Reading Challenge: May, June & July!

Oh my goodness, I hadn't realized how long it has been since I last updated! I could have sworn that I had updated for May but I guess not, and I actually didn't finish ANY books in June (I know!) so I'm going to catch up now. June was very slow for me because I got caught up in a couple books that were slow reads for me so while I was reading during June I didn't finish them until July.

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

This was a book club read that I thoroughly enjoyed! A teenage girl is found drowned in a nearby lake and the story takes place from the perspective of herself leading up to what happens as well as her family members. Her father comes from Chinese immigrant parents, her mother never followed her dreams of becoming a doctor, and her brother is doing everything he can to get out. All of these things contribute to the choices she makes in the last days of her life. The characters in this book are very well developed and I sometimes hated and sometimes love them. The ending left me thinking about it for days, very good read! ... Learn more here.

Recipes for A Beautiful Life by Rebecca Barry

I loved this book so much. Rebecca Barry is so relatable as she struggles with her writing career, raises a family and supports her husband in a small town in New York. Her children are some of the funniest and bright kids I've ever read about and I was laughing out loud at their wonderful quotes. Intermixed with funny recipes (for food but with commentary) there were times I was laughing, and times I felt like crying because I completely understood where she was coming from. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. ... Learn more here.

The Lost Isle by Melissa De La Cruz

So I was looking for something really light and fun and turned to children's literature because that seemed like a good place for that. This book took me a while to get through though because it is definitely written for a young audience, and while there is some great literature written for children that adults can also enjoy this one might have been a little too simple. I did love the concept of all these children of famous Disney villains and liked the spin that the villains and their kids have all been exiled to an island and we get to see glimpses of the kingdom they left through the narration of Ben, the heir to the throne and son of King Beast and Bell. ... Learn more here.

Hyacinth Girls by Lauren Frankel

Another great read, apparently I like stories of distraught teenage girls. This story follows a fourteen year-old girl who is accused of bullying and her guardian. I don't want to give too much away here but from the beginning prologue you know something is amiss and theirs more to the story than the narrator (the guardian) could even imagine. I will say that I figured it out early on but was compelled to keep reading until my suspicions were confirmed. I was happily surprised in the end though. ... Learn more here.

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan

This is another book club book and I started this one in June and had to force myself to read it. I really wanted to like this one, it reminded me vaguely of The Glass Castle, which is an excellent book but this one fell a little flat for me and there was no real conflict that compelled me to keep going. Not my favorite but I do think that if I had listened to it on audio book I would have liked it a lot more, also there is a movie that we're going to watch at our next book club meeting and I hear that is better than the book so maybe just watch the movie if you're interested in this story. ... Learn more here.

The Secret Place by Tana French

I love all of Tana French's books and I actually hadn't realized this one existed so I was very happy to stumble upon it at the library! I started with In The Woods which is great but of all her books my favorite so far has been The Likeness. Anyway, I'm here to talk about The Secret Place. This follows 2 groups of girls at a private school in Dublin who may or may not be connected to the death of a boy the previous school year and two detectives who have to figure it out. What I like about her books is that she brings in side characters from other books and makes them central in the storytelling. For example, in this book one of the girls (a central character to the story) is Holly Mackie, the daughter of the detective in another of her books. Read her books they are so good! ... Learn more here.


Goal standings:
19/35 total books (one book behind, drat!)
2/5 Happy Books
1/5 Business Books
2/5 Biographies

Reading Challenge: April 2015

April was a slow month for me reading-wise and here is why. First, I discovered podcasts. I know, I know I'm so behind the times but Gretchen Rubin (author of some of my favorite books including The Happiness Project) started a podcast called "Happier with Gretchen Rubin" and so it forced me to figure out how to listen to them and then I discovered SO MANY that I wanted to listen to. So instead of listening to audio books on my commute this month, I've been listening to podcasts. Second, I've just been really really busy. But I did manage to knock out a couple good ones to add to my secondary goals of reading business books and biographies, so there's that.

Julia Child by Laura Shapiro

This book was short and sweet but a wonderful look at the life of Julia Child. A lot of the books I've seen about Julia Child focus heavily on her time in France. This book was a good balance of her youth, young adulthood and her time in France, and then details her time spent writing and publishing "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". It's a very quick and entertaining read, and I loved reading about Julia because she was such a positive and energetic person with a great passion for food and life! ... Learn more here.

