So I finally got Kelli hooked on audio books. It’s been a long time coming but it finally happened. Part of it happened as she’s been working on being a little more “hands free” when she drives. Before she was often on the phone while driving…now she’s listening to an audio book instead. I’m impressed with the change.
Anyway, she asked me if I could recommend some books. Hmmm. That always so hard. I know what I love but what do others love.
Kelli used to be a Nicholas Sparks reader in her teen years so I told her anything Charles Martin. I’ve loved all of his books.
I love ALL of his books. I’ve yet to find a “bad one” in the bunch. He writes much like Nicholas Sparks and I HIGHLY recommend all of his books as a good story..gives you a little to think about…engaging…triumph of hardship. Here’s an Amazing listing of all of this books. Seriously, they are all good.
Of course I recommended the Kate Burkholder series. This is about a former Amish girl who has come back to her hometown and is not chief of police. Sworn to Silence is the first book.
![Sworn to Silence: A Kate Burkholder Novel by [Castillo, Linda]](https://i0.wp.com/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51SSQLCis4L.jpg?resize=232%2C369&ssl=1)
I like the Liam Taggart and Catherine Lockheart series too. He’s a private eye and she’s a lawyer. Many books take place in Europe. My favorite is… Once we Were Brothers.
I LOVE Sandra Dallas. My favorite is likely Alice’s Tulips. I like the older ones best… Tall Grass, The Diary of Mattie Spenser, The Persian Pickle Club.
City of Thieves I loved.
I LOVE Karin Slaughter and the Will Trent Series. The first of that is Tryptic.
![Triptych: A Novel (Will Trent Book 1) by [Slaughter, Karin]](https://i0.wp.com/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51livQgyBoL.jpg?resize=248%2C330&ssl=1)
I have loved the Velva Jean series. This is about a gal that grows up in Appalachia. Oh I loved this series.
There is the These is my Words series…I’ve loved them too.
In fact, after Kelli’s question about some good books, I remembered these and listened to them again!! I finished all three books in a week. I am so thrilled that in writing this, I found out the author is reviving the series with a new book scheduled to be out in January, Light Changes Everything. I am thrilled!! They are taking pre-orders on this book YAHOO!!!
I loved this book and highly recommend it…Ordinary Grace.
The Gap Creek series I’ve loved. I’ve read them twice.
Blind Your Ponies is a book I often recommend.
Some all time favorites that are likely some of yours too….
The Pecan Man
Tisha
Anne of Green Gable Series
Sarah’s Key
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Little Women
Gone with the Wind
To Kill a Mockingbird
Etched in Sand
Glass Castles
Hattie Big Sky This is a series.
Lisa Wingate has written several books I’ve really enjoyed.
I’ve LOVED Jodi Picoult books. I like the older ones, The Pact, Plain Truth, My Sister’s Keeper. She later when on to include some supernatural stuff in the books and I didn’t like that.
I loved Water for Elephants. I went on to read other books by Sara Gruen and like several of them as well.
The Life we Bury…also a GREAT book.
I have LOVED Diane Chamberlain books. My favorite is likely Necessary Lies. I’ve liked this book so much that I’ve gone on to read MANY other of her books. I’ve liked them all!
Back when I read romance novels I loved Catherine Anderson and LaVyrle Spencer. Both of them had a bit of a story to the romance. They were my favorites of the time.
Well that should keep her in books for a LONG time. I have to say looking at my list of favorite books, I think they have a bit of a common theme. So often there is an underdog…and so often that underdog triumphs.
I’d love to hear of books that you’d add to the list!!
Jo, I love so many of the books you mentioned, These Is My Words was so good, I think Prayers for Sale is a followup when they are older. Going to look for her new one you mentioned right now.
Sheila
Followup, I could be thinking of Mattie Spenser though, would have to look it up. The Balson books are all good!
I love Danielle Steele. I’m an avid reader…so am going to print off this blog post!
The Persian Pickle is my favorite Sandra Dallas book. I have read it at least once a year since it came out.
Emilie Richards has written a LOT of books. Most are series. It’s not critical to read in order, but I do. Great fiction. The Wedding Ring series is the first of hers I read.
