Top Ten Tuesday - Books that made me smile.....
I'm a new participant in the weekly book blog roundup sponsored by The Artsy Reader Girl. Jana publishes a list of bookish topics for each Tuesday ...... and this week's topic seemed a good time to join in. It seems a particularly good time to focus on books that made me smile, and I didn't have to work too hard to come up with my 10! In no particular order, here we go:
Driving Over Lemons by Chris Stewart
A quick, entertaining, smile inducing story of a couple who move to Spain - a remote part of Spain, to raise sheep.
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
This book ran the gamut of feelings for me, but I found myself smiling more than once at the portrayal of two young teenagers in the first steps of romance. Reviewed here.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Though the overall theme of the book isn't particularly funny, there are multiple places that made me snort out loud - Eleanor's attempts at casual email and her first McDonald's experience - hilarious! Reviewed here.
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
Moore is known for his humorous books, maybe Island of the Sequined Love Nuns is the best known. But for me, this one takes the prize.....irreverent in the extreme, it's a hilarious alternative interpretation of Jesus' childhood. I just couldn't put it down!
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
All those weird, negative, self defeating, horrifying, silly, random thoughts women have run through their brains....
Open and Shut (#1 Andy Carpenter) by David Rosenfelt
A great lighthearted mystery series starring a lawyer and his golden retriever with enough smart, chuckle-worthy dialog to make for a great read!
A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Life by Dean Koontz
Talking about golden retrievers above reminded me of this book by Koontz. It's an homage to his beloved dog Trixie and the stories he shared made me smile and cry. Reviewed here.
Celine by Peter Heller
This feisty lady "detective" of-a-certain-age made me smile as she put people in their place, helped those who needed help, and figured out the mystery around the missing person. She's a firecracker! Reviewed here.
Be Frank With Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson
This delightful story of a young woman who is hired to take care of an eccentric (somewhere on the spectrum) 9 year old boy.....the story is amazing, the dialog well done, Frank (the little boy) an absolute smile-inducing charmer!
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
I wouldn't be surprised to find this book on multiple "smile" lists. Snarky Bernadette is fun and funny - a quick, absolutely smiley read set in my home town of Seattle!
Do you agree with any of these off-the-top-of-my-head selections? What comes to your mind when you think of books that made you smile?