Capitalizing on Kindness by Kristin Tillquist

I was looking for a good business book that focused on some aspect of positivity in the workplace and this title caught my attention. This book takes a look at how kindness leads to success. A lot of times people think they have to sacrifice being nice to get ahead in business or to be taken seriously and this is absolutely not true. The fact is, kind people are more successful and this book does a great job of telling us why this is and not only giving examples but also practice tips. ... Learn more here.




I did start reading Pretty Little Liars because I enjoy the show and typically enjoy young adult fiction so I thought I'd give it a try but I gave up after a few chapters. It was so different from the show which I found distracting (all of the characters in the book have "redish blond" hair, except Aria), it also isn't very well written. Good young adult fiction doesn't use dumbed downed language for the reader, and the dialog was really lame. Anyway, I decided not to waste my time.

Goal standings:
13/35 total books
2/5 Happy Books
1/5 Business Books
2/5 Biographies

Reading Challenge: March 2015

Reading Challenge update! Here are the books I read in March, lots of reading accomplished in March so I made some major progress toward my goal!

I am the Messenger- I had no idea that the author of The Book Thief had written another book until one of my book club mates told me! Since The Book Thief is one of my favorite books I thought I better read Markus Zusak's other book too! This book is very very different from The Book Thief but reinforces Zusak's skill. Based in Australia, the story follows Ed Kennedy after he inadvertently stops a bank robbery. Ed begins to receive playing cards with addresses and has to figure out what message those people need to receive. It's really a story about personal growth and helping people and is pretty inspiring. Learn more here.

Big Little Lies - This one was a book club pick, it's been on the best seller list and multiple book club selection lists, also is a mystery which can be fun for book clubs! The story reads very fast and is very character driven which I really liked. Also based in Australia (looks like March is inadvertently and Australia month for me), the story follows three kindergarten moms and the cliquey world that they are entering. I found it really easy relate to each of these women which is a testament to the writing. In particular I was drawn to Ziggy, the 5 year old boy accused of bullying. My heart broke for that little kid, perhaps it's because I'm in the "child bearing" age demographic but it just hit me right in my soft spot! Learn more here.

Sarah's Key- Another one that pulled at my "future mom" strings (PS, I'm not expecting or anything I say "future mom" as in a "someday" situation). In this story Sarah, a ten-year old girl, is arrested during the Vel'd'Hiv' roundup in 1942 Paris, locking her little brother in a cupboard to hid him. She thinks she'll be able to come back for him, having no idea what she's about to go through. Thinking about that little boy in the closet and wondering what happened to him made me want to read this book constantly! The story is offset with a modern storyline of Julia Jarmond, a journalist who is investigating the round up and follows how learning about this tragic incident in history changes her and her life forever. Learn more here. 

Insurgent - Re-read this one in preparation for the movie! All I can say is that if you haven't read the Divergent series you really really should! It is wonderful and I love it! Learn more here.

Better Than Before - I have been waiting for this book since Gretchen (whom I refer to by first name only because in my mind we are friends) announced that she was writing another book. Gretchen Rubin is the author of one of my favorite books The Happiness Project and Happier at Home. I was excited to get to read her take on habits and how those ultimately effect our happiness. It's a really good read with lots of strategies fostering good habits and breaking bad ones. Still contemplating posting a full blog post on this book alone, to be determined. Learn more here. 






Goal standings:
11/35 total books (3 books ahead of schedule)
2/5 Happy Books
0/5 Business Books
1/5 Biographies

Reading Challenge: February 2015

Time for the second installment of my Reading Challenge update for 2015! Here are the books I read in February:

Pathfinder- My husband bought me this book for Christmas because he knows I love reading fantasy/sci-fi series that are complete (so I don't have to wait to read the next book). It's a really long one and slow going but every time I asked myself "Am I enjoying this book?" The answer was always yes! It's not one where you're going to fly through the series in a week, this book took me about 2 months to read which is not like me, but it is very interesting and really gives your brain a work out - in classic Orson Scott Card style the story is very complex! Learn more here.

Sharp Objects - After reading Gone Girl I really wanted to read more of what Gillian Flynn had to offer. I read Dark Places and it was really dark (hence the title) so I waited a while before moving on to Sharp Objects. True to her style, the main character of this book is seriously damaged but it's a really good mystery for those who like a murder mystery, I liked it much more than Dark Places! Learn more here. 

