March Reads

I know, I'm really falling behind on the blog posting.  March was just a crazy month.  I still have Adam's birthday party and a few other things that I'll hopefully get around to... In the meantime, here are the books I read/listened to in March.

The Nightingale
by Kristen Hannah
Guys, I'm still dreaming of this book.  I can easily say that this book made the "Top 5 Best Books I've Ever Read" list.  I listened to the audio book which I highly recommend.  The reader does great accents for the different French and German characters.  The book is about two sisters in France during World War II when Germany occupies France.  As it goes back and forth between their stories, you learn how the war effects them differently and how they decide to react to the circumstances that they are faced with and how their decisions shape their destinies.  I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it!  I wanted to start it all over again the second it stopped.  I listened to the last little bit in the car while we were driving to Arizona and Matt was sleeping.  He woke up and after giving him the run down, he intently listened to the rest of it with me and he loved it as well.  We talked for the rest of the drive about the book!  So inspirational, heart wrenching, and just so beautiful.  Now, I do have to be honest, it took me a while to get into it.  I actually started it, got bored, and then restarted it a few weeks later.  Just push through the beginning.  I promise you will love it.

The House of the Scorpion
by Nancy Farmer
As part of my "2016 New Me" resolution to go out of my comfort zone and try new things, I started a book club.  I decided I only wanted it to be a few people (8 was the magic number) that could commit to reading the book and coming each month.  Each person would get a month to choose the book and host the discussion, with four months to do something else (for example, in April we will each pick a classic novel to read).  Anyway, the first book chosen for the book club was The House of the Scorpion.  I would have never picked this to read on my own, but it was really interesting, and I'm glad that I read it.  Matt is a clone in the futuristic "Opium"-- the area of land between what was once the US and Mexico.  The book goes through the different stages of Matt's life and how he copes with the knowledge of his "birth" and purpose of his life.  This was a great book club choice because of all the great discussion topics-- power and pride, wealth, moral ethics, etc.  There is a sequel, but I don't think I'll read it.  We decided this would be a good book for a teenage boy because the main character is the same age and there isn't a lot of details/descriptions.  It's pretty straightforward.

Me Before You
by JoJo Moyes
It wasn't until I saw the trailer for the movie that I finally decided to read this book.  And then I watched the trailer twice a day until the book was finally available (I think I was number 15 on the hold list).  So, I went into this book thinking it was going to be this romantic, super emotional, lovey-chick flickly type book.... and it wasn't.  For that reason, I didn't really enjoy the book.  It just wasn't what I was expecting.  Looking back, I can see that the trailer picked out the more romantic elements of the book to catch all the viewers out there like me.  So, if you are looking for a cute lovey book, this probably isn't the one for you.  However, this book was interesting because it gave me new perspective on a lifestyle that I've never thought much about-- Will is a quadriplegic with no hope of recovery, and Louisa takes a job as his caregiver.  The two teach each other so much about life and what it truly means to live.  I thought there were some really beautiful and touching insights.  Warning:  this is a sad book, so just be aware of that.  Again, I'm not sure if I want to read the sequel.  But I am still excited to see the movie.

The Wednesday Wars
by Gary D. Schmidt
I saw this book mentioned on a blog and thought I would give it a try.  And I loved it!  It was just so much fun!  It reminded me a lot of one of my favorite books called Flipped, which is also just super enjoyable.  The Wednesday Wars is technically a children's book-- middle school age, but it was a nice break from the other books I've been reading.  Holling Hoodhood is a seventh grader on Long Island during the late '60s, and it's basically the story of all the crazy things that happen that year, historically and personally for Holling.  The book had me literally laughing out loud.  The author is really clever in his writing tying in Shakespeare plays and recurring themes.  I'm definitely not doing this book justice, but just trust me: You will enjoy this book!  I definitely recommend the audio book because the reader does such a good job.

The Lifeboat
by Charlotte Rogan
This book was not at all what I expected.  I was hoping for some epic survival story and this book, honestly, was boring.  I listened to the audio book and just keep waiting for the story to start... and then it was over!  This is the story of a group of 40 people on a lifeboat after their ship sinks.  The main character is retelling her account while she is on trial for murder.  I know, it sounds awesome, but like I said, it was just boring.  I don't recommend it.

