All Teh Books!
Behind the
Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
I read this book as part of the nerdfighter book club (see Vlogbrothers channel on youtube). It is the story of people living in present day in the slums of India. It was eye opening to read about poverty and corruption in our modern times. It is well written and frank about conditions without being too difficult to read (for those with sensitive dispositions like myself).
In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson
This was recommended by a friend based on my interest in history. It is a biographical account of the American ambassador to Germany and his family in the early 1930's. I had not previously spent much time studying the years before WWII in Germany. It is disturbing and troubling to see the numerous red flags present during that time that were ignored by the allied countries.
Destiny of the
Republic by Candice Millard
Another fascinating biography recommended by a friend. This is the biography of President James Garfield. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book about a president of whom I knew very little. It also serves as a biography of Garfield's assassin. There are extensive, graphic descriptions of medical procedures, which I skimmed through.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
I was hesitant to read the Kite Runner because I knew it contained some difficult scenes, but I really enjoyed it. The writing is excellent and the relationships in the story are touching and moving.
Divergent, Insurgent, and Allegiantby Veronica Roth
Yep, I got sucked in to the Divergent series. I'm definitely a fan. I liked each one in the series a little less than the previous one, and I'm not happy with the ending to Allegiant, but I LOVE Divergent. I think I'd like to read it again. I'm toying with the idea of trying another dystopian series (but am not interested in Hunger Games), any suggestions?
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Everyone seemed to be reading it, and it was on the bestseller's list, so I gave it a try. I found it highly disturbing. I was frustrated with how much strong language was in it, as well as the personalities/actions of some of the characters in the book. Least favorite read of the year by far.
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
I also picked this one of the bestsller list and love it! One of my favorite books of the year! It's the story of a present day foster teen and a recollection of an Orphn in the 1920's. Wonderfully written and very touching.
The Name of the
Star: Shades of London Book 1 by Maureen Johnson
I enjoy young adult fiction and have been wanting to read something by Maureen Johnson for a while. I selected this book, not realizing that "shades" is anothe rterm for "ghosts". Suffice it to say, I will not be finishing the series. However, the writing was fantastic, and I think I might like to read another book by Maureen Johnson at some point.
Bossypants by Tina Fey
It's a memoir/autobiography. I'm not a huge Tina Fey fan, but her writing is hilarious in parts. If you like comedy and are curious to get a behind the scenes look at SNL, you might enjoy it.
Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard
This is a memoir of an American woman who moved to Paris and married a French man. The book contains recipes for French, Jewish, and American food. Her writing is humorous, and I enjoyed reading about living in a different culture.
The Help
by Katherine Stockett (re-read
This is still one of my favorite books. It had been several years since my first read, so I thought another one was deserved. :)
Let it Snow by Maureen Johnson, John Green, and LLauren Myracle
As stated above, I like young adult fiction, and I wanted something Christmas-y to read. The book is comprised of 3 interconnected short stories about teens in a snow storm. It was entertaining enough for a casual read.
The Boys in the
Boat by Daniel James Brown
My mom recommended this book after I mentioned how much I enjoyed Destiny of the Republic. It's the story of the University of Washington rowing team who won gold in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Some of the descriptions of rowing get a little monotonous, but other than that, it is an excellent read. After having read In the Garden of Beasts, it was interesting to read about the early 1930's from the perspective in the U.S. History is never as simple as black and white.
This is the first book in Ken Follett's "Century Trilogy". It follows 5 families around the world during WWI. I loved the writing and the characters. What I didn't love was the descriptions of sex. Fortunately those can be skipped without losing any of the plot.
Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan
I'm a big Jim Gaffigan fan and thus was interested to read one of his books. This one is all about being a dad to his 5 kids. It was an enjoyable read and made me like Gaffigan even more. From his writing, he seems to be a pretty good dad. I think he is at his funniest though when talking about food. Hot pocket!
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
I enjoy reading classics, but have discovered that I'm not a big Nathaniel Hawthorne fan. The themes and symbolism in the book are quite thought provoking, but Hawthorne is just too wordy. I don't like writing where I have to look back over a sentence several times to remember what was at the beginning of it.
Favorites (Fiction)
Orphan Train
Divergent
The Kite Runner
Favorites (Nonfiction)
Lunch in Paris
Dad is Fat
The Boys in the Boat
The Ones I Didn't Finish
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Too many characters presented at the beginning, and the book just didn't hook me.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles Peirot's First Case by Agatha Christie
I read about a quarter of this one, but just found it dull. Perhaps I'll try a different Agatha Christie novel at some point.
Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini
I love historical fiction, especially Civil War, but this one was a snoozefest! Too bad.
An Infamous Army by Georgette Heyer
Didn't hook me
George Washington's Secret Six by Brian Kilmeade
I'm intrigued by the Culver Spy Ring, but this book felt like that term paper you don't have quite enough content for, so you pad it with other things.
Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon
Could tell from the first few pages that this book and I were from very different worlds.
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