Readers in the Rough Book Recommendations for 2026

L

January 2026, Kathy H., Rowena S., Tammy C., Letty,
 Linda E.,  Kathy T. We are missing our traveling friends. 
Photo by Letty's sister, Jonya. 

We LOVE TO READ. 

In 2025 we read the following 12 books and rated them according to our 'golf guide.' The rating system is based on the language of golf and quality of literature. 

A Par rating meets the expectation of the elements of fiction: a solid plot, strong and dynamic characters, setting that is defined, a theme we can discuss along with a point of view that lends itself to telling the story, and strength of genre. *It is important to note that individual perceptions matter. Although the reader may not find the main character likeable, if the main character develops and changes over the lifetime of the novel then s/he is  considered a dynamic character because of this change. 

A Par rating for memoir asks for a compelling story using truth, theme, voice, point of view being I, and an ongoing attempt to arrive at answers. 

At the end of each monthly discussion we talk through the rating briefly giving the novel/memoir a rating. To better explain our voting think of a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the best and you would recommend it to any type of reader, and a 1 being a bogey or would not recommend to others to read.  We then take the total and divide it by the number of readers to get the average. 

• A Hole-in-One vote equals 5 points. 
• Eagle vote equals 4 points. 
• Birdie vote equals 3 points. 
• Par vote equals 2 points.
• Bogey is worth 1 point.
• Double bogey is not recommended.

THREE books received the Hole-in-One rating (5 points). 

West with Giraffes  is an emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America.

“Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes…”

Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience that he cannot take to his grave.

It’s 1938. The Great Depression lingers. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California’s first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow. Inspired by true events, the tale weaves real-life figures with fictional ones, including the world’s first female zoo director, a crusty old man with a past, a young female photographer with a secret, and assorted reprobates as spotty as the giraffes.

Part adventure, part historical saga, and part coming-of-age love story, West with Giraffes explores what it means to be changed by the grace of animals, the kindness of strangers, the passing of time, and a story told before it’s too late.

Two excellent books from completely different times and places. The Instrumentalist is placed in 1704 Venice with an eight-year-old orphan girl strives to become Venice's greatest violinist and composer. Her "sound-color synesthesia" abilities set her apart from the other girls and create a destiny for her. 

 

Becoming Madam Secretary introduces us to Frances Perkins at the turn of the last century who begins her destiny by working with children in the crowded tenements of Hell's Kitchen. Through her social scene in Greenwich Village she meets the people who will guide her to her future in the White House where she becomes FDR's Secretary of Labor (1933-1945) and what an amazing path she charted, as the primary architect behind the creation of Social Security. 

2025 became a banner year for those of us sharing opinions and personal reflections on the majority of the books we read.  Six of the books earned a 4 rating which is equal to shooting an "Eagle" in the game of golf.   

   

My personal favorite of the six books is LIFE IMPOSSIBLE by Matt Haig.  I knew all along it was realistic type fantasy, now called magical realism,  but in my heart I wanted it to be a true story. The author led me through an emotional attachment to the protagonist, 72 year-old Grace Winters. Grace takes a chance on life when she buys a one-way ticket to the Isle of Ibiza to live in a home given to her by a long lost acquaintance. Grace's experiences open the doors on both or past and future. I thought this quote best exemplified the story: “A wry and tender love-letter to the best of being human.” —Benedict Cumberbatch 

The next five books take us on journeys in time and setting.  HORSE by Geraldine Brooks is an historical novel of the legendary race horse, Lexington. 

JAMES is a novel that retells Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of the enslaved character, Jim, who is called James. This story swept me away from housework and meals. 

The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding is another historical fiction that tells the story of the embroiderers who created Princess Elizabeth's wedding gown in 1947. This story is interwoven with a modern-day story about a women discovering her grandmother's connection to the dress.                                                                                              

 TELL ME EVERYTHING reconnects us with Olive Kitteridge and Lucy Barton. As only Strout can do, she brings each character to life through individual stories  that show how all of our lives are connected in one way or another. 

ISOLA is based on the true life of Marguerite de la Rocque, a wealthy noble woman who inherited a great wealth as a child, only to have it gambled and lost by her trusted uncle. To image this noble woman who could do nothing for herself abandoned on an island in Canada. It is a fight for survival with surprising twists. It reminded me of the old black and white movies I watched as child when I wanted to scream at the heroine and tell her who to look out for. 

This year all of our books broke PAR. That is quite an accomplishment whether in literature or golf. The three books receiving the rating of "Birdie" one stroke better than par come from different genres. 

Hanks take us through the process of making a motion picture, a difficult task it is to produce and direct but also to write about clearly. I had to reread passages several times before I understand what that character's job really was in relationship to the making of a movie. Once I understood the direction it became an easier read, and most insightful.

ALL THE BROKEN PIECES  by John Boyne is a griping novel set in the
present day but takes us back to a dark past when now 91 year-old Gretel comes face to face with her past and that of her father's--a Nazi commandant for Hitler. 

THE BERRY PICKERS by Amanda Peters spans decades of time after 

four-year-old, Ruthie, vanishes while her Mi'kmaq family in Maine is picking blueberries. It is not a mystery but instead focuses on the family and the emotional fallout as the years pass by.  I found myself so caught up in the drama that I have forgotten much of the story except for the ending.  This might be an easier book to read the second time around. 

Because it is Valentine's I am leaping ahead to a book we read last month THE CORRESPONDENT by Virginia Evans received an Eagle vote. I applauded the story because the writing of letters was a way of life when I was growing up.  What Evans has done with character building through letters written back and forth is exceptional.  To read a review of this epistolary novel click on this link: The Correspondent Review