The best books I’ve read so far this year

by Tiffany Newton

As of 8/10/23, I’ve read 35 books this year. And when I say “read” I mean I listened to them on my phone through Libby. I love the freedom of audiobooks. It lets me read while I’m in the car, or while I’m doing chores, or while I’m sewing or crocheting. You can see the list of what I’ve read by visiting my Goodreads Account.

Brides of Hope Mountain Series

I was quite surprised by this series. I have never read Mary Connealy before, and only checked out the first one because I had nothing else to read. It follows the family of three young women who’ve been isolated from society for their entire lives. Their grandparents felt that it was dangerous! Of course, after their grandparents die, the girls are left to fend for themselves. One day, a wounded rancher shows up. They take the leap of faith and venture into the unknown world. Each book focuses on a different sister. These are Western/Christian/Romance books, and of course, each woman eventually finds a husband and they live happily ever after. I had to read all three in quick succession because I just had to know what happened next! If Mary Connealy wrote more for this series, I’d grab them up too! I still want to know what happens next, and I read the third one way back in February!

Try the Large Print books here,

Try the eBooks by visiting your Libby App!

Project Hail Mary

This book had been on my to-read list for a while. It’s from Andy Weir, the same author of The Martian. (You remember, that hit movie from a few years ago?) The only reason I hadn’t read it yet, is because it wasn’t available on Libby. I finally found the Audio CD from Eureka Springs Library and I copied the MP3 files to my phone so I could listen to it. I was hooked within the first 30 seconds. Without giving away too much, if you liked either the movie or the book of The Martian, you’ll love this. Andy Weir has a very similar writing style in this book as he does in The Martian. It’s got several similar elements. One man, isolated, trying to survive, and then eventually finds a way to communicate with someone to solve the problem and return home. Since I listened to the audio book of this. I know this was a book club book from Berryville library last year and I heard people raving about it then. If you like Science, or Science Fiction, or Space, you’ll love this book. There is some language in it though.

Get the book or the Audio here.

The Personal Librarian and Carnegie’s Maid

I’ve grouped these two books together because they had a very similar feel to me. They take place around the same time period, and focus on the women behind two of America’s richest men.

In the Personal Librarian, we follow Belle Da Costa Greene, who becomes J.P. Morgan’s personal librarian, and one of the most powerful women in New York in the early 1900’s. She’s got a dangerous secret though, and if anyone found out, it could destroy both her and J.P. Morgan’s career and reputation. This book tells the story of her witty intellect and how she protects her family is the face of racism as she fights for women’s rights. I don’t usually read books that seem to push an agenda, but the gender equality and race themes in this book weren’t too strong. I feel like the author was just telling a story from history and not trying to push her opinions on the reader.

In Carnegie’s Maid, we meet Clara, a poor girl who just needs a job. She ends up serving as a maid in the home of Andrew Carnegie, and Mr. Carnegie soon becomes dependent on her skills and they become fast friends… and Clara has secrets to hide. She’s a brilliant woman, and if this story is to be believed, the reason behind Andrew Carnegie’s transformation into the philanthropist who is responsible for many public libraries around the country.

Check out The Personal Librarian here.

Get Carnegie’s Maid Here.

If you read these books, let me know if you liked them!