2015 Book Review

I read a good number of books in 2015. I hope to read another 24 in 2016. However, I significantly slowed down at the end of the year (which is unusual). I'll give some commentary about each book as best as I can remember.

I also started a book club in my ward this year. It has actually gotten pretty decent response. We've had a few get-togethers and had about 10 people show up. I'd say that's pretty good.

1.       The Eyre Affair (Jasper Fforde)
- this is the first book in the Thursday Next series. It is about a literary detective in London who investigates crimes against works of literature. The bad guy is trying to erase Jane Eyre from public consumption. I like the style of writing, the mystery, and the ability to talk about famous books in this way. I like the series.

2.       Men Explain Things to Me (Rebecca Solnit)
Someone recommended this book to me. It was a quick read. I found it someone disheartening, which I suppose that's what you're supposed to feel. There were a lot of unnerving statistics about violence against women.

3.       The Valley of Amazement (Amy Tan)
I do not recommend this book. I should have read a plot summary before I started reading. But then I was committed, and you have to just power through a multi-hundred page book. 

4.       Unbroken (Laura Hillenbrand)
I loved this story! So captivating. I still need to watch the movie. 

5.       Lighten Up (Cheiko Okasaki)
I really liked this book. Cheiko Okasaki was a leader in the women's organization in my church. She definitely had a different life path than many of the other women who are in this type of leadership position. I loved her perspective and inspiration.

6.       A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine L'Engle)
This is always a great book to reread. Can't go wrong.

7.       Where the Sidewalk Ends (Shel Silverstein)
I was in the mood for some light poetry, so I read through this old favorite. So youthful and fun.

8.       Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
I had never read this book before and I really enjoyed the story. I have heard the sequels weren't so great, so I don't really plan on reading them. However, I highly recommend this one!

9.       Lost in a Good Book (Jasper Fforde)
This is the second book in the Thursday Next Series. Again, I like the main character and the idea of solving mysteries regarding books.

10.   The Humans (Matt Haig)
I listened to this audio book. It was definitely interesting. I could have used less vulgar language though. I think it ends kind of depressingly, too, if I remember correctly.

11.   To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
I had never read this book before. I absolutely loved it! I am still debating if I'm going to read Go Set a Watchman. Mixed feelings.

12.   Veronica Mars: Mr. Kiss and Tell (Rob Thomas)
I love Veronica Mars and the next novel did not disappoint. If you're a fan, you'll enjoy this quick mystery novel as well.

13.   The Girl on the Train (Paula Hawkins)
This was the first book for the book club I started. It got good reviews on good reads. However, it was pretty similar to Gone Girl, which I HATED. There were some redeeming characters in this book, so I would say it is better than Gone Girl. Fast paced that keeps you reading, but not a favorite.

14.   Yes, Please (Amy Poehler)
I did not like this book. I just don't think I like Amy Poehler that much. Sorry.

15.   The Heist (Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg)
I really liked this book. I love mysteries. What can I say.

16.   Modern Romance (Aziz Ansari)
This was okay. I thought it was going to be funnier. It had a lot of statistics that I feel like I already knew. I wanted more humor.

17.   The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime (Mark Haddon)
This was the second book for book club and I loved this book. The main character has autism and it was definitely a different perspective. There is a lot of vulgar language.

18.   Bird Box (Josh Malerman)
This was a weird book. There are these monsters that are like Medusa that kill you if you look at them. It was a quick read, but it was weird. Probably wouldn't recommend.

19.   Off the Books: The Underground Economy of the Urban Poor (Sudhir Alladi Venkatesh)
We tried a non-fiction book for book club and this book was a little tough to get through. The content was interesting, but the presentation was like sledging through the muck. Do not recommend. 

20.   East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
I did not like this story. I don't know why it is a classic. Yikes.

21.   The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Robert Louis Stevenson)
I had never read this book before and I absolutely loved it. It was like 90 pages or something, so a quick read. We discussed it at our October book club meeting. Highest participation - maybe because it was so short?

22.   Why Not Me? (Mindy Kaling)
This was okay. I enjoyed it, but nothing memorable. 

23.   Everything I Never Told You (Celeste Ng)
This book was kinda sad. But I enjoyed it.

24.   All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr)

This was a good story. Very interesting. Quick to get through.

25.   The Shadow of the Wind  (Carlos Ruiz Zafón)
Another book club book. Set in Barcelona, so of course, I loved that. The writing was great. I think there were times where I was confused by the story though. I would recommend this one.

2014 Book Review

I never posted my book review of the books I read in 2014. I don't know if anyone cares, but I find it interesting to look back and see what I read last year. I'm always open to a suggestion for a good book. I didn't read quite as many books as I read in 2013, but I still think it was a successful year for reading.

