Books – Page 81

Categories: Books

December Reads

The Scent of Rain by Kristin Billerbeck — 3 stars. I have read a plethora of Billerbeck’s novels. She is actually the first Christian chick-lit author I’ve ever read and I’ve always enjoyed her books. This book followed her usual style and begins on Daphne’s wedding day where she gets stood up. She has been trained to create perfumes (and have a nose for scents) but after her botched wedding day, she discovers she lost her sense of smell. She is also beginning a new job where the main reason she was brought on was for her impeccable sense of smell. The book takes a while to get into and the beginning is pretty slow… and then it seems like the author was rushing to finish it and wrap it all up nicely. This wasn’t one of Billerbeck’s best books (her Ashley Stockingdale series is still Billerbeck at her finest) so I don’t know if I would recommend it. It was a light, easy read but left me wanting more.

MWF Seeking BFF by Rachel Bertsche — 5 stars. I wrote an entire post on how this book impacted me. It’s not everyone’s favorite, but it’s definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year. Highly recommend!

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain — 2 stars. I was really excited to read this book. I love reading about introversion and it has really helped me to accept who I am and embrace my quiet ways. Unfortunately, while this book was filled with examples and experiments and anecdotes, I didn’t find any of the information groundbreaking and was pretty bored by some of the chapters. I also didn’t care for the way she talked about extroverts because I don’t think either type of person is better than the other. (She blamed the financial crisis of 2008 on extroverts but letting introverts off the hook for not speaking up because it’s just the way we are? No. Absolutely not. That is a cop-out.) I will say it is an interesting read and it did teach me more about my introversion… it just didn’t completely live up to the hype for me.

Sugar Rush by Donna Kauffman — 3 stars. I’ve read a few books by Donna Kauffman and I always love how she creates characters and stories so I was super excited when I saw she had a new series of books out, all centering around cupcakes. I picked up the first one – and it was the most intriguing of the bunch! – and while it was a cute romance novel, there was something about the characters that felt forced. The whole story seemed a little trite and contrived and I basically had to force myself to finish it. I never really felt any strong connection with the male lead. It’s an easy read, but I have read other books by this author I would recommend over this one.

The Accidental Bride by Christina Skye — 3 stars. Another contemporary romance by an author I’ve read before. (I was in a romance-y mood in late December!) This follows a chef who has a new restaurant and is beginning to market a line of salsa. She has a mini heart attack at work one day and is told she needs to rest completely for a few months. Her friends wind up sending her to a knitting retreat for a week and it’s in this tiny Wyoming town that she meets Walker Hale, local hero. Their story is sweet and the build-up felt real. I generally enjoyed the novel, as I do most romances. It didn’t grip me from beginning to end, but I do like this author’s writing style.

Her Holiday Fireman by Kathleen Y’Barbo — 2 stars. I thought I would try out a Love Inspired novel, although most of them feature single parents finding love. This one didn’t have either, so I decided to read it as it was Christmassy and I was in a Christmassy mood. A nice novel, but that’s about it. It’s never a good sign when you’re relieved to finish a novel, is it?

Switched by HelenKay Dimon — 4 stars. I read a Harlequin romance by this author earlier in the year and absolutely loved it. I’m usually pretty “meh” about them (but read them anyway because they require little brainpower and sometimes, that’s exactly what I need). This author gives you gripping plots, fabulous characters, and a story you’ll smile at. This book was no different and I just really enjoyed watching the story unfold, and the romance blossom. Plus, Risa, the female lead, is pretty kickass. I know a lot of people aren’t into Harlequin romances, but if you want to try one out, find one by this author. Hers are very low on cheesiness.

