5 star books of 2017

Reading seemed somewhat of a struggle this year. Although I finished 161 books, I also quit more books than I ever have. It was hard to find a book that really pulled me in and had me thinking about it after I had read it. And I think some of these books got 5 stars just because I was thrilled to read something interesting. My first 5 star wasn't until April.

5. A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline - an imagining of the life of Christina Olson, the muse for Andrew Wyeth's painting, Christina's World. At a young age, Christina was struck with a painful, debilitating disease. She lived her entire life on the farm pictured in the painting always doing what was expected and not what she desired. I really liked the way this book flowed.
     From my blog post of May 28

4. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys - four young people, different nationalities, are thrown together in a desperate rush to get to a seaport ahead of the advancing Russian army. But even refuge on a ship doesn't bring safety. Told from all four viewpoints, you gradually get to know and care about them.
    From my blog post of April 9

3. Glass Houses by Louise Penny - the 13th Inspector Armand Gamache begins in a courtroom with the inspector on the witness stand. He is recounting the events that occurred in Three Pines a year ago, beginning with the appearance of a mysterious person clad in black who stands on the village green. We then go back and forth in time as things gradually unfold. The author handles the buildup in tension wonderfully, I couldn't wait to get to the end. Everything is on the line for Gamache including his career and family. Just a little bit of niggling irritation as the jumps in time were sometimes confusing. And I do get tired of the police corruption angle but that's not the focus.
    From my blog post of Nov 26

2. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles - in 1922,  Count Alexander Rostov is condemned to house arrest at the Metropol, a luxury hotel, for being an unrepentant aristocrat. But he can't stay in his suite, he must live in a small room at top of the hotel. Here he lives as the decades pass and those in political power rise and fall. He begins to make friends with employees who previously had been acquaintances. And he makes friends with a young girl with a quick mind who will have a great impact on his life. Little bits of subtle humor and beautiful writing.
    From my blog post of July 16

 1. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman - Eleanor Oliphant has very poor social skills and lives a solitary life, usually speaking to no one at all on the weekends. She has good reason for her lack of skills which is very gradually revealed. She suddenly develops a crush on a band singer and begins to take an interest in her appearance to be worthy of him. In the meantime, she develops a friendship with the sloppy IT person at her work when they witness the medical emergency of an elderly man. Funny, sad, hopeful, and angry were some of my feelings as I read this.
     From my blog post of July 30

Eleanor won out over Count Alexander because her story touched me more. I thought of her often.