Dr. Seuss & Mr. Geisel - Part of my goal for the year is to read some biographies and I wasn't really sure where to start. I found the bio aisle at the library and just started perusing to see if anything jumped out at me. I found this and knew immediately that it was the one for me. I love Dr. Seuss's books, quotes, and his general philosophy on life so I thought this would be a great start for me in the bio genre. It did not disappoint, it was fun to learn more about Dr. Seuss (aka Ted Geisel), and turns out my timing was very good! I finished this book just days before the celebration of what would have been Mr. Geisel's birthday so I had Dr. Seuss on the brain this month! Learn more here.  




Goal standings:
6/35 total books
1/5 Happy Books
0/5 Business Books
1/5 Biographies

Reading Challenge: January 2015

Each year one of my "resolutions" or goals for the year is a reading challenge. For the past several years I've been using Goodreads to keep track of the books I read and track toward an on-going goal. This year, my goal is to read 35 books (including 5 business related books, 5 happiness books, and 5 biographies). Another part of my goal is to regularly blog progress and reviews of what I'm reading, so begins 2015 with a summary of the books that I read in January!

The Book Thief - This was a re-read for me, my book club chose it and I was very happy to read it again! This is one of my favorite books, set during WWII in Nazi Germany and narrated by "Death", it follows the life of Liesel Memminger (the book thief) and her foster family during the war. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it! Learn more here.

The Nine Rooms of Happiness - I really enjoy reading books on the topic of "happiness". I caught the bug after reading The Happiness Project. This one fell a little flat for me, it seemed a lot like a therapy session and for people who might have some "issues". I like reading books about inspiring happiness in your every day life! Just because you're already generally happy, doesn't mean you can't be happier and working toward more happiness is a good thing! (Book 1/5 toward my "Happy Books" goal). Learn more here.

The Blood of Olympus - This was the final book in the Hero's of Olympus series (featuring Percy Jackson from the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series). I love these books! If you are a fan of the Percy Jackson books I would highly recommend these, if you haven't ready any of these books but are a fan of young reader books (like Harry Potter) start with the Percy Jackson books and move on to Hero's of Olympus! Learn more here.







Goal standings:
3/35 total books
1/5 Happy Books
0/5 Business Books
0/5 Biographies

Reading Challenge 2014: Mid-Year Update

Well so far 2014 has been pretty successful at least in the number of books I've read toward my goal. This year, I decided to reduce the total number of books I'm aiming to read down to 30. This was mostly because last year, I found with my commuting for my new job and traveling for work I had much less time to read than I used to, very unfortunate indeed. That being said, as a commuter, I've started listening to audio books during my daily drive and have decided to include those in my tally of books read. So with little less than 5 months in I've already completed 13 of 30 books for my challenge, putting me 2 books ahead of schedule thus far!

While I have been able to get a good number of books in this year, I've been very disappointed in the books I've chosen to read. I've felt like a lot of the books I've read haven't really hit the mark with me, but in reviewing the books that I've read I realized only a few of those were real duds. With that, here are the books I've read so far and next to it my rating (see below for rating definitions), you can also click the titles if you want to read more about each of these books:

1. The Fall of Five by Pittacus Lore (HIGH FIVE) - Part of the I am Number Four series

2. The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordeno (DUD; BOOK CLUB)

3. The Gemma Doyle Series by Libba Bray 

   3.  A Great and Terrible Beauty (HIGH FIVE)

   4.  Rebel Angels (HIGH FIVE)

    5. The Sweet Far Thing (LOW FIVE)
6. Kit's Wilderness by David Almond (DUD)

7. Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson (DUD) - This book is seriously disturbing, I almost hated it.

8. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (HIGH FIVE)

9. Building a Home with my Husband by Rachel Simon (LOW FIVE)

10. The House of Hades by Rick Riordan (HIGH FIVE) - Part of the Hero's of Olympus series

11. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin (HIGH FIVE; REREAD) - One of my go-to favorites

12. The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (HIGH FIVE)

13. Still Alice by Lisa Genova (HIGH FIVE, BOOK CLUB)

DUD = I didn't really care for these books, either the story wasn't for me or there was something specific that completely turned me off. In the case of Twisted, I thought I would enjoy it because I really did enjoy Speak by the same author. Unfortunately, Twisted lived up to it's name and made me so uncomfortable, I couldn't wait for it to be over. 

LOW FIVE = Books that I liked but didn't really knock it out of the park. For example, The Sweet Far Thing, the final book of the Gemma Doyle series fell short from it's two predecessors and left me wishing for something different.