Into the Night by Suzanne Brockmann — 5 stars. Navy SEAL Team Sixteen feels like a bunch of guys I’ve known my whole life. They feel a part of me and reading their stories once again is so much fun. Brockmann writes another intense story with lots of drama and action and wittiness. The female leads felt a bit tiring and weak (both Joan and Mary-Lou) but I think that’s how Brockmann wanted them to be. For some reason. The story itself was still gripping and hard to put down which is why it gets 5 stars from me. If I can read a 450+ page book in less than two days… well, the story then speaks for itself.

Books read in 2012: 90

Categories: Best Of, Books

Top 10 Books I Read in 2012

I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas! I was spoiled rotten, as per usual, and so was my mom. We opened presents together in the morning, and then my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew came over around lunchtime to open their presents. My nephew is definitely at that excited age, as he kept asking my mom after he opened each present, “Do you have any more presents for me?” We had a short family gathering at my grandma’s house, and then I spent Christmas night putting together the nightstand my mom bought me. I am proud to say I put it together all by myself! I usually corral my brother into helping me, but I was determined to figure out the steps on my own. It’s easily my favorite gift this year. Yay!

Onto today’s post, though, my annual review of the best books I read this year. This has been a great year for me, reading-wise. I am currently at 87.5 books read, which is probably my highest reading year yet! It’s a crazy number, for sure, but I make reading a priority in my life. It doesn’t matter how crazy my life gets, I always take time out of my day to sit back with a book and relax my mind.

Without further ado… my favorites of 2012!

10. I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella (5 of 5 stars)
I adore Sophie Kinsella novels (especially her stand-alones) and I was thrilled to see she had released a new novel so I quickly requested it from my library. This book was exceptional, written in typical Kinsella fashion, and I really couldn’t get enough of it. It’s one of those books I devoured in a few sittings, yet was sad when I finished it and the story wasn’t a part of my everyday life anymore. It’s chick lit so it’s a bit silly and corny, but what can I say? I like cheese and corn. I think it’s one of Kinsella’s best!

9. Stuff Christians Like by Jonathan Acuff (5 of 5 stars)
I am a huge fan of Jon Acuff’s blog. I have been reading it for over a year and I finally decided to pick up his book and see what it was all about. Perfection. It’s basically a book of essays on the Christian life and if you’ve grown up in church, you will relate to this novel and laugh along. I promise. He also includes some more serious essays at the end of the book that destroyed me with how poignant they were. I am a huge fan of this guy.

8. Flight From Berlin by David John (4 of 5 stars)
This was a TLC Book Tour book that captivated me from start to finish. There is mystery and intrigue and humor and romance. I am a huge fan of historical novels, and I couldn’t help but put this book on my list because of the way it touched my heart. I like mystery novels that shock me and this one definitely didn’t disappoint. It was a whirlwind of a book and I’m so glad I got the chance to read it!

7. Twenty-Something, Twenty Everything by Christine Hassler (4 of 5 stars)
It took me a long time to read this book because it was chock full of journaling segments that had me digging deep and discovering my path. It was a book I needed to read and it came at the right time. It opened my eyes to what my passions are and helped me to see that all this confusion and struggle as a twenty-something is very normal.

6. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (5 of 5 stars)
I finally got around to reading this book after it was a #twookclub pick. It had been highly raved about by people all around me so I was a little apprehensive, as I tend to not like books that are hyped up. This book was written by the narrator of Death, which was strange at first, but I grew to like it. The characters and the plot were both exceptional, and the writing was fantastic. It had a very interesting premise and was written in a different way. There was no foreshadowing or crazy endings, as the narrator basically let you know what was happening before it happened but I still enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.

5. The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe (4 of 5 stars)
This is the December pick for my book club, and it’s not the type of book I would have picked out for myself. But this is what I love about book clubs – I get to read books I would normally pass on. This was basically a memoir written in a very easy way that had me hooked from the beginning. I loved the interplay between Will and his mom, who is dying of cancer. I loved the history and reading about the impact Will’s mom had on people. And I loved reading about their very informal book club, and their reflections on the novels they were reading. It’s not an overly exciting book, but it is a sweet memoir and I enjoyed it.

4. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (5 of 5 stars)
This was another #twookclub pick and I was very apprehensive about reading it because I knew it was filled with lots of emotions and I just didn’t want to read about kids with cancer! It was an exceptional book. The writing is crazy good, the characters feel so real and right there. And the romance! Oh, the romance. It tugged at my cold, bitter heart and warmed it right up. I adored everything about this book. Well, I didn’t adore the ending, but it did fit with the book and felt honest. It is the only book I have ever read that actually made me cry and while it’s not one I could ever read again, it is definitely a must-read.

3. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling (5 of 5 stars)
Mindy Kaling is my soul sister. This book was laugh-out-loud funny and thoroughly enjoyable. It is a collection of essays, detailing Mindy’s childhood, her foray into comedy, and her time on The Office. I have the biggest girl crush on Mindy and found myself nodding my head and agreeing with all her essays. (Especially when she talked about her weight struggles. I could completely understand where she was coming from!) A must-read.

2. MWF Seeking BFF by Rachel Bertsche (4 of 5 stars)
So I wrote an entire post on friendship, because of this book. This book changed the way I view friendship and finding friends. It follows the author, Rachel, as she sets out on 52 girl dates in one year in the hopes of making new friends in a new city. While she has a supportive and loving husband, best friends she grew up with, and a fabulous mother, she knows it’s healthy to have local friends outside of your family. I was changed by this novel, and I can only hope I have as much success with my own girl dates next year as Rachel had with hers!

1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (5 of 5 stars)
Another #twookclub pick! This book is completely nuts. It is crazy. It is weird. It will have you slapping the couch and yelling out in frustration. It will have you frantically texting people who are reading it with you to say, “WTF?!” It will have you on the edge of your seat. It will not stop with the twists and the turns and the crazy. You hate Nick and love Amy. You will hate Amy and love Nick. You will hate them both. You will not be able to forget about this novel when you’re at work, or driving, or at the store, or watching TV. THIS BOOK WILL HAUNT YOU UNTIL YOU FINISH. I am utterly, totally, 100% in love with this book. It was the craziest rollercoaster of reading, but a book that affects you on so many levels deserves top honor.

What was your favorite book you read this year? Any comments on my favorites?

Categories: Books

SWF Seeking BFF

“Popular culture has made it okay to yell “I want a man!” from the rooftops, so why are we still embarrassed to say, “I want a best friend”? (p. 94 – MWF Seeking BFF by Rachel Bertsche)

I started the memoir, MWF Seeking BFF, with a bit of trepidation. It’s been getting a lot of buzz lately which always makes me a little wary. I’m prone to not wanting to read what everyone else is reading.

Case in point: I just downloaded The Hunger Games to my Kindle last week.

Yeah.

But I picked up this book because the premise sounded enticing for a girl who is seriously lacking in the friendship department. Making friends when I was in elementary school and middle school and high school was easy. You find your group, you hang out with your group, the end. And then college came and I had a vastly different experience than most people where I didn’t find that core group of friends to hang out with. Living on campus was difficult for me, so I moved home and became a commuter.

I consider my mom my best friend and the most special relationship I have in my life. And I have my brother, another super close friend to me. I have casual friends I met from college, from work, from blogging. But I don’t have that core group of friends that is touted in almost every TV show or book I read. I don’t have a Rachel or a Phoebe or a Monica. And sometimes, as much as I love hanging out with and talking to my mom, a girl just wants some girlfriends to gab with.

I don’t make friends easily and I’ll even go as far as to say as I can come off as unfriendly to some people. It’s the social anxiety/introversion/shyness in me. I don’t want to be unfriendly… I just get freaked out by social interaction with strangers sometimes. And I get worn out when I have to be social for very long. I’m the quiet one. The homebody. The girl who hates small talk and being friendly to strangers.