And that was March!  I'm glad I got ahead because April is half way over and I've only read one book!

February Reads

One book ahead for my yearly reading goal!

Austenland
by Shannon Hale

A few weeks ago, Delicious Reads posted this article on their blog about clean romances, and I dove right in.  I love romance novels, but it's hard to find ones that aren't well,... that don't make me blush and feel like I'm reading something that I should hide from Matt.  SO, I was really excited about this list and started with Austenland.  Jane is a 30-something-year-old single woman who is secretly obsessed with finding her own Mr. Darcy.  When her great-aunt finds out and later passes away, she leaves Jane tickets to experience "Austenland"-- basically a theme park for Regency-obsessed woman that guarantees a regal romance with a fine gentleman.  And I mean, this place is the real deal-- no electronics, the actors all speak, dress, and act in time-period manner.  Jane has a hard time realizing when she is acting and when she is being herself.  Are all of the others acting all the time as well?  Things get confusing when she starts to have feelings for one of the gentleman.  Could this be her Mr. Darcy or is it all just a game?  This book definitely won't change your life, but it's a feel-good 200 page read.  And there is a movie!  Has anyone seen it?

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2), Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3)
by Marissa Meyer

Ok, to say that I'm obsessed with this serious would be an understatement.  I cannot say enough good things.  These book are so clever-- I mean, not quite Harry Potter clever, but definitely up there.  The stories weave together so seamlessly and I love the characters and the plot and just everything about them.  I've been listening to all of them on audio book, and like I said before, I really, really love the reader.  She does such a great job with the accents and different characters.  I don't want to give too much of the plot away for those who haven't read the first one, and I have to be honest, it sounds silly if I try to explain it.  I was telling my mom about them today and she looked at me like, "These sound weird... Why are you reading them?"  So, you'll just have to take my word for it and go and read them.  I promise you won't regret it... even if you're up reading into the early hours of the morning!

Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles #3.5)
by Marissa Meyer

This is the backstory of the evil Queen Levana from The Lunar Chronicles.  I have to admit, I didn't really like this book.  It was just... evil.  I don't know-- I didn't like the relationship between Levana and her sister.  And Levana is seriously psycho and possessive and the book just kind of gave me the creeps.  I felt that this book gave me a better understanding of Levana a person, but it isn't necessary to the plot of the other books.

January Reads

I made a goal to read 36 books this year-- so 3 books a month with room to fall behind and catch up if I need to.  Well, January is over and I'm right on track!

Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--The World's Most Dangerous Weapon
by Steve Sheinkin

I loved this book.  I loved this book.  I loved this book.  Sheinkin makes this history play out like an action movie!  He gives plenty of background information about the discovery of Uranium and the making of the atomic bomb itself without going overboard into unnecessary details like a lot of documentary style books do.  This account includes stories of Russians and Americans spying for the Soviet Union as well as US efforts to gain information about the German and Soviet Union plans.  This book was fascinating and one that I would recommend to everyone.  

Saint Anything
by Sarah Dessen

This is a story about a girl who lived in the shadow of her brother's fame and good looks.  Then, after a series of destructive behavior lands him in jail, Sydney decides to move to a new school and start over.  She makes new friends that help her overcome the challenges and guilt from her brother's choices that no one else in her family seems to care about.  A feel-good book about self-discovery, family, and learning to deal with the consequences of our own choices and the choices of those whom we love.

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1)
by Marissa Meyer

I listened to this book on CD-- I like to have something on when I'm home all day and Adam watches the TV if I turn it on, and that's not a habit I really want him to start-- and I finished it in like 3 days.  I'm pretty picky when it comes to readers, but this girl nailed it.  She did the voices of the different characters perfectly and I thoroughly enjoyed that.  Now, the book itself was so good!  I have to admit, I struggled in the beginning because it was set in "New Bejing" after World War 4 and there and hover crafts and ID chips and all that stuff which, after reading The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, and Divergent books, I was pretty much done with this whole futuristic society thing, BUT I stuck with it and had a lot of fun listening to this book!  It's a play on the Cinderella story and is so clever-- I'm not going to go into more details because I'm afraid I'll make it sound stupid haha.  Just trust me-- you will like it.  I've already checked out the second one and have been listening to it in the car!

