Quick looks at my what are so far my favorite books of 2015, since it’s close enough to halfway through the year. 
Links go to my previous posts if I’ve written one, Amazon if I haven’t.
Nonfiction
As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes
I don’t generally read celebrity bios, but made an exception for this one, and am so glad I did. It’s funny and witty and oh so entertaining. Perhaps because it’s more the story of a movie, than the story of just a celebrity. Read it and then read The Princess Bride. And then watch the movie. Actually, skip reading it and go for the audible version
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
Not sure if it really will be life-changing, but so far I think it just might be. Love the tone of this one, and how it is so gentle and kind. I also love her change in focus from what you’re discarding, to what you’re keeping.
Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin
I love her style and approach, and I love the focus of this book: how can I change my habits to change my life? It combines nicely with Kondo’s book too.
Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life by Shauna Niequist
She’s one of my favorite authors, and I finally read her first book. Not as good as her more recent titles (you can see how she’s grown as an author), but still an excellent memoir of sorts.
The Road from Coorain by Jill Ker Conway
A re-read for my book club, and it was just as good the second time around. It also made for a fabulous discussion at book club – one of the best ones we’ve had in awhile. Highly recommended if your book club reads memoirs!
Fiction
The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows
Loved this book. Don’t be put off by the length – it’s captivating and reads much quicker than you’d think almost 500 pages could possibly. You’ll feel like you’re there with them in Depression-era West Virginia, and you’ll appreciate air conditioning so very much.
The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie
Short stories featuring Miss Marple. I’m slowly working my way through all of Agatha Christie’s books and I can’t decide if I’m annoyed at myself for waiting so long to read them, or delighted that I have so many still to look forward to reading.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
More Christie, but this one features Detective Hercule Poirot. Perhaps her most famous of mysteries, and I loved figuring it out before it was revealed. She is so good at writing compelling stories without lots of extra padding.
Favorite Kids Books:
The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
A look at the children evacuated from London during WWII, but it takes a different perspective than you might expect. Hard to read at times because of tough content, it’s well worth the emotional effort, and I appreciated that the author skipped any easy resolutions that would have felt unrealistic.
National Geographic Kids Animal Stories: Heartwarming True Tales from the Animal Kingdom
Gorgeously illustrated and engagingly written, this would make a great readaloud for any animal-loving children. Or it makes for a great book for any older kids or adults too, as I read it through the first time on my own, as I was deciding whether or not to read it to my kids. Fascinating looks at some animals in history.
Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
A retelling of a not-very-familiar fairy tale. Well-written and engrossing, with a very satisfying ending. I loved the characters in this one, and how Hale manages to make the story her own, while still basing it so much on the original tale.
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Written in verse, this is another one that has tough content, although the format softens it a bit. Absolutely compelling.
Listen, Slowly
Another gorgeously-written book by Lai, although this one is in prose, not verse. I kept wanting this to be more obviously connected with the previous book but it’s not. No matter – it’s still a wonderful story.
Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne
A classic for a reason. Loved reading it aloud to my children, and they loved hearing the stories.
For more peeks at what people are reading, head over to Modern Mrs. Darcy’s link-up!
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You\'re reading Favorite Books of 2015 (So Far) by Sheila Craig, originally posted on The Deliberate Reader on June 15, 2015. If you\'ve enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Sheila on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.
