January:
This year I'm trying to complete a #52BookChallenge. Here's what I've read so far:
1. Stardust by Neil Gaiman - pretty good, read others by him before. Watched the movie later with Robert De Niro playing a pirate, of course it's not as good as the book (THIS IS MY LIFE MOTTO!)
2. Wild by Cheryl Strayed - ABSOLUTELY LOVED, highly recommend! Also a movie, Reese Witherspoon, still waiting to see this one.
3. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson - Did this one on audio book on my drive home, probably wouldn't have finished otherwise. Too much of a boy book for me, fight scenes, evil super heroes etc.
4. Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool - read for our book club at school. I enjoyed it, easy read. Math, nature, PTSD.
Last year I fell into the habit of abandoning books half way though, either because I lost interest or found something I wanted to read more. So this year I've set a goal to FINISH 52 books. I'm working on #5 and #6, but will save those for February. I'd love any recommendations : )
February:
6. A Storm of Swords (Games of Thrones book 3) - SPOILER ALERT: PEOPLE DIE! I stayed up way past my bedtime most nights reading this. Book 3 starts at season 3 and ends in season 4 (for the most part, some story lines go at a different pace). This is the best book in the serious so far! Book 4 is dragging along...
7. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie - highly recommend for anyone.
8. The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison - "A chilling psychological thriller about a marriage, a way of life, and how far one woman will go to keep what is rightfully hers". Not a great work of literature, but a fun quick read.
9. Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne - adorable and free on Audiobooks. (The Jackie Chan movie is pretty cute too)
10. Moonbird by Phillip M. Hooses - read for book club at school. About a shorebird "B95" who migrates from the Canadian Arctic to the southern tip of South America and back each year. Nicknamed moonbird because in his long life he's flown the distance to the moon and halfway back.
I was able to squeeze in an extra book this month since we had some snow days and I was trapped at home.
I was able to squeeze in an extra book this month since we had some snow days and I was trapped at home.
March:
12. Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien - maybe you read this in middle school? The main character is a teen girl living alone after a nuclear war wipes out everyone. Then a man comes along. The book was interesting and suspenseful. My school librarian recommended this because it is going to be a movie, but in the movie their is another character, played by Chris Pine. Not sure how I feel about this, seems like a big leap from the book. I hate that. (Z for Zachariah IMDB)
So, I only finished two books this month... Don't judge.
April:
14. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - Absolutely beautifully written. Tells the story of a blind girl from Paris and a German orphan boy during World War II.
15. A Feast for Crows by George RR Martin (Game of Thrones Book 4) - Kind of a slow read. Had to set it down for a few weeks and come back to it. Mostly just setting up what I expect (hope!) is a very exciting book 5.
16. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi - a graphic novel (but 160 pages, so definitely a book!), another school book club pick. Tells the story of a teen girl growing up in Iran, during the Islamic Revolution in the late 1970's & 80's. It's unexpectedly funny and the main character is adorable, but of course also pretty sad.
I am only about a book behind pace for 52 books : )
May:
17. The Girl on the Train by Paul Hawkins - this year's Gone Girl? I liked it, a little scary at times, suspenseful, easy to read.
18. Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty - classic "Chick Lit" - a term & genre that I kind of hate (and secretly love), but this kept me entertained for 11.5 hours of commuting. It's a super cute story about the lives of triplets. I was reading The Girl on the Train at the same time as this, so the story lines got a little confusing, both are about women, affairs, babies, divorce etc, but this is the light comical version and the other is the dark murdery version.
19. Lightning by Dean Koontz - you know I love time travel : )
June:
20. & 21. The Maze Runner & The Scorch Trials by James Dashner - Good story, very "Hunger Games-y" which I like : ) but the writing is awful. My 9 year old sister could probably write with more elegance.
22. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez - I thought this was just okay and it took me a long time to get through.
This is the half way point so I should be done with book 26.
23. Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson - you know the movie 50 First Date? This book is kinda like that, except instead of waking up and having Adam Sandler woo you, you wake up next to a husband you can't trust. Such a thrilling read, flew through this one.
24. Freakonomics by Steven Levit & Stephen Dubner - kind of hard to explain, but each chapter discusses a different (quite random) topic and analyzes the data in a really interesting way.
25. Love May Fail by Matthew Quick - I absolutely loved this book and everything Matthew Quick. I've also read Silver Linings Playbook (much better than the movie, of course) and Sorta Like a Rock Star by him. Love love love!!
26. Still Alice by Lisa Genova - story of a Harvard linguistics professor who has early-onset Alzheimer's, it's heartbreaking and thought provoking. It's difficult to say that I enjoyed this one, because it was hard to read at times (like when you changes the channel if a tv show get uncomfortable). But it was hard to put down because you are rooting for Alice and hoping it will all be okay.
