Happy New Year!
May 2016 come with many pleasant surprises. May God give us peace and wisdom, specially during those difficult moments.
This year was marked by amazing books that have won a special place in my heart. Here is a retrospective of a few of these books:
Dear Mr Knightley – Katherine Reay: I can definitely say 2015 was a year in which I learned to enjoy contemporary books. And one of those books is “Dear Mr Knightley” by Katherine Reay. It was the first book I read by this author and I knew it would not be my last. Samantha Moore loves books and uses them to get through her insecurities. But when a mysterious benefactor offers a scholarship for her graduate studies – with a catch, she has to write to him frequently telling about her progress – changes start happening in her heart that will help her discover herself and live out of the fiction world. This was a lovely and believable story that I simply had to re-read once I had finished it.
My full review.
The Butterfly and the Violin – Kristy Cambron: historical novels are my favorite. “The Butterfly and the Violin” by Kristy Cambron is beautiful! From the lyrical writing style of the author to the great characters that capture your heart with their own stories, this book was impossible to put down. There are two settings. In present times, we follow the story of Sera James, as she hides in her work trying to find a painting she saw many years before of a young violinist with piercing blue eyes. This violinist is Adele Von Bron, whose story we follow in 1942 as she is sent to Auschwitz for betraying the Third Reich. Along with Sera, we discover how beauty and hope can be found inside the most dire of circumstances through Adele’s story.
My full review.
Me Before You – Jojo Moyes: I finished this close to Christmas and I was sure I was going to cry until 2016. I saw myself being caught in the character’s lives and not being able to put the book down until I found out what was going to happen. This book tells the story of Louisa Clark as she starts working as a caregiver to Will Traynor, an ex-playboy that used to live life in the most extreme ways possible but is now wheelchair bound due to an accident.
My full review.
Edenbrooke – Julianne Donaldson: this was the last book I read in 2015 and what a pleasant surprise! It is one of those stories that warms your heart and make you feel like you are in your favorite place in the world. This book tells the story of Marianne Daventry as she visits Edenbrooke, an estate that belongs to an old friend of her mother. Marianne is empty inside and she ends up finding grace, love and acceptance in the least expected place.
My full review.
There were other many great books that I read in 2015 and it is always difficult to chose a few favorites.
How about you, what were some books that left you breathless in 2015?
🙂
Mia Reads 