Book Survey Results!
November 1, 2026
What book made you say wow? I was thrilled so many of you took the time to answer the survey (though my reading list became even more daunting). Reading your responses, I felt grateful and proud to be connected with you all.
A few notes about the results shown in the grid below:
- Two-thirds of you named a fiction book and one-third named nonfiction.
- Audiobooks are a 100% legit way to read a book, IMO. Though colored by the narrator, the same words go into your brain. I read with my eyes, but I am also “well-listened,” as a friend once (a bit sarcastically) described me.
- Only one book was mentioned twice, and that by a married couple. A conspiracy? (The Boys in the Boat)
- Hover over the book to reveal a snippet from your responses.
Click the blue book symbol for more information.
Fiction (Including Short Story Collections)
A character I rarely saw in literature, helping people get what they needed without changing who they were. 📘
A different look at friendship between very different people brought together by WWII. 📘
A heart-wrenching, often hilarious story of economic hardship & moral posturing. I love historical fiction! 📘
Hysterically funny. A bright female chemist facing sexist challenges in her field turns to romantic chemistry – literally. 📘
A book about choosing a new pope has no business being this intriguing. 📘
The scope of the story was very impressive, covering religion, government, science, ecology, anthropology and more. 📘
I found this book hard to put down. Oates uses a character’s own thoughts, actions and words to take him down. 📘
I didn’t want to leave the world Donna Tartt created. I really liked hanging out with the protagonist. 📘
Loved the dry Irish humor in this great story of a man who grows up gay in Ireland and ends up in NYC. 📘
Wonderfully well written and often surprising short stories by an incredible science fiction writer. 📘
It’s about love and heartbreak. It’s about migration, generational trauma, healing and nature. A fig tree narrates part of the story. 📘
Clever, absorbing, funny, and thought provoking. I remember the book well many years after reading it. 📘
They say a good ending makes you feel it was inevitable. The waning paragraphs had me gripping the book and reading fast. 📘
I was amazed at the way political events overtook her writing. The way each character is flawed and yet forgiving is lovely.📘
I think it will change your life and the way you look at death and thankfully it’s not a religious book 😉 📘
I loved that place played such an important role and Maisie’s journey from downstairs maid to a woman who is able to get an education. 📘
A character who was basically powerless, through cantankerous persistence, intelligence and heart might save the world. 📘
Fabulous story telling. Almost every line was poetic. 📘
The Odyssey makes you see both the heroism and the flaws of humanity. If you break the good laws, be prepared to pay the price. 📘
Complicated and interesting characters in the Maine woods. Spotlights senseless killing through poaching. Full of plot twists. 📘
Well written with characters so relatable, when the book ends, you are now part of their lives. 📘
The characters were strong and interesting. It opened my mind to new ideas beyond the limits of my upbringing. 📘
Engrossing story about the angst of an innocent convicted of a crime. Not uncommon. A glimpse of the Dark Web. 📘
The characters are all vividly portrayed. A story of survival on many levels. Superb, emotional writing. 📘
The game was well done. It surprised me. It made someone’s dream come true. 📘
What a treat to visit earthsea for so long. What a fascinating, visionary writer she was! 📘
These women, my contemporaries, reminded me of the lack of respect women have experienced through the years.📘
The only book I have read over and over again about every ten years. I am amazed at how resilient and inquisitive many of us are. 📘
Nonfiction (Including History, Essays, Investigative Writing)
Lyrical exploration of every facet of Medieval life, from royals to peasants.📘
It is brutal, brilliant, provocative, and thoughtful. He’s a fantastic writer and he had a great editor!! 📘
Beautifully crafted. Every page made me say damn or feel good about humans (and bad, too). 📘
An expose of the greed and corruption that led to the disappearance of water in the American West 📘
Wildlife lost to road accidents. Proven results show what Homo sapiens can do when moved by ecological leanings versus capitalistic ones. 📘
About the Weather Underground in the 80’s, a compelling, exciting story that raised many questions. 📘
So many people stood up for what is right. This book provided me with hope and courage.📘
Politically brilliant. 📘
I really liked “meeting” so many people involved in shipping on the Great Lakes. Very informative and eye-opening. 📘
It is brutal, brilliant, provocative, and thoughtful. Plus, he’s a fantastic writer and he had a great editor!! 📘
Explores its topic from multiple angles that was memorable and yet easy to read.📘
Great writing and perspectives on people, nature and culture. Short essays with deep appreciation of the beauty of New England. 📘
A Jewish Polish family during WWII and each sibling’s journey through the Holocaust. I could not put it down! 📘
What early female travelers had to worry about and how they worked with people to get where and what they wanted. Inspirational. 📘
Thanks very much to all who participated. I’ll revisit the results and if any trends or intriguing themes emerge, I’ll do a followup.
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