And I’m okay with being this way. I understand this is part of me. This is who I am. I am the shy introvert. There’s nothing wrong with being shy, with being a homebody, with treasuring alone time. I know my limits for social interaction. I know when I need a quiet night in, with nothing but a warm dachshund curled by my side and a favorite book in my hands. I also know it’s not good to remain inside your cocoon. It’s comfortable and safe there, but humans also need people and interaction and community. And while blogging has helped me to see I’m not alone – and brought a few girlfriends into my life that are some of my closest confidants – I know I need to put myself out there more.

I don’t want a busy social calendar. I don’t want to be able to have a birthday party and have dozens upon dozens of friends to invite. I want some girlfriends. I want one or two or three girls that will meet me for a drink on a Friday night, or invite me to a low-key shindig at their apartment. I want friends. Friends who understand me, who push me to be better, who have my back.

When I began reading MWF Seeking BFF, I was immediately drawn to the author, Rachel. She has one of those easy-to-read writing styles with sprinkles of humor and wit. She was someone I got. I understood her mission. I don’t really read memoirs or non-fiction books with the hunger I attack fiction, but this was a book I couldn’t put down. This book wasn’t just about Rachel’s decision to go on 52 girl dates in one year. It was a study on friendship. It was about how Rachel’s definition of friendship changed as this journey changed her.

Rachel didn’t hold back with anything. She was vulnerable about her worries and honest about those girl dates that didn’t go well. She was completely invested in her search for a BFF.

This book taught me so much. I honestly didn’t expect to actually learn a ton of lessons. I didn’t expect to finish the book feeling so much for one author or having to scribble down thoughts so I wouldn’t forget how much I learned from this book.

Like…

Initiate conversation with girls you think you might be friends with. I am shy. I am an introvert. We have already been over this. I do not initiate conversation with people. Also, I am terrible at small talk so I tend to freeze up when I have to talk to strangers. But I also want to have more friends and I know that initiating conversations with girls I think could be potential BFFs opens the door to “asking them out”.

It really is as simple as a “hey, let’s meet for coffee sometime!” I tend to complicate things and to be honest, it never crossed my mind to email that old friend I had a few college classes with and ask her to have coffee with me sometime. I think there’s always hesitancy that they have enough friends and aren’t looking to start up relationships with new ones. I think, though, as I begin my search, I will find people more receptive to meeting for a girl date than not.

That said, be aggressive about follow-up. If I tell a potential BFF that I want to meet her for coffee, I have to be aggressive about a time and place. I can’t just say that lightly and then get on my high horse with a, “Well, if she isn’t going to message me about it, then I don’t want to have coffee with her.” I do this so often. So, so often. It’s embarrassing, really. I turn into a five-year-old. When beginning a potential BFF relationship, it’s important to be the one following up – especially if a girl date goes well and I want to see them again.

Beginning my own search for local BFFs will teach me to be friendlier in social settings and more open to trying new things. Well, I hope this happens. While I don’t feel the need to go on 52 girl dates next year, I do plan on placing priority on putting myself out there in the friendship world and initiating some girl dates. I don’t want this book to be another one that I’ve read, felt changed by, and then did nothing with. I want to set an action plan for finding local BFFs and being more social. I want to try Meetup groups in search of friends and learn to be less hesitant about social situations. Now, as an introvert, this is not my favorite thing to do and I wholly embrace my need for solitude and silence. But I also want to challenge myself in this area to tackle one or two social events a month to hopefully teach me how to open myself up. I think social situations will always be hard for me, but the more I expose myself to them, the easier they will be. Or the better I will get at faking it, right?

There aren’t quite words to adequately describe how much this book affected me. This book taught me so much about friendship and helped me realize I am not alone in my quest for friends. I may not have the lifelong BFFs that the author has, but even so, many of us are searching for those best friends that we can meet for happy hour or a Saturday afternoon pedicure or a short gab session on our commute home from work. We are seeking connection and community.

