Cindy Burnett’s Top Ten Books of the Year and the Year-End Podcast Recap
Podcast: Download (Duration: 46:28 — 42.6MB)
In this episode 275, our 2021 end-of-year episode, we visit with Cindy Burnett, book influencer and host of the Thoughts from a Page Podcast headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Cindy brings to this episode her recommendations for the top ten book reads of the year. You won’t want to miss this episode for Cindy’s suggestions.
As an avid reader and book reviewer, Cindy loves to talk about books wherever she can. She actively talks about books on social media and writes two book columns. She is co-creator of Conversations from a Page, a Houston author event series that brings authors and readers together in a relaxed setting to discuss books, and she is a SheReads.com contributor, where she writes “best of” book articles in the genres of historical fiction, non-fiction, and mysteries.
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About Cindy
Cindy Burnett is the host of the Thoughts from a Page Podcast where she interviews authors about their latest works. An avid reader and book reviewer, Cindy loves to talk about books everywhere she can. In addition to hosting her podcast, she actively promotes books she loves on social media including Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Cindy writes two book columns for The Buzz Magazines, Buzz Reads and Page Turners, and reviews books monthly for Bookreporter.com.
She is also a co-creator of Conversations from a Page, a Houston author event series that brings authors and readers together in a relaxed and welcoming setting; the group recently added an online book club as well. As a SheReads.com contributor, she writes “best of” book articles in the genres of historical fiction, non-fiction and mysteries.
In addition to reading, Cindy loves theatre, art, movies, National parks, travel, and hiking in Colorado during the summer.
Cindy’s Top Ten Book Recommendations for 2021
- The End of Men by Christina Sweeney Baird (speculative fiction) – pandemic book written pre-Covid. The virus kills 90% of men on the planet and how the world adjusts.
- House of Sticks by Ly Tran (memoir) – Memoir by Vietnamese author whose family came to NYC when she was young.
- The Invisible Woman by Erika Robuck (historical fiction) – Fictionalized account of the life of American spy Virginia Hall.
- The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman (mystery) – Second in The Thursday Murder Club series but can be read as a standalone. Clever and funny mystery set at an English retirement community in Kent. 4 of the residents solve murder mysteries.
- Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy (fiction) – Follows the fictional reintroduction of wolves to the Scottish Highlands with drama and intrigue.
- Once upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan (historical fiction) – A brother and sister seek to understand the origins of Narnia by asking C.S. Lewis and his brother Warnie.
- The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (historical fiction) – The fictionalized story of Belle de Costa Greene who was J.P. Morgan’s librarian. She was black but passed as white.
- Songs in Ursa Major by Emma Brodie (historical fiction) – Loosely based on the relationship between James Taylor and Joni Mitchell and set amid the music festivals of the late 60s and early 70s.
- The Speckled Beauty by Rick Bragg (memoir) – Bragg’s account of life with his very badly behaved dog.
- These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant (mystery/thriller) – A father and daughter live off the grid. When an unexpected visitor arrives, things are set in motion that threaten to reveal the father’s secrets.
Cindy’s Honorable Mentions for 2021
1. Better Luck Next Time by Julia Claiborne Johnson (historical fiction) – Life on a divorce ranch outside of Reno in the 1930s
2. We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange (fiction) – An Irish family struggles to come to terms with its past.
3. The Ride of Her Life by Elizabeth Letts (memoir/travelogue) – The story of Annie Wilkins’ journey from Maine to California on horseback in the 1950s.
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