Recent Reads

I love, love, love to read, and now that I'm not working full-time, I have had a lot of time to catch up on my mile long list of books to read before I die.  So, here is a list of recent reads:

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
You have to read this book.  If you've seen the movie, you still have to read this book.  Louis Zamperini's story is unreal.  How can one person experience all of those things in one life time-- Olympian, ship wrecked for months, POW-- and then still come out a kind and loving person?  This book will change your life.

Frankenstein by Marry Shelley
If there was ever a book written that is totally different from what people's perceptions are about the book, then this is it.  Take everything you know about Frankenstein and throw it out the window, especially because Frankenstein isn't even the monster's name, it's the name of the man who created the monster.  See, told you.  This is a beautiful story about being misunderstood and the effects that a loveless life can have.  Really sad, but really beautiful at the same time.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
I liked this book until the ending.  I hated the ending.  And then I was mad that I wasted time reading the book.  Basically, it about a girl who gets jealous of her boyfriends VIP all-guys secret society, so she finds a way to go undercover and mastermind all of the pranks that the society does.  Sounds good, but be warned, the ending is anti-climactic.

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
This book had me laughing out loud.  Poppy, the main character, is hilarious and winds up in the most outrageous situations.  She loses her new engagement ring at a hotel (a family heirloom) and after she gives her phone number to every worker at the hotel in hopes that the ring will be found, her phone gets stolen.  Miraculously enough, she finds an abandoned cell phone in a garbage can and claims it as her own.  Little does she know the adventure that picking up this phone would get her in.  Again, hilarious book, but be advised-- there is a lot of language.

The Selection Series (The Selection, The Elite, and The One) by Kiera Cass
I blew through these books in like a week.  They are really entertaining, but very predictable and pretty repetitive.  The story is basically The Bachelor in a YA novel.  I've never watched The Bachelor, but I've heard enough about it to get the gist.  If you like that show, then you'll love these books.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The classics are my favorites.  Seriously, it just doesn't get better than The Count of Monte Cristo or Jane Eyre.  One of my mission companions told me about this book, and I was intrigued: a man has a picture painted of him and then he stays young while the picture grows old.  Interesting.  I listened to this on audio book (I don't think I could have lasted any other way)-- there is a lot of on and on and on dialogue.  Anyway, this book really got me thinking about what real beauty is and what my portrait would look like if it reflected what I looked like on the inside as a result of my deeds.

Zorro by Isabel Allende
The drive to visit Matt's family takes about 9 hours.  I stopped by the library and picked up this audio book on a whim before our last road trip.  We loved it!  Totally different from the movies in a good way.  The story basically is the life of Diego de la Vega and how he becomes Zorro.  Super good!

My Story by Elizabeth Smart
I had this book on my "To-Read" list for a long time, then I heard her speak at UVU this last year and went to the library to pick it up straight away.  I was not disappointed.  I mean, I can't believe that Elizabeth Smart is able to even get out of bed in the mornings after everything that she's been through.  This is an incredible story about survival, healing, and forgiveness.

My Life with the Walter Boys by Ali Novak
I really loved this book--read it in a day.  After her family is killed in a car accident, Jackie moves from NYC to Colorado to stay with her mom's college friend and her family, a family of 12 boys.  There is a lot of learning, teasing, and other fun surprises as Jackie adjusts to living in the country with the Walter boys.

The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister
I just finished this book, and it was another one that left me feeling like I had wasted my time reading it.  It's about a girl who is threatened and stalked by her cousin.  She runs away and becomes a famous magician, and then she is the top suspect in a murder.  She tells her story from the jail house to the police man in hopes that he will set her free.  This book was a little dark for me, and I guess I was hoping for a better ending.