Top 50 Picks for Spring 2014 from Well Read (50 books)

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Listopia > Top 50 Picks for Spring 2014 from Well Read

Mary Ann Gwinn is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and lifelong book addict. On the national public television series “Well Read,” Mary Ann helps book lovers discover new books to enjoy. Each week she recommends a new list of books to viewers based upon the guest author that is interviewed on the show that week.

These are the top 50 picks she recommended to viewers on episodes airing in April, May and June 2014.

Mary Ann offers more about all of her “Well Read” book recommendations on her blog at www.wellreadtv.com/category/blog/.

After she won a Pulitzer Prize for her reporting on the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1991, Mary Ann became the Book Editor and a weekly columnist at the Seattle Times. She also sits on the board of the National Book Critics Circle.

New episodes of “Well Read” are taped weekly and air nationally on local public television stations across the country.

To find specific viewing dates and times for "Well Read" in your area, go to www.wellreadtv.com/schedule.

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List Challenge
The average Goodreads member has read 2 out of 50 books on this list — how many have you read?

All Votes

1	The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (Goodreads Author) 4.14 avg rating — 387,285 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Cathedral by Raymond Carver 4.24 avg rating — 41,988 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	Tinkers by Paul Harding 3.42 avg rating — 40,320 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis 4.22 avg rating — 102,401 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion 3.93 avg rating — 323,471 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Last Bus to Woodstock (Inspector Morse, #1) by Colin Dexter 3.81 avg rating — 19,076 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	From Doon With Death (Inspector Wexford, #1) by Ruth Rendell 3.67 avg rating — 15,578 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	The Beekeeper's Apprentice (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, #1) by Laurie R. King (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 89,746 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Knots and Crosses (Inspector Rebus, #1) by Ian Rankin (Goodreads Author) 3.80 avg rating — 59,222 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean (Goodreads Author) 3.66 avg rating — 23,183 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Stalking the Wild Asparagus by Euell Gibbons 4.22 avg rating — 1,138 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers by Amy Stewart (Goodreads Author) 3.97 avg rating — 1,566 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin 3.51 avg rating — 29,767 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton 3.98 avg rating — 204,644 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 3.93 avg rating — 6,151,713 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter 3.68 avg rating — 189,476 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	Atonement by Ian McEwan (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 579,233 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Fly on the Wall by Tony Hillerman 3.77 avg rating — 4,052 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	A Family Trust by Ward Just 3.81 avg rating — 70 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	An Unfinished Season by Ward Just 3.57 avg rating — 1,258 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	The Shipping News by Annie Proulx 3.88 avg rating — 155,663 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman (Goodreads Author) 3.55 avg rating — 50,525 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem 3.86 avg rating — 43,233 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	Native Speaker by Chang-rae Lee 3.74 avg rating — 9,437 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	A Good Fall by Ha Jin 3.71 avg rating — 2,092 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	What Happened to Anna K. by Irina Reyn (Goodreads Author) 3.18 avg rating — 1,121 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	The Black Stallion (The Black Stallion, #1) by Walter Farley 4.20 avg rating — 76,259 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science by Richard Holmes 3.97 avg rating — 10,260 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier (Goodreads Author) 3.90 avg rating — 57,405 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	Obsessive Genius: The Inner World of Marie Curie by Barbara Goldsmith 4.07 avg rating — 3,262 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA by Brenda Maddox 4.12 avg rating — 2,669 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	Leaving Home by Garrison Keillor 3.83 avg rating — 1,974 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard 3.98 avg rating — 23,369 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro (Goodreads Author) 3.55 avg rating — 49,972 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Shanghai Girls (Shanghai Girls, #1) by Lisa See (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 165,754 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	Five Star Billionaire by Tash Aw 3.47 avg rating — 4,788 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia by Peter Hopkirk 4.33 avg rating — 9,580 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan by William Dalrymple 4.36 avg rating — 5,277 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	An Unexpected Light: Travels in Afghanistan by Jason Elliot 4.06 avg rating — 1,846 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 by Lawrence Wright (Goodreads Author) 4.36 avg rating — 39,644 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	An Anthropologist on Mars by Oliver Sacks 4.15 avg rating — 24,341 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	The Book of Woe: The DSM and the Unmaking of Psychiatry by Gary Greenberg 3.66 avg rating — 751 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	Saving Normal: An Insider's Revolt Against Out-Of-Control Psychiatric Diagnosis, DSM-5, Big Pharma, and the Medicalization of Ordinary Life by Allen Frances 3.84 avg rating — 1,904 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Live Through This: A Mother's Memoir of Runaway Daughters and Reclaimed Love by Debra Gwartney (Goodreads Author) 3.62 avg rating — 909 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place by Terry Tempest Williams 4.19 avg rating — 11,021 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen 4.06 avg rating — 21,641 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	The Call of the Wild by Jack London 3.92 avg rating — 488,126 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	Old Yeller by Fred Gipson 4.11 avg rating — 105,617 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World’s Worst Dog by John Grogan 4.15 avg rating — 479,083 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (Goodreads Author) 4.24 avg rating — 567,652 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars