Becky

This is a difficult, but important story that evaluates multiple post-colonial attitudes through the lenses of a missionary wife and her four daughters. It provides such an interesting portrait of a family and of a village in the Belgian Congo (beginning in 1959), and delves deeply into issues of culture, politics and human experience. -Becky

I love how Delia Owens flawlessly weaves in two timelines for Where the Crawdads Sing. I was constantly trying to figure out how these timelines would merge and would look for clues to help me judge the mindset and capabilities of Kya, the "Marsh Girl." It is a beautiful story about human nature, human experience, and a celebration of nature. One of my favorite reads this year! -Becky

Such an interesting and well-researched book about America's food culture. It really makes you think about where your meals are coming from and the influences surrounding food creation. -Becky

At around 800 pages in length, I was a bit daunted by my choice in reading this novel. But, after watching the BBC series based on Clarke's book and having it recommended to me by my brother, I was determined to give it a try. This story was a great fit for me because it combines my love of fantasy, England and historical fiction. I especially liked the striking differences between Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell and enjoyed watching their relationship to one another and magic evolve. -Becky

Another great work by Naomi Novik that allowed me to escape into a mystical world rooted in Russian folklore. A powerful story that highlights self-sacrifice, endurance and love. I would probably rate Uprooted (also by Novik) a bit higher, but I still loved this story and would highly recommend it. -Becky

I was immediately drawn in to the story of the Dragon, Agnieszka and the mystery surrounding her village. Novik is an excellent storyteller and Uprooted was full of great character development and interesting twists in the plot. Love this book! -Becky

I particularly enjoy fantasy stories and I ended up reading Katherine Arden's entire trilogy within a week. The Bear and the Nightingale (first in the series) is a beautiful construction of a Russian fairy tale following young Vasya and the development of her magical abilities. She quickly finds resistance with her power and must navigate a world full of change, evil and influence in order to protect her family, her village, and those unseen. -Becky

This is a story that highlights the endurance, courage and strength of women. I worked through the book rather quickly, absorbed in the plot and determined to find out how it would all end. An opening quote in the novel suggests that "In love we find out who we want to be; In war we find out who we are..." this statement was revealed in an interesting development in each of the two sisters. -Becky

Amor Towles does a fantastic job with character development; I especially enjoyed watching Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov masterly navigate his circumstances with class, wisdom, and a great deal of charm. Such a beautifully written book and satisfying from start to finish. -Becky

In Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood delivers a fascinating account of the life of Grace Marks, an Irish immigrant who settled in Canada as a young child. My initial perception of Grace's character is immediately put into question as the story builds around her possible involvement in the horrific murders of her employer, Thomas Kinnear, and his mistress. Based on a true story from the 1840's, Atwood excels in historical storytelling. By weaving in period appropriate views of religion, science and mental illness along with the memories shared by Grace Marks and actual accounts written about the trial, you are constantly left wondering: victim or villain? -Becky