Our Favorite Books Read in 2023: Rita and Tonia

 

Rita

 

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz - This is a book that I have read multiple times. I find the insights to be enlightening, and I manage to take away something new with each read. 

 

Baggage by Alan Cumming - This is a very intimate look into the life of the Hollywood actor. He shares the tragedies and adversities he has overcome as well as many joyous moments. It is a very personal look at how life events shape the person one becomes.

 

Dolly Parton, Songteller by Dolly Parton  - I highly recommend listening to the audiobook and hearing the stories from Dolly herself.  It reads like the ultimate liner note with all of the stories behind the songs and the inspirations and influences. I believe this book is not just for fans of Dolly Parton, but for fans of music in general.

 

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boyle - I was, at first, drawn in by the abundance of amazing facts about bees. There is a wealth of knowledge about honeybees and beekeeping throughout the novel, but it also a story of love and acceptance woven into a murder mystery. With good character development and surprising twists, this book really held my attention.

 

Where the Deer and Antelope Play by Nick Offerman - There is a lot to enjoy in this book, from historical facts about the creation of the National Parks to humorous and often irreverent observations about the human spirit. Nick Offerman tells of three different trips taken across the country. One of those trips included Jeff Tweedy from the band Wilco and American writer George Saunders. I cannot read a Nick Offerman book without laughing out loud, and this was no exception.

 

Tonia

1.       Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

2.       The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson

3.       Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

4.       The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell

5.       Messy Roots by Laura Gao

6.       The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

7.       At The Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft

8.       The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

9.       The Devil Wears Scrubs by Freida McFadden

10.   We Used to Live Here by Daniel Hurst

11.   The Coal Tattoo by Silas House

12.   The Crossroads at Midnight by Abby Howard

13.   Ikigai by Hector Garcia Puigcerver

14.   Eerie Tales from the School of Screams by Graham Annable

15.   Pattern Behavior:  The Seamy Side of Fashion by Natalie Kossar