Thursday, December 29, 2016

2016: My Year in Reading

Oh, 2016. You were a record-breaking year for me. I have been tracking the books I've read since 2011, and my old record was 109 books in one year. This year, I completed 111. 

I also competed in a reading challenge with my good friend Ingrid over at Getting Lost in the Stacks. Ingrid set up a very challenging 2016 list of book topics. Click here to see the topic list. Obviously, Ingrid set it up to light my hair on fire. I'm happy to report that at this moment, I've completed 111 books this year. Crazy, I know, but I have. However, I have NOT completed the challenge-I still have three topics left to complete...and they are NOT going to be finished in the next two days. I'm okay with that. I started December with 19 books left to read, so I put a decent dent into my goal. :)

Here's my list of books read for the challenge: 

READING CHALLENGE 2016
LIGHT: 13
Non-fiction about scienceThe Story of the Human Body
That someone told you “changed their life”Becoming Marta
Published in 2016Girl Waits with Gun
A food memoirAnimal, Vegetable, Miracle
A playPygmalion
Over 100 years oldThe Awakening
Over 500 pagesAll the Light We Cannot See
With a main character with a mental illness The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Written by a comedianModern Romance
Originally published the year you were bornThe BFG
Non-fiction about a religion not your ownIslam, A Short History
Less than 100 pagesThe Old Man and the Sea
With a one word titleGeorge
AVID: 13
A BIOGRAPHY OR AUTOBIOGRAPHYWhy Not Me?
A MYSTERYCareer of Evil
BASED ON A NON "WESTERNIZED" FAIRY TALEBeauty
WRITTEN BY AN AFRICANPurple Hibiscus
A GRAPHIC NOVELNimona
ABOUT A ROAD TRIPpaper towns
SET IN A COUNTRY NOT YOUR OWNA Kiss at Midnight
SET IN YOUR HOME STATEA Rogue in Texas
WITH A WOMAN’S NAME IN THE TITLEEsperanza Rising
WITH A CHARACTER WHO HAS YOUR NAMEDancing with the Devil and Other Stories from Beyond
ABOUT AN ANIMALFour Fish
SET IN AUSTRALIAThree Wishes
A NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNERWaiting
COMMITTED: 26
About music or a musicianLife, by Keith Richards
A dystopian novelThe Maze Runner
A current New York Times BestsellerThe Martian
A satireCatch 22
A collection of poemsA night without armor
With an ugly coverThe Dude Abides: The Gospel According to the Coen Brothers
Translated to English1Q84
Targeted at the opposite genderEverything Bad Is Good For You
By or about a Greek philosopherMeditations
Takes place in a desertThe Heretic Queen
An epistolary novelLast Days of Summer
That makes you sadThe Boy in the Striped Pajamas
That changed your opinion on a topicHow to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk
With bad reviewsSlaughterhouse-Five
With a number in the titleSize 12 Is Not Fat
Set in a place you’ve always wanted to visitThe Other Daughter
One you started but never finishedDarwin's Devices
A Pulitzer Prize winnerOlive Kitteridge
With non-human characterAftermath
Self-publishedEulalia's Story
Set during a holidayLabor Day
Film or tv tie inHarry Potter and the Cursed Child
You pretend you’ve read it (but haven’t)Catcher in the Rye
From the libraryThe Thirteenth Earl
Time travelThe Time Machine
Political memoirI Am Malala
OBSESSED: 49
WRITTEN BY A RUSSIANDoctor Zhivago
ABOUT A MARTYRBonhoeffer
RECOMMENDED BY A PARENTThe Bible
TAKES PLACE DURING WINTERThe Call of the Wild
BIOGRAPHY OF A WORLD LEADERLong Walk to Freedom
SELF-IMPROVEMENTThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
THAT REMINDS YOU OF HOMEBrownsville
ABOUT A COWBOYThe Emmitt Zone
AN AUDIOBOOKThe Resurrection Casket
A BANNED BOOKMein Kampf
WRITTEN BY AN ACTORLove Life
BY OR ABOUT SHAKESPEAREThe Lodger Shakespeare
WITH A PROTAGONIST WHO HAS YOUR OCCUPATIONEmily and Einstein
ABOUT A CULTURE YOU’RE UNFAMILIAR WITHA Passage to India
WRITTEN FROM THE LOSING SIDE’S PERSPECTIVEAll's Quiet on the Western Front
WITH A BEAUTIFUL COVERThe Nest
SOMETHING “EVERYONE” HAS READ BUT YOUA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
TOLD FROM A CHILD’S PERSPECTIVEPigeon English
WITH MULTIPLE TIMELINESThe Mapmaker's Children
WRITTEN BY A CRIMINALCatch Me If You Can
WRITTEN BY A ‘LOCAL’ AUTHOROld Creole Days
MODERN RETELLING OF A CLASSICGREAT
NARRATED BY THE ‘BAD GUY’The Picture of Dorian Gray
AN ALTERNATE HISTORYThe Man in the High Castle
EROTIC NOVELMy American Duchess
SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE COMICVampirella
A NOVEL WITH RECIPES IN ITCream Puff Murder
ABOUT A TOPIC YOU’RE AFRAID OFTwelve years a slave
BY OR ABOUT A WORLD EXPLORERSchooner to the Southern Oceans
ABOUT A CONTROVERSIAL TOPICSandrine's Letter to Tomorrow
BASED ON A GAMEThe Force Unleashed II
CONTAINING BULLYINGCity of Mirrors
WRITTEN BY A FICTIONAL CHARACTERFlowers from the Storm
ABOUT A PLAGUEThe Years of Rice and Salt
A TRILOGY THAT HASN’T BECOME A MOVIE OR TV SHOWPotent Pleasures, Midnight Pleasures, Enchanting Pleasures
WRITTEN BY SOMEONE UNDER 20 YEARS OLDHow to Talk to Girls
NON-FICTION ABOUT ALCOHOLWine & War
WRITTEN BY SOMEONE OVER 65Still Foolin' 'Em: Where I've Been, Where I'm Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys
SET PREDOMINANTLY UNDERGROUND OR UNDERWATERThe War Below
TAKES PLACE IN ASIAThe Good Earth
A MICROHISTORYHillbilly Elegy
SET IN A STEAMPUNK UNIVERSEManners and Mutiny
A BOOK WITHOUT CHAPTERSWe Need to Talk About Kevin
THAT YOU ORIGINALLY READ IN MIDDLE SCHOOLThe Raven
AbOUT AN INDIGENOUS PEOPLEBury My Heart at Wounded Knee
A COLLECTION OF ESSAYSGumbo Tales
WITH MAGICDemon Mistress
ABOUT A CURRENT HUMANITARIAN CONCERNThe Book of Unknown Americans
WRITTEN BY A FIRST TIME AUTHORThe Bookstore

