April Review and Goals for May

 

A book exchange at my kids' school this week allowed me the time to go through our bookshelves.  I purged a bit and reorganized a bit, but mostly I noted that I have so many books that have been on my shelves for years that I have never read.  It renewed my goal to get through them this year - not all of them, but many of them.  I know I will decide after a few chapters to set some to the side, but I just want to make some decisions and start looking at empty space or new books up there!  

April was a good reading month for me.  I'm not quite sure what to attribute that to - I did spend a little more time on the treadmill (obviously I don't go very fast since I'm able to read and walk/job at the same time), and maybe I was better at reading while waiting for my kids at their various practices, rather than just scrolling mindlessly through my phone!  Whatever the case, I had some fun ones in there.  I read all my goal books for April, and added six more.

Goals for April:

1. The Adventure Gap by James Mills (Non-Fiction/Book Club)
2. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Fiction)
3. All God's Children by Fox Butterfield
4. The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi (Fiction)

Books read in April:

1. The Adventure Gap by James Mills (Non-Fiction/Book Club) 
2. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Fiction/Library)
3. All God's Children by Fox Butterfield (Book Club)
4. The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi (Fiction/Library)
5. The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs (Fiction/Library)
6. Outlawed by Anna North (Fiction/Library)
7. The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger (Fiction/My Shelves)
8. The Bride Test by Helen Hoang (Romance/Library)
9. His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie (Fiction/Library)
10. Girls with Bright Futures by Tracy Tobmeier & Wendy Katzman (Fiction/Loaned to Me)

Goals for May:

1. They Called Us Enemy by George Takei (Graphic Novel/Book Club)
2. In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado (Memoir)
3. One book that has been loaned to me!
4. One book from my own bookshelves!

I know I'm bound to find an amazing book that has just been sitting unread on my shelves for decades...can't wait to see what it is!

March Review & Goals for April

My goal books for March were:

1. Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi (Fiction/Book Club)
2. The Adventure Gap by James Mills (Non-Fiction/Book Club)
3. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (Mystery)
4. Friends & Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan (Fiction)

I didn't get to The Adventure Gap, as it is actually a book club pick for the first week of April, so hopefully I will read it this weekend!

In March, my reading felt a bit haphazard.  I had been trying to focus on one book at a time to see if that helped me focus, or get more into a given book at a given time.  I always think that I read multiple books at a time because I never know what mood I'll be in when I feel like reading - I might want a fiction book, I might want a mystery...but this month I realized that it's not so much about mood as about convenience.  I focused on one book, but then found myself running out the door and couldn't find that book so I just grabbed another, or I decided to read in the bath, but didn't want to go downstairs to grab a book and just took the one on the bedside table.  And, so I found myself in the middle of about 10 different books before I knew it!  Some happy medium must be discovered!

The books I finished in March were:

1. Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi (Fiction/Book Club/My Shelves)
2. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (Mystery/Library)
3. Friends & Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan (Fiction/Library)
4. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (Fiction/Library)
5. Eat a Peach by David Chang (Memoir/Library)
6. The Roommate by Rosie Danan (Romance/Library)

On my to-read list for April (I can't believe we're in April!).  

1. The Adventure Gap by James Mills (Non-Fiction/Book Club)
2. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Fiction)
3. All God's Children by Fox Butterfield
4. The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi (Fiction)

I have so many books from the library piled up on my entry table, I need to stop the requests from coming in and spend time catching up!  Happy Reading!

February Review & Goals for March

 My goal books for February were:

1. A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet (Fiction/Book Club)
2. Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo
3. The Last Mrs. Parrish (Mystery)
4. Hamnet (Fiction)

I realize as I look back now, that I never reviewed these goals during the month and completely forgot that I planned to read The Last Mrs. Parrish - so needless to say, I didn't read that.  My completed books for February were:

1. A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet (Fiction/Book Club)
2. Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo (Non-Fiction/Book Club)
3. Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell  (Fiction)
4. Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger (Fiction)
5. One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London (Fiction/Romance)
6. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (Fiction)
7. Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman (Fiction)

My goal books for March are:

1. Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi (Fiction/Book Club)
2. The Adventure Gap by James Mills (Non-Fiction/Book Club)
3. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (Mystery)
4. Friends & Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan (Fiction)

Happy Reading!