My plan after reading this book is this: two girl dates a month. I’m not brave enough to commit to one a week so two a month sounds doable for me right now. And while I have joined a book club, I want to commit to trying at least one new group a month to force myself out of my comfort zone. And who knows? Maybe in one of those groups I will find another girl as shy as me, and I’ll find my new BFF.

Have you read MWF Seeking BFF? Your thoughts? And hey, I’ll be brave and put a call out to any local girls reading my blog – let’s meet for coffee sometime!

Categories: Books

Book Review: An Extraordinary Theory of Objects by Stephanie LaCava

An Extraordinary Theory Of Objects: A Memoir of an Outsider in Paris
Author: Stephanie LaCava
Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

An awkward, curious girl growing up in a foreign country, Stephanie LaCava finds solace and security in strange and beautiful objects.

When her father’s mysterious job transports her and her family to the Parisian suburb of Le Vesinet, the young American embarks on a life of discovery. Tasting the enchantments of Paris, she makes friends with her peers at a wildly unconventional international school and faces terrorism. But Stephanie’s wonder gives way to anxiety and a deep depression brought on by a series of circumstances. Through her darkest moments, Stephanie continues to filter the world through her peculiar lens, discovering the strange beauty surrounding her. The grotesque (beetles and catacombs), the natural (mushrooms and lilies of the valley) the cultural (Nirvana and other nineties touchstones) and the historical (Nancy Cunard, Jean Seberg), all become unique talismans. Encouraged by her father through trips to museums and scavenger hunts in antique shows, she traces an interconnected web of stories of past outsiders, historical and natural objects, and her present predicament that ultimately helps her survive when she feels she’s losing control.

A series of essays that unfold in cinematic fashion, An “Extraordinary Theory of Objects” moves from past to present as Stephanie revisits France seeking to understand and make peace with her childhood. Her journey reveals the magic of seemingly ordinary objects to distract us from our lives, construct order in an unpredictable world, and reveal the power of stories to shape and reflect who we are.

My review:

I felt an instant connection with this author from the introduction and was excited to dig in and learn more about her time abroad in Paris and how it changed her. The book was short and an easy read. I think I finished it in a matter of hours. It was filled with pictures and anecdotes and footnotes with long descriptions of certain words. I read through the first few footnotes but they distracted me from the story too much so I started skipping them.

The story was easy to follow and I enjoyed the writing style. There wasn’t much of a plot and the end came rather abruptly and I was left with this feeling that I never really got to know the author and who she is. This is touted as a memoir, after all. I really wanted to learn more about the author, more about her time in Paris, and I felt a little let-down by how short the book was.

In any event, it’s a neat little story and I enjoyed reading about LaCava’s time in Paris. It’s different, which was a nice switch from the books I have been reading. If I were to recommend this book, I would recommend it to someone who would like to read about Paris in a completely different way, told in an unusual and interesting manner.

I received this book for free from TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. All words and opinions, unless otherwise stated, are my own.

Categories: Books

November Reads

I stopped doing these posts in May for some reason, but I discovered I missed talking about books I was reading and my thoughts on them so I decided to bring this back. I flew right past my goal of reading 75 books this year at the end of October so now trying to see if I can make it to 90. Woo!

Because You Have To: A Writing Life by Joan Frank – 2 stars. I wrote my review on this book for TLC Book Tours already. It is basically a book on writing, part memoir and part survey of the process of writing. It is an interesting book, but some of it didn’t grab me like I wanted it to. It started to read like a textbook for me about halfway through.

Along For the Ride by Sarah Dessen – 4 stars. I am very happy that my library offers all of Sarah Dessen’s novels on their digital site with no waiting, so I am making my way through her novels. This is the fourth novel of hers I’ve read and I really, really enjoyed it. It followed the story of Auden whose parents are divorced and both professors. Her mom is involved with one of her grad students and her father just married someone not much older than Auden herself and had a baby with her. Her brother is gallivanting around Europe and Auden decides to spend the summer with her dad, new stepmom, and new half-sister. It’s a summer of self-discovery for Auden as she discovers her father is less perfect than she thought he was, her stepmom is less flighty than she thought she was, and how much she missed out on during school. It’s a really sweet novel, with lots of teenage angst and romance. I really love Dessen’s writing style and it’s just one of those fun, easy reads to take your mind off things.

