Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

This book has gained a lot of speed and recognition since it's publication at the beginning of this year.  It has been on everyone's reading list from Oprah, to Barack Obama, to Bill Gates.  Amazon even selected "Educated" as their best book of the year.  With all the hype surrounding the book, I knew I had to get my hands on it.  My library had two copies going around and even still the wait was estimated at 66 weeks.  So I went on a hunt for this highly sought after book to see if it was all it was cracked up to be.

Educated's writing style is able to span two genres to help draw in the readers.  Westover is able to write an almost dystopian-like opening dealing with poverty, doomsday prepping, and a disconnect from the rest of modern day society.  Coincidentally, it is also a generic coming of age story about a young girl finding her identity, spreading her wings, and leaving the nest to go to college.  Westover grows up in a heavily sheltered Mormon household living off the grid.  She has never been to school or to the doctor.  We get to read anecdotes varying from her sibling's leg catching on fire to exploits in pursuing her education.

I thought the first half of the book was fabulous.  I loved reading the stories about her family, working in the junkyard with her brothers and dad, and all of the horror medical stories.  I think there may have been other readers who experienced more of a shock factor reading the details of her upbringing.  I wasn't necessarily shocked by those things, but I did think they were interesting to read.  The second half, when she goes to school, started to lose me a little.  Small spoiler ahead **  She would talk about how she was struggling in class and going to fail any second, and then miraculously she would get an academic scholarship and end up passing with flying colors. **  And that was the reoccurring theme of her academic years.  So, the second half was so-so for me.  I'm not lessening her achievements at all!  Just saying that I wasn't into that part of the book as much.  Nevertheless, she's a captivating storyteller.  It's a world that many of us have no knowledge of, and we follow her journey with intrigue.

I'm glad I ended the year out on a strong note!  I'm hoping that if you have not yet read this book, that it is on your to-read list soon!  Happy New Year to everyone, and best wishes on your 2019 reading goals!!


Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Positives: Loved the first half of the book.
Negatives: Her schooling years weren't as believable.  She would flip flop between being a bad student and excelling too quickly for me.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Ten little Indian boys went out to dine;
One choked his little self and then there were nine.
Nine little Indian boys sat up very late;
One overslept himself and then there were eight.
Eight little Indian boys travelling to Devon;
One said he'd stay there and then there were seven.
Seven little Indian boys chopping up sticks;
One chopped himself in halves and then there were six.
Six little Indian boys playing with a hive;
A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.
Five little Indian boys going in for law;
One got in Chancery and then there were four.
Four little Indian boys going out to sea;
A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.
Three little Indian boys walking in the zoo;
A big bear hugged one and then there were two.
Two little Indian boys sitting in the sun;
One got frizzled up and then there was one.
One little Indian boy left all alone;
He went out and hanged himself and then there were none.

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I scare easily.  I even have to hide my face during scary movie trailers.  So it should be no big surprise that I have not read a lot of thrillers or mystery books.  Lord knows I would never be able to sleep after reading them!  This month I read my first Agatha Christie book!  I'm pretty surprised I had never read her works before, seeing as she is one of the best-selling novelists of all-time.  I think I was just too timid to pick anything up in fear of being afraid.  But if I'm going to read a mystery, I might as well read one of the best!  

When researching Christie's legacy, I wanted to read a book that would really showcase her skills.  By far, the most popular book mentioned in every list, blog post, and article is "And Then There Were None."  It is her best-selling novel, with more than 100 million copies sold.  It is also the world's best-selling mystery novel.  One review said it was similar to the board game Clue.  Another review compared it to "From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler", which was a book that sparked my love for reading in middle school.  Those two reviews were enough to seal the deal for me.

The story opens on eight people being invited to Indian Island for a variety of reasons.  They are met there by the two housekeepers who say that the hosts, Mr. and Mrs. U.N. Owen, have not yet arrived.  The guests find this odd but start to introduce themselves and enjoy dinner together.  After dinner, a gramaphone record is played.  The record accuses all ten visitors of murder, and it details each crime on the recording.  While the guests try to understand who their host is and what is happening, one of them ingests a poisonous drink and dies.  Will they find out who U.N. Owen is?  Or will he slowly kill them one at a time until none are left?

While the US editions were titled "And Then There Were None", there is a not so nice history about the original UK publications.  The original title was "Ten Little Niggers" based on the nursery rhyme that hangs in each guest's room.  The island they meet on also has the same name.  The rhyme and island were later changed to Ten Little Indians/Indian Island or Ten Little Soldiers/Solider Island in other editions.  Other cultures still have the original title in their translations.  However, the estate of Agatha Christie now only offers the novel under the English title.  So going forward, any new foreign language editions would be translated from this titled edition.

Now I have to be honest, I wasn't blown away by the book.  Was I surprised by the ending?  Yes.  I had ideas about who the killer may have been, but I definitely did not expect the resolution Agatha gave us.  But it wasn't a knock me out of my seat and jaw-dropping ending.  If anything, I see the plot more as an outline for hundreds of stories.  Agatha Christie laid a story framework that can be adapted and reused countless times.  I think that's why this book is the best-seller it is.  It is well written, captivating, has the big twist at the end like you want it to have -- yet it is still simple and has remained popular over time.  At the end of the day, I guess I should be grateful that it didn't scare me too badly!

Rating: 3 out of 5
Positives: Pretty captivating to read.  I would sit down and read 50-100 pages each time.  And I'm glad it wasn't too, too scary for me!
Negatives: I thought the male characters lacked diversity.  I kept confusing them!

Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella

I decided to try reading a book outside of my usual genre this month and went for a contemporary romance.  Sophie Kinsella (aka Madeleine Wickham) is many reader's go-to author for chick lit, light hearted, charismatic reads.  Some of her other books are titled, "Girls Night In", "My Not So Perfect Life", and "Confessions of a Shopaholic."  Just the titles alone make me think of pink, champagne, bubbles, and facemasks.  I don't know much about the other books outside of their titles, but Surprise Me seems like it may have a little more depth and seriousness to it than some of Sophie's other works. 

