Never fear, I am here to help you. Every year I do a list of my Fave 15 YAs and MG, but this year, because I was editing, and I find it hard to read within my genre when I edit, I read mostly adult stuff. So, instead of the traditional list, I thought I’d give you some books you may want to add to your shopping list to give as holiday gifts (or books you can spend your gift cards received on).

In no particular order…

Audio:

Right Ho Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse – plain fun!

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert – much better on audio

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein – I loved this when I read it and liked it even more when I listened to it.*

Born Standing Up by Steve Martin – read by him, and just as wonderful and funny as he is.

Every Soul A Star by Wendy Mass – this is Middle Grade fiction and I really enjoyed all three actors who portrayed the three point-of-view characters.

Need a bathtub book? Here are some great cozies:

Skating Around the Law by Joelle Charbonneau – how could you go wrong with a book by a Joelle?

Pretty in Ink by Karen E. Olson – tattoos, Las Vegas, murder…what more could you ask for?

Murder at Longbourn by Tracy Kiely – a B&B mystery with a Jane Austen theme. You know you want to read this one!

Adult fiction:

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erika Bauermeister – a yummy collection of stories all tied together by a cooking class.

The Life You’ve Imagined by Kristina Riggle – literary fiction without the angst. Well, there is the angst, but it’s not what the whole book’s about.

Bow Grip by Ivan Coyote – hands down my favourite book of the year. Fiction at its best.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley – Loved this one loads and loads, not too thrilled with the sequel.*

All Roads Lead Me Back to You by Kennedy Foster – a ranch, a love story, lots of Spanish if you’re trying to learn the language, and excitement!*

Nonfiction

Siesta Lane by Amy Minato – it will make you want to move out into the country and live in a tiny house. Okay, maybe not you, but it did me. Beautifully written.*

Gracie, A Love Story by George Burns – informative, funny, and extremely heartfelt

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen – I’ll admit it…the first time I tried this, I set it down after twenty pages. But I went back to it six months later because my agent recommended it and really liked it.

YA/MG

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine – and not just because this wonderful book won the National Book Award. I was spouting its merits when it was still just an ARC!

Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook – okay, can you say funny?

Dirty Little Secrets by C.J. Omololu – Exciting and kind of creepy, but not in a bad way. A page turner to the very end.

Rose Sees Red by Cecil Castelluci – Met the author, loved her, adored the book. If you’re forty-ish, it will take you back to your high school years, but don’t worry, it’s not that scary.

The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams by Rhonda Hayter – a bit of magic, some history and science thrown in, and lots of laughs. One of my fave MG books in a long time.

Oldies But Goodies for Kids and Teens:

Anything by Jerry Spinelli, John Rowe Townsend, Paula Danziger and Maud Hart Lovelace. Don’t forget the Besty high school books have been reissued in hardback!

And last but not least…for those adults who read my book and told me that they wished there was more adult fiction like it, try Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind. Not anything like Restoring Harmony in regards to the plot, but the feel of the book is similar and it’s a great, fun read!

What books do y’all recommend we should add to our shopping list?

* Four of these books were recommended to me by Janet Reid. If you like them, you should be reading her blog regularly. She’s always got the goods! Thanks, Janet.