Return to You by Kate Perry – 3 stars. This was free on Kindle so I picked it up because the cover was pretty and it seemed like it was just the right kind of predictable romance novel I needed. I read this when I needed a break from The Casual Vacancy (this is one of my tricks to how I read so darn much!) and it was everything I expected – light, funny, cheesy, predictable. Just how I like my romance novels! While the characters seemed a little over-the-top and the male lead was a bit lackluster, it was a good novel. Perfect if you just want something cheesy to read on a rainy weekend afternoon!

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling – 3 stars. This was our November #twookclub pick and also the November pick for my in-person book club. To be honest, the premise of the book didn’t entice me and I wasn’t really interested in reading it. But I did and I must say it wasn’t my favorite. Rowling throws 30 different characters at you in the beginning and trying to sort out who they were and how they related to the story was difficult. There wasn’t really much of a plot and it was filled with a lot of profanity, violence, and sex. To be frank, it grossed me out because it was done in a derogatory way. I’m not saying this is bad or the writing sucked… I just didn’t particularly enjoy it. About 200-250 pages in, I started to understand the novel and felt more invested in the characters but there was still something missing for me from this book. I think I’m in the minority of this because most people rate this book 4 or 5 stars on Goodreads, but my personal opinion? I probably won’t read another adult fiction novel from Rowling.

Out of Control by Suzanne Brockmann – 5 stars. I felt a catch in the bottom of my stomach when I finished this book. Not because the ending was particularly surprising, but because I was upset that I had finished this book. I have been slowly working my way through Brockmann’s Troubleshooters series (I read the majority of the books a few years ago) because I enjoy the series so, so much. I am so captivated by the characters and I love how some plotlines carry through from novel to novel. This book followed the story of their computer techie member, Ken, who spent the majority of the first part of the Troubleshooters series trying to get over an old college girlfriend. It’s been a few years since then and he’s completely over her and meets Savannah by chance (or so he thinks!). Savannah knows who Ken is and wants to use his SEAL expertise to rescue her uncle who has been captured by a terrorist. The book is fast-paced and follows Brockmann’s usual style. The thing about Brockmann is that her books could be considered predictable but the way she gets you there is always unpredictable! Fans of romantic thrillers – check this author out. She’s the best!

The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe – 4 stars. Oh, my heavens. I adored this book. This is my in-person book club book for December so I started reading it, thinking it would take me a while to get through it. Nope. I tore through this book in a matter of days and honestly couldn’t get enough of it. The novel is a memoir of a son (Will) who starts up an informal two-person book club with his mom, Mary Anne, who is dying of cancer. The book delves into some pretty hard-hitting topics, such as refugees and healthcare, and it’s not solely about books or cancer. It’s really about Mary Anne and the impact she had on people. I had an instant connection with Mary Anne because of watching my grandma go through chemotherapy twice and knowing the toll it took on her – yet she never lost her faith and never stopped worrying about her kids and grandkids. Mary-Anne is an exceptional woman and Will wrote an incredible book. I loved all the different books mentioned and the play-by-play between Will and his mom as they discussed them. I highly recommend this book!

California Caress by Rebecca Sinclair – 3 stars. This book was free on Kindle and it seemed like my kind of historical romance – predictable, cheesy, and an escape. So I picked it up and read it in a few days. It was light and funny and I generally enjoyed it. The plot was a little shaky for me, but the romance seemed believable enough. It was just one of those books that wasn’t hard to get into and kept me interested in what was going to happen next.

Books read in 2012: 82