HIGH FIVE = You'll notice most of the HIGH FIVES are books within a series, I do love a good series and most of the books I've read this year that are part of a series I had an already established love for. There are a couple here that aren't part of a series that I really really enjoyed. Speak, I had seen part of a Lifetime movie based on this book and had been wanting to read it for a while, it did not disappoint. Still Alice, this was chose for my book club and we haven't had a meeting on it yet but I completely loved it. Looking forward to the film adaptation coming up. 

So that's all the books I've read so far. I'm still feeling like I haven't read much this year that's really blown me away, and I think part of that is because I've started several that I didn't care to continue; so if you have any suggestions for books that you absolutely LOVE send them my way! I'm always looking for a good read!

Reading Challenge: 2013 Recap

In 2013, I started the year with a goal to read 50 books throughout the year. I chose this number based on the fact that I read 40 *new* books in 2012 and the fact that I wanted to re-read several of my favorite series. In 2012, I tried to limit the number of books I re-read but I missed some of my go-to favorites so I wanted to revist some of them in 2013.

The beginning part of the year was off to a great start! By June I had read 25 books and I was halfway to my goal, running right on schedule. However; mid-way through June I got a new job which lead to several adjustments in my lifestlye, having to commute about an hour and a half a day, and traveling for work which I had never done before. Then in September another big life change happened when I got engaged and started quickly planning for a November wedding! Needless to say, the second part of my year was a bit more full than I was used to and I had to adjust my goal accordingly.

In October, I decided to reduce my goal back down to 40 books. Alas, I was sad to do it but it just made sense for me this year. I'm happy to say that I did reach my 40 book revised goal! Here is a link to a list of all the books I read this year!

Another goal I had was to post a book review blog about each of the books I read, I fell a little short of that goal with only 25 posts. 15 books I read didn't get properly reviewed so here is a short recap of those books:

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens - Really excellent story about a woman who escapes after being kidnapped and how she copes with returning home. 4/5 stars
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Series by Ann Brashers - I love this series, wonderful stories of friendship and growing up. If you haven't read them you should and I particularly love the final installment Sisterhood Everlasting which follows the girls in to their adulthood.  5/5 stars
Memoirs of a Geisha - This was a book club book, a classic for sure and I'm glad I read it. I never would have sat through it on my own, thanks again book club! 3/5 stars
Her Fearful Symmetry- Strange story of two twins who travel to London to live in there recently deceased aunts flat that she bequeathed to them. A little bit of a ghost story with family dynamics but very strange all around. 3/5 stars
The Heros of Olympus Series (Books 1-3) by Rick Riordan - I love this series as much as the Percy Jackson series! I'm about to start book 4 and am on pins and needles thinking about how I'll have to wait until October for the final installment. 5/5 stars
The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker - Another book club choice, but this one had been on my to-read list for a while. Unfortunately, this book has no plot. Apparently the concept came from a short story that Karen Thompson Walker has previously written that she expanded in to a novel. It should have remained a short story. Really interesting concept, but not novel worthy. 2/5 stars
Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris - Really funny, at least the the first story about his time working as an Elf at Macy's. The rest was also funny but not as good as that first story. 3/5 stars
Let's Take the Long Way Home by Gail Caldwell - I hated this book. I was expecting a story about friendship and ended up with a memoir mostly about alcoholism. 1/5 stars
The Maze Runner by James Dashner - Pretty good, I was told that since I like those dystopian YA novels that I should add this to my reading list so I gave it a try. It was only okay if I'm being honest and I'm not that eager to move on to book 2, I might eventually though. 3/5 stars
Allegiant by Veronica Roth - Loved. It. So. Much. If you're intregued by the trailers for the upcoming Divergent movie you really really should read the books. This final installment was a little different from the first two but so perfectly concludes the series. It's a tear jerker, that's for sure! 5/5 stars

To read about the other books I read in 2013 check out my Reading Challenge blog posts here!

In 2014, I took my goal down a bit to 30 books. I'd rather read more than my goal than have to reduce it again, looking forward to more reading this year!

Reading Challenge: Thirteen Reason Why

 

I've been wanting to read this book since the first time I heard about it but have been waiting to see if my book club would choose it. It seems like the people who are really active in book club weren't that interested so I decided it was a pretty safe bet to go ahead and read it on my own. I am not at all disappointed. Just as the main character Clay Jensen was compelled to continue listening to the tapes of his deceased class mate, I could not put this book down.

