It’s spring break season (finally!), which, if you’re lucky, means you may have some well-deserved time to read in the near future. Each week, we ask our FACES of Louisville women what books they are reading, and their answers are always interesting and cover a wide spectrum of options for the rest of us. Today, we’ve compiled a list of FACES recommendations for you to stock up on, and we’re certain there’s something for everyone! Kick back and enjoy the read!
20 great books, all recommended by our FACES of Louisville
(All photographs from Carmichael’s Bookstore unless otherwise indicated)
FICTION
The Humpty Dumptys
The Humpty Dumptys, by Greta Sherman, is the story of five daughters who are physically and verbally abused by their mentally ill mother during the course of their childhood. Later, as adults, their mother is found beaten to death, and they are considered the only suspects. The way the five women cope with this tragedy unfolds in interesting and unexpected ways.
Recommended by Linda Schuster
“The Humpty Dumptys” by Greta Sherman | Image credit: Amazon
The Giver
The Giver, by Lois Lowry, is a book you might recognize because your tween or teen has read it, and for good reason. It details a dystopian society where every person has a predetermined role in their perfect level-thinking society. There are no ranges of emotion, such as anger, strife, pain, nor is there joy or pleasure. The Giver is the leader of the society and he alone has all the memories of these emotions. This is the first in a series by this author.
Recommended by Najla Aswad
“The Giver” by Lois Lowry
The Secret Keeper
The Secret Keeper, by Kate Morton, is a mystery involving a 16-year-old girl who witnesses a crime involving her mother. Fast forward 50 years, and the daughter returns to the scene of the crime for her mother’s 90th birthday and attempts to piece together the clues to solve this mystery. This gripping mystery is a page turner.
Recommended by Tracy Varga
“The Secret Keeper” by Kate Morton
Same Sun Here
Same Sun Here, by Silas House, centers on the lives of two pen pals: Meena, an Indian immigrant living in New York City, and River, a coal miner’s son from Kentucky. The two seem to have nothing in common, but as their relationship deepens through their correspondence, they find they have much more to share than they realized. Silas House writes the part for River, which is fitting as he is a Kentucky-born author. Meena is written by Neela Vaswani.
Recommended by Lisa Hirsch-Aarvig
“Same Sun Here” by Silas House and Neela Vaswani
Run
Run, by Ann Patchett, weaves an intricate storyline through Irish Catholic politics in Boston. The Doyle boys have been raised by their famous father, former Boston mayor Bernard Doyle, since their mother died. Bernard has major political aspirations for both his boys, Tip and Teddy, which they do not share. When one of the boys is involved in an accident with a stranger and her child, everything changes in a second.
Recommended by Lisa Hirsch-Aarvig
“Run” by Ann Patchett
The Poisonwood Bible
Published in 1998, the The Poisonwood Bible still stands as a wonderful read for all time by Kentucky author Barbara Kingsolver. It is the story of a Baptist missionary family who moves to the Congo, as told through the eyes of the four daughters. It is tragic and beautiful all at the same time.
Recommended by Amy Streeter
“The Poisonwood Bible” by Barbara Kingsolver
NONFICTION
Woolgathering
Punk rock singer Patti Smith is also an accomplished writer (among other things), and Woolgathering is one of her early works. She packs a lot into 80 pages, in which she talks about her childhood and her past in a mix of poetry and prose.
Recommended by Amanda Hofmann
“Woolgathering” by Patti Smith
Just Kids
Another Patti Smith recommendation by Amanda Hofmann is Just Kids. These Smith books are “dog-eared and annotated to death, because I reference them so much,” Amanda admits. This is the memoir about the unlikely friendship between Patti Smith and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in 1969 New York when they were both just starting out as artists.
“Just Kids” by Patti Smith
Outliers
Malcolm Gladwell has made statistics cool, and in his book, Outliers, he breaks down the data on extremely successful people and what contributed to their success. Often more than just intelligence, success has a lot to do with the environment in which the person was raised and his or her level of ambition and grit.