Have you read (listened to) any of Robyn Carr’s books? I’m listening to “Any Day Now”. This is the 2nd of her books that I am listening to. I really like her books. I started listening to audio books while I am sewing and even while cleaning or baking. I have found that if I read a book, I don’t get anything else done, so I can multi task with audio books! Thanks for the list of your recommended reads.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens was a great listen.
I love all Charles Martin books!
Another great author is Francine Rivers. Her book, “The Masterpiece,” is the best book I read this past year.
I love the Mitford series by Jan Karon.
I have read nearly every book on your list of favorites. I would recommend the author, Elizabeth Berg. I have read every book she has written and loved them all ~ but, the earlier books are for sure the best. Also, I have read all of Joshilyn Jackson’s books, too, which are very good. And lastly, there is Jess Lourey, who is from Battle Lake, Minnesota and writes laugh out loud funny mysteries. The murder by month series is actually set in Battle Lake. By the way, Elizabeth Berg is also from Minnesota originally ~ St. Paul.
For fun while binding recently, I listened to a couple of Nancy Drew mysteries–took me back to simpler times! I enjoy listening to Agatha Christie mysteries, too. I listen to modern books as well, but sometimes nostalgia is comforting.
I found it difficult to get through the blog this morning as I kept stopping to check out the links you included. I’ve read several books on your recommendation and watched a few movies. I’m not all that fond of book sequels as they get to be redundant. Read numerous Jennifer Chaverini books until they started sounding alike. Slogged through PIllars of the Earth and World Without End but halted midway through Columns of Fire by Ken Follett. Centuries apart following family lines but the story and tragedies that befell the characters got too similar. How many times can you burn down a Cathedral? Or Daddy won’t let the heroine marry her beloved? I’ve read my share of holocaust survivor books as well. Thanks for sharing. I enjoy the read and not necessarily listening to it on audible.
Where the Crawdads Sing…Delia Owens
I read The Mitford Series twice! Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series is wonderful to listen to. Start from the first book and listen/read in order. You have to pay attention in the first book or two to keep the characters straight – I wrote out a list – but once you are familiar with the characters, they are a delight. I listen to a book while I am driving, while I am cooking, and definitely while I am sewing.
I enjoy an eclectic mix of books (and music actually) because I like variety. I have read some of the same books I see mentioned here, but I’m wondering if anyone has read anything by Eve Chase. She wrote Black Rabbit Hall among others. Very different. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield was good as well, but be warned, that one is very unsettling at times.
If you loved Jody Picoult, you would like any Liane Moriaty book or Don’t Go by Lisa Scottoline
My favourite audiobooks are novels by Jacqueline Winspear and her Maisie Dobbs series. It is set in England and the first novel starts about 1920. Maisie is an investigator and psychologist and his hired privately and sometimes works with Scotland Yard solving murders. She came from humble beginnings and was nurse in the war. But because of some generous benefactors was able to go to Cambridge. Anyway the writing is great and is a series worth looking into.
Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to list these books! I am an avid reader (and listener) and I have reached the end of the authors I like, so I have been looking for some new reads. I have read many of those you mentioned, but also many are new to me.
I love books by Susan Meissner and Kate Morton, two I did not see on your list or from others who have responded. Recently listened to Have You Seen Luis Velez by Catherine Ryan Hyde and really like it. I also love “The Undoing of Saint Silvanus” by Beth Moore. It is not preachy. Very entertaining. David Baldacci has some good books that are different from his detective sorts: “Wish You Well”, “The Christmas Train”, and “One Summer” are all good.
We readers have to stick together! Thank you for helping with that!!!
I belong to a book club and one of my favorite books we read was The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. I also loved The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford.
Thanks for your list; I’ll be interested in checking out these books.
Looks like we have similar tastes in books. I love Elizabeth Berg. All of her books are good. I also like Adrianna Trigianni (spelling might be wrong). She wrote Big Stone Gap and several others. Also anything by Jan Karon. The Mitford books are great. Another favorite of mine is I’ll Be Your Blue Sky. I can’t remember the author, but i have enjoyed all her books. I recently read Harry’s Trees. I think it is my favorite book that i have read this year. Thanks for the recommendations, I will look for them at the library.
Loved your recommendations. I think we enjoy the same kinds of books. I went right to my library’s webpage and now I’m listening to Patchwork Bride by Sandra Dallas, as I quilt. Big thanks, Jo.