I’m a bookie. No, not THAT kind of bookie. I’m a lover or words and stories.
Every year I set a goal for myself – generally 52 books per year. Last year I read about 60. As of the 9th of August I’m at 50, so I’m on track to hit close to a 100 this year. Reading is one of the few things that I have been able to maintain through my struggles with anxiety and depression. Although, over the last year I’ve noticed a serious degeneration of my vision. So to save me from insane headaches, I have switched over almost exclusively to audiobooks. Bonus – I can listen while I’m driving. The CHP frowns on you READING while driving or at least I assume they would.
Confession – I’ve never read ANY of the Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings books. Or Wrinkle in Time. What I haven’t read actually makes me a bit sad. [read more]
I’m often asked “What are you reading” and so in honor of #BookLoversDay I’ll share some of my top picks so far in 2018.
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas – if you haven’t read this yet, GO NOW! Seriously, it’s on my Top 10 all time list. It’s YA and it reads quickly. Serious, current themes told from the perspective of a 16 year old girl. GET THIS BOOK!
- The Tortilla Curtain by TC Boyle – I had the opportunity to go listen to him talk a few months ago and so I figured I should finally read his book. Was not disappointed AT ALL! Boyle is a masterful storyteller both on the page and in person. I’m listening to When the Killing’s Done now and I’m hopeful it is as good as TC.
- Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley – warning, this book WILL make you cry – like ugly, blubbering mess cry. I happened upon it by accident and I’m so glad I did. You should read it, but with tissues – or a towel.
- The Power by Naomi Alderman – interesting take on female centered dystopian fiction. Probably would have never picked it up if it hadn’t been for required reading for a work committee. We ended up choosing Exit West instead – another good book with topics that have become even more relevant in the past 6 months.
- The Innocent Man by John Grisham – I haven’t read a Grisham book in ages but I happened upon this NON-FICTION by him and thought what the heck. I then went on to catch up on NINE Grisham fictional stories that I had missed.
I’ve read some serious crap this year, too. Most notably The Paris Key, Sisters by Danielle Steele, Budha in the Attic, Miss Burma, Timeline by Michael Crichton and Luckiest Girl Alive that, unbelievably, I had already read and forgotten. So I read that crap TWICE! TWICE!
To avoid doing that ever again, I’ve started logging my books into Goodreads BEFORE I start them. Not after.
I tend to get stuck in genres and lately it’s been psychological relationship thrillers – think Gone Girl. So far this year, I’ve enjoyed Final Girls, Gone Without a Trace, Behind Closed Doors, Lie to Me, and the uber popular The Woman in the Window. I have Beware That Girl and All Things Cease to Appear already downloaded for the coming week.
I’ve always loved books and reading – a pastime I share with exactly ZERO members of my family. They literally groan when my book is playing in the car – like I haven’t listened to enough about videogames, guard, drag, superheros, Harry Potter, or the obsession of the week? Seriously?
So I will continue to enjoy my books in solitude and share my thoughts with ANYONE that asks for a book recommendation. Literally, anyone.
2018… so far
Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker by Gregory Maguire
After Alice by Gregory Maguire
Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue
Fire & Fury: Inside the Trump White House by Michael Wolff
The Power by Naomi Alderman
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
The Tortilla Curtain by TC Boyle
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood
Lily & the Octopus by Steven Rowley
Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
The Confusion of Languages by Siobhan Fallon
Flat Broke with Two Goats: A Memoir of Appalachia by Jennifer McGaha
The Girl Before by JP Delaney
The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka
The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society by Darien Gee
The Racketeer by John Grisham
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family & Culture in Crisis by JD Vance
The Confession by John Grisham
The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham
The Female Persuasion by Neg Wolitzer
The Appeal by John Grisham
The Litigators by John Grisham
Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham
The Summons by John Grisham
The Associate by John Grisham
Miss Burma by Charmaine Craig
Final Girls by Riley Sager
Sycamore Row by John Grisham
Gone Without a Trace by Mary Torjussen
The Woman in the Window by AJ Finn
First Comes Love by Emily Giffin
Timeline by Michael Crichton
In the Midst of Winter by Isabelle Allende
Love the One You’re With by Emily Giffin
A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies & Leadership by James Comey
The One and Only by Emily Giffin
Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin
Camino Island by John Grisham
Sisters by Danielle Steele
Roomies by Christina Lauren
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
The Paris Key by Juliet Blackwell
Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
Behind Closed Doors by BA Paris
The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
Lie to Me by JT Ellison
The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin
So what am I looking forward to? The long awaited book by Markus Zusak (Book Thief) coming out this fall and Mitch Albom’s followup to Five People You Meet in Heaven. Oliver Pötzsch has another installment of his Hangman’s Daughter series. And of course SO MANY MORE – my holds and wish list from the library is pretty extensive. And I’m always open to suggestions – so leave them in the comments.
Finally, I often get asked how do I afford my book hobby – especially now that I’ve switched to audio format. Audible seems expensive to me for what you get and there is no way I can justify $20+ per book, especially since I blow through books in a few days whether they are printed or spoken. So, most of my books are checked out electronically through my local library. Best part, NO LATE FEES! Late fees were the reason I stopped going to the library in the first place. Now that I’ve gone electronic, my books are automatically returned on time. ADD WIN!
Happy Book Lovers Day from one Bookie to another. Happy reading.
Sparkling Llama 