Sylvie and Dan, a happily married couple, have been together for ten years now.  They have twin girls, fulfilling jobs, and can finish each other's sentences.  A trip to the doctors tells them fabulous news!  They will have another 68 years of marriage together.  As the reality of that statement sets in, they start to panic.  Will their marriage be able to last another 68 years or will the routine of life grow tiresome?  They decide that they need to spice up their marriage in order to keep things fresh, new, and exciting.  But not all of the surprises go to plan, and anxiety sets in about their future together. 

The first half of the book was mostly charming and humorous.  Some of the initial story building at the very beginning seemed to drag for me, but it was worth it to continue reading.  The section of the book that shows the couple's surprises back and forth to each other was the best part of the book.  Laugh out loud funny and so relatable.  As the story progresses into the second half of the book, it does take a more serious turn.  At the end there is a totally unexpected element that was a lot darker than the rest of the book.  I was not expecting the ending at all, but I love how it rounded out the story and finished things off nicely. 

After reading a few other reviews on the book, I found most people were surprised to see, and didn't like the more anxiety ridden main character of Sophie, in comparison to Kinsella's usual protagonist.  Most faithful Kinsella readers point people to her Shopaholic Series if you're looking to explore her works for the first time.  As I had no prior knowledge of her works, I didn't see any problem with the book at all.  I really don't know if I could stomach something like the Shopaholic series, so this one was probably better for me personally.  If you're used to light and fluffy books, then you may be better of starting with the Shopaholic Series if you haven't read it already.

Rating: 4 out of 5
Positives: Pretty light and fluffy with some good laughs while still having some substance to keep you interested and engaged.
Negatives: Dragged a bit in the beginning.  I almost wish the sections where they surprised each other would have continued instead of taking the more serious turn, but I still enjoyed the book as a whole.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

A Monster Calls follows the story of a thirteen year old boy, named Conor, who is learning to live with his mother's cancer diagnosis and her declining health.  With his mother's treatments also come nightmares for Conor.  Conor begins to be visited by a monster at 12:07 as he wakes from his nightmares.  The monster is formed out of a yew tree he can see from his bedroom window.  The yew tree monster tells Conor that he will tell him three true stories.  After the monster tells his three stories, Conor must tell a true story of his own.  If the monster determines that Conor's story is untrue, the monster will eat Conor.  The only problem is that Conor's story and his truth are not going to be easy to talk about.

The original creator, Siobhan Dowd, was terminally ill with cancer herself when she started working on this story.  She died before she could finish writing it.  Patrick Ness then took over and expanded the idea into the work it is today.  Ness also worked with a beautiful illustrator, Jim Kay, to really bring life to Siobhan's ideas.  The book has now been adapted to a film starring Lewis MacDougall, Felicity Jones, Liam Neeson, and Sigourney Weaver.  They also adapted it into a stage production in 2018, which looks phenomenal from the trailer and previews available online.

As soon as the story opens, you realize this is not going to be an easy, light-hearted read. Conor's mother is very sick, and the author isn't shy in showing the realities of cancer in a household.  For anyone who is sensitive to these topics or has experience with sick parents, just be aware that they don't sugarcoat the experience.  Make sure you have your tissues ready.  As someone who lost a parent to cancer at 17, I can so relate and empathize with Conor.  Especially his anger.  The ending of the book was so cathartic and something I really needed to read.  It really spoke to me on a personal level and helped me work through some of my own struggles surrounding my father's passing.  I don't cry often while reading, but I was crying through the ending of this book.  The ending was exactly what it needed to be.


Rating: 4.5 out of 5
* Positives: Not too long - 226 pages; Interesting concept and idea; Spot on in terms of reality of the story line (at least for me)

* Negatives: A part of me wonders if you have to have experienced grief like this to "get it."  I saw a few different reviews from people who were annoyed or unfazed by the story.  I'm thinking they are just in the wrong demographic (or soulless people who have no heart) but if someone has no concept of grief, then they may not understand where Conor is coming from.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Illuminae is not your standard sci-fi book. If you go to a book store and flip through the pages, this one will immediately stand out to you.  It does not have a standard narrative or traditional paragraphs.  Rather, it uses the non-traditional formatting of an epistolary novel.  For those of you getting ready to Google "epistolary", it means that it uses letters, diary entries, newspaper clippings, e-mails, or electronic documents to build the story.  To give you an idea, I found two beautiful pictures taken by a different blogger linked here.

Illuminae is a collection of files that builds a story behind the destruction of a planet called Kerenza.  It seems that they are trying to interpret the reasoning of the attack and any remaining evidence.  They're able to do this by reading through old conversation logs, emails, transcripted voice memos, and diary entries from people who were a part of the Kerenza attack.  The main voices are Kady and Ezra.  They broke up the day before the Kerenza attack happens but following the attack find each other alive on different ships.  They are able to communicate with one another to try and rebuild their relationship and also share information from each ship.

I started out very confused at the beginning of the book because of the formatting.  I was about a third of the way in when I realized there were dates listed on a lot of the communications.  I hoped that they weren't jumping around on a timeline and that the dates weren't too important because I certainly had not been paying attention to them.  I wish there were a few chapters thrown in every once in awhile that gave some more outline to the story because I wasn't sure where my focus was supposed to go.  Am I supposed to be focusing on the character growth of Kady?  The romance between Kady and Ezra?  The slow crumbling of the worlds around the characters?  Because it reads as files piecing together a puzzle, it took me a long time until I started to realize what the main focus of the book was.  Until that point, I just felt a little lost and unsure with the direction of the book and was unable to connect with the characters.  When I did start to understand, I found it enjoyable, an easy read, and I was invested in the character's fates.  The second half of the book was far better than the first.  Without spoiling anything, there were plenty of exciting moments full of drama and suspense to keep you flipping the pages to the end.

