I am just back from vacation and thought I would share my reading list with you. It was a pretty successful trip for reading.

Yes, I do partly measure my vacation success by how many books I read. Don’t judge. 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Probably my favorite of the trip. It is very unusual as Death narrates the story. The story takes place in pre-World War II Germany and is fascinating and tells the story of a young girl.   It has been made into a movie that is just out in theaters.

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert. Another very interesting fiction read. This is a departure if you just think of Elizabeth Gilbert in the Eat, Pray, Love biographical way. I will say that I thought that the sexual parts were a little out of place but since they were not a very large part of the story that I could read past them. I thought that the research that was involved with this book was quite involved and really made the story more interesting. 

Tapestry of Fortunes by Elizabeth Berg. I have read that others call reading Elizabeth Berg books like meeting up with an old friend. I agree. I enjoyed Tapestry of Fortunes. It is the story of a woman who decides to make changes in her life after the death of her best friend. It is a great book to curl up with and get lost in the story. 

Open House by Elizabeth Berg. Okay, I have to confess I was confused. It seems that when I bought the nook copy of Tapestry of Fortunes, that it included a copy of Open House as a bonus. While I liked Open House, I had enjoyed Tapestry of Fortunes so much that I thought it paled in comparison.  At first, I did not find the main character likable which makes a book hard to read.  The character did grow and become better as the story progressed.  

The Eternal Wonder by Pearl S. Buck. This book was found long after the author’s death (she died in 1973) The forward to the book talks about the author’s life and why the book was so delayed in being published. Unfortunately, the author’s son explains that they tried to leave the book as it was written even though they were sure that Mrs. Buck would have made more edits. This leaves one going into the story looking for problems. I found the story perhaps a little wooden but enjoyable. I just kept thinking of things that could be changed.  But overall, it was enjoyable.

The Golden Egg by Donna Leon. This is the 22^nd in the series of Commissario Guido Brunetti books by Donna Leon.  I like this series. (Right? If I have read 22 of them, I must like them)  Commissario Brunetti is an interesting character and the books are not the typical police mysteries. Each book has an interesting twist. This book involves the death of a local man who appeared to be deaf and mentally handicapped.

Simplicity by Joshua Becker.  This short book talks about the author’s discovery of how he and his family adopted a minimalist lifestyle that suits them and he gives tips on how you can make changes in your life. It is a very quick read but he has many interesting points. He does not advocate living with nothing but just paring down your lifestyle and how you can benefit from it.

And now for the part that my family teases me about –

Rose Harbor in Bloom by Debbie Macomber

Starry Night by Debbie Macomber

I like Debbie Macomber books. They are what I call popcorn books. They are light stories. Enjoyable stories but they are not really going to give you any great insights. Everyone needs some popcorn sometimes.

If you are looking for something to read, I hope these suggestions help.  I love hearing what others are reading so please leave me a comment with your suggestions. 

Thanks for reading!