Recommended by Ashley Butler
“Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell
Wild: From Lost to Found on The Pacific Crest Trail
Wild: From Lost to Found on The Pacific Crest Trail, by Cheryl Strayed, may sound familiar because Reese Witherspoon was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in the movie based on this book. It is the true story of a 22-year-old woman who hiked the Pacific Crest Trail by herself as a way to deal with her mother’s death. She had no preparation, little planning and no training as she made the more than 1,000-mile trek.
Recommended by Ashley Butler
“Wild” by Cheryl Strayed
Love Does
Author Bob Goff is a social activist, focused on children’s injustices in Uganda and India. His book, Love Does, is a memoir of his very remarkable life, full of unlikely circumstances that led to his present-day success. His mantra is the title: “Love Does.”
Recommended by Marissa Castellenos
“Love Does” by Bob Goff
Cornbread Mafia
You will never look at Bardstown or Nelson County the same way after reading Cornbread Mafia, by James Higdon. Did you know that this area was home to the largest marijuana-producing syndicate in America? The syndicate was known as the Cornbread Mafia and acted in accordance with any understood rules of a normal mafia. Author Higdon formerly wrote for The Courier Journal and uses his investigative reporting skills to their full potential in this great book.
Recommended by Mary Nancy Chatel
“The Cornbread Mafia” by James Higdon
Wendell Berry: Life and Work
Wendell Berry is one of Kentucky’s most beloved and prolific authors, as well as a lover of the land. This book, Wendell Berry: Life and Work, is a compilation of his essays as edited by Jason Peters, which is quite a task considering the amount of work Berry has published over the years. My favorite quote by Wendell Berry is, “What I stand for is what I stand on.”
Recommended by Mo McKnight Howe
“Wendell Berry” as edited by Jason Peters
Philistines at the Hedgerow
Philistines at the Hedgerow, by Steven Gaines, is proof that truth is stranger than fiction. Gaines, a resident of the Hamptons, details the history of this luxurious region from its historical beginnings with settlers through its glittering monied present. With an insider’s perspective, Gaines takes inventory of the current eccentric cast of characters of this area, for better or for worse.
Recommended by Mary Nancy Chatel
“Philistines at Hedge Row” by Steven Gaines
SELF-HELP/PARENTING/HOW-TO
Change Your Life in 7 Days
Change Your Life in 7 Days, by Paul McKenna, is a positive, empowering read. After studying the habits of successful people, he developed strategies that regular people can implement in their own lives. He claims that using these strategies can make a difference in just seven days.
Recommended by Kelly Ramsey
“Change Your Life in 7 Days” by Paul McKenna
Parenting Your Powerful Child
Does your child have more power than most? More than you? Dr. Kevin Leman gives parents some answers on how to manage this “powerful” energy and how to take back control of the situation.
Recommended by Ashley Butler
“Parenting Your Powerful Child” by Dr. Kevin Leman
The Secret to Happy Families
Happy family life is a goal for all families, and one that is a daily challenge to achieve. Dr. Scott Haltzman’s book, The Secrets of Happy Families, gives paths to happiness for any family structure through his methods of “positive psychology.”
“The Secrets of Happy Families” by Scott Haltzman
Cesar’s Way
Having a dog is like parenting, and Cesar Millan is the expert, known as the dog whisperer to some celebrity clients, including Oprah Winfrey. His book, Cesar’s Way, helps readers get to know their dogs and how to best train them. Or, as Cesar says, “I rehabilitate dogs. I train people.”
Recommended by Cathy Zion
“Cesar’s Way” by Cesar Millan
COOKBOOKS
Prune
Author and chef Gabrielle Hamilton is a self-trained cook who won the prestigious James Beard Award. She is the owner of Prune restaurant in New York City, and authored a cookbook under the same name. Her culinary style is based on simple home cooking with instructions that everyone from a home cook to a chef can use.
Recommended by Amanda Hofmann
“Prune” by Gabrielle Hamilton
America: Farm to Table
Another cookbook recommended by Amanda Hofmann is Mario Batali’s new America: Farm to Table cookbook. We all know Mario Batali from his cooking shows and his restaurants. This cookbook is a survey of his chef friends from across America, what farmers they like and more than 100 recipes using this food.
“America: Farm to Table” by Mario Batali
Enjoy your week, reading to your heart’s delight.
