It has taken me most of this year to get through this one, simply because of it’s length and my lack of free time. I read about a third of this, another fabulous work by John Irving, via paperback, about a chapter on my Kindle, and the rest I listened to via the audio recording, […]
Category: Books
My book club pick for the year was Iron House, by John Hart. I picked this book in a quick Meijer run at about 6 AM back in December when Hailey decided it was time to rise early on a Sunday. I had heard of the author, and his last name stood out in my memory […]
This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys “finding yourself in your 20s” stories or who really loves hiking. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail is such a genuine work and you just can’t help but like this chick. It makes me want to hoist my backpack and hit the trails.
The Family Fang was a bookclub pick that I surprisingly enjoyed. It offers a new perspective on art and is so outlandish that I was thoroughly entertained.
I read James Patterson’s Double Cross since I have this obsession with crime/serial killer books. But I’ve gotta say, I would much rather read something with a little more flair in the writing. Any recommendations on good crime reads? I have enjoyed the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series as well as Darkly Dreaming Dexter, […]
Just finished listening to The Litigators by John Grisham. I enjoyed a classic John Grisham read. The main character was a really likeable guy, and sometimes it is just fun to read about nice characters.
I seem to be into popular trilogies right now since I just finished Catching Fire, the second Hunger Games book. It was really more of the same, which was entertaining, but not amazing. I’ll still read the third book someday though. It was interesting to learn that the author, Suzanne Collins, was also the writer […]
I finally finished the Millenium series. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest was consistent with the first two books and finally tied everything together. I did most of this reading in the late hours of the night while trying to get Hailey to sleep. You know you’re hooked when the baby is obviously sleeping […]
Good friends of ours lent us a few pregnancy and baby books, and I found two of them most helpful. I would love to hear what books, blogs, and magazines other moms use to learn about child development and parenting. On Becoming Baby Wise by Gary Ezzo taught me a couple key points. Keep your baby […]
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan was our November book club read. I listened to the audio book, but I wasn’t crazy about this one. It’s one of those books that examines different characters and then weaves their stories together, but I thought the stories were so out there that I guess I […]
I really enjoyed Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. I always seem to enjoy books that involve Asian culture, and this one is about a Chinese family and a Japanese family in the 1940s. This has been my favorite fictional read with the book club.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot is an excellent nonfiction read. I recommend the audio book.
I decided to pick up a book about child rearing since I guess I will be rearing a child soon enough. Nuture Shock was a random pick since it was available from the library as an audio book. This book is in the style of Malcolm Gladwell, but much more applicable to life right now. […]
Just gave the audio book Outliers a listen and thoroughly enjoyed it, just as I did The Tipping Point a few years ago. Malcolm Gladwell is really good at writing about really common sense things and making it interesting. I must say that the first chapter of this one was slow and drawn out, but […]
The Other Wes Moore, by Wes Moore, is one of my favorite recent reads. This is an autobiography/biography combo into a couple of lives so different from my own. The book challenged some of my own pre-conceived notions about the lives of others and left me with an inspired outlook, without being over-the-top.
Gotta admit that I really am enjoying the Millenium trilogy by Stieg Larsson. The Girl Who Played with Fire was more enjoyable than the first book, yet it is equally twisted. I always make myself take my time on a series or trilogy. So it has been a while since I read the first book, and […]
Another book club read was Room, by Emma Donaghue. This was intriguing, but it’s not a favorite. It moves slow early on and then I thought it ended without resolving my curiosity about the characters and their situation. It definitely made me think about about some of the things we take for granted in life, […]
I just read this one for the book club, and it was a fabulous read. Anyone else I’ve mentioned this to has said how sad the book and movie are. I beg to differ. There are definitely some sad parts, but I think the book overall is inspiring, joyful, and insightful. It’s a great window […]
I finally finished Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. This book makes the top 10 list for a couple of my friends. I wouldn’t rank it quite that high, but it’s definitely a work of literature. The writing is beautiful and the tale is eye-opening. I think my enjoyment was simply diminished because I had […]
One personal resolution I made several months ago is that I would not turn down any social invitations I was lucky enough to receive. I’ve always been someone who enjoys close friendships, but I am out of my comfort zone meeting a lot of new people at once. So last December when I was invited […]