    

January Review & Goals for February

January ended up being a pretty good reading month for me.  I have to admit I did prioritize reading in a way that I haven't in quite awhile, and unfortunately, will cause a few other things to catch up with me in February.  But, it was fun while it lasted.  Here are the books I managed to finish:

1. The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (Mystery)
2. You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria (Romance)
3. Why Fish Don't Exist by Lulu Miller (Non-Fiction/Biography/Memoir)
4. Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson (Juvenile Fiction)
5. The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes (Fiction)
6. The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans (Short Stories)
7. Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker (Non-Fiction)
8. American Dirt by Jeanine Cumins (Fiction)
9. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (Romance)
10. The Girl in the Mirror by Rose Carlyle (Mystery/Thriller)
11. Real Life by Brandon Taylor
12. Ripley Underground - Patricia Highsmith (Mystery)

My goal books for February are:

1. A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet (Fiction/Book Club)
2. Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo
3. The Last Mrs. Parrish (Mystery)
4. Hamnet (Fiction)

February is a short month, so we'll see what happens!

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

I don't like it when people refer to reading certain types of books as a "guilty pleasure."  I want people to feel good about reading whatever they find entertaining and realize that even if it isn't considered a "classic," that if you enjoy it, there's nothing to be embarrassed about.  That being said, while I am enjoying learning more about this Romance genre, I have to admit that there are some book I can't imagine flaunting in public!

My understanding is that Helen Hoang is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.  Her main character, Stella Lane, is a successful econometrician, but she can't quite seem to figure out the personal interactions appropriate to find a husband.  She also has an ASD diagnosis.  In an effort to better understand how to behave in a romantic relationship, Stella hires an escort to be her fake boyfriend.  But, of course, we know where this is headed!  I do really love these romances that normalize love in every way, shape, and form - making all people regardless of background capable of loving and being loved.  While I cringed at much of Stella's behavior, there were other parts I could definitely relate to - just like any other main character in these romances.  And, regardless of diagnosis, what I truly love about these stories, is they (for the most part) always have a happy ending.  Looking forward to reading more by Hoang soon.

The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans

 

I'm always a little hesitant about reading short stories.  I'm not sure why since when done well, like any other kind of writing, they are entertaining and thought-provoking.  I have this idea that a short story is too short to ever leave me feeling satisfied about getting to know the characters.  While I know there is so much skill that goes into crafting a successful short story, it's just not a format that I'm that comfortable with.  So, it's no surprise that I borrowed this book not having any idea that it was a book of short stories (and one novella).  But, I stuck with it and was reminded that I do in fact enjoy a short story now and again!

Each of the stories in this collection is about a moment in time and relationships among characters affected by race, culture, and histories - known and unknown to them and the people they exist among.  The stories made me realize just how much you can capture and raise in this short format - I had initially thought I would read one story here and one story there in between other books/activities.  I read the first story and then set the book aside.  Then I read the second...and moved on right away to the third...and the fourth...and then just finished the book in the remainder of that sitting.  I do think spreading it out and allowing the individual stories to sink in would have been a valuable way to approach this book. But, my inability to do that is a reflection of how compelling I found it.  I'm still not sold on short stories, but I'm working on it.

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

 

Sometimes you just have to give a book a few tries.  I borrowed this one last year - read two pages and my mind kept wandering.  I tried again this year and the same thing happened.  Then my mom told me that she'd read and enjoyed it.  So, I told myself I had to stick with it...and then by page three, I couldn't put it down!  I don't know what it was about those first two pages...

Set in the Kentucky mountains during the depression, this is a book about strong women making things happen even when many of those around them are physically holding them down.  Eager to escape her British home, Alice marries a handsome American and returns to his small hometown where she finds the honeymoon is quickly over.  Looking to escape yet another home situation, Alice signed up to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt's new traveling library.  The effort has its opponents in town - those who feel it is a frivolous waste of time, and that the only book anyone should be reading is the Bible.  But, Alice finds friends among the other women involved in the endeavor, and together the support each other through the difficulties of being women in this time.  There were a lot of moments of dread in this book, but mostly it was a quick read and a compelling story.  I found the bravery of these women incredible - and their willingness to just keep going despite having these truly hard lives with little recognition or reward.  Highly recommend reading this one curled up by the fire on a rainy winter evening.