In Thirteen Reasons Why, high schooler Hannah Baker has committed suicide and left behind thirteen stories from her life that contributed to the reasons why she chose to take her life. Thirteen people to pass the tapes to in order and a threat of exposure to all if someone doesn't continue the chain until the last person on her list receives the tapes. This story follows Clay Jensen, a nice boy who always had a crush on Hannah. When he listens to the first tape he is devistated to know that he's among her reasons, but through listening to the tapes he learns more about the girl whom he wanted to know for so long and comes to understand why she did what she did and how so many things could have saved her.

The stories Hannah tells about each thing that lead to her eventual decision could happen in any high school, it's a really powerful story about how one hurtful action can snowball out of control. I really think this is a book that should be required reading for high schoolers as well as parents. Especially in this day and age of bullying and so many young people who turn to extremes to escape. Though this story is fiction, it's a story that's probably happened in real life countless times.

One of my new favorites.

Book 25/50 (I'm a little behind, but finally half way there!)

Reading Challenge: The Girl Who Stopped Swimming

The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson tells the story of Laurel Gray Hawthorne and how the death of a teenage girl changes her life. Laurel fits in nicely to her pretty suburban neighborhood, masking the ugly parts of her past and sheltering her daughter, Shelby, from the undesirable aspects of life in general until the ghost of Shelby's friend leads her to her body floating dead in the backyard pool. The circumstances surrounding the death of this young girl and how it connects to Laurel's disfunctional family forces her to address parts of her life that have long been burried.

I really liked this story in the end. It did take about half the book to pick up the pace though so if you've started it but got bored, stick it out because it will be worth it. I was disappointed that the book wasn't more supernaturally motivated. I feel like they introduced Laurel's unique ability to see ghosts to draw people in but she never fully uses the talent and it doesn't really lead the story. Laurel began seeing ghosts when her uncle died when she was a child (he was shot by her father on a hunting trip), he is the only ghost she's ever seen until Molly shows up in her bedroom on the night of Molly's death. Outside of these encounters the ghost business is pretty limited. Jackson tries to bring it back in to the storyline here and there pretty unsuccessfully. The story would have been very similar had Laurel never been able to see these dead people. For example, they could have explained the relationship between her and her uncle and she could have found the dead body without the aid of their ghostly figures.

The real heart of the story is Laurel and her relationships with each of the supporting characters, in particular her mother (called Mother in the book which really drove me crazy for some reason), her father, her daughter, her husband, her niece/cousin, and her sister (an all around horrible character). While the police rule Molly's death an accident, Laurel doesn't believe it and with the help of these people she investigates what really happened that night and in the process becomes a stronger person (and character).

It's a pretty mild mystery but I will say that I was surprised and saddened in the end. I like books that make you feel for and about the characters and Jackson did a good job of shaping each character and making me feel connected to them.

Good selection from my book club buddy Michelle!


Book 24/50

Reading Challenge: I Remember Nothing

I found this book while trolling the library e-books borrowing page. I’m a fan of Nora Ephrons screenplays (When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, Julie & Julia, etc.) and thought this would be an interesting read. Especially, because Nora Ephron passed away in the past year from pneumonia as a complication from leukemia. She had kept her illness secret from most people, so when her death was reported it came as a big shock. I found myself wondering a lot while reading I Remember Nothing, if she knew she was sick while writing it so I did a little research and yes, she was diagnosed in 2006 and the book was published in 2010 just two short years before her death. For that reason, among many others, I thought this was a really compelling read and I would recommend it to anyone interested in her life.

As I said before, I was a fan of her screenplay work, but I knew very little about her beyond that. When she died, I remember the outpouring from the media and entertainment industry as a whole and after reading this short book I understand why. Ephron spends much of the book talking about her past as a journalist and how difficult it was breaking in to the industry as a woman in the 60’s. She touches lightly on her transitions in her career but the majority of the story are reflections on her life and, ironically considering the title, the things that she remembers, the things she won’t miss and the things she will.

It’s a really nice, funny memoir in a way. And so timely and thought provoking.

 

Book 23/50

Reading Challenge: The Shining Girls

The Shining Girls about a time traveling serial killer and the one who got away, is one of the top reads of the summer according to Entertainment Weekly and many other “it lists”. The story follows serial killer, Harper Curtis, and allows him to travel through time to find his “shining girls”. In parallel, the story tracks Kirby, one of Harper’s girls who miraculously survives his brutal attack, as she searches for answers about her attempted murder.