27. Zoo by James Patterson - loving the new show, so of course I wanted to read the book. I tend to root for the animals. Never read any James Patterson before, it was an entertaining easy read.
28. Life of Pi by Yann Martel - listened to this one on Audible. Took a little while to get into, but then I was hooked. So good! (Haven't seen the movie yet, but I want to now)
29. Defending Jacob by William Landay - really a page turner, loved the format of hinting that something big is going to happen later.
Hoping to take advantage of a little more time off and get through #35 by the end of August...
August:
35. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson - A really heartbreaking, eye-open look at our justice system. The author is a lawyer who defends death row inmates, inmates convicted while they were children and people in jail for unbelievable (to me anyway) reasons who had poor or no representation when they were convicted. We haven't come as far as we think we have when it comes to civil rights.
On track to finish 52 books, if I can keep up the pace with all the craziness of the beginning of the school year.
37. Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan - listened to this one with Matt on our drive home. Pretty funny, basically a long version of his stand-up bits about food. Makes you very hungry after a work day, before dinner.
39. The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis - good story, but kind of a slow read for me. I wanted to keep going, but never enough to read for more than 30 min at a time. It's set in the near future but also in 1320. I'm always a fan of time travel : )
I'm dedicating my October to scary reads (but not too scary, cause I get scared easily lol) I'd love some recommendations! Just 13 books to go!!
41. Help for the Haunted by John Searles - did this one on Audible, the narrator was a creepy girl. Pretty good and scary (in that not too scary way, that's perfect for me). Great to start out my month of scary.
42. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - a little more weird than scary. The story is based around all these weird vintage photos. Started out really good, then I started losing interest. This is going to be movie next year, directed by Tim Burton, so that should be creepy!
44. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger - in case you didn't know, The Time Traveler's Wife is absolutely my favorite book of all time so you can imagine how excited I was to find this scary novel written by her. Loved the writing, setting, characters (including a ghost!) and the twists, but the ending was not for me...
45. The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean - "and Other True Tales of Madness, Love and History of the World from the Periodic Table of Elements" A great book for the Chemistry enthusiast in your life! I found if super interesting and learned a lot. #scienceisawesome
46. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling - Ever seen Love Actually? It's kinda like that with lots of characters that don't really seem related until the end when they come together at the Christmas show, except instead of a Christmas show its a funeral. And instead of everyone loving someone, everyone hates someone and stabs them in the back. There are about 100 pages of very boring character development, then the plot picks up, then the plot REALLY picks up.
48. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman - School book club pick. Seemed like a great premise, people have made a treaty with dragons, who can take human form. A little less dragon action than I was expecting and a little too fantasy for me.
This is the half way point so I should be done with book 26.
July:
24. Freakonomics by Steven Levit & Stephen Dubner - kind of hard to explain, but each chapter discusses a different (quite random) topic and analyzes the data in a really interesting way.
25. Love May Fail by Matthew Quick - I absolutely loved this book and everything Matthew Quick. I've also read Silver Linings Playbook (much better than the movie, of course) and Sorta Like a Rock Star by him. Love love love!!
26. Still Alice by Lisa Genova - story of a Harvard linguistics professor who has early-onset Alzheimer's, it's heartbreaking and thought provoking. It's difficult to say that I enjoyed this one, because it was hard to read at times (like when you changes the channel if a tv show get uncomfortable). But it was hard to put down because you are rooting for Alice and hoping it will all be okay.
27. Zoo by James Patterson - loving the new show, so of course I wanted to read the book. I tend to root for the animals. Never read any James Patterson before, it was an entertaining easy read.
28. Life of Pi by Yann Martel - listened to this one on Audible. Took a little while to get into, but then I was hooked. So good! (Haven't seen the movie yet, but I want to now)
29. Defending Jacob by William Landay - really a page turner, loved the format of hinting that something big is going to happen later.
Hoping to take advantage of a little more time off and get through #35 by the end of August...
August:
30. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee - I listened to this on Audible, narrated by Reese Whiterspoon. I thought the writing was (of course) very good and it was nice to get reacquainted with the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird, but I thought the story was beyond disappointing : (
31. One for the Money (Stephanie Plum #1) by Janet Evanovich - this was a fun quick read. I enjoyed it, but probably not enough to read then next one.
32. The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman - take the quiz here to find out your love language: www.5lovelanguages.com - Really interesting! But some of the examples in the book were a little too cheesy and generic.
