2016 READING GOAL THAT HAS EXTENDED INTO 2017
My goal was to finish reading all of the books that were on the Goodreads "Best Books EVER" list. I did okay for a few months and then just kinda quit. So here I am in 2017 ... and ready to try again.
Click HERE to read about my reading goal.
I did get 4 read off the list this month, but then realized I was missing one from the original list (Moby Dick). So with that, I have 13 more to go.
# 16 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - February 2016
# 18 Memoirs of a Geisha
# 32 The Picture of Dorian Gray - January 2016
# 33 Crime and Punishment
# 41 Dracula - January 2016
# 49 The Lovely Bones - February 2016
# 59 Anna Karenina - January 2016
# 61 Lolita
# 62 Slaughterhouse-Five - June 2016
# 64 Catch-22
# 66 Dune
# 68 Watership Down
# 70 The Stand
# 72 Frankenstein - June 2016
# 73 Great Expectations - January 2017
# 75 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
# 76 Angela's Ashes
# 77 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - July 2016
# 80 The Bell Jar
# 83 The Color Purple
# 86 The Brothers Karamazov
# 91 Siddhartha - January 2017
# 92 Don Quixote
# 94 A Prayer for Owen Meany - May 2016
# 95 Vampire Academy - January 2017
#96 The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - January 2016
#98 Moby Dick
# 104 Interview with the Vampire - January 2017
# 105 Middlesex
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi / A / **** / Kindle
This is the story of a neuro-scientist diagnosed with aggressive cancer just as he is nearing his goal of finishing medical school. I believe everyone has a story to tell, and it was interesting to read this one. That being said, it lacked the wit and tenderness and insightfulness as "The Last Lecture". The most tender part was this message to his infant daughter (he died when she was 8 months old):
“When you come to one of the many moments in life when you must give an account of yourself, provide a ledger of what you have been, and done, and meant to the world, do not, I pray, discount that you filled a dying man’s days with a sated joy, a joy unknown to me in all my prior years, a joy that does not hunger for more and more, but rests, satisfied. In this time, right now, that is an enormous thing.”
Lilac Girls: A Novel by Martha Hall Kelly / A / ***1/2 / Kindle
My favorite period of time to read about is WWII. This story follows the story of several Polish women who were interred in a German concentration camp. What makes this story different from some of the others out there is that it tells how they endured the extra atrocity of medical experimentation. It is told from the point of view of one of the Polish women, a female German doctor who worked at the camp, and an American socialite working to make a difference. The story was compelling even though the writing style itself was a little "off" sometimes.
Millers Valley: A Novel by Anna Quindlen / A / **** / Kindle
Anna Quindlen is just amazing.
This book follows the story of Mary Margaret "Mimi" Miller from her childhood in an all-american farming community in Pennsylvania through her adult years as a medical doctor in a nearby town. This book is a quiet novel in that not a lot happens, but the characters and their intertwined stories make the book a solid story. To me it is a story that you never really leave where you are from.
The Book of Lost and Found: A Novel by Lucy Foley / A /**/ Kindle
If I had to define this book in one word it would be "meh".
This book tells the story of Kate as she works to find out more about her deceased mother. Kate's journey takes her from London to Corsica to Paris, then New York. It is advertised as a story of deep and abiding love, separation and sadness, loyalty and caring. But to me, it sadly lacked character development. And the dialogue was just weird... the words people said didn't really seem to add anything to the story. Overall it was very slow moving and just felt really flat to me.
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead / ** / Kindle
Oh good Lord. I can't even believe I read this book. I can't believe it's been made into a movie or TV show or whatever. This one is from my Goodreads "Top 100 Books of All Time" list and if I had started the list with this book as opposed to something like Anna Karenina I would have not even attempted the list as it would feel like whomever chose these books was CRAZY. This one was PAINFUL.
Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles, Book 1) / A / *** / Kindle
It is funny that I claim to not like vampire stories considering my favorite movie as a young teen was "Lost Boys" and I currently own an Edward Cullen barbie doll. That being said, vampires are just gross. And evil. And did I say gross? I know the Anne Rice books are the 'be all end all' of vampire books, but this one was just okay for me. It had some really interesting concepts and I think her writing has really influenced a whole generation of vampire story tellers, but I didn't love it. This book was also
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens / A / **** / Kindle
This book is another from the Goodreads list. I have been avoiding it as I generally find Dickens pretty difficult to read. This one, however, was a lot easier to me for some reason. I really enjoyed the story even though the main character made me crazy in some ways. And I just wanted SOMEONE to stand up to Miss Haversham and CLEAN HER HOUSE. My favorite character was good old Herbert.
Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli / YA / **1/2 / Kindle
Simon is a Junior who has great friends, a loving family, a part in the school play, and a secret... he's gay. The story is mainly told in a series of emails between Simon and a boy named Blu... the code name of an unknown boy in Simon's school that he is falling for.
I just wish this story had been written by like John Green or Rainbow Rowell... as it had some great characters, a smidgen of off-beat humor and a lot of promise. I really have a soft spot for stories of people that feel like they don't fit in and how they rise triumphant over the stereotypes that try to define them. But as it was, the story wasn't FABULOUS. The device of using emails to advance the story just got really old after a while. I was underwhelmed.
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware / A / *** / Kindle
This was a rough month for me. I was just unimpressed by about everything. This one tells the story of a journalist on a cruise that witnesses a murder.... but no one will believe her. It had all the elements of a good psychological thriller but was just okay for me.
Siddharta by Hermann Hesse / A / *** / Kindle
This book tells the story of Siddharta and his journey to find the meaning of life. It was surprisingly engaging and a quick read. The part that "spoke" to me the most is the idea that while knowledge can be imparted, wisdom cannot. I am a big believer in the idea that we have to find our own way... which (as a side note) is probably why I get really super annoyed when someone tells me what I should be thinking (the media), loving (the media) or feeling (the media).
"RESIST" (BREATHE BOOK 2) by Sarah Crossan/ YA / ** / Kindle
Oh man what a nightmare. The first one was just okay.... but okay enough I decided to find out how it ended. At first I was like, "WOW good choice on my part". The story got original and exciting and moved along really well. And then the last half of the book was like a slap in the face - but with a limp fishy clammy hand. It bordered on ridiculous. I am sorry I wasted my time on this one.
"Vinegar Girl" by Anne Tyler / A / **** / Kindle
This book had Anne Tyler's trademarks of charming but eccentric characters, a slightly dysfunctional family, witty dialogue, humorous situations, and a great plot with an appropriate ending. The main character, Kate, was outspoken and strong willed; which surprised me that she would go along with her fathers harebrained schemed to marry his Russian lab assistant whose green card was about to expire. But Kate, tired of her life, moves forward and of course the rest of the story is just quirky and fun. This book was surprisingly short, only 240 pages.
I found out after I had finished the book that Anne Tyler was asked to participate in a project that re-writes Shakespeare plays for a "modern" audience. This book was the re-telling of "Taming of the Shrew". I haven't ever read or seen the play, so I can't judge it as far as that part. But I enjoyed the story... I wanted to know what happened next.... and now I want to read the play. So mission accomplished, I guess.
"The Summer Before the War" by Helen Simonson / A / **** / Kindle
This novel focuses on several occupants of the English village of Rye in the months before WWI begins. It explores their idyllic summer where adventures are had and friendships are created. The novel then proceeds into the beginning of the war and the actual affect it had on people's lives, especially as the thrill of patriotism and marching bands wore off and grim reality set in. I really enjoyed this book. I reaffirmed my desire to spend a summer in the English countryside. It was set in the same years as "Downton Abbey" so it was easy to picture the clothing, estates, and countryside. It also had the same themes that war not only changes boundary lines of countries but also class boundaries. It was a great "fix" for those like me that are sad the show is over.