I read this as an e-book.  The majority of the formatting was correct, but I had an understanding of what the format was supposed to look like.  On occasion something would be split on two different pages when it shouldn't have been or I could tell the formatting was off on my e-reader.  I also heard that it also comes in an audiobook format.  But I think the beauty of these books is seeing the art they have created in the physical editions.  The cover and dust jacket alone are beautiful.  If you're interested in this book, or the whole trilogy, then I would highly advise you pick up the real-deal books to really enjoy the designs.

Rating: 3 out of 5

* Positives: Strong, intelligent female protagonist; Loved the second half of the plot and the resolution to the story

* Negatives: Confused in the beginning; Wasn't fully sold on the format, but I think some of that was my fault for doing the e-reader versus physical book.

This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession by Daniel J. Levitin

I was having a conversation with a co-worker of mine about our most recent reads, and I mentioned that this was my newest book.  When I started to explain the concept behind Dr. Levitin's book, she told me that the books I read are too smart.  Well Laura, buckle up for this one!  Reading "This Is Your Brain on Music" felt like I was reading a textbook most of the time.  

I had been in a reading slump for a few weeks.  Nothing was grabbing my attention, and I had started and stopped multiple books.  I knew I was going to be in trouble if I couldn't find something quickly.  I started looking for topics that I knew I had an interest in.  The front flap of the book pitches a mix of neuroscience, the study of structure or function of the nervous system and brain, and music.  Those two subjects immediately peaked my interest.  I love learning about why we do (or like) the things we do.  And everyone likes music.  When I picked the book up from my library, the librarian gushed about how amazing this book was.  He even told me that he had put in a hold to receive it after me because he wanted to read it again.  I was excited to get started on this book.

The first two chapters immediately made me nervous.  It was like a Music 101 class that I had not signed up for.  It was explaining things like pitch, tempo, melody vs harmony, tritones, and dissonance just to name a few.  Not only would it give a definition of these terms, but it would break it down to explain how the brain interprets them.  To give you an idea of what to expect, Dr. Levitin writes, "pitch is a purely psychological phenomenon related to the frequency of vibrating air molecules."  It felt like the book was getting a bit above my head at some parts, even with a few years of piano lessons during my elementary school years under my belt.  I decided that I would continue reading but cautiously.  It became more enjoyable as it started moving away from music theory and more into the psychology  and neuroscience of music.  I would just have a few moments of "huh, never knew that before" as I continued on but rarely had mind-blowing WOW moments.  By the end of the book, I wasn't sure if I had really developed a deeper appreciation for music or the science behind it.

About a week or so later, I went to a funeral to support a friend's family.  The son sang and played the piano in tribute to his mom.  While listening to his music, I thought about the book I had just read and could pin-point specific moments that the author had referred to throughout the book.  It was helpful to see those theories laid out in front of me after reading about them.  But even in that moment, I don't think that meant I now had a deeper connection to that music because I could understand the scientific and psychological impact the music was creating.  I'm sure everyone in that room felt the emotions and the effect of his music.  If anything, I wasn't able to enjoy it for it's simplicity and be in the moment.  The book had taken me to a place where I was dissecting the music rather than enjoying it.

I think Dr. Levitin is brilliant, and the amount of effort, time, and thought that he put into the book is evident.  I just wouldn't be surprised if people use it as a recommended read on a course syllabus.  It certainly isn't a casual read.  (I'm starting to understand that I don't really read casual books at this point!)  I'd say that people who are aspiring musicians, music producers, or like music history would appreciate this book the most.  Other than that, I don't think run of the mill music listeners need to understand or know how to dissect their music interests.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5
* Positives: The material was informative and a lot was covered.
* Negatives: As much as they tried to write it in layman's terms, it still felt too academic and brainy.

10% Happier :How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works by Dan Harris

For those of you who do not know, I work for PA's Department of Education issuing teacher certifications.  Our peak season is usually from college graduation in May (new graduates who want to become teachers) until the start of school in September (schools trying to get their staff situated) each year.  As May approaches, I start to feel a cloud of anxiety hovering over the office.  Before you have time to realize it, you're already drowning in work.  In preparation for this year's busy season, I thought this book might be the perfect thing to help get me in the right mind set.  I mean, who wouldn't want to be 10% happier?  Especially if I could hone into that right before chaos rains down at work.

Dan Harris, the author, talks about his rise through the ranks as a news anchor from a small town local station in Maine to shows like Good Morning America and Nightline.  Throughout the book he covers the fears he faced like receding hair lines or the subject matter of his stories.  He talks about the competitiveness of the job and the need to stay relevant to the public.  In 2004, Dan has a panic attack on live TV.  Since he is still trying to climb the ladder to bigger and better stories, he doesn't tell his coworkers exactly what happened to him and instead starts a quest to calm his panic attacks.  He used his current assignment, covering faith and religion, to seek out influencers and self-help gurus to interview.  Dan uses his journalism connections to meet with Deepak Chopra, Ekhart Tolle, and Ted Haggard to name a few.  Through those connections he starts to resonate with Buddhism and specifically mindfulness meditation.

Mindfulness meditation is bringing awareness to the present moment versus the older ideas of clearing your mind completely.  Most mindfulness practices guide you to find acceptance, peace, and non-judgement in the present moment, your current circumstances, and any struggles or pain you're currently experiencing.  The initial concept is the same to the stereotypical meditation.  You can sit or lie down, close your eyes, and concentrate on your breathing.  From that point, you have to focus your thoughts on the present moment.  This is the hardest part for most people.  It's pretty easy to think about your grocery list, the 500 things you have to clean in your house, or your screaming kids down the hall.  It is a lot harder to really focus in and continually redirect your mind to this exact moment.  Not the future, not the past, but this exact moment right now.  Some guided practices will have you think about things like the feeling of your breath as it expands your chest or the feeling of your clothing on your skin to help keep you in the present moment.  In moments of chaos or stress, mindfulness meditation can help bring you back to reality.  So many of us focus on our growing to-do list, deadlines, or past failures.  Instead, we can take a moment to remember that in this present moment I'm breathing, I'm capable, and I'm okay.  Then you can start to tackle your to-do lists with a clearer mind-set and less panic.

