And by "lately," I mean in the last year.
On thing I did this year was start a Goodreads account. I keep track of what I've read, what I'm currently reading, and what I want to read. When I'm at the library, I pull up my want-to-read list. It's also a great place for book lists (i.e. YA vampire drama) and quotes (i.e. courage quotes used here).
The Favorites:
The Charley Davidson Series (like 1000+ pages of her) by Darynda Jones, and everything Agatha Christie (like, 800+ pages of her).
So, Charley Davidson is very much like Stephanie Plum in that she's smart, snarky, and gets herself into a lof of life-threatening situations but Charley, uh, sees dead people because...she's the grim reaper. Also, she's in love with the son of Satan who was likely sent to kill her. So there's that. I realize as I'm typing this that is sounds ridiculous, but I can get on board because the author doesn't take herself seriously at all. Even Charley knows it's far-fetched. I'm on the last book published to-date, so then I'll have to wait on the author to write more. : (
I fell in love with Agatha Christie again. And I met Monsier Hercule Poirot! Where has this quirky Belgian been all my life? Fun and smart and intriguing with a enough quips to make me smile as I read them.
The Young Adult Attempts:
Glass Houses by Rachel Caine. I was really wanting to find another awesome young adult, and preferably, vampire series. I know in any fantasy/sci fi type there will come a point when you have to take that leap where you're willing to suspend reality to give the author the benefit of the doubt (i.e. vampires exist). But no one in the book had any common sense which I can't suspend reality for. Next.
Marked by Kristen Cast & P.C. Cast. Um, let's see, which lame vampire saga was this again? Oh right, the one where it turns out she's also part priestess and can channel Native American spirits with lavender. Haven't y'all read Myers and Mead?? Can no one else write a good vampire saga??
Providence by Jamie McGuire. A promising trilogy because I loved her other book Beautiful Disaster. But in the first book, it turns out that he's an angel going against nature by loving her when he's supposed to be protecting her and there's this whole celestial being heirarchy...nope, nevermind. I left in the middle of the first book and made some cinammon toast.
Delirium by Lauren Oliver. Again, tedious and manipulative which is sad because the distopian society it set up was promising. I might have read the second book if the first hadn't ended leaving you no choice but to read the second book.
The Bestsellers:
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan. A memoir about a woman's diagnosis of an autoimmune disease which displays as severe mental illness. It was so interesting at the beginning when she could vaguely sense she was going crazy and then at the crux when she was completely unaware of her behavior.
Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham. I mean, it was a predictable small-town-girl-with-big-dreams-in-the-even-bigger-city story. I was disappointed because I'm positive Lauren Graham is funnier and more charming in person.
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kahling + Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson + I Don't Know What You Know Me From by Judy Greer + Uganda Be Kidding Me by Chelsea Handler. It seems like a lot of celebrity memoirs are formulaic which gets dull for me quickly. I don't think it's a coincidence that the two I liked (Jenny and Chelsea) were the most off-the-wall AND contained a classic diarrhea antecdote.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Loved the dialogue. Dry humor covers the charm and heartache. One of the plotlines was a little cooky, but I rolled with it because the end justified the means (again with suspending reality for the author). I can't believe I missed it in theaters, but I've already asked Redbox to email me as soon as it's in.
The Time of My Life by Cecelia Ahern. This is an excellent example of "don't judge a book by it's cover." The cover looked great. The writing was trying too hard. And I couldn't get on board with what a lazy hot mess the protagonist was. Seriously, you're an adult. You should know how to go the grocery store and vacuum your apartment.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Oh. My goodness. Throughout the whole book, I didn't know who's side to be on. Is he innocent? Is she evil? Should he become evil?? She IS evil, but is it justifiable?? I was exasperated with everyone by the end, but I was enraptured the whole time.
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty. I think the first chapter was the best chapter. I was sitting on the edge of my seat to find out what the secret was (in the form of a letter, no less! Read it!! READ IT!!), and it was a juicy secret but underutilized by the author. By the end, I didn't really care.
Here are my reads last year plus a few nonfictions and GWTW. What are you reading lately?
