Book club selection: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (5 stars)
This book was so, so lovely. I went into it with high expectations, knowing that most everyone who had read the book had loved it. And all my expectations were met! I loved A.J., even at his grumpiest. He was ornery yet adorable. I loved the natural twisting and turning of the book; nothing felt too dramatic or too crazy. The story flowed so well, and when I finished the book, I felt content and satisfied. It’s such a good novel, and I highly recommend it.

Book Riot Read Harder Challenge (a book of short stories): Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (2.5 stars)
This was another book I dove into with high expectations because I had seen a lot of really, really good reviews. It’s a book of short stories, centered around the small town of Crosby, Maine, and the retired schoolteacher, Olive Kitteridge, who lives there. It takes you on a journey of the people in this town and their stories. And… I just didn’t like the novel. I found the stories overwhelmingly depressing and sad and a bit hopeless. I felt a little depressed and sad and hopeless when I finished it. It just didn’t give me that good feeling you want from reading. I just felt… yucky… when I finished it.

Book Riot Read Harder Challenge (a book written by someone who identifies as LGBT): Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris (3 stars)
This was my first David Sedaris book and I liked it well enough. Sedaris’ writing style is very easy to read and humorous. I don’t think I’m one for short stories, though, so the book dragged a bit for me because I wasn’t really following a specific plot… just reading essays that had little to do with one another. A good novel, but I’m not sure I’m jumping out of my chair to read another one of his books.

TLC Book Tours read: The Swimmer by Joakim Zander (3 stars)
I reviewed this book earlier in the month. An intriguing thriller about politics and corruption. I wish the book had been a little more fast-paced and I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending… but still a good read!

Others (read for fun!)

The Things We Do for Love by Kristin Hannah (4 stars)
I enjoyed this novel. It was a pretty long book, but I read through it in a matter of days because I was so intrigued by the plot and wanted to know what was going to happen next. The story follows a woman named Angie who, in the space of a year, has a miscarriage, loses her father, and goes through a divorce. The beginning is incredibly sad and heartbreaking, as Angie moves back to her old hometown to deal with her heartbreak, and it is there she is wrapped up in the love of her family. I love, love, love the way Hannah wrote this family. They were so enveloped in warmth and love, but also felt very real with their own insecurities and vulnerabilities and sadness. Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite writers because I just adore the way she writes her characters. You really pull for them, whether or not you find them completely loveable.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn (4 stars)
Oh, my god. This book was so creepy. I don’t remember Gone Girl being creepy. Gone Girl was disturbing and twisted… but this book was just downright creepy. I love Gillian Flynn, though, because she creates SUCH unlikeable characters. There’s something… interesting… about that. They are so real and raw and vulnerable and horrible and creepy… and she just really gets into these characters’ psyches. Dives right into the twistedness of human behavior.  This book was a wild ride and I honestly did not guess the ending (but I’m not very good at guessing endings unless they are super predictable). It was dark and twisty and creepy and a little too graphic at certain times… and I am really interested to see how this book will be made into a movie.

book stats // february

# of books read: 6
# of pages read: 2,002
quickest read: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry (4 days)
longest read: The Swimmer (13 days)
multicultural: 1 out of 6
formats: ebooks (3), physical books (3)

What was the best book you read in February? Mine was The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry!

January was a great reading month for me! And I’m excited to dive into reviewing the books I read. This year, I’m taking a different approach to reading than I have in the past. For one, I’m doing a reading challenge. And for another, I’m being a little more analytical about detailing my reads. I’ve created a spreadsheet, which breaks down the books I’m reading and some details about them (such as how many pages in the book, what format it’s in, the genre, why I’m reading it, etc.) It is the ultimate in book nerdery and I. Love. It. It makes me giddy!

So, this year (and maybe going forward), I’ll be doing my reviews a bit differently. First, my books will be broken down into categories. The categories will most likely be: book club (1 book per month), Book Riot Read Harder Challenge books (2 per month, and I’ll let you know which category they fit into, for those also doing the challenge), TLC Book Tours (typically, 1 per month), and then, other. My “other” category is the books I’m reading for fun. (I have a monster TBR pile that I choose from. My book selection process is a bit… complicated. One of these days I may write a post explaining it.) Secondly, I’m going to include some reading stats at the bottom of each post, using the spreadsheet mentioned earlier.

So! With that long intro… let’s dive into my book reviews for January. (I’ll try to keep these short and sweet. Ish.)

Book club selection: Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline (4 stars)
I loved this book. It has a sad premise, but it’s not a sad story. It’s uplifting and hopeful. It was one of those books that just made me so happy that I am a reader. You know those kinds of books? They’re the best. This book switched between present day and the past. Present day involved Molly, a foster kid, who is helping elderly Vivian clean out her attic. The past involved Vivian’s story. She lost her family at a young age and was sent away on an orphan train to be adopted. Vivian’s story is sad and heartbreaking and filled with strife. But even so, I found her story compelling and she was such an easy character to root for.

Book Riot Read Harder Challenge (a book that was originally published in another language): Momo by Michael Ende (5 stars)
I lucked out, as this was the first book I received for the Postal Book Club that Kathleen is running. The book was originally written in German in 1973 and translated into English in 1984. I was so happy to find an easy match for this category for the Book Riot challenge! And this book was incredible! I was really nervous about it because I’d never heard of it and worried it would be long and boring. And it was neither – it was engaging and uplifting and had such a unique message. I really loved the fantasy and symbolism used in the book; it made me wish I was back in school and could discuss these themes with a class! It’s a quick read, a great read, and I would highly recommend it.