Really good read! I’m perversely drawn to stories about serial killers in all forms whether it’s from the perspective of the killer himself or tracking a killer through a good mystery; this book has both aspects. In addition to all that, throw in the time travel and I’m sold. I like the idea of time travel in novels (the best of which that I’ve read was The Time Traveler’s Wife)  but I don’t like to have to think too hard about how it is possible or why it happens. In this book time travel just is. There is no explanation, the time travel revolves around a house that allows the inhabitants to open the door to another time. This makes me feel like the time travel is somehow magical and I’m a sucker for a good fantasy. All of these things are the reason I picked it up, and the writing backed up the premise.

The headline of the description for this book on goodreads is “The girl who wouldn’t die hunts the killer who shouldn’t exist.” You tell me that isn’t intriguing? Although, I would say that Harper is a more primary character than Kirby for most of the book with the exceptions of when their story lines collide.

This is the first book I’ve read by author Laura Beukes, but I’m definitely going to look in to her other two novels after getting a taste of her unique mind.

 

Book 22/50

Reading Challenge: Rainwater

Another book club choice that I admit I probably never would have picked up if not for book club! Thanks book club friends for picking this because I really enjoyed it!

 

Based in the 1930’s and following a single mother (Ella) who owns and operates a boarding house, there were times when I got so wrapped up in the story I hardly remembered it was a period piece. Mr. Rainwater, an ailing man from out of town comes to live with Ella while he waits out his imminent death. While Ella is reluctant to let him in, his time with her changes her life forever. Be sure to read the prologue and the epilogue, they are part of the story and you’ll be sad if you miss out! I learned in book club that some people skip the prologue and epilogue and that completely shocked me, I’m the type of person who read every piece of the book including all the dedications, quotes, and acknowledgements! If it’s a particularly good book that I don’t want to be over, I’ll even read any discussion questions included and the “about the author” piece!

Ella is a very strong character, being a single mother during the 1930’s was not an everyday occurrence and especially the single mother of a special needs child (her son Solly has a form of autism, although back in that time they didn’t understand it and thought he was mad). Her struggle to support Solly and maintain a professional relationship with her boarders illustrates the kind of strength that defines her character.

Mr. Rainwater is good in the same manner as Atticus Finch. I loved him from the beginning and through to the end and in all the details of his subtly in between.

The story is engrossing to the point where it doesn’t matter what time period it takes place, but Sandra Brown is able to add historical details that only enhances the story. From the particulars of the shantytown to the mass cattle graves, the story comes to life with beautiful detail.

As I’ve said before, being part of a book club has been such an amazing experience! I love reading and sharing reactions and thoughts with others who love to read too! Can’t wait for the next book!

 

*Note: I read Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover (book 20/50) but didn't feel the need to blog about it.

 

Book 21/50

Reading challenge: Living and Learning - An Update to My Challenge

Last year was the first year that I've embarked on a full-fledged reading challenge and I love it so much that I plan to continue every year for the foreseeable future. In my first reading challenge, one of the reasons that I felt the need to challenge myself was that I found myself reading the same books over and over again because I loved them, but I wanted to push my boundaries a little and step outside of my comfortable little YA box.

Another way to encourage myself to read things I ordinarily wouldn't pick up at a book store was to start a book club. I find that, for me, it's easier to start something than to join something. I wanted to be in a book club, didn't know where to find one or where to even look, so I started my own! And it's been a great success in not only broadening my horizons as a reader but also in forging some great friendships! I love book club, it's one of my favorite things and I look forward to it every month!

In my 2012 reading challenge I wanted to read 40 books that I had never read before and was so happy at the end of the year when I completed my goal! However, I missed some of those books that I had re-read so many times, so in my 2013 challenge I vowed to re-read all my favorite YA series. I'm almost 6 months in to my challenge and I've learned a little something about myself. I no longer enjoy re-reading the same things repeatedly. Don't get me wrong, I love re-reading but I also love learning new things and finding new books and stories to enjoy.

I've found this re-reading challenge much more challenging than reading all new books, because I've read all these books before there's nothing pushing me to keep going. I know what happens and there is no suspense. For this reason, I'm making a modification in my 2013 reading challenge! I will continue toward my goal of 50 books by the end of the year, but I'm not going to hold myself to re-reading ALL of my favorite YA series. So far, I have re-read the Twilight Saga, The Infernal Devices and most of The Mortal Instruments. I'll most likely re-read a few more of my favorites and I'm planning to listen to the Harry Potter series again on audio. I just need the flexibility to read other things that I'm interested in and filling my year with 30+ re-reads has proven to be a little boring.

Ah well, live and learn!