1. Allegiant (Veronica Roth)
1. The series kept me interested enough to finish it, but it was not my preferred YA distopian society. 
2. The Danger Box (Blue Balliett)
1. I listened to this audiobook when I was driving from DC to Detroit. I enjoyed it, although I don't really remember what it was about.
3. Nikki Heat (Richard Castle)
1. I enjoy the TV show, Castle, so I thought this would be fun. It was a quick read and an easy mystery novel.
4. King and Maxwell (David Baldacci)
1. Again, I enjoy this series about ex-Secret Agents turned private investigators. I'm a sucker for a good mystery.
5. The Magicians (Lev Grossman)
1. This was a YA book about kids that go to a school of magic. It's not Harry Potter, and they're definitely not at Hogwarts. Some of the themes are mature. I enjoyed the story.
6. I am Malala (Malala Yousafzai)
1. This was an incredibly compelling story. Do not read it on the train if you don't want people to see you crying. I highly recommend.
7. Get the Guy (Matthew Hussey)
1. I quite enjoyed this book. No, I have not applied any of his suggestions. 
8. Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking (Malcom Gladwell)
1. I remember liking this book, but I don't remember any takeaways. 
9. Harry Potter y la Piedra Filosifal
1. I reread the entire Harry Potter series in Spanish. Obviously I love the series. I enjoy it in Spanish. I have a lot of words translated in my copies, but as I immerse myself in the world in Spanish, the less I needed to use the dictionary.
10. Harry Potter y la Camera de los Secretos
11. Harry Potter y el Prisionero de Azkaban
12. Harry Potter y el Caliz de Fuego
13. Harry Potter y la Orden del Fenix
14. Harry Potter y el Misterio del Principe
15. Four: A Divergent Collection (Veronica Roth)
1. This was a quick read. Meh.
16. Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line (Rob Thomas)
1. I am a HUGE VM fan. I thought the book was fun. I again enjoy the crime mystery genre, so it's right up my alley. And VM is a character that I just love. 
17. Harry Potter y las Reliquias de la Muerte
18. The Fault in our Stars (John Green)
1. This was a pretty dumb story. But I read the whole thing in under a week.
19. The Power of Everyday Missionaries (Clayton M. Christensen)
1. I really enjoyed this book and it really made me recognize additional opportunities to share the gospel with others.
20. Looking for Alaska (John Green)
1. Apparently I liked the Fault in our Stars enough to read another John Green novel. It's YA, maybe a little more mature. Predictable. Death. Yada Yada Yada.
21. Sacred Symbols (Alonzo S. Gaskill)
1. This was a pretty quick read and helped me in my LDS temple worship.

A Year in Review: Book Style

**Update**
I have been told that I should include what I thought about the books rather than just list them. So I will add my thoughts and recommendations.

I had a goal to read 12 books this year. Due to the Kindle App on my phone and borrowing ebooks from the library, I surpassed this goal by a lot! I like to always be reading a book. Sometimes it's tough to read a book in 3 weeks. But apparently I read many books much quicker than in 3 weeks.

Some of these books I definitely would not recommend. But here's my year in review through books:

