Dive the Cayman Islands

Dive the Cayman Islands by Lawson Wood
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Felt like this was probably better for divers than snorklers, but still a useful guide.

Frommer's Portable Cayman Islands

Frommer's Portable Cayman Islands by Darwin Porter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Best guide my library carries. Definitely did the job admirably.

The Hating Game

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Laugh-out-loud funny. Good beach read.

Domina

Domina by Barbara Wood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this historical move fictionalizing what it would have been like to be a female doctor in the late 1800s. A bit of a soap opera, but super entertaining.

Bambi

Bambi: A Life in the Woods by Felix Salten
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is not the cutesy Disney Bambi. The real Bambi is beautifully descriptive, full of tough situations and real-life meaningful lessons. I enjoyed studying this with my kids, ages 10 and 12.

One True Loves

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While this book presents an interesting dilemma to noodle over, I was disappointed with how the main character chose to figure out what she wanted. The ending was wrapped up way too neatly for such a messy situation.

The Bird and the Sword

The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You can definitely tell it's self-published (editing, pacing need some work), but it's a fantastic story. Plus, reading a standalone fantasy is always refreshing.

2016 Books

• 44. Christmas Wonders
• 43. The Christmas Shoes
• 42. Little House in the Big Woods
• 41. The Story of the Other Wise Man
• 40. The Mansion *
• 39. Star of the East
• 38. The Crossover *
• 37. Saint Anything
• 36. The Rough-Face Girl
• 35. The Last Time We Say Goodbye
• 34. Secrets of a Charmed Life
• 33. Golden
• 32. P.S. I Like You
• 31. When You Reach Me *
• 30. Inside Out & Back Again
• 29. Heart of a Shepherd
• 28. The One and Only Ivan *
• 27. We Were Liars
• 26. Devil's Cub
• 25. Longitude *
• 24. Where She Went
• 23. The Island at the Center of the World
• 22. Six of Crows
• 21. The Enchanted April
• 20. The Gifts of Imperfection
• 19. Out of the Storm
• 18. Beautiful Affliction
• 17. The Grand Sophy *
• 16. Tell Me Three Things
• 15. Peculiar Treasures
• 14. The Landing of the Pilgrims
• 13. William Bradford: Pilgrim Boy
• 12. Heidi *
• 11. When Breath Becomes Air *
• 10. We Should All Be Feminists
• 9. Love's Fortune
• 8. The Midwife's Confession
• 7. As You Like It
• 6. A Crimson Frost
• 5. Just Ella *
• 4. Heir of Fire
• 3. Bad Feminist
• 2. El Deafo
• 1. Illuminae

Christmas Wonders

Christmas Wonders by Robyn Buttars
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Strong start, but the ending was flat for me.

The Christmas Shoes

The Christmas Shoes by Donna VanLiere
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So I knew this was going to be a tear-jerker, but I didn't think it would be a sobbing-in-public-40-pages-before-the-end-of-the-book-tear-jerker.

Little House in the Big Woods

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyed studying this with my Littles. Somehow I think I missed reading these as a child!

The Story of the Other Wise Man

The Story of the Other Wise Man by Henry Van Dyke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A sweet story of the journey of a life well-lived.

The Mansion

The Mansion by Henry Van Dyke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A perfect cozy Christmas tale, one I'm glad to have finally read.

Star of the East

Star of the East by Tasha Alexander
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Short, sweet, and fun to see these characters in a different setting.

The Crossover

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Yes, this WILL get tween/teen boys to read poetry, but it has mass appeal. I loved it.

Saint Anything

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not a standout Dessen book, but I liked it.

The Rough-Face Girl

The Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A beautifully-illustrated Native American version of Cinderella. My kids enjoyed this with me.

The Last Time We Say Goodbye

The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So sad, but so good.

Secrets of a Charmed Life

Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The storyline and themes are super engaging, and I read it in just over a day. But, the writing left something to be desired--it was too Americanized and sometimes pedestrian. It really needed a better (and British) editor.

Golden

Golden by Jessi Kirby
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Quick summer read. But too many clichés, forced themes, and elements that were somewhat far fetched.