I know there are other books specific to mindfulness meditation and guided meditation out there.  The only other one I've personally read is "You Are Not Your Pain" by Vidyamala Burch and Danny Penman, which is specific to chronic pain meditation.  It comes with a CD with guided meditation practices.  The book explains the concepts and idea of mindfulness as well as an overview of the guided meditation that will be covered on the CD.  I strongly encourage you to look into the other books and CDs available if you are looking for a more guided practice to mindfulness meditation.  Mindfulness can be a huge game changer when it comes to stress relief, but it is a learned skill.  It takes practice and patience to work it into your every day life.

In regards to Dan Harris's book though, I found it more so an ode to journalism or a memoir rather than a self-help book.  To me, it felt like he wanted to outline his self-help journey.  So while it did explain how mindfulness meditation was the end result that worked for him personally, it isn't necessarily a book that I would recommend for someone who is interested in the basics on meditation.  But as a memoir, you can really see Harris's journalism background strongly at work.  He includes enough of his first-world drama to make you feel sympathetic at times, but doesn't forget to name drop all of his friends to even out your sympathies.  He explains his thought process to try and resolve his rising panic problems, and how he used his journalism ties and connections to his advantage in finding solutions.

While I'm glad I read the book, it was more so a general reminder to me that I need to start back up on my meditation practices this summer.  Dan Harris's book isn't something I can pick up and flip to if I need help focusing or tips on meditation.  Dan's goal is to break the stigma of meditation being a bunch of robed men sitting in a zen garden chanting to a statue.  You can practice meditation to help you fall asleep at night, right after you get home from work to help clear your mind from the day's stress, or even in a moment of gratitude.  It's a beautiful practice to help you remember that you need to live in the present and accept where you are and what you have with no reservations.  If you decide to skip Dan's book, I at least suggest you start practicing mindfulness meditation.


Rating: 2 out of 5
* Positives: Reminded me to start meditating again!  Why did I ever stop?

* Negatives: Name dropping was a bit of a turn-off.  Also expected it to be more so a self-help book and less of a memoir.

Game of Thrones aka A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin


Prepare yourself for some overwhelming numbers here... The first book "A Game of Thrones" has 694 pages.
The second book "A Clash of Kings" has 768 pages.
The third book "A Storm of Swords" has 973 pages.
The fourth book "A Feast for Crows" has 753 pages.
The fifth book "A Dance with Dragons" has 1040 pages.
The sixth and seventh books are still in progress.
If you were to listen to the audiobook versions of the entire series, it would take you 198 hours and 53 minutes.

For those of you who have managed to avoid all of the hype surrounding Game of Thrones, I'll give you a brief overview on what to expect.  It is a mix of King Arthur and his knights of the round table mixed with Lord of the Rings.  You have swords, epic battles, and political overthrow while also mixing in high fantasy with names like Daenerys Targaryen, dragons, and a map in the front of the book showing you new continents like Westeros and Essos.

George R. R. Martin published the first book in the series in 1996, but he has been writing since the 70's.  All but the first book in the series has reached the New York Times weekly bestseller list.  However, George R. R. Martin is infamous for taking an extraordinarily long time to write the books.  Readers have been waiting since 2011 for the next installment in the series.

Also in 2011, HBO premiered the first episode of their fantasy drama adaptation of the books, which has since skyrocketed the series to fame and fandom.  The TV series has received 38 Primetime Emmy Awards.  This means that they have won more Emmy's than any other primetime scripted television series.

So the big question...
is it worth it to read the books?

First, I'll give you the overview of how I experienced them both.  Derrick and I joined the TV show bandwagon late.  We started watching right before Season 7 started.  For context, season seven started July 2017.  I set myself a goal to read the books before we watched the TV series.  Derrick bought me the box-set of the books for my birthday on July 2016.  I had one year to read the books and then hopefully watching the first six seasons of the show before the newest season started.  I thought I started out strong!  Book One, Book Two, and Book Three took about two to three months each to finish.  They were exciting, new, and I knew I had a deadline.  I have to be honest, the books can be confusing because they introduce you to a multitude of characters, background history, and they expect you to follow along with different story lines without getting confused.  I'm very much a visual reader.  Too many characters or story lines can make it difficult to conceptualize how the character's lives are meant to tie together or crossover.  Then we started watching the TV show, and things started to go downhill.  On one hand, I had a better understanding of the plot and character arcs with the visuals from the show.  On the other hand, the TV shows are made like movie productions.  The momentum was so much stronger than the books, and I started to lose interest in my reading.  I began to read the books merely for the sake of completing them versus any enjoyment in the book itself.  Nevertheless, I was able to finish Book Four and get about halfway through Book Five all while watching the first six seasons of the TV show.  We were able to watch Season 7 on time as it aired.  Around that time, I began to realize that the book plot and TV plot weren't necessarily lining up the same way.  I remember re-reading sections because they were so different from what I had seen on the show, and I couldn't image that George R. R. Martin would have signed off on such a drastic turn of events!  By the time the TV show ended, I had no desire to finish the last book.  Book Five sat on my bed side for 6+ months, with maybe a few pages read here or there in between other books, but no real progress ever being made.  Finally, in the last month, I decided to finish the book and just be done with it!  Now that there had been time away from the TV show and the book, I realized how far apart the book and TV show plot lines are at this point.  The TV show has delved well into the unwritten book's plot lines.  Yet somehow, previous crucial moments in the books never made it to the TV show.

You may be surprised by this, but I think there will only be two main instances where people will enjoy reading the books:
1) They love the fantasy genre.
2) They are die-hard Game of Thrones TV show fans.

Problem One: George R. R. Martin takes too long to write them.  If I didn't have to wait 7 years in between each book, then I don't think I would lose interest.  I can't imagine being a fan of the books and seeing an entire seven series TV show being produced before a new book could come out.  So disheartening!