1. Divergent (Veronica Roth)
1. Entertaining and easy read. Not as good as Hunger Games. Similar distopian  society with teenagers.
2. Insurgent (Veronica Roth)
1. Thought it was a good follow up to Divergent. I read them very close together, so I don't really remember distinct differences, but I do remember being annoyed that the third book wasn't out yet. However, now that I'm reading the third book, I remember nothing that happened in this book.
3. Four (Veronica Roth) (this is only like a couple of chapters, so it probably shouldn't count as a book)
1. This took me like 5 minutes to read. It's only interesting if you've read Divergent. 
4. House of Sand and Fog (Andres Dubus III)
1. Did not like. Gruesome. Graphic. I skipped a lot.
5. Seriously, I’m Kidding (Ellen Degeneres)
1. Funny. Not as funny as Tina Fey's Bossypants. I listened to this while at the gym, so it was fun.
6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky)
1. Not a big fan. I hated all of the characters. I didn't get some of the major themes that are supposedly there when I read the plot summary when the movie came out. Mature themes.
7. Beautiful Creatures (Garcia & Stohl)
1. Hated this YA book. Ugh. Stupid. Refuse to read the rest of the series.
8. Catching Fire (Suzanne Collins)
1. Reread to gear up for the release of the Catching Fire movie. My thoughts the second time through are still that it is very much a "middle" book as it seems like everything is setting up for the finale. However, I did find it entertaining.
9. Lean In (Sheryl Sandberg)
1. LOVE. I LOVE THIS BOOK. I have pages of notes on my computer of the quotes that I love from this book. I even wrote TWO blog posts about it. This is a great read for ANYONE about gender and the workforce.
10. Split Second (David Baldacci)
1. I got into the King & Maxwell series by David Baldacci. They're all similar crime mysteries that are easy reads and fairly entertaining. I wouldn't say it's the best reading, but it's fun for a beach read or sitting in my screened in porch and enjoying the afternoon. 
11. Hour Game (David Baldacci)
12. Simple Genius (David Baldacci)
13. First Family (David Baldacci)
14. Someday, Someday, Maybe (Lauren Graham)
1. I liked this book overall. This is semi autobiographical of Lauren Graham's life. It's about a young actress trying to "make it" in New York City. 
15. The Lost Symbol (Dan Brown)
1. I love Dan Brown. This had some great twists and turns and I really enjoyed reading this book.
16. Inferno (Dan Brown)
1. Dan Brown is always a winner. I promise. If you like mysteries, you will like this book. I wish I had read Dante's Inferno in school. I felt like I learned a lot about that while reading as well. I often looked up museums and paintings on wikipedia so I could better imagine things. Very interesting.
17. The Sixth Man (David Baldacci)
1. See above. This is a fun series.
18. What’s Wrong with Fat (Abigail Saguy)
1. I'm not a huge non fiction reader if it's not a biography, so after about 120 pages, I felt like I got the gist of everything I needed from this book.
19. Decision Points (George W. Bush)
1. Definitely recommend. It's long, so maybe borrow it from your parents and read a bunch of books in between. I really enjoyed learning more about his life. 
20. Life without Limits (Nick Vujicic)
1. This was a good motivational book. Nick was born without arms or legs and I found his story completely fascinating. 
21. Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn)
1. In the end, I hated all of the characters in this book. They were all mean. It was a lose-lose. I like happy books. I would NOT recommend. 
22. Mind Games (Kiersten White)
1. This was a fun YA book about increased senses of two sisters and corruption. It was definitely different than other things that I had read. I enjoyed it.
23. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (Mindy Kaling)
1. This was funny, but not as funny as Tina Fey's Bossypants. I love The Mindy Project and find Mindy enjoyable. Definitely light-hearted. Some parts I would suggest skimming over though.
24. Orange is the New Black (Piper Kerman)
1. LOVE. I love this story. It is so interesting. I love all of the people. I love everything about this book. Mature. 
25. The Cuckoo’s Calling (Robert Galbraith aka JK Rowling)
1. Meh. this book was okay. The mystery of the suspicious suicide of the model was interesting, but I honestly think that David Baldacci's mysteries keep me more entertained and I can't predict the killer as easily.
26. And the Mountains Echoed (Khaled Hossini)
1. Ugh. I wanted to like this book. But I found the story a little too jumpy and disjointed. It was not as powerful as the Kite Runner or A Thousand Splendid Suns. I recommend those much more highly than this book.
27. The Paris Wife (Paula McClain)
1. I do not recommend. Selfish lifestyle. Annoying people. Maybe it's not a bad thing that I didn't read any of Ernest Hemmingway's books. If you liked the Great Gatsby, you'd probably like this book. Mature.
28. The Paris Architect (Charles Belfour)
1. I liked this story, but it definitely had some things in it that I could have done without. Very interesting story about WWII and the Holocaust. Mature. 

I'm currently reading Allegiant by Veronica Roth. I'm not really into it - probably because I can't remember the story since I read it last January...

Here's to another 12+ book year!

My Perfect Date

I confess that I am a huge nerd. I love learning. And books. (And spreadsheets.) I often frequent my local library, which is only a few blocks from my house. And with the emergence of eReaders, I often have a few books to peruse through my Kindle app.

Although I've never really participated in formal "book clubs," I love discussing books. Just last week I was finishing And the Mountains Echoed and took every opportunity to discuss its merits with friends and complete strangers alike.*

So when I was browsing my library's website looking for what books the book clubs had read in the past, I stumbled upon a perfect group for me.

Book Dating.

Yes, book dating.

It's speed dating, but rather than spend the 3 minutes discussing your love for Polish architecture (I don't really think that's a thing, but it popped into my mind), you bring 2-3 books to discuss with your "dates."

I love that the premise was developed to bring young professionals back to libraries. I fit much better in a library than some trendy club in Adams Morgan.

Of course, I immediately began thinking about the books that I'm reading right now (Steve Jobs' biography and The Paris Wife) and what I would share about them.

And then I got nervous. If someone asked me what my favorite book is, I have no idea what I would answer. I mean if it was based purely on the number of times that I'd reread a book, it would probably be a Harry Potter book.

And although I do love Harry Potter, I worry what that might say about me. I also recognize that I have matured since I first finished the series at age 20. Now I read all kinds of books that intrigue me and my book tastes continue to change. Why do we care about favorites? Why can't we discuss interesting ideas and themes rather than zero in on one favorite book?

So much pressure.

I'm seriously tempted to check out the "book dating" scene. Except November is for 40+. If I remember in December, I just may check it out.

*In case you're wondering, I liked 3/4 of the book. The end was just so-so.

The Only Advice I Need

My family went to Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan to check out the "Holiday Nights" events. As we strolled through the gift shop, I spotted this gem:


Not that I really need any advice to be the best at everything, I thought I'd flip through the pages. That's when I saw this:



I thought this was absolutely perfect. I often convince people of many things without even knowing what I'm talking about. All I need to add are some oxymorons.

Greenfield Village was a blast. And now I can improve my "being the best at everything," so all in all, a good night.

The Red Tent

So, I'm really not impressed with The Red Tent... It's all about women giving birth... not exactly what I want to read on my 2 weeks off from BYU...

But alas, I've only not finished A Light in August and Life of Pi. I don't want that number to increase... so I'm sticking it out...

Bummer choice of books... Curse that Rory Gilmore.