If you need some motivation to read more in 2015, join me on this venture! It's an intense list, but it looks amazing! No fair counting one book for two categories, and try to avoid re-reading books as often as you can. As I meet each part of the challenge, I'll include the name and the title, along with a word or two in review.
And the journey to become more well-read begins...now!
- A book with more than 500 pages - Songs in Ordinary Time by Mary McGarry Morris (740 pages). Such a sad book. Not like "I bawled my eyes out," but it has such a melancholy end, with a tired, broken woman finally sobbing at her kitchen table, praying to be left alone while a chorus of her neighbors repair her house around her. I read this in less than a week, and it was the first book in months that kept me on the couch for hours, wondering what would happen next. Incredible.
- A classic romance - Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. With the release of the movie version, this story will soon become a classic romance. This is a beautiful book. And not your classic "boy likes girl, girl likes boy, boy and girl wind up together" story, which I love because I hate love stories like that. This love story is doomed from the beginning with the empty hope that it might change, between a quirky small-town girl and a jerk - guys, Will Traynor is an asshole. But this, my friends, is a beautiful, sad story. It is funny, frankly written, and just what you need to get you crying on your couch on a Monday afternoon. Go find it and read it BEFORE YOU SEE THE MOVIE BECAUSE THAT'S THE RULE WITH BOOKS THAT BECOME MOVIES.
- A book that became a movie - North of Boston by Elisabeth Elo. I'm breaking the rule on this one and changing the category to "SHOULD become a movie." OH. MY. FRICKIN. WORD. This book is BRILLIANT. It's a thriller - it was in the mystery section on the library, where I very rarely go. This was completely unlike the other books that I'm drawn to and I'm so glad that I broadened my horizons on this one. So good. It's one of those books that starts over here and ends waaaaaaaaay over there, and I had no idea how it was going to connect. I love to be surprised by books, and this one definitely did it. Read it. It took me two days.
- A book published in 2015
- A book with a number in the title
- A book written by someone under 30
- A book with nonhuman characters - Animal Farm by George Orwell. This is such an important book - it was given to me with a note, "This should be required reading in all American high schools." And I agree. It's a satire, following the birth of a new, idyllic nation which eventually goes back to the same tyranny as before - only with new leaders, the original starters of the revolution. It's almost frightening to see how quickly the characters lose their freedom and their voice (and they're told "this is what you wanted, do you really want to go back to the hell it was before?") as the ones at the top ("pigs", ironically) change the rules in their favor. Ends on a chilling note, descriptive without patronizing the reader - and scary as hell if you put it up against our society today. Definitely worth the three hours it'll take you to read it.
- A funny book
- A book by a female author
- A mystery or thriller - Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. This is seriously the best book I've read in months (besides Ordinary Time, see #1). Not only is it a gripping story - is she alive, is she dead, if she's dead who killed her - but it's so well written: there are three main character perspectives written in first person ("I did this, I did that"), but each voice is so different to read. Oh my heavens, go find this book now, do yourself a favor, and get lost in it for a few days - you'll finish it in no time because there is no putting it down.
- A book with a one-word title
- A book of short stories - A Girl Named Zippy: Growing Up Small in Mooreland, Indiana by Haven Kimmel. This book could have fit so many categories: written by a woman, nonfiction, based on a true story. I do own it and I've never read it, so that could count, too. Mostly I hoped it would count for my funny book because I seriously needed a laugh for the last few days. Except it wasn't funny. It was by an author who was trying to be funny and tried a little too hard. Don't get me wrong, I did laugh at some points. But overall it wasn't the dry humor that I like, where you keep reading for a beat before you realize, "Oh, that was actually really funny." So it was a conglomeration of short stories from this woman's years growing up in Indiana. It counts. And, more importantly, it's done.
- A book set in a different country - The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton. This was another one picked exclusively by the cover, and I'm so glad I chose it. Another one where I'm halfway through and I have no idea where it's going. It has four stories going on at once: a young woman trying to fit in to her new husband's household, complete with hateful sister, nosy maid, and (astonishing in seventeenth-century Amsterdam) an African manservant; a man caught in a homosexual relationship (also astonishing in seventeenth-century Amsterdam and actually punishable by drowning); a black market sugar ring; and a mysterious miniaturist who seems to be predicting (or orchestrating) all of the turns of events. Finished it in a day. Refreshingly different and so good.
- A nonfiction book - The Man Who Loved Books Too Much, Allison Hoover Barlett. Literally the only reason I finished this book is because it's two weeks overdue from the library and I thought it would be a waste of the $2 fine I'll have to pay if I quiet with only 100 pages left. It was boring. Severely boring. The overall idea is interesting: it's about a man who stole rare books for no other reason than he liked books and wanted to have them. But the author went on for about two hundred pages longer than she needed to about his escapades. The whole book can basically be summed up right here: "He liked books so he stole a lot and went to jail for it." Don't waste your time.
