My 5 Favorite Books this Year and Why I Loved Them

I have read many wonderful books this year, but these five topped the list. Are you ready to get your hands on some amazing books this summer or to add to your wish list heading into fall? Look no further! Let’s dive in…

Tom Lake is a beautiful story about motherhood, how the past shapes who we are today, owning our life decisions, and balancing what we share and keep private from our own children. The mother in the novel retells her own life story at the request of her daughters on a cherry farm in northern Michigan during the pandemic.

I, like the mother in the story, have been blessed to live more than one love story in my life. Also like the mother in the story, I wouldn’t trade one second of the past that led me to the beautiful life I chose and live today. I also felt a special connection to the story because I grew up spending a week or two in northern Michigan every summer with some of my cousins, aunts, and uncles. It is a truly beautiful place in the summer, and if you’ve never been, this is your cue to book that trip.

Ann Patchett is a master, and I was not surprised in the least that this novel received so much critical acclaim. It is a beautifully told story with memorable characters, emotional depth, and beautiful writing.

You can buy your copy of the book here.

The Briar Club is a great example of riveting historical fiction that explores female friendships and the secrets we all keep. The title comes from the supper club that forms as a group of women live in the same boarding house in Washington, DC in the 1950s. The story opens with the house itself witnessing a murder, and Kate Quinn keeps you guessing as each woman’s story unfolds. I loved the depth of these characters who were all so different from each other, as well as the page-turning plot. This book was hard to put down once I picked it up, making a great vacation read (but very much not your typical “beach read.”) You will want to pay attention!

The women navigating their lives through the McCarthy era in Washington, DC felt timely, as well. I recommend this book for lovers of history, female friendships, and strong, independent women.

You can grab your copy of the book here.

We All Live Here is the kind of novel that will have you laughing out loud and silently crying just a few pages or chapters later. I have already recommended this book personally to most of my close friends because as soon as I read the last page, I knew I couldn’t possibly keep this book to myself.

Lila Kennedy, the protagonist, has been through a very rough patch of life recently. Her husband left her for a younger woman, her house is falling apart, and her beloved mother has passed away. I know, I know. I can hear you now. Didn’t you say this was laugh out loud funny? Just trust me. As Lila learns to navigate her new normal (as so many of us have had to do at one point or another in our lives), life continues to throw lemons at her. She gets so much wrong before she gets it right, and this leaves us with the most heartwarming cheers for her by the end.

I particularly enjoyed reading Lila’s ventures into modern dating. They brought back all kinds of memories for me and made me so thankful to have left that stage of life behind me.

If you have a heart or enjoy laughing, you will enjoy this book. You can grab your copy here.

Piranesi is a work of literary fiction that will make you think. It took me a while to get into this one because I was trying to read it in small bursts as I had time between taking care of my girls. This is definitely more of a “read with a cup of coffee” than “read at bedtime or with a glass of wine” kind of book. That being said, once I got into it, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Susanna Clarke does some beautiful world building in this novel. Piranesi’s house has infinite rooms with an ocean somehow trapped inside. Said ocean floods rooms regularly and powerfully in the house, but Piranesi knows the tides and remains unafraid. In his search for the Great and Secret Knowledge, Piranesi goes on a very unexpected journey.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves great literature (allusions abound in this novel, and knowing and loving the classics will make it a fun one for you if so) or anyone who loves a book they have to puzzle through to figure out what is happening.

You can grab your copy here.

The Frozen River is similar to The Briar Club in that I would describe it as riveting historical fiction. This story is set in Maine, 1789, and it begins with the discovery of a man’s frozen body in the Kennebec River. Martha Ballard, the town midwife, is summoned to examine the body. As the story unfolds, Ariel Lawhon beautifully intertwines the different characters’ lives while keeping us tightly seeing the world from Martha’s point of view. I dare anyone to read this book and not love Martha by the end (or the first chapter for that matter).

This book deals with themes of love, family, betrayal, crime, and punishment. I recommend it to anyone who loves a strong female lead, historical fiction, or page-turning action written with beautiful prose.

You can grab your copy of The Frozen River here.