Problem Two: High fantasy is tough.  I like to believe that most people read books because they like seeing themselves in someone else (struggling teenager sees himself in reading about a struggling teenager) or because they c an escape (struggling teenager can read about adventures and mystery instead of worrying about real life problems).  It is hard to feel like you're truly escaping into a book when you're trying to remember the differences between Khal Jhaqo and Khal Pono.

Problem Three: The TV show is such a high production event.  Each episode costs an average of $10 million to make.  With all the money and investment, they want the show to be interesting and exciting.  They are only going to show the most crucial and exciting parts.  While there are a lot of details that you miss while converting the books to TV, I don't think George R. R. Martin would allow critical moments to be exempt from the script.  Apparently, George R. R. Martin has told the showrunners "how it all ends" to ensure that they don't go too off script.  Even though the plot lines are so far apart now, I can’t determine if there will be a huge difference between the forthcoming books and TV show.  It’s probably a lot more exciting to watch a high quality HBO show than it is for the average person to read the massive book series.

My only fear is that he will have two different endings.  One for the TV show and one for the books.  Only time will tell us if that is the case!  There are also people who are concerned he may not ever finish the book series, as he’s currently 69 and not the healthiest person around.  Perhaps we may only have the TV show left if the book series is left unfinished.


Regardless, I wouldn't recommend the books to anyone outside of the two categories I mentioned before.  It is such an investment of time and energy to read through those books without any knowledge of the TV show OR without anticipation of a new season egging you on to finish the series.  Without hesitation I would tell someone to watch the TV series though.  They are fantastic, exciting, interesting, and it is well worth the HBO subscription!

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

Alice In Wonderland, 
The Chronicles of Narnia, 
Peter Pan, 
and Every Heart a Doorway... 

All follow a similar vein in which the characters are transported to another realm full of fairy tales and make believe.  Eventually, they are returned back to their homes wondering if they will ever find their way back to these mystery worlds.  In "Every Heart a Doorway," the children falling through these portals prefer the alternate world to their real-life home.  When they are returned back to reality, they are struggling to find people who understand what they have been through.  An even bigger issue is dealing with the disappointment and frustration of not being able to find their doorways again.  Their time spent on the other side of their doorway has changed them.  They will never stop looking for a way back.  Their confused parents, who mainly think their child is having a mental breakdown or suffering some traumatic incident, decide to send their children to Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children.  Eleanor tells the parents she can fix the children.  In reality, she herself has experience with her own doorway, and she has since opened a school to bring support and community to other children who are suffering.

The book falls under the category of a novella.  The difference between a novella and a novel is the size.  The typical novel is around 80,000-100,000 words while a novella is closer to 30,000-60,000.  Although it is significantly shorter than the average book, it is full of world building, character development, and even includes a murder mystery.  To be honest, I didn't think the murder mystery was even necessary to the story.  The characters and the concept of these various fantasy lands is fascinating enough to carry the story.  The author gives you glimpses into different character's experiences, and you find yourself wanting to know and understand more as you read.  The murder mystery just creates movement for the plot line.

From the beginning, I loved the resemblance of the wayward children to people who read books.  There are a few individuals out there who stick to strictly non-fiction, but most of us enjoy a good story that transports us to another place.  I could be at Hogwarts with Harry Potter or on a boat at sea with Pi and the tiger.  When you finish a fabulous book, there is a part of you that feels disappointment that you won't be able to experience that world again.  I couldn't imagine a life where I read one book that truly spoke to my soul, finishing the book, and then realizing that I may never be able to read another one every again.  How devastating would that be!

Seanan McGuire currently has two other books out in the Wayward Children series.  The second books is called "Down Among the Sticks and Bones" and the third is "Beneath the Sugar Sky."  The fourth book is already in the works, and it sounds like she may have as many as seven by the end.  I finished book number two shortly after finishing the first.  I'm wait-listed for the third one with my library, but I can't wait to read that one!  I'm hooked.

Rating: 5 out of 5
* Positives: Fascinating story; love the characters and enjoyed their diverse representation
* Negatives: Too short!!  I want more!

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

What a rollercoaster...

I came across Donna Tartt while watching a BookTuber -- a YouTuber who makes book specific videos -- named BooksandLala.  She had read Donna's book “The Secret History” and raved about how fantastic it was.  When I pulled up all of Donna Tartt’s books, I noticed that “The Goldfinch” had just started filming in New York and is due for release in 2019.  I’m a sucker for book to film adaptations.  You know the book must be good if they want to make a movie out of it.  An extra bonus was my timing.  They already have most of the casting in place for the movie.  While reading about a new character, I would pull up the cast list pictures to help visualize what they might look like.

The book opens with Theo Decker, a thirteen-year-old, and his mother preparing to have a conference at his New York prep school due to some behavioral issues.  On the way, they stop at an art museum to see one of his mother’s favorite art pieces, Carel Fabritius’s The Goldfinch.  While casually walking through the art gallery, Theo notices a red-headed girl and a grandfatherly figure with her.  He continually catches her eye but never works up the courage to talk to her.  As they prepare to leave the museum, a bomb explodes knocking him unconscious.  Theo comes to, covered in rubble and dust, and sees the grandfather of the red-head close to him. In the old man’s last moments, he hands Theo the ring he is wearing and seems to signal to The Goldfinch, which has been blown out of it’s frame, and tells him to take the ring to a specific location.  In his altered and concussed state, Theo grabs the painting and the dying man’s ring and exits the museum out a side door with no idea where his mother is.  He then returns to his apartment to wait for his mom, hoping that she will meet him there.  Sadly, she never comes home.  The rest of the book follows Theo as he battles grief, post-traumatic stress disorder, and hiding The Goldfinch painting. 

