I am an avid reader, and I carefully cultivate a shelf in my library of all time favorites. To make it on this list, they have to be nearly life-changing, if not there all ready.
Here are my all time favorite book that I did not read this year, or are considered young adult fiction since I have a separate list for that.
Call the Midwife — I read this before it was a TV show, when it was called something else. (something about a mid-wife on London’s south side) Eye opening, and in so many places, heart warming, a read that changed the way I though about my life. After reading the chapter about going to the work house — I will never tuck my kids in the same way again. It does have a graphic chapter about prostitution, be warned.
Outliers — Malcom Gladwell’s (who I adore everything he has written) best book, examining why some people truly excel. He distills it down to great takeaways that you’ll think about long after you finished this book. Just how many hours a week does it take to get to 10,000 hours?
The Happiness Project — Gretchen Rubin spends a year setting goals to increase personal happiness and chronicles them in this book. I found so many good ideas in the book I’m working on a post to discuss them all.
The White House Chef Scheib was the White House chef for eleven years, and details the ins and outs of cooking for the first family. I adored reading the details of how he made several lunches each day for W, cooked steak fajitas for Hilary during her darkest days, and tastings for State Dinners. HE doesn’t shy away from the political details which makes it a book I’ve read again and again. Love.
The Help — I’m not super into fiction, but one is great. It is completely implausible, which for once I overlooked, and loved the heart of the book. You is good, you is kind.
Freakanomics — Economics may be the first thing I was really good at. This was the first in what was a whole new genre of books — books trying to explain human behavior through the social sciences of economics and statistics. Perfection. Even if you hate are ambivalent about economics or statistics, you may love this books, too.
Very Honorable mentions:*
Nickeled and Dimed – a lady takes minimum wage jobs and tries to live of her earnings.
The Secret Life of Bees — Jared’s grandma suggested this to me. Fiction. And I loved it.
Friday Night Lights – An extremely eye opening look at high school football in Texas. I can tell you where my boys will never be found.
The Year of Living Biblically — AJ Jacobs spends a year trying to literally follow certain dictates from the Bible.
On Rue Tatin Starting out as a student in Paris, Loomis’ adventure falling in love with France, eventually becoming a permanent resident. Sumptuous details of cooking, decorating and living abroad, a very fun read.
*If I let a book about football on my best reads of all time, have I lost?
Adventures In Soyland 