Fiction:
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart – Middle grade novel of excellent intrigue and espionage. You’ll devour it and then want to pass it on to all your nieces and nephews. :)
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh – breathtaking story of belonging, growing up in the foster system, and the heartaching challenges of young motherhood. It is a difficult read, but extremely beautiful. All the Feels.
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett – Set in South America a group of people is held hostage and many delightful and heartfelt stories are told.
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson – The second in the Stormlight Archive that is somehow just as good and twice as good as the first (The Way of Kings made last year’s list). And now I am waiting on pins and needles for the third installment. Luxuriously long and excellent story.
Bonus Fiction! :: The Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny with 13 books so far, it should keep you busy for a while. Really fun mysteries with the added bonus of getting to know a whole cast of characters instead of only the detective himself. It is also set in Quebec which gives the added bonus of learning different cultural things along the way.
Who’s been reading Inspector Gamache? Can I you choose a favorite?
What was your favorite fiction read from last year?
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Tomorrow I’ll share a few books that didn’t quite make the list, but I just can’t shake!
Erika Shirk 
Ack, I have been wanting to read The Mysterious Benedict Society for a long time. Glad to hear you liked it.
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Oh, and my favorite fiction last year was Inspector of the Dead by David Morrell. Very much a Sherlock Holmes feel to it and set during the reign of Queen Victoria.
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I’ve been reading the Gamache books for quite a while now – they’re fantastic. Louise Penny is worth a follow on Facebook, she’s a very thoughtful writer in general. She lost her husband, Michael, to dementia this year…and her writing about him and their life together over the past few years has been lovely and heartbreaking and so courageous.
As for a favorite…they are all wonderful. I feel like the Gamache and the people of Three Pines are old friends.
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