And we are in April! I had a fabulous month of reading in March – 10 books read. Though 3 of those books were listened to on audio, which helped bump up my reading count. So far in 2015, I have read 23 books, and am 10 books ahead of the goal I set to read 52 books (which was a lowball number anyway). I’m hoping to reach 75 books read, but we’ll see! I’m also trying to take my time with the books I’m reading, not trying to rush through to finish as fast as I can to get to the next book on my list. This month, my favorite book was In the Blood and my least favorite book was The Elite.

Book club selection: In the Blood by Lisa Unger (5 stars)
This book was goooood. It was so, so, so good. It’s a psychological thriller that has a crazy twist about 3/4 of the way in that threw me for a complete loop. It was unlike any kind of twist I could have ever imagined. I finished the novel and wanted to tell everyone in the world how much I loved it. Just… go read this book. Now. It’s fantastic.

Book Riot Read Harder Challenge (audiobook): The Selection by Kiera Cass (3 stars)
This ended up being the first of three audiobooks I would read in March! Readers of audiobooks can make or break the experience, and this one took a little getting used to, but once I did, I found myself easily following the story. The story is impossibly silly and ridiculous… like The Bachelor meets The Hunger Games, maybe? The main character, America, is sassy and easy to like, as is Prince Maxon. I loved the interactions between the two of them. Since this is YA dystopian, obviously there’s some terrible overarching plot to bring a hint of danger into the novel, but I don’t think that was very well-thought-out or well-written. It just seemed… silly? Immediately after finishing this book, though, I requested the second book. This series is complete brain candy, but I can’t quit it!

Book Riot Read Harder Challenge (a book by someone whose gender is different from your own): The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion (4.5 stars)
I had read a lot of mixed reviews about this book, so I went into it with low expectations, which was maybe helpful because I ended up really enjoying it! I just love the character Simsion has created in Don Tillman – he’s so quirky and so unique and I can’t help but love him to pieces. This novel moved at a slow pace, but I found that I didn’t mind it. I just settled in and read slowly. The only thing I didn’t enjoy was Rosie’s character. One of the reviews I read of the novel was that she lost all of her charm from the first book, and I think that is 100% accurate. I just didn’t enjoy her character at all.

TLC Book Tours read: An Uncomplicated Life by Paul Daugherty (4 stars)
You can read my review of this book here.

Others (read for fun!)

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight (4 stars)
This novel got 4 stars from me because it was fairly impossible to put down. I had to keep reading it until I finished! It’s a mystery, where a mother tries to figure out what happened to lead her teenage daughter to commit suicide by jumping off the roof of her school. (She’s especially concerned because she gets an anonymous text that informs her that her daughter didn’t jump.) I found the mother to be incredibly unlikeable and a bit unrealistic. And some of the revelations were a bit cliche and one was especially… weird. And made me feel squirmy. But still… if you’re looking for a fast-paced read, this is your book.

The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner (3 stars)
This was a book of short stories, and it was an okay read. Nothing earth-shattering, no stories that made me especially enthralled. I did like how Weiner brought back some characters from her past books, especially Ruth from The Next Best Thing (my favorite Weiner novel).

The Elite by Kiera Cass (3 stars)
I listened to this novel on audiobook, as I did the first one in the series. This one wasn’t as good as the first one, and I felt like the author was really trying too hard to find conflict and make the novel move forward. Honestly, I think this series would work fine as a stand-alone book. I think there’s way too much unnecessary plot that could have been cut out to make the book more concise. America was a bit more bratty in this novel, which annoyed me, and Prince Maxon did a few things that seemed inauthentic to his character from the first novel.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver (4 stars)
I liked this book all the way up until the end. The ending left me with mixed feelings, and it makes me a bit hesitant to pick up the next novel in the series. This novel, which is YA dystopian, has an interesting premise: the idea that love is a disease that needs to be cured. At the age of 18, everyone is administered the “cure,” in which they do not have the capability for love any longer. It made me think of everything we do/say/think/feel based on love. I found Lena, the protagonist, to be a bit one-dimensional and a little underwhelming (especially with how she wanted Alex to keep saving her), but I’m hoping she develops more with the second and third books.

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg (4 stars)
I listened to this on audiobook, and this was the first time I “read” nonfiction this way. While I don’t mind fiction audiobooks, I don’t think nonfiction audiobooks work for me. I think it’s because I’m a visual learner and with nonfiction, I want to take my time to digest the information and highlight and mark passages that resonate with me. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel – much more than I thought I would. I’m not a high-powered career woman (and don’t aspire to be), but I appreciated hearing Sandberg’s thoughts on feminism, the work/life balance, family, and career. I also like how she doesn’t think women just need to lean into their careers more, but men need to lean into their families more. (I am just as icked out when a father talks about “babysitting” his children as she was!) Anyway, a good read and very thought-provoking!

The Next Best Thing by Kristan Higgins (4 stars)
And then a sweet romance novel to round out my month of reading! I love Kristan Higgins and her novels. They are just feel-good romances that are a bit cheesy, but also a lot of fun. While I didn’t love the main character in this one (she was a little over-the-top at times), I couldn’t put this book down until I got to the end.

book stats // march

# of books read: 10
# of pages read: 3,444
quickest read: The Guy Not Taken (5 days)
longest read: The Elite (9 days)
multicultural: zero
formats: ebooks (2), physical books (5), audiobooks (3)

What was the best book you read in March?

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!