Reading Challenge: Happier at Home

Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project is one of my favorite books, so I was excited to see that she embarked on a second happiness project chronicling it in Happier at Home. In the first project, Gretchen worked to make herself happier through a 12-month plan focusing on one resolution theme per month. In this follow up, her daughters are both at key points in their childhood; her youngest entering kindergarten and her second in sixth grade about to enter into her teen years, rather than the conventional calendar year she used the school year to expand her happiness with nine resolutions to boost her happiness specifically at home.

This style of writing is one of my favorites to read, it's so inspiring and makes the reader want to jump in and start their own projects! But don't get too caught up with that. Yes, I think starting your own happiness project is an awesome idea and reading Gretchen's books will definitely point you in the direction that you need to get started. But trying to work along as you read can be very overwhelming and I've known people who stopped reading because they ended up feeling bad that they couldn't keep up. My advice would be to take notes as you read with ideas that jump out to you or thoughts on what you'd like to tackle in your own project, but don't start anything until you've finished the book!

Another thing I really love about The Happiness Project and now Happier at Home is that Gretchen seamlessly incorporates research and quotes in perfect context. (You'll notice I'm using the author's first name rather than last, this is because through reading her books I feel like I know her and that we're old friends. Another quality that I love in books of this genre/style.)  I love research and reading so the integration of quotes into anything I'm reading is very appealing to me.

It's important to note that Gretchen didn't start these projects because she was unhappy, she just knew that there were things in her life that could be worked on and she could be happier. Who doesn't want to be happier. These books are not about getting out of a depression, although I do think some of her ideas could easily be used to help in those situations as well. While she does use some flowery language at times that could drive this book toward a more feminine audience, the themes are universal and can apply to anyone!

I highly recommend this book (and also The Happiness Project), both are books that I could re-read every year (or alternate each one every other year) to remind myself to take action toward being happier! If you want more information about starting a happiness project check out Gretchen's blog here!

Let's be happy people!

Book 19/50

Reading Challenge: The Mortal Instruments Series

The Mortal Instruments:
City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls

The first time I read this series I completely flew through it! The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare is a companion to The Infernal Devices (see previous blog for more information about that series). I read The Mortal Instruments first and when I read it there were only four books released. The fourth book in the series, City of Fallen Angels, had just come out and I was under the impression that it was the last in the series. It wasn't until the last few pages of that book that I realized it was far from over. I did some googling and found that there were SEVEN books planned (I believe this has been reduced to six since that time). Back then, I didn't like to read incomplete series because I'm very impatient and want to get the full experience immediately with no lag between each book but don't worry, I'm over that now!

The fifth book came out almost exactly one year after I read the first four and after reading that it was clear I needed to do some re-reading so that I could remember some key points in the story. On this second go-round I find that I'm not nearly as absorbed as I was the first time. Knowing how some of the tensions in the first books are resolved takes a lot of the suspense away that originally made me read with a compulsion.

I also realized that I much prefer The Infernal Devices over The Mortal Instruments series, although it is fun to catch the connections between the characters of both and to get glimpses of characters from The Infernal Devices in this more modern series.

As you'll know from my previous blog about these books, the story revolves around Shadowhunters who are half-human, half-angel and are guardians over the human world protecting it from demon activity. The Mortal Instruments takes place in modern day New York and follows both Shadowhunters and Downworlders as they work together to fight against a common enemy. The story is filled with twists, mystery, romance and heartbreak.

Be warned, the first time you read this series you will not want to put it down. You will read with a sort of frenzy, willing certain things with your mind to work out. I'll admit that my second read through hasn't been easy and I'm actually not completely done with it. I'm in the middle of the fourth book now and will probably take a break to read a few other books that I want to read right now. But rest assured I will finish the last book and a half for my reading challenge before moving on to the next re-read series on my list!

Also, watch for the first book of this series City of Bones to come to theaters this fall! The trailer looks awesome, I can't wait!

Books 14-18

Reading Challenge: The History of Love

My book club consists of about 10 people (all from work) who enjoy reading and want or need an incentive to read more or to branch out in the kind of things that they already read. The problem is usually we only get about 5 people to actually participate. I don't really mind that much because the people who do participate are consistent and I love talking to them about the books we read. However, to encourage more involvement we decided to change up the way we pick our books! Previously, we had been drawing from a long list of suggestions that had been submitted by our members, from the local library list and of course Oprah's book club list. In order to get our members to feel more connected we decided that instead of drawing for the book, we would draw a name from the pool of members and that person would decided which book we would read.

This was our first go at this and it seems to have been successful in getting our members to read. More people overall read this book, although we still only had about 6 at the meeting. Oh well.

