68!
I would have like to get up to 69, which has been my average for the years I've been keeping track, but I kept falling asleep yesterday while trying to finish that last book! I guess I just wasn't too engrossed in "The Explosive Child". Very helpful book, but still, not something to be rushed.
I don't have a clear favorite for the year but one that sticks out from the extensive list is Dream Country by Luann Rice. A fantastic story, Rice writes about a couple living in the wilds of Wyoming with their twin toddlers. One of the toddlers, Jake, disappears and the ensuing thirteen years bring broken hearts, divorce, misplaced anger, hope, courage and a very surprising ending.
Last spring, I was sprawled on the couch deeply engrossed in Dream Country late one night. All of a sudden, I was sitting up saying, "Nuh uh! No way! I did NOT see that coming! I can NOT believe it!" Then I had to recount the entire plot to Scott so he could understand my shock!
So if you want a great, pull-you-in, keep-your-mind-off-other-things novel, this is it!
Elizabeth Berg is an amazing author I discovered this past year. I immediately read four of her novels and was impressed by her witty and clever twists, but most of all, I adore her descriptions! I was constantly stopping to think about how appropo a metaphor was or how aptly and uniquely she described things. The stories themselves were really good, but none of them had the strength to pull to the top of my list.
Definitely read her novels, though. She was one of Oprah's picks a few years ago -- I'm so glad I didn't hold that against her! She's a truly valuable author to study and learn from.
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