In the Spotlight
The Help
by Kathryn Stockett
464 pages; Amy Einhorn/Putnam
by Kathryn Stockett
464 pages; Amy Einhorn/Putnam
Practically from the moment it
was published in 2009, the
reading world embraced
Kathryn Stockett’s The Help,
a debut novel about black maids
who finally speak up about their
white employers during the
civil rights movement. A fixture
at the top of most best-seller lists,
it became the feel-good book of the year.
—Oprah's Book Club
Books on My Shelf Worth Reading
[ Alphabetical by Author ]
Pride and Prejudice (1813)
by Jane Austen
Brilliant novel on 18th century manners, courtship, and marriage.
REVIEWS | OPINION | READ ONLINE
Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1970)
by Richard Bach
Fable about the importance of seeking a higher purpose in life, even if those around you find your ambitions useless or threatening.
REVIEWS | READ ONLINE
Simple Secrets to a Beautiful Home (2004)
by Emilie Barnes
Tips and wisdom on creating a home you and your family will love.
REVIEWS
Jane Eyre (1884)
by Charlotte Brontë
Passionate, enduring classic about a young girl’s love for a rich, domineering man.
REVIEWS | READ ONLINE
An American Childhood (1987)
by Annie Dillard
An exploration of life that evokes childhood innocence and vigor with humor and irony.
REVIEWS
Heartburn (1983)
by Nora Ephron
Side-splitting novel about the breakup of a perfect marriage.
REVIEWS
The Diary of a Young Girl (1947)
by Anne Frank
Beloved classic detailing life and adolescent emotions while in hiding in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam.
REVIEWS | PREVIEW
Finding True Love (1996)
by Daphne Rose Kingma
Outlines the four essential keys—faith, intention, trust, and surrender—to discovering the love of your life.
REVIEWS | PREVIEW
Through a Glass Darkly (1986)
by Karleen Koen
Historical romance brings 18th century Europe to life with intrigue, love, lust, and death.
REVIEWS | PREVIEW
Bird By Bird (1994)
by Anne Lamott
Easy-to-read book about the writing process filled with humor, encouragement, and good advice.
REVIEWS
Eleanor and Franklin (1972)
by Joseph P. Lash
Well-written and accurate biography on two of history’s most interesting people.
REVIEWS
Skywriting by Word of Mouth (1987)
by John Lennon
Completely nonsensical, witty, and charmingly sarcastic with puns galore for a quick look at the man behind the genius.
REVIEWS
Gift from the Sea (1955)
by Anne Morrow Lindburgh
Explores the need to not only look inward, but to focus on one’s personal development in order to live life fully.
REVIEWS | PREVIEW
The King’s Pleasure 
Beloved 
A Shocking & Unnatural Incident (2009)
by Georgia Ann Mullen
A tempest over abolition, temperance, and women’s rights leads to terror on the towpath.
WEBSITE / EXCERPT
The Dance (2001)
by Oriah
Engaging book that encourages readers to stop trying to change who you are.
REVIEWS
Living Out Loud (1988)
by Anna Quindlen
Thought-provoking essays on men, motherhood, religion, feminism, home, and tradition.
REVIEWS
Woman on the Edge of Time (1976)
by Marge Piercy
Considered a classic of utopian "speculative" science fiction as well as a feminist classic.
REVIEW
The Four Agreements (2001)
by Don Miquel Ruiz
Practical guide to personal freedom presenting a simple, effective code of personal conduct based on Toltec wisdom.
REVIEWS
Catcher in the Rye (1945)
by J. D. Salinger
Classic tale of adolescent angst when student Holden Caulfield, about to be expelled, leaves for three days in New York City.
REVIEWS
PostSecret (2005)
by Frank Warren
Provocative and profound compilation of postcards revealing extraordinary confessions of ordinary people.
REVIEWS
The House of Mirth (1905)
by Edith Wharton
Deftly portrays the moral, social, and economic restraints on an unmarried woman whose foothold in NYC society becomes precarious.
REVIEWS | READ ONLINE
The Age of Innocence (1920)
by Edith Wharton
Beautifully-written classic that skillfully details the lifestyle, customs, and manners of upper-class New York society in the 1870s.
REVIEWS | READ ONLINE
Something to Smile About (1997)
by Zig Ziglar
Touching stories about people who overcame disabilities, disadvantages, and all odds.
REVIEWS
The Seat of the Soul 
