Join me on my Goodreads page.

I have seriously eclectic reading taste. 

These are just a few of the books I love and that have influenced my writing.

Check these out and join me at the Return To Sender Goodreads site.

Peony in Love by Lisa See My rating: 5 of 5 stars Peony in Love is one of my favorite novels of the last decade. It’s a poetic, beautifully written journey; a Chinese ghost story that draws you past the thin veil between life and death into the Chinese culture of ghosts. With passions that transcend time and death, Peony in Love is poetry. I was sad when I finished it because I didn’t want to leave the story.

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is the kind of novel I get lost in. I live in the Pacific NW so this is a book I read and re-read. The style, the prose is remarkable. Loved it!

The Help by Kathryn Stockett My rating: 5 of 5 stars There is nothing I can say about this book that hasn’t been said. just READ IT! Laugh out loud. Cry. and pass it on to your best friend and the watch the movie together. Wonderful! The secret pie recipe is the funniest, revenge scene ever.

  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson My rating: 5 of 5 stars I got lost in this book. The story captivated me from the get go, then on to the next two books. Lisbeth Salander is one of the most engaging and fascinating characters I’ve ever read. At her core she is a lost and abused child who grabs your heart and does not let go. Her jagged charm arises from a mixture of vulnerability and merciless aptitude. Lisbeth can hack, code crack and, and when moved to do so, she can mete out virtuous violence. She is a character so engaging I could not stop reading the series or watching the movies in both English and Swedish. What a story.

Ireland by Frank Delaney My rating: 3 of 5 stars Delaney tells the story of his colorful country by utilizing the oft told and retold myths, legends and anecdotes. After spending time in Ireland I enjoyed the book as it resonated with much of what I heard and experienced in the country, not the big cities, but the country where many still cling to their mythology and folklore. The Irish, of which I am one, have a special relationship with the past and in Delaney’s book he searches for that past, trying to piece it together, ultimately piecing together the story of his own 1950’s family and their secrets. I enjoyed the read, the story is okay, it’s the romp with dialect and lore that made this book enjoyable. Not for everyone. But if your Irish, it’s a must read.

Gulag Voices: An Anthology by Anne Applebaum My rating: 3 of 5 stars This collection of survivors of the Gulag stories sheds light on the Soviet concentration camps and is a must read for anyone interested in that history. View all my reviews