I decided to read this book on my e-reader versus the physical book.  I seem to be drawn towards larger 400+ page books, if you haven't noticed from the majority of my previous reads.  This one is no exception.  The e-reader had it listed as 515 pages.  It was reserved from my library, so I only had two weeks to finish it before I would need to renew it.  I buckled down and tried to fly through it.  Luckily, the plot was drama-filled enough to keep me entertained and kept me flipping quite easily.  I finished the book with mere hours to spare before a renewal was needed.  Mind you, I would stay up until 2AM many a night, but what book-lover doesn't do that to begin with?

Bathing in my glory of finishing the book, I glanced at a few other reviews to see if my thoughts fell into the general consensus.  I saw a lot of reviews saying that it was "too long" or that it dragged in sections.  I was confused as to how people believed that entire chunks of the book could have been edited out, when I saw that the physical book is actually 800+ pages...... You mean to tell me that I just flew through an 800 page book in 2 weeks?  I was baffled by the page difference between my e-reader and the physical copy.  It made me wonder if it would have been a more difficult read if I knew there were an extra 300 pages to get through.  It can be daunting looking at the size of a book or seeing the never-ending numbers flipping in the corner of the page.  Perhaps some people just lost interest due to the size alone and less their connection with the story line.

In conclusion, this book is a chore to take on.  I wouldn't consider it a casual beach read by any means.  But I think it will make a fabulous movie and is well worth the time spent.  The plot is thick with twists and turns and never lets the characters settle into comfort.  I'm very interested in Donna Tartt's other books now.

Rating: 5 out of 5
* Positives: Exciting plot; author's investment to research and attention to detail when writing about specific subjects (ex: art history, grief, substance abuse); and it is so well written!

* Negatives: Size of the book and the number of snacks consumed while reading this behemoth 

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Strange the Dreamer has peaked my interest for a month or two now.  I've seen a lot of people talking about it and reviewing it, all raving about how wonderful the story is.  It also has a beautiful blue and gold cover that immediately draws your attention.  As I thought about my 2018 reading goals, I realized that reading "Strange the Dreamer" would allow me to tick off two of my boxes.  1) Listen to a book as an audio book.  "Strange the Dreamer" falls into the fantasy genre.  With fantasy writing, there tends to be some odd names.  Some of my struggle with reading fantasy is that it can be hard for me to follow because I can't grasp the pronunciation of the names, cities, and it makes the dialogue tricky.  If I can listen to someone do that for me, it may make it easier for me.  2) Read more "current" or "trendy" books.  A lot of people listed this book on their top reads for 2017.  I may be a little behind, but I'm hoping I can still ride the wave since it was just published March 2017.

I found an app called "Overdrive" for audio books.  I could plug in all of my library card information once, and then I had access to my library's e-book and audio book files without having to re-login every single time.  You still have to make sure that something is in your library's collection, wait for it to be available, and follow the check-out guidelines, but it just seemed more convenient than going through my library's website.

For me personally, I find it difficult to listen to audio books without the text in front of me.  I need the visual in front of me to focus.  Otherwise, I find myself a half hour into an audio book, and I realize I've been thinking about my grocery list, the laundry that needs done, how the weather is outside... and I have absolutely  no idea what I've just listened to.  But it was a massive help that the audio book narrator was the one who had to struggle through the foreign names and wacky pronunciations.  Luckily, I found the e-book online and was able to read along while I listened to the audio book to help keep my concentration and focus.  The only other issue I found with that, was that I visually read faster than the narrator talked.  Sometimes when a big plot twist was coming, I would spoil myself by speed reading ahead and then wait for him to catch up.

With about 50 pages left, I had to check to see if it was a stand alone or a series because there was NO WAY it was all going to wrap up in just a few pages.  It sounds like she is in the midst of writing the second book, and we aren't sure if it will be a duology or a trilogy by the end.  As of now, it doesn't appear that there is a release date for the second book.  Be prepared for things to feel unresolved at the end of this first book.

I loved the layout of the book.  It is broken into four parts, but I obviously don't want to spoil the book by covering all of them.  Part One covers the introduction and basics for one of the main characters named Lazlo Strange.  You find out that he is an orphan who has an affinity for this lost city of "Weep."  Weep actually had a different name at one point, but it was attacked and the true name of the city was stripped away and all that remained was Weep.  Most people don't really care or remember much about Weep, but Lazlo wants to learn all he can about it.  The book follows Lazlo's journey to learn about Weep as well as his own past.  You meet some other people along the way, but I think it's best to go into the book a little blind.  It helps when you let your idea of the world build with Lazlo's knowledge.
I thought the ending was really rushed.  I read that she had intended for it to be one book and then decided to extend it, and I think that really shows.  We also meet a love interest later on in the book, but I thought their dynamic was so-so.  I think the author was trying to portray them both as very innocent and naive but to me that came across as lacking depth.  The plot and character developments just started out so strong, and I felt it started to decline by the end.  Regardless, I'm still really looking forward to the other book(s) in the series!

Rating: 3.75 out of 5
* Positives: Lazlo's character growth and development, layout of the first half of the book, and really most things surrounding Lazlo.  I loved his character.
* Negatives: There were a few times I felt lost which were usually cleared up later, the rushed ending, and the "romance."

Stanyan Street & Other Sorrows by Rod McKuen

My grandmother had a box of books, none of which initially interested me, that have been sitting on the bottom of my bookshelf.  Shamefully, I'll admit that I was looking for the shortest book I could find, when I stumbled across Stanyan Street.  The inside of the dust jacket said that the author, Rod McKuen, was one of the best contemporary song writers of the current time.  A list of fifteen records were all outlined on the back flap of the book.  I then noticed my great grandmother's signature and date on the first page - Peg Phelps 1967.  Intrigued, I decided to start reading.