The yellow highlighted books are the ones I haven't read. I'm currently working on The Years of Rice and Salt. I'm only one chapter in, though, so I doubt I'll get it done before year's end.

Also, a disclaimer: Several of the books were audiobooks. I spend about an hour in traffic every day, so I listened to books instead of the radio. A great side effect of listening to audiobooks is that it helps you stop messing with your phone while driving. :)

Yes, some of the books were very easy. (I'm looking at you, How to Talk to Girls and The BFG.) There were some I despised (Demon Mistress and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which I'm only picking on because I want the next book in the Song of Fire and Ice series). There were sad ones (We Need to Talk About Kevin), funny ones (Modern Romance), and books full of hope (Esperanza Rising). Of course, there were many that I absolutely loved: Hillbilly Elegy, Wine and War, The Martian, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and The Story of the Human Body). 

Overall, I'm very glad I participated in this challenge. I read things I never would have considered, and I opened my eyes a bit to new genres. I discovered I'm actually rather fond of autobiographies, particularly when they're read by the authors. I also like history much more than I thought I did. Read any of the non-fiction on my list. They're well worth the time.

So, thank you, 2016. It was a great year for reading. I look forward to next year's challenge: whittle down my current reading list to less than 20 books. It's currently at about 60, so it should be doable. Buuuut...I think Ingrid has another challenge up her sleeve, and though I swore to myself I wouldn't do another complicated challenge, I probably will. Just because I love books.

Batgirl at Super Hero High


Title: Batgirl at Super Hero High
Author: Lisa Yee
Genre: DC Comics, Super Hero, Audiobook

We listened to this book during a two-day, twelve hour road trip, and we LOVED it. The narrator did a great job keeping us (all female, ages 34, 9, 8, and 6) engaged. At certain points in the story, we paused it and discussed what was going on and what we thought would happen. 

My eldest is not good with "regular" reading, but listening to this Batgirl book really gripped her attention, and she not only retained more than normal, she also truly understood everything that was going on (unlike in "regular" books). This was definitely an eye-opening opportunity to me...I'll make sure she has access to audiobooks as well as text copies of books. Maybe that will help encourage her reading.

Back to the book: The plot moved quickly, and the audiobook was about 4.5 hours long. We mixed up the trip with "regular" reading, a movie, creative time (drawing, coloring, Play-Doh), and listening. My nine-year-old was the one who wanted to listen to the story the most. She nailed the plot and made good hypotheses about the outcome of the story. I was entertained even though I'd brought my own audiobook for listening during the trip. I saved my book for the "other" times during the driving. 

Overall, we look forward to following the Super Hero ladies through the rest of their adventures. Enjoy this title as an audiobook on your next roadtrip.

***Disclaimer: I obtained this audiobook from Blogging for Books in order to publish a review.***

Monday, December 5, 2016

The Travelers



Title: The Travelers
Author: Chris Pavone
Genre: Fiction, Spy, Thriller

The Travelers was as quick, involved read. The fast pace kept my interest, and I enjoyed "traveling" with Will as he worked to untangle all the messes he got himself into. Sometimes, the plot was a little too incredible, but this is a spy story-it's not supposed to be 100% believable. I imagined Jeremy Renner as Will, and that made the movie in my head even more interesting. :) Definitely worth a read.