The History of Love is a novel told over many voices, the most prominent of which are Leo Gursky an old man who had immigrated to America from Poland during World War 2; and Alma Singer a teenage girl who is struggling to find her way after the death of her father. All the characters in this story are connected and it's only through completing the book that you truly see the depth of all their connections. Filled with sorrow, loneliness and despair The History of Love tells the story of different generations and their struggles to be seen, to be someone.

I usually wait until the week or weekend before book club to read our chosen book because I read really fast and I read a lot of books so I want it to be fresh in my mind. With this one, I wish I had given myself a little longer. This is one that I would have enjoyed over the course of a week or two instead of cramming in to three days, never-the-less in the end I loved the story and the characters. My favorite character is Alma's younger brother Bird who believes he is one of the lamed vovniks (36 chosen people) and possibly even the Messiah. While, all the characters in this book are Jewish and much of the story revolves around their their faith; you do not have to be Jewish to understand and appreciate the message behind the story.

Great story about love and loss of all kinds.

Book 13/50

Reading Challenge: The Infernal Devices

The third and final book in this series, Clockwork Princess, came out this week so in preparation (and as part of my reading challenge for the year) I re-read Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince. I love this series, it's a wonderful fantasy to escape into along the same kind of fantasic universe as Harry Potter and is one of my new all-time favorites, I'll re-read this series over and over again.

A kind of prequil, The Infernal Devices books are filled with some of the surnames to the characters that we've come to know so well through The Mortal Instruments. In this final intallments the inside of the cover/jacket includes a detaitled lineage of the Carstairs, Herondale, and Lightwood families, making it easy to see how the characters of each series are connected.

If you haven't read either The Infernal Devices or The Mortal Instruments books, I would recommend starting with this series (although I wouldn't look at the family tree as it does give some things away for both series). It's a great introduction in to the world of Shadowhunters, Warlocks and other Downworlders. Additionally, Cassandra Clare has a knack for writing great love stories that twist and turn and leave you in moments of complete heartbreak and others of total joy. In these books, set in the late 1800's in London the prose are like reading such classics as Pride and Predjudice and the language is so beautiful and romantic.

The love story of Tessa, Will and Jem is at times heartwrenching, each of the characters is written so thoughtfully that Clare makes the reader fall in love with each of them absolutely. The end wraps up so perfectly, it is the ending that fans have longed for since the beginning of the series.

With this series I was able to complete 2 re-reads and 1 new book toward my reading challenge for the year!

Reading challenge 10-12/50

Reading Challenge: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

I've been meaning to read this book since it came out and I have just never gotten around to it, so I was super excited when at my last book club meeting a few of the girls had mentioned that they really wanted to read it. It wasn't on the "official" list of books to chose from but we're pretty relaxed in the way we choose books to read and since four of the five people that showed up to that meeting had been wanting to read it and failed to actually start, we thought it must be meant to be!

Mindy Kaling, one of the writers and stars of The Office and the new show The Mindy Project writes as if she is talking to a friend. This is one of those genre-less books that's basically just a bunch of funny stories. I guess if I had to give it a genre I would call it a memoir since the stories are about her life. But typically I think of memoirs a little differently. This book is more like a compliation of stort stories. In her introduction she says if this book takes you longer than two days to read there is something wrong, but I disagree. It does read fast and if you're the type to just sit down and read a whole book in two days (which I am one of those people) it can easily be read in that amount of time, however what's great about it is that you don't have to. You can stretch it out of the course of a week like I did, getting a little funny story every night before you go to bed. There's no overarching plot so there's no suspense to keep you reading and you can just enjoy it in bursts.

I really like Mindy Kaling's writing style, it's the kind of voice I want my novel about the disasterous love life of my sister to have. First person, and reads like a conversation or letter to a friend. I love it, it makes it feel personal and certain jokes are just really natural in that style.

I would recommend Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me to friends, especially if you like to read books by comedy writers or stand up comedians. It's along the same lines as Tina Fey's Bossy Pants and Ellen Degeneres' Seriously I'm Kidding, which are great books! I don't think Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me is quite as funny as those books I just mentioned, but that doesn't mean that reading this book didn't make me want to be best friends with Mindy Kaling because it totally did. We would so be friends. And I think that's sort of wonderful when you can read a book and completely fall in friend-love with someone as if by reading the book you really know them.

Check it out if, like me, you've been meaning to read it and just haven't gotten around to it. It's a light and funny read with moments of laugh out loud humor that I think you'll enjoy!

Reading challenge: 9/50