For National Read a Book Day, I’d like to share my Audible audiobook list from 2018 with you. For many years, I missed having time to read until I discovered Audible in 2016. So far in 2018, I’ve listened to fifteen Audible books and read two actual books. I find time by listening in the car, while cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, or at the grocery store.
My staff and many of my patients know I’m passionate about books, and they like to share what they’re reading and give me recommendations. In fact, two of the books I listened to this year were patient recommendations.
Here’s my 2018 list with brief descriptions of what I liked about each book. Maybe you’ll find something on my list to read for National Read a Book Day!
– Jenny Ruoho, DDS
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (bedtime reading to my kids)
A classic children’s book series. I could hardly wait for my kids to be old enough to start reading Harry Potter. I read the series in college when they first came out. It’s hard to believe this book is 20 years old! My kids loved this first book and couldn’t wait to start reading “Year Two,” The Chamber of Secrets.
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (bedtime reading to my kids)
Another classic children’s book series I’ve always wanted to read. My six-year-old likes the Chronicles of Narnia, but my eight-year-old…not so much. The books are full of strange names and places, magic, and mystical creatures.
- The Cuban Affair by Nelson DeMille
An action-packed thriller that takes place in current-day Cuba. Full of interesting characters and dialogue. This has been my favorite book of the year.
- Plum Island by Nelson DeMille
I liked The Cuban Affair so much, that I decided to listen to another book by the same author…and wasn’t disappointed.
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larson
A popular novel about solving the mystery of a missing girl. Fiction.
- The Girl who Played with Fire by Stieg Larson
The next adventure for the main character from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Lisbeth Salander.
- Gone Girl: by Gillian Flynn
A psychological thriller with gripping twists and turns!
- Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals. Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families. This book is about what happened to one fictional family who got tangled up with Georgia Tann.
- Moloka’i by Alan Brennert
The fictional story of a girl who is sent to live in an isolated leper colony on the island of Kaluapapa in 1890s.
- The Lake House by Kate Morton
Patient recommendation. An eleven-month-old boy in Cornwall, England disappears without a trace. The case to find the missing boy gets re-opened decades after his disappearance. Fiction.
- Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
Patient recommendation. The story of an almost love affair that begins on the Italian coast in 1962. Fiction.
- The Art Forger by Barbara Shapiro
An extremely gifted artist uses her talents to help solve an art forgery crime. Fiction.
- Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
A multi-generational story of a poor Korean family living in 20th century Japan. Fiction.
- Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool
Jack develops an unlikely connection with Early Auden at boarding school and they share adventures together. Fiction.
- America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie
A deeply researched novel about Thomas Jefferson’s daughter, Martha “Patsy” Jefferson.
- Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen
If you loved the movie, this book details the years Karen Blixen/Isak Dinesen spent in Kenya from 1914 to 1931 while managing a coffee plantation. The book hardly mentions Karen’s relationship with Denis Finch Hatton, which was the central theme of the movie.
- Shadows on the Grass by Isak Dinesen
20 years later, the author reflects on her experiences and the people she knew when she lived in Kenya.
If you want to read more but can’t find the time, consider an audiobook service. I look forward to hearing your recommendations at your next visit to Relaxation Dentistry!