- A popular author's first book
- A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet - A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin. Yes, the second Game of Thrones book. Yes, I finished it in a week. Yes, it's almost 1,000 pages. A Christmas gift from my almost-mother-in-law and I could not put it down. I'm so excited to be knee-deep in a series again: it feels so good to have another book to pick up now that this one's finished. Adventure, romance, treachery, politics - everything you could want in a book. And the saga continues: three more to go!
- A book a friend recommended (send your recommendations, friends!) - For Women Only, Shaunti Feldhahn. My in-laws gave both Joe and I the premarital husband-and-wife-penned "For Women Only" and "For Men Only" with the understanding that I'm not allowed to read his and he's not allowed to read mine. Ladies, this is SUCH an important book for anybody about to get married or knee-deep in a marriage, happy or otherwise. This is the first book I've seen that outlines exactly how the minds of men work without putting the woman reading on a guilt trip. And it covers a HUGE variety of topics: work, sex, what happens when kids enter the marital equation, personal appearance (don't jump on this too aggressively, it was just a plea to make the effort to keep ourselves healthy), and the startling knowledge that most husbands who were polled for research just wanted their wives to know how much they loved them. I was left so many times sitting on my bed thinking, "Oh....is that really how guys feel about this?" It is by no means a sexist prodding to get women to bow to the ideals of men (since, you know, there's one for the guys to read, too). It is merely a way to think about the other person in your marriage and to take into consideration that the things you do don't affect the other person quite like you think they do. Like I said, this was recommended as a premarital read, but it's perfect for anyone in a marriage already.
- A Pulitzer Prize-winning book
- A book based on a true story
- A book at the bottom of your to-read list (most likely to be one of the last books I muscle through)
- A book your mom loves
- A book that scares you - The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Ruthless characters, savage madness, haunting silences - and completely unexpected. I had no idea what this book was about when I pulled it from the library shelf, I only knew that Pinterest readers were raving about it. Guys, it's chilling as hell - the fact that it's a mystery only adds to its macabre feel. I flew through almost two hundred pages in three hours. If you like a good mystery wrapped in with doomed romance and historical fiction, you'll love this book.
- A book more than 100 years old
- A book based entirely on its cover - The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I have been intrigued by the circus since I read Water for Elephants in a single day seven years ago. So when I came across this title on Pinterest, I immediately put it on my list, doubtful that it was really about a circus at all. And in a way, it's not: there are no clowns or elephants, and the magic within the story is not limited to pulling rabbits out of hats and guessing the right card. But this book is magic itself. The story is so different from anything else I've ever read - it's rare that I can be within thirty pages of finishing it and still not see how it will end. I wrote so many quotes from it on the Joey-letter-turned-bookmark - not because they're profound, but because they are beautiful lines of prose. This is a fantastic read: innovative in plot, stunning in detail, brilliant in general. A true work-out for your imagination. I will definitely be reading this again.
- A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't (that list is longer than I'd like to admit)
- A memoir
- A book you can finish in a day - The Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer Worth. Can, and did: I was on page 13 when I headed out to the pool this morning and, after taking a brief house-hunting break, I wrapped up the nearly-300-page book this evening. SO GOOD. The second in the Midwife series, this book details the much-longer-lasting-than-you-would-imagine effects of the dreaded workhouses that were established in England to house the poor but have thrived as a symbol of abuse, designed to destroy the human soul. The writing is easy to get through, almost to the point of driving this English major NUTS with wonky (and sometimes AWOL) punctuation. But oh my word, if you need a captivating (if not feely-good) read that is entertaining as well as educational, read this book. It'll only take you a few dedicated hours.
- A book with antonyms in the title
- A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit - The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant. I LOVE Boston. I'm a HUGE history buff, I love the ocean, and as far as big cities go, it's one of my favorites. (Probably because I didn't have to drive in it - that's a major pain in the ass.) This book is from the perspective of eighty-five-year-old Addie Baum telling her life story to her granddaughter - about how she grew up a Jewish girl in a tenement in Boston during the 20s and 30s, how she believed she was destined for more than working in a factory and being married to a man that was simply there to give her mother grandchildren, how she busted her butt to become a writer and ended her life happy. I read this in three days. If you like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, read this - it's just as good. If you need a really sincerely good story, read this - it's an incredible story.