Before I give my opinion on his collection, I have to say that I'm not the biggest fan of poetry as a genre.  I probably appreciate it more than the average person, but I certainly do not go out of my way to read it.  I find that most poets feel the need to play up an aesthetic doused in melancholy, angst, and futile relationships.  Mr. McKuen followed that trend.  What may come across as sensitive and introspective to some just seems despondent and woe-is-me personally.  He starts out the book diving straight into his father-son abandonment issues.  Then seems to point out multiple times that he won't even give a romantic relationships a real chance because he knows they will eventually fail.  It reminds me a little of "The Catcher in the Rye."  Some people can read that book and feel empathetic and relate to Holden, while other readers just want him to get over his attitude and grow up.  In the same vein, I just wanted Rod McKuen to get over his depressive drama and realize there is more to life.  As a positive, I think his poetry stands the test of time.  I think that a lot of poetry lovers would still appreciate his work today.  I don't think there is anything wrong with his style of writing, the expressiveness, or his skill level.  I just think he needs to cheer up and get over himself a little!

My great grandmother had bookmarked a poem called "Spring Song", but that one was still a little too depressing for me.  The one that seemed to peak my interest was called "Camera."  I've copied it down below for you all to read.  I hope you enjoy!

I stand just so.

Your camera winks me into permanence

acne scars

               tired eyes

wrinkles on my forehead

more naked than I have ever been

               (especially to one

               I love so very much).

I used to be afraid to look completely real

the sun was just my friend sometimes

when brown from sea and sky made things all right --

always afraid to be anything but young

and envying beauty

               even on the face of strangers

Is this what growing up means

the reality of lighting over public mirrors?

Or is my confidence in love so great

that I worry not

to let you see me at my worst?

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

When people describe the fall season, some quintessential moments may be the chill air, crisp leaves in an array of colors, football games, apple cider, cozy flannels, and maybe even some scarier Halloween related activities.  Evidently, "The Night Circus" is a part of that category as well in the book-reading community.  I had heard quite a few recommendations for the book, but never really felt inspired to pick it up.  It just so happens that the book captures a lot of those classic fall motifs and really draws you into the spirit of the season.  Since reading the book, I have seen multiple readers coming out of the woodwork saying they are preparing for their annual fall re-read of this book.  I'm grateful that I happened to read it at the opportune time.  I highly recommend reading this book during the fall/colder season versus spring or summer.

It is reported that the author starting writing the book for NaNoWriMo, which is short for the National Novel Writing Month.  This is more of an internet spread idea in which people attempt to write a novel (50,000 words) during the month of November.  Wikipedia states that she wrote the book over the span of three NaNoWriMo's.

This is a fantasy novel written about a circus that will appear in different cities without warning and perform for a short amount of time before packing up and moving to a different unannounced location.  Within the circus, there is a competition that has been in the works for years.  There is mystery surrounding the circus performers, the rivalry, and a peculiar charm that seems to envelope the reveurs (devoted fans) of the circus.  I don't want to spoil the mystery and allure of the story, so I won't delve into the plot any further.

The writing is glorious.  I feel like I've read a lot of books that have been character driven lately, where the plot and "world" that the author creates were a little lack-luster.  It was refreshing to dive into a book that seems to sweep you away from reality.  You really feel transported to the Night Circus and can imagine being there, even with all of the fantasy aspects.  There are some people who may not appeal to the fantasy genre, but I think the fact that it takes place in a circus helps with that.  People expect wonderment, intrigue, and mind games in a circus so adding some additional fantasy story lines to the normal slight of hand tricks isn't too far of stretch.

It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I definitely think it's well worth the read if it sounds like it follows your normal interests.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

My mom was catching up with an old friend, who is now a middle school English teacher.  She was talking about the books on her class syllabus this year being The Giver, The Hobbit, and Wonder.  My mom asked if the teacher had an extra copy she could borrow, which thankfully she lent us.  The Giver and The Hobbit are both stellar books, and the teacher raved about how wonderful Wonder was as well.  For it to be in the same category as the other two, I figured it would be worth reading.

We are introduced to August or "Auggie" Pullman, who is going into fifth grade.  To make that situation even more daunting, this is Auggie's first year in a public school setting.  He has previously been home schooled due to all of his vast medical issues.  Auggie was born with a condition called mandibulofacial dysostosis, which can result in facial abnormalities.  Throughout the book, he has to battle with the normal struggles of fitting in, making friends, and school work, all while his classmates whisper behind his back and are afraid to touch him because of how he looks.

Not only do we see Auggie's point of view during the school year, but we are given insight into a few different characters as well.  We see some view points of Auggie's friends, Auggie's sister (Via or Olivia), and a few other outer characters as well.  This allows the reader to see an outsider's perspective on Auggie's teasing and how his friend's and family react to his trials.  Auggie knows the difficulty he faces on a day to day basis, but I don't know if he realizes the difficulties his friend's and family face to be there for him the way they choose to be.

I think this is a fabulous book for a middle school English class.  It seems like it would be a wonderful way to drive home an anti-bullying policy instead of trying to lecture from the front of the classroom.  You feel invested with the characters and truly want to see the best for all of them.  I would love to see a future book about Auggie going to high school to see a follow-up timeline.  I do know that the book is being made into a movie starring Owen Wilson, Julia Roberts, and Jacob Tremblay, but I'm not sure when it's coming to theaters.  In the end, Wonder shows us the power of kindness, the strength of friendship, and that you can always overcome your adversities.  It's a lovely, heartwarming story that is well worth the read.

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

I recently went to Barnes & Noble to buy some books for my birthday.  I found a table that had a buy 2 get 1 free deal, but you had to pick books on the table.  Immediately I knew two books I wanted.  I had no idea what I wanted for the third book.  So I meandered around, picked up a few different books, read a few different pages, and stumbled across this book.  I had never heard of it before, never heard of the author, and had no idea what it was about.  But I've always been interested in cognitive science (science of the brain) and a "why we do the things we do" study of psychology.  It peaked my interest enough where I picked it up and brought it home.  As soon as I started reading it, I realized I would need a highlighter for all of the morsels of knowledge Duhigg provides along the way.

