on my bookshelf : : fall and winter 2013/14

It's SPRING!  Time to share some books.  I skipped my winter post so I have lots for ya! The first 2 are my very favorites...

Shantaram : : Gregory David Roberts
Ooooh wow.  Loved this book!  It is an epic 944 pages long, but I was hooked.  Warning: slightly violent and scary.  But the main character is sweet and sensitive in addition to being a tough guy living outside the law.

The Secrets of Mary Bowser : : Lois Leveen
Loved, loved, loved this book.  Probably my favorite on this list!  A freed slave works as a spy during the civil war.  Awesome main characters!
 
The Dressmaker of Khair Khana : : Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
 This book combines several things I love. Takes place in a land far, far away: check.  Strong and brave female characters: check.  Based on real people: check.  And the main characters make a living by sewing!  Read it!

Fever 1793 : : Laurie Halse Anderson
The yellow fever epidemic of 1793 in Philadelphia, as told by a teenage girl.  Actually a YA book, which made it an easy, quick read.  Loved it, and it's part of a trilogy.  Look for the next books on my next list!


Game of Thrones: A Dance with Dragons : : George R. R. Martin
I've got to be honest with you, I'm ready for this whole thing to be wrapped up. Yet nothing ever seems to get wrapped up, it just goes on...and on...and on..........

The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder : : Charles Graeber
Suuuuuch a creepy true story.  Shiver.

The Reason I Jump : : Naoki Higashida
Written by a boy with autism.  So interesting.  A really quick read. Everyone should read this!

Child of my Heart : : Alice McDermott
Another sweet main character.  Sad book though!

The Winter Sea : : Susanna Kearsley
This one has been on my amazon recommends list for.ev.er.  Not bad!  Historical fiction meets the paranormal.  But not in a super-freaky way.

The Light in the Ruins : : Chris Bohjalian
A 1955 mystery with flashbacks to WWII.  I do love a good mystery.

And my Geek-Out Nonfiction Picks of the Month...
Hands Free Mama: A Guide to Putting Down the Phone, Burning the To-Do List, and Letting Go of Perfection to Grasp What Really Matters : : Rachel Macy Stafford
At first I thought this book really could have been condensed to an article or a blog post.  But it had me tearing up so many times!  I should reread a chapter every month. 

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode : : Crystal Paine