January 1, 2007
By Kris Newman

They are all my favorites, but here are a few…

 

1. Eve’s Daughters by Lynne Austin--A story about several generations of women and the complicity of life.      

 

1. Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom--Learning doesn’t end when you graduate.  Sometimes you’ll find that you’re the student and sometimes you’re the teacher.  Appreciating the role you’re in and the teachers/students in your life will make you a richer person.

 

1. Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak--A book waiting to be read in the middle of a good winter storm.  After you read the book, watch the Omar Sherif version of the movie.  Good love story?  Oh, no, much much more than that!

 

1. These is My Words by Nancy Turner--Overcoming conflict is a necessary part of growth.  Not an easy “happily-ever-after” story, but one with a real sense of life.

 

1. The Diary of Mattie Spenser by Sandra Dallas--Another pioneer diary, much like These is My Words, but this with a twist in storyline and ending.  Sometimes happily ever after comes after a long time.

 

1. The Water and the Blood: A Novel by Nancy Turner--Southern prejudice, West Coast independence, and World War II mix together to grow a woman from a girl.

 

1. We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates--A trauma splinters this family into a thousand pieces.  A lesson in revenge and forgiveness.

 

1. A Painted House by John Grisham--A summer story of families and intrigue.  Not the usual Grisham fare without a lawyer in sight, but a well-written piece, nonetheless.

 

1. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith--A little bit of a kooky family, a little bit of wisdom, and a lot of coming into your own fills these pages.

 

1. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom--The point at which one life affects another is explored in this little book with deep meaning.

 

ninetyandnine.com

 

© 2007, Kris Newman

 

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When Kris Newman is not traveling, she can be found reading books like Oh! The Places We Will Go!