Books We All Recommend:
Thank you for all your wonderful book recommendations. Here is a list (in no particular order) of books everyone has suggested. We will continue to update this list as recommendations come in. Thank you for your contributions to this list!
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Einstein’s God: Conversations About God and the Human Spirit by Krista Tippet
The White Tiger: A Novel by Aravind Adiga
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
The Three Weissmanns of Westport: A Novel by Cathleen Schine
The Lost by Daniel Mendelsohn
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
The Flat World and Education by Linda Darling-Hammond
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
A Woman of Independent Means by Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey
11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit by Lucette Lagnado
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik
China Road by Rob Gifford
In the Beauty of the Lilies by John Updike
American Pastoral by Philip Roth
The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean
Not Me by Michael Lavigne
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
The Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
Eat First – You Don’t Know What They’ll Give You by Sonia Pressman Fuentes
Where’s My Cape? The Saga of a Super Woman by Lilli Putian
Garden of the Beasts by Erik Larsen
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow by Elizabeth Lesser
An Untenable Fragrance of Violets by Lynne Heffner Ferrante (and ElderChick!)
Authors We All Recommend:
ElderChicks 
Mitch Album’s new book, “Have a Little Faith”
I recommend all of Barbara Pym’s books, but I think my favorite is “Excellent Women.”
Andrea,
Not only do I love your writing, I love your reading as well. It’s great to meet another Barbara Pym appreciator. Are you also a P.G. Wodehouse fan?
I do like him, Thelma, but I haven’t read him for years. I should pick up a few at the library and start again.
Every year I re-read two or three or four of Barbara Pym’s books, but I only do it in winter. She sees me through the chilly, rainy, drippy-droppy, ridiculously wet Oregon days.
Many thanks for your kind words about my writing.
I plan to put a link to your blog from my blog and will recommend your site in other ways as well.
A wonderful Irish author who writes page- turners is William Trevor. Loved Fools of Fortune.
Terrific book by Elizabeth Lesser (co founder of Omega Institute) titled Broken Open: How Difficult Times Help Us to Grow. Talks about ways people weather change and transition in their lives. Beautifully written and a very enjoyable read.
Liz Murphy
I am new to this site. I think I heard about it on NPR. So far I am fascinated.
I am 62 and will retire from teaching on June 30. And I admit to being
very apprehensive about it but excited as well. I look forward to spending time
here.