The book covers three different sections.  The first section explains how habits form as part of every day life.  It breaks down the science behind the formation of habits and how we can change them.  The second part of the book shows how to focus on successful habits to grow an organization or company.  The third part looks at large society groups, like churches or the civil rights movement, and how they respond to habits.  Throughout each section, it continually reminds you how the habits are formed.

As I'm finishing the book, my group of friends has decided to go on a diet starting August 1st.  Here I am reading a book about understanding your habits (both good and bad), learning how to change bad habits and create new habits, and finding the insight to recognize why I may have failed before.  What wonderful insight it has provided for me!  I still have to put in the hard work, but at least I feel like I know what to look for now.  I can follow some of the advice and plans in the book to set myself up for a better chance at success.  I really am intrigued to know if my diet will be more successful now that I've read this book.

Not only did the book make me think about my upcoming diet plans with my friends, but it opened up the thought process for a number of different habits I've formed.  To quote from the first chapter, "more than 40 percent of the actions people performed each day" aren't actual decisions, but habits.  If we can become more observant and retrospective as to why we have created habits for ourselves, it is remarkable to think of the outcome we may be able to have.  Of course, there are positive habits.  Not all of them are negative.  I guess the point is to sit and understand why the habit exists, if it is a positive or negative habit, and if there is a way to change it for the better.  I may not want to change every habit I have ever formed, but I'm hoping that this book has at least given me the option to change some of my habits for the better.

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

Nicola Yoon is the current "it girl" of young adult literature.  Both of her books are New York Times Bestsellers, and her previous book was recently released as a film.  The cover art of this particular book is STUNNING.  Seriously beautiful.  I'm sure you've all heard the adage to "never judge a book by its cover" before, but I'm positive that people have picked up this book purely because of the beautiful cover art.  I wouldn't be surprised if this book is a movie in a year or two based on how well it has been doing.

"The Sun is Also A Star" is a story about Natasha and Daniel.  Daniel is scheduled to have a recommendation interview so he can attend Yale in a few years.  Natasha's family is going to be deported at the end of the day, and she is desperate to find a way to stay.  The book follows all of the details and happenstance moments of the one day they have together in New York City.  Natasha is a realist, cynic, and data driven pessimist.  Daniel is a hopeless romantic, a poet, and waits for the wind to blow him in the right direction.  Opposites truly attract in their situation.  Daniel falls head over heals for Natasha within moments of meeting her.  He then tries to convince Natasha that he can make her fall in love with him.  Throughout the day, we also catch glimpses into the backstory of why Natasha's family is being deported, Daniel's resistance to attending Yale, and other people they meet along the journey.

Similar to my "Catcher in the Rye" review, I think you will appreciate the book more if you truly enjoy the young adult genre and/or you are a young adult.  It had the tear-jerking, heavy make-out scenes, and easy-read style of a young adult book, but it doesn't have the same romantic capacity of a Nicholas Sparks book.  I thought it was really sweet and endearing to peak into the character's lives for a day instead of spending years following a relationship.  It makes it a much more casual read, but you still feel invested in the outcome.  I can understand why the young adult generation is raving about the book so wildly.

I think a lot of people are drawn to the book for her diversity in character development as well.  The typical blonde-hair, blue-eyed, popular girl is such romance novel trope character.  Seeing teenage characters that are actually outside that realm is refreshing and different.  The plot lines around deportation and family loyalty were such a lovely dynamic.  Granted, I haven't read a wide selection of other romance novels recently, so they may all revolve around similar themes nowadays.  Maybe I need to read other romance books to truly compare.  Perhaps that will be a future review for a different month!

You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth by Jen Sincero

I started out my book review blog with "You are a Badass" by Jen Sincero, and here I am 6 months later reading another book of hers.  I may not be covering the most broad spectrum of books, but I'm telling you, there is something about these books that lights a fire under my ass.  I'm hoping they will for you too.

While reading the first book, she briefly talks about money struggles and fear surrounding money.  While reading over those sections I realized how much baggage I carry in that department.  I am not afraid to say that I am a frugal person.  I hate to spend money if I don't have to; I cringe while buying necessary items; and I cause myself a ridiculous amount of stress over silly pieces of green paper.  I don't think I am suffering in the money department (thank goodness), but I am one of those people who just wishes I had some more wiggle room every once in awhile.  My mom and I both have these irrational money woes, and we discuss them often with each other.  We were walking through Target grumbling about money - the same Target where the first book popped out at me - and we happen to see this brand new book from Jen Sincero that is ENTIRELY about creating your own solutions when it comes to money worries.  Clearly, we both saw it as a sign, and we both picked up our own copies.  I flew through my copy in a few days.

It feels like the author's intentions are to allow you to dream about your future.  After you dreamed up the most fantastical, wonderful story about your picture-perfect life, she starts to lay out steps on how you can actually move towards that goal.  Then she covers all of the internal mind games you start to say to yourself.  Like why you don't deserve to follow your dreams and be successful at them because your boring, stable, ho-hum job gets you through the day.  It's amazing how you subconsciously (and sometimes consciously too) tell yourself that you don't deserve to be wealthy.  Why shouldn't you be rich?

Most of her thought process seems to follow the Law of Attraction.  If you believe that you can create money making opportunities for yourself, then you will have the willpower to make it happen.  I'm personally a believer in the Law of Attraction.  If I strive to have a positive outlook every day, then I will be more likely to see positive things around me.  If I'm you're negative and hopeless all day, then you look like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh with a sad, little rain cloud over your head.  Jen Sincero expands the options for the Laws of Attraction into the realm of money and tries to take some of the taboo out of it.  

I started putting Jen's ideas to practice after finishing the book.  In an interesting twist to this review, I actually had a remarkable opportunity come my way that affirmed her process.  I found out that I was getting a parking spot through my work, and I would be saving $120 per month.  HUGE!  I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've caught myself saying, "If I just had an extra hundred or two hundred every month..."  And like a sign from heaven I receive the parking pass.  Dream big!  Who knows what joys will come my way if I continue believing I'm a badass at making money.