#readinglist2015

Books Read: 2015 Edition

January 10, 2015

I read 156 books. My goal was 125 books. Here is the breakdown of my reading list.

I did lists on my Books Read: 2014 Edition and I like that because I have so many books. Also, see the Data post on my Books Read: 2015 Edition on my thoughts.

Series I Read and Completed (books that were published):

Love by the Numbers (#1-3), Sarah MacLean (Romance)

Prudence (The Custard Protocol #1), Gail Garriger

Jewels of the Ton (#1-3), Shana Galen

The Wicked Quills of London (#1&2), Eva Leigh (Zoe Archer)

Nonfiction Books I LOVED/LIKED A LOT and RECOMMEND:

Women in Clothes, Shelia Heti

Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination

Men Explain Things to Me, Rebecca Solnit

Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the iege of Leningrad, M.T. Anderson

Step Aside, Pops: A Hark! A Vagrant Collection

The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism, Naoki Higashida

Elements of Wit: Mastering the Art of Being Interesting: Benjamin Errett

The Republic of Imagination: America in Three Books, Azar Nafisi

Russia and the Russians, Geoffrey Hosking

Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World, Jane McGonigal

The Encyclopedia of Trouble and Spaciousness, Rebecca Solnit

Why Not Me?, Mindy Kaling

Rosewater: A Family’s Story of Love, Captivity, and Survival, Maziar Bahari

The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help, Amanda Palmer

The Givenness of Things: Essays, Marilynne Robinson

Sick in the Head: Conversations About Life and Comedy, Judd Apatow

We Should All Be Feminists, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The Perfection of the Paperclip: Curious Tales of Invention, Accidental Genius, and Stationery Obsession, James Ward

A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power, Jimmy Carter

Stalin: New Biography of a Dictator, Oleg V. Khlevniuk

Harem: The World Behind the Veil, Alev Lytle Croutier

A Field Guide to Getting Lost, Rebecca Solnit

Shakespeare Saved My Life: Ten Years in Solitary with the Bard, Laura Bates

Wanderlust: A History of Walking, Rebecca Solnit

Fiction Books I LOVED/ LIKED A LOT and RECOMMEND:

Purple Hibiscus, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The Popular Girl, F. Scott Fitzgerald

Air, Volume 1-4, G. Willow Wilson (Graphic Novel)

The Tsar of Love and Techno, Anthony Marra

The Relic Master: A Novel, Christopher Buckley

One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories, B.J. Novak

Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover (The Rules of Scoundrels #4), Sarah MacLean

Funny Girl, Nick Hornby

The Ladies of the Corridor, Dorothy Parker (Play)

Poling a Dead Frog: Conversations with Today’s Top Comedy Writers, Mike Sacks

Belzhar, Meg Wolitzer

Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Dollface: A Novel of the Roaring Twenties, Renee Rosen

The Cruise of the Rolling Junk, F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Determined Heart: The Tale of Mary Shelly Frankenstein

The Narrative of John Smith, Arthur Conan Doyle

Macbeth, William Shakespeare

Blood on Snow (Blood on Snow #1), Jo Nesbo 

Themes (there are always subconscious themes until the end of the year):

1. My never-ending fascination with Russia and the Dictators that Rule.

2. Comedy/Wit and Comedians

In 2015 I made a New Year’s Resolution to finish the following book list, and I did! Along with many other awesome books!

A Book I’ve Read Before: Holes by Louis Sachar

A Book About Something I Love: Birnbaum’s Guide to Walt Disney World 2016

A Book That I Can Finish In A Day: A Night Without Armor by Jewel

A Play Script: August: Osage County by Tracy Letts

A Screenplay: Toy Story Original Manuscript 

A Book Set In My City/Town: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

A Classic Book: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

A Book With A Different Take On A Classic Story: Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

A Book That Inspires Me: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling

A Book I Always Wanted to Read But Never Did: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Salman Rushdie

Title: The Fifth Heart

Author: Dan Simmons

Read: July 17, 2015

Genre: Fiction

Rating on Goodreads: 2 Stars

Too Long. Too many characters. Simmons attempted many different literary devices which made the story confusing. End was lackluster. Boring. I read it all, but halfway through I was waiting for something to happen. Originally, I like the idea of playing with the fictional characters of Sherlock Holmes and placing him/them as a real characters next to literary ones, but it fell flat.

Simmons, Dan. The Fifth Heart. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2015

Title: London Tides Author: Carla Laureano Read: June 23, 2015 Genre: Inspirational (new tag apparently for “Christian/Religious”) Fiction Rating on Goodreads: 2 Stars (Okay, but I was confused)

Overall, it was a good, safe romance book. But I was confused by a few things.

To be honest, I didn't know that it was an “inspirational” fictional romance when I started reading it, I got suspicious when the author would drop they God phrases and sentences that felt very force the few times she writes them  in the book. The sentence would just appear and then disappears and then no discussion about the discussion of religion at all. Honestly, it felt like this book needed to be Christian, so throw a few sentences in so it would appeased the publishers.

I wanted to read it based off the blurb on NetGalley and Goodreads:

“Irish photojournalist Grace Brennan travels the world’s war zones documenting the helpless and forgotten. After the death of her friend and mentor in the field, Grace is shaken. She returns to London hoping to rekindle the spark with the only man she ever loved—Scottish businessman Ian MacDonald. But he gave up his championship rowing career and dreams of Olympic gold years ago for Grace ... only for her to choose career over him. Will life’s tides bring them back together ... or tear them apart for good this time?”

Here is the thing, the characters lived together and were engaged 10 years ago and then meet each other again and the only thing they do is kiss? I would think that the passion they obviously had ten years before and still be there, but not to act on it is a little weird. Both of them are in their thirties and other relationships but there is this chaste thing going on that isn't really explained. If it had to do with their religious beliefs (I am assuming they had them because they were never discussed outright, which made it more confusing.)

I think that I was confused because the God element felt really forced and that if those lines were taken out, the story would not change - at all. But there obviously needed to have a sentence or conversation with the characters about taking it slow, which they really weren't taking slow expect in regards to sex. Ian after having two conversations with Grace after not seeing her for 10 years, takes her on a “First Date” again and within a month remakes the engagement ring.

I guess the only thing about this being inspirational is we are inspired to rekindle a past flame so quickly. 

Okay, but not what I was expecting at all. Granted, I wasn't expecting anything but the storyline and lack of information and to forced feeling of religion in a few spots, made me stop a few times and go “What?” 

Yes, London Tides is a safe, chaste romance for those who like inspirational fiction, but it reminds me that inspirational fictions can be good and even great, I have yet to read a one that is good.