- A book that came out the year you were born
- A book with bad reviews
- A trilogy
- A book from your childhood - Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie. Once again, I know that this wasn't finished in 2015, but it almost was, so we'll count it. This was the first book I ever read in a day. It was a red hardback copy from my elementary school's library, and I picked it out because I loved the Disney movie, and my dad had helped us pass countless hours driving in the car by telling us the story (and arguing with us whether Peter and the Darling children sat or stood on a cloud overlooking Neverland). From the time I picked it off the shelf in the afternoon until late that night (also one of the first books that kept me up as I flew through its adventure), I couldn't put it down, and before midnight that same day, I finished it. It has remained one of my favorite stories ever since that one day back in fourth grade.
- A book with a love triangle - The Husband's Secret by Lianne Moriarty. The "love triangle" thing is kind of a wash because this book doesn't really fit any of the categories I have left. And the love triangle - which is between a husband, a wife, and the wife's cousin - is only one third of what's actually going on in the story. This is one of those books that has several different characters in the limelight but they're all connected somehow. Another mysterious book (though not a mystery) with a "HOLY SHIT" moment at the end. Finished in a day.
- A book set in the future
- A book set in high school
- A book with a color in the title
- A book that made you cry
- A book with magic (NOT HARRY POTTER)
- A graphic novel
- A book by an author you've never read before
- A book you own but have never read - Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts by Les and Leslie Parrott. This was the only category this book would fit into. With the recent shenanigans going on with my parents and my impending marriage, I found this book, given to me by someone at my mother-in-law's bridal shower, to be very important. It outlines seven questions that you should ask before - and after - you get married, regarding "myths of marriage," love style, "the habit of happiness," that ever-present gender gap, communication, fighting the right way (yes, conflict in marriage is actually healthy if you do it right), and how to be "soul mates" with your partner. It's a quick read, written from Christian perspective but not an-offensively religious one, with practical techniques for how to have a healthy marriage. Definitely worth reading - I'm passing it on to my fiance next.
- A book that takes place in your hometown (might have to expand this - my town is very small and unmentionable)
- A book that was originally written in a different language - The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson (Swedish). Do yourself a favor and go find this book. I went to the library in search of a quirky book with a good story, and this, my friends, fit the bill. Not to mention it's laugh-out-loud funny: just imagine the exploits of a 100-year-old ex-explosives expert who climbs out the window of his nursing home and ends up running around Sweden with 50 million Swedish dollars in a suitcase he stole from a gang. With the current story running parallel to his long life story - complete with his adventures as an explosives expert for the Soviet Union, an American spy, a soldier under General Franco, a hostage in Iran, and a beach bum in Bali - this book will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
- A book set during Christmas
- A book written by an author with your same initials
- A play
- A banned book (I'm actually really looking forward to this - forever the rebel) - The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. Written in the 1980s, it's set some time in the future, in an anti-feminine society where strict religion has taken over and holds its citizens hostage by fear. It showed up on a list of banned books after a school superintendent in Texas removed it from the English curriculum for being "sexually explicit and offensive to Christians." Which, it is. There are several sex scenes throughout between the handmaid and her commander, but they are written, as most of the book is, without emotion - it's like reading a science report. And of course it's offensive to Christianity - if you consider Christianity a religion. This describes the somewhat-far-fetched but a little plausible outcome of what religious devotion motivated by fear does to people - the dread of what could happen if you don't do this. There's an anti-feminine string as well that has turned women from the oversexualized objects they are today to vessels of man-determined purpose: for example, the main character is only useful for "breeding". This book had me questioning what true faith actually is and re-evaluating my reasoning behind what I believe.
- A book based on or turned into a TV show - Farewell to the East End by Jennifer Worth. The sequel to Shadows of the Workhouse (#27) that, like its predecessor, I finished in a single day. It follows the same trend as the rest of the series, detailing the midwifery career of Jennifer Worth in London's East End during the 40s, 50s, and 60s. It's almost textbook in its description of hardship, poverty, brutality, and suffering; but it's a refreshing first-hand glance into an era and place that aren't discussed in history class. There's one more left in the series, and I have one more day off...Three books in three days isn't such a nerdy goal, right?
- A book you started but never finished (that list could go on and on) - A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. I started this book during my senior year of college, when I was working on a show and writing essays and reading other books and really had no business starting a book for fun. I put it down (after keeping the library's copy for about three months) and didn't pick it up again until a few months ago, when I found a copy of it at a thrift shop for $2.50. I flew through it - there was one afternoon where I literally read it for four hours straight. It was fantastic. I love stories that jump around between characters' POVs, and I like the hints of magic and fantasy. (Also, Daenerys Targaryen is my woman crush.) I asked for the next book for Christmas and I can't wait to get into it.
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