"Monday, Monday" by Elizabeth Crook / A / *** / Kindle
On August 1, 1966 Charles Whitman climbed the clock tower at the University of Texas and proceeded to shoot 49 people before being killed by police. This book tells a fictional story of a victim and the men that risked their lives to save her, and how their lives became intertwined. I loved the first part of this book. I couldn't put it down. I could totally picture the plaza; the brilliant blue sky, the shimmering summer heat, the shots ringing out from the tower.
The story continues years into the future, becoming a tribute to how the people in our lives can become like family.
The last part of the book was just ho-hum to me. I didn't enjoy it as much. It just felt like the author was trying to fill up pages.
"The Underground Railroad" by Colson Whitehead / A / ***** / Kindle
This book tells the story of Cora, a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. Having already incurred the wrath of her new master, she decides to accept the offer of escape with the help of the Underground Railroad. The rest of the book tells of Cora's terrifying travels and trials in her search for freedom.
The most interesting thing about this book is that the Underground Railroad is conceptualized as an actual train with a secret network of underground (literally) stations and tracks and conductors.
This book is hard to read as there is just so much horror in the whole slave experience. This book was a joy to read as you just had to appreciate Cora and her will to survive. This book also gave tribute to all the brave people that were willing to put their lives on the line to fight back against the accepted way of thinking of the day.
This book was powerful, gut wrenching, and compelling.
"The Girl In the Red Coat" by Kate Homer / A / ***
Carmel is an independent eight year old that doesn't want her overprotective mother to treat her like a baby. She hides from her at a local storytelling festival, only to be abducted by an older man who tells her that he is her estranged grandfather. The man tells Carmel that she must live with him now, as her mother has been hurt in a car accident.
The story alternates between the story of Carmel and that of her mother and her desperate search to find her. The old man is a religious fanatic, who has determined that Carmel has "healing" powers. He is sure that she is going to heal him, as well as heal others (and make him a lot of money). He takes Carmel around the United States to different revivals.
The story gets a little confusing as there are a lot of unanswered questions... for example I was not really ever sure if she really DID have some type of paranormal powers or if this was another of the man's delusions.
The power of this book is that it makes you care and it makes you terrified. I almost couldn't enjoy the book as I was waiting for the time when grandpa goes all pedophile - he doesn't but I was on egg shells dreading it.
"Spark Joy: An illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo / A / **1/2 / Kindle
This book is the follow-up to Kondo's book on organizing that has literally changed my life. It was a fun little read but not as overwhelmingly hilarious as her first book. The only really funny thing in this one was that she talked about how we need to give our silverware a flat place to lie because they get dizzy going back and forth from our plates to our mouths. HAHAHAHA. You gotta love it. Despite the quirkiness, I really do love her theology that if you don't use it or love it, it doesn't belong in your home. I do NOT follow her folding methods, but did reorganize my closet to follow her method and I have liked it. This guide-book is entirely unnecessary to be successful using the Konmari method, and for being in illustrated guide there were surprisingly few illustrations (maybe because it was on kindle?). It did make me motivated to get back to work on de-junking my home.
The Place My Words Are Looking For selected by Paul B Janeczko / JF / **** / Hardback
I found this book at Grandpa Taylor's house while waiting for the BYU game to start. This is a selection of poems for younger readers. Every so often there will be some advice or inspiration from one of the poets about their experiences as a writer. It was an enjoyable read with some being funny, some being serious, and some just capturing the human experience. I enjoyed it.
Our Souls at Night - Kent Haruf / A / *** / Kindle
This one was interesting... it was the story of two neighbors in their 70's who have each lost their spouse. The woman asks the man just to come over every so often and spend the night (in a platonic way) and talk to her in the dark so she doesn't feel lonely. They of course start caring for each other. It is interesting how their children start freaking out about the whole thing. Anyway, it was an interesting story line.
Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson / A / ****1/2 / Kindle
This is my third ship wreck book in the last few months. I didn't consciously do this, but it was fun to make comparisons, especially as they all happened within years of each other. I like Erik Larson. He does in depth research of real events and then tells them as a fascinating story - that is all true. I annoy people when I read his books as I'm constantly saying, "Did you know that _(fill in the blank with a fascinating but basically useless historical fact) ___?". Anyway, this one was a good one.
