading 24 books this year. My favorite non-fiction books:
1. $2 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America by Kathryn J. Edin and H. Luke Shaefer
2. Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty First Century by Jessica Bruder (I could not put this down)
3. Just Mercy by Bryan Stephenson. Oy. This was depressing and encouraging at the same time. It completely changed my mind from “pro-capital punishment” to “anti- capital punishment”
4. Blind Man’s Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage by Sherry Sontag and Christopher Drew with Annette Lawrence Drew
5. Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker (excellent book on sleep and its importance!)
Fiction:
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Ms. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Boar Island by Nevada Barr
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
RobininSoCal says
I enjoy listening to podcasts while in the kitchen. This year I’ve loved This Cultural Moment with John Mark Comer and Mark Sayers. It led me to watching/listening to Century of Self (found on Youtube). It’s nearly four hours long so again great accompaniment to kitchen projects.
Linda says
My goal was 52 books ,but only got 15 read. I dont do books on tape or listen to podcasts. I have decided to go for 24 the coming year
Shirley says
Interesting list, and I love that you’ll stop reading a book if you don’t like it. I’ve had to learn that trick over the years.
I love goodreads and have 1200+ books on my want to read list!
Linda says
I listened to all the Kiera Cass books this yr. I sometimes can’t sleep and listen to audio books.
Bethany Herrington says
Such a helpful post. I’ve put a hold on about 8 books on your list that my library has. I drive two hours a day on my commute to work and don’t take time to read books….so I listen to a lot. I’m looking forward to listening to some of these. Thanks for the recap.
Jeanmarie says
OMG!!!! Such a great list and overview of the books and podcasts. I actually listen to most of the podcasts you listed. Thanks so much for the reviews!