Book Riot Read Harder Challenge (a book written by someone under the age of 25): The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (5 stars)
I loved this book! I was never assigned to read it during school, which is when it seemed most people my age read it. It’s written from the perspective of Ponyboy, a 14-year-old boy who is part of a gang called The Greasers. It’s a book that has been frequently challenged because it talks about many intense issues, such as underage smoking/drinking and gang violence, as well as having strong language, but it’s such a great read. I can’t believe the author was only 15 when she started writing it! (The stuff I was writing at 15? HA. So silly!)

TLC Book Tours read: 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do by Amy Morin (2 stars)
I reviewed this for TLC Book Tours, and while the concept was really interesting and I learned a lot, I felt that the writing was a little stilted and I didn’t get any sort of practical application that I was hoping for. It was one of those books I read just to finish it, rather than reading because I enjoyed it.

Other (read for fun!)

Too Hot to Touch by Louisa Edwards (4 stars) – Because sometimes you just need to read a sexy romance novel, right? I enjoyed this novel, and I’m looking forward to reading more by this author. It centered around a family restaurant that is trying to save its business by entering a national cooking contest. I found myself skimming the cooking parts (they got seriously in-depth in some parts), but it was still a fun little novel.

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (5 stars) – Oh, goodness gracious, this book was so, so, so good. It was engaging from beginning to end, and I could barely put it down while I was reading it. It tells the story of a family reacting to their daughter’s death, and through the pages, you get to learn all about this family, where they came from, and how they got to where they are today. It’s sad and tragic, but it didn’t make me feel sad or hopeless. The way Ng writes is so beautiful and elegant and engaging… I just wanted to keep reading her writing forever.

Yes Please by Amy Poehler (4.5 stars) – So, I had been seeing some not-so-awesome reviews of this book from other people and it bummed me out because I have a mad girl crush on Amy Poehler and I wanted her book to be awesome. I went into the book with low expectations, I think, and I guess I’ll be in the minority of people who LOVED the book. I think you really have to be a fan of Amy and a fan of comedy and the whole Saturday Night Live crowd to appreciate this book. And if you aren’t, then you won’t really understand how special it is. Because it is a special book. It is filled with incredible stories about the comedy world, and how Amy got to where she is today. It’s filled with wisdom and heart and passion. Amy is just incredible. Her passion and work ethic and love for her work is just inspiring. I found the book to be engaging, easy to follow, and very fun to read.

book stats // january

# of books read: 7
# of pages read: 1,966
quickest read: The Outsiders (2 days)
longest read: Too Hot to Touch (8 days)
multicultural: 2 out of 7
formats: ebooks (3), physical books (4)

What was your favorite read in January? Mine was easily Everything I Never Told You!

Ahh… November reads. Only one more month to try and make those reading goals! (Well, 21 days now.) This month, I read six books, bringing my total up to 78 books. I surpassed my goal to read 75 books this month, so now I’m shooting for 85 books. I’m not sure I’ll make it, but I’m going to try! This month, my favorite book was Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour and my least favorite book was Goodnight Nobody.

1. Breaking the Rules by Suzanne Brockmann – 4 stars

Another fantastic novel from one of my favorite authors. This is actually the last full-length novel in her series and I’m sad this is the end! I just love the characters in this series; they feel so real and alive to me. This is my second read of this series (though I hadn’t read some of the later novels in the series), and I’m sure I’ll be returning to it again because I adore these characters so much. How are they not real? Sigh.

2. Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson – 4 stars

This book was so, so cute. It’s YA lit and it was the November pick for my book club. And ugh! So cute. I never wanted this book to end because I enjoyed the characters so much. There are some sad moments (the main character’s father has just died), but it’s overall, an uplifting, happy, adorable novel. I want a sequel!

3. Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner – 2 stars

This book was such a struggle to get through. It had an interesting premise (a suburban mom tries to solve a murder in her neighborhood), but it just never really captured my attention. It was a book that was easy to put down and, more than once, I thought about abandoning it. But I pushed through, hoping it would get better. It didn’t. Just… meh.

4. The Department of Lost & Found by Allison Winn Scotch – 4 stars

Gosh, I love this author. This is the second book I’ve read of hers, and it’s her debut novel. And it is fantastic. I loved it so much! It seems like it would be a sad and heartbreaking book because the main character is battling breast cancer, but it’s not. It’s lighthearted, funny, uplifting, and hopeful. There are some sad moments, sure, but it all just flowed so well together. It all felt super authentic. I can’t wait to read more books of hers!

5. Vintage by Susan Gloss – 4 stars

This was a really sweet novel and I basically read through it pretty quickly because it was a hard one to put down. It follows the story of three very different women, all in different stages of life, as they navigate through tough situations. It’s a novel about friendship, about following your dreams, and about never giving up.

6. Too Good to Be True by Kristan Higgins – 4 stars

This novel was just plain fun! I always love the characters Kristan Higgins creates because they are just adorable. They are a bit quintessential “chick-lit” characters, but she writes them in a way that isn’t annoying or silly. They seem real, like someone you’d like to be friends with. I love how she focuses on family and what an important role they play in your life, even if they are overbearing and annoying at times. This was another fantastic novel by a fantastic author!

What was the best book you read in November? What did you set your reading goal at this year?