33. One Day by David Nicholls - absolutely loved this book! Chronicles the relationship of Dexter and Emma over 20ish years but only on the same day every year. It's really an interesting way to approach and leaves you hanging at the end of every chapter. (kinda had a time-travelers wife feel to it because you get snippets from different times, but here they are in order).
34. 10% Happier by Dan Harris - "How I tamed the voice in my head, reduced stress without losing my edge and found self-help that actually works". So instead of obsessively checking your phone at stop lights and filling every second of down time with reading or watching videos, take a second, look around, breathe, relax. When you have an emotional reaction to something, note it, but don't let it dominate your mind or actions. Pretty laid back approach to meditations, I liked it.
35. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson - A really heartbreaking, eye-open look at our justice system. The author is a lawyer who defends death row inmates, inmates convicted while they were children and people in jail for unbelievable (to me anyway) reasons who had poor or no representation when they were convicted. We haven't come as far as we think we have when it comes to civil rights.
On track to finish 52 books, if I can keep up the pace with all the craziness of the beginning of the school year.
September:
36. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart - this one is popular with the kiddos right now. Story of this wealthy family who summers on a private island. Something happens to the main character (a teen girl) causing her to have memory loss and horrible headaches. She can't remember what happened and no one will tell her. I was a little disappointed but I enjoyed it.
37. Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan - listened to this one with Matt on our drive home. Pretty funny, basically a long version of his stand-up bits about food. Makes you very hungry after a work day, before dinner.
38. The Martian by Andy Weir - loved! So much science! I can't wait for the movie.
39. The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis - good story, but kind of a slow read for me. I wanted to keep going, but never enough to read for more than 30 min at a time. It's set in the near future but also in 1320. I'm always a fan of time travel : )
I'm dedicating my October to scary reads (but not too scary, cause I get scared easily lol) I'd love some recommendations! Just 13 books to go!!
October:
40. She is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick - another school book club pick. A lot of teachers REALLY liked it, but it was not for me. A blind teenage girl steals her mom's credit card and travels with younger brother to New York from England in search of her "missing" father... The theme is coincidence.
41. Help for the Haunted by John Searles - did this one on Audible, the narrator was a creepy girl. Pretty good and scary (in that not too scary way, that's perfect for me). Great to start out my month of scary.
42. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - a little more weird than scary. The story is based around all these weird vintage photos. Started out really good, then I started losing interest. This is going to be movie next year, directed by Tim Burton, so that should be creepy!
43. Black Chalk by Christopher J Yates - a "psychological thriller". Still trying to process this one. I liked it and thought the writing was good. But the main character lives in a hazy world so it made my world feel hazy. Good twists and good zooming out as the story goes to get the bigger picture (I wonder if there is a literary term for this?).
44. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger - in case you didn't know, The Time Traveler's Wife is absolutely my favorite book of all time so you can imagine how excited I was to find this scary novel written by her. Loved the writing, setting, characters (including a ghost!) and the twists, but the ending was not for me...
November:
45. The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean - "and Other True Tales of Madness, Love and History of the World from the Periodic Table of Elements" A great book for the Chemistry enthusiast in your life! I found if super interesting and learned a lot. #scienceisawesome
46. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling - Ever seen Love Actually? It's kinda like that with lots of characters that don't really seem related until the end when they come together at the Christmas show, except instead of a Christmas show its a funeral. And instead of everyone loving someone, everyone hates someone and stabs them in the back. There are about 100 pages of very boring character development, then the plot picks up, then the plot REALLY picks up.
Only finished two this month but started a few more. Hoping two weeks off in December will be enough to catch up!
December:
47. Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson - I laughed and cried during this one but mostly laughed. Highly recommend and the audiobook is great because she reads it. It's sort of a hilarious perspective on mental illness and anxiety disorders, with a lot of pets and some taxidermy... convinced to read it yet?
48. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman - School book club pick. Seemed like a great premise, people have made a treaty with dragons, who can take human form. A little less dragon action than I was expecting and a little too fantasy for me.
49. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson - 48 hours of audiobook!! Matt and I started this on our road trip to St. Louis in July and then listened on our carpool commute. As with most 1000 page books (I'm assuming...) it was a slow start, but got very exciting. This was more of a Matt-book, but I enjoyed.
50. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis - just wanted a fun christmasy read. Loved it!
51. The Paris Wife by Paula McClain - the story of Ernest Hemmingway's first wife, Hadley and the start of his career. Beautifully written and quite sad. PTSD, affairs, European travel, running with the bulls...
52. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey - looking forward to the movie!! Young adult dystopia - one of my favorites! but with Aliens and enough differences to make it not too much like those other young adult dystopia. I can't wait to read the next one.
