What I've Been Reading, First Half of 2013

The first five months of this year, I finished four books. I was appalled when I realized that. I often stop reading for pleasure when I'm stressed, and this has certainly been a stressful year. Not reading is a sign that something is wrong and getting back into reading is part of the cure for me. In June and July, I have read 14 books. Here's some of what I've been reading lately.

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
I read the LOTR trilogy in college to coincide with the movie releases. I thought that I had skipped reading The Hobbit. But as I read, I remembered what happened and I had notes and creases all the way to the end of the book. So apparently I did read it. But had forgotten it enough to read it like it was new again.

Jessica Day George
I read three different books by her that were connected. And I read them out of order. My 12 year old niece had recommended them to me. I still love a good fairytale, especially with a bit of a twist here and there. And George delivered on this for me. They were also light, fun read that helped me get back into reading.

Hallucinations by Oliver Sacks
Really interesting nonfiction.

Inferno by Dan Brown
I find Dan Brown to be good escapist fiction, but with some added culture and history. I enjoyed the ride with this one, but I felt something was lacking in his conclusion. There were some major repercussions to his ending that weren't addressed at all.

Finding Alaska by John Greene
John Greene came highly recommended to me. I enjoyed this one and was told some of his others are even better, so they're on my library hold list.

Some contemporary fiction, all good:
The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
The Butterfly Effect by Barbara Kingsolver
The Round House by Louise Erdrich

After four general fiction books with pretty serious topics addressed, I think I need a bit of fantasy or humor in my reading. I have the newest David Sedaris on the shelf. But I'm currently working through Joseph Anton by Salman Rushdie. One of the interesting things about reading a library book on my Kindle is that I have no idea how long the book is when I start it. Apparently this one is thick. I'm on my second check out and only half way through. I don't regret reading it though because of its importance in the history of writing, publishing, and free speech.

Read any good books lately?

Recommended Books of 2012

I read 30 books in 2012--far fewer than I had read in 2011, even though my goal was to read more in 2012 than the previous year. I was pregnant in 2011 and took care of a baby in 2011. I also moved to a new state. So those things might have a bearing on less reading time. I would make a goal to read more than last year, but this year looks even busier than last, so I'm just going to try to keep taking the time to read. This year is the year when my husband gets to buy me a Kindle, so I wonder how that will influence how much reading I do.

I looked over my list of books I read last year and these are the ones that stood out to me that I would recommend to others:

The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling
You read that right. I did not read the entire series until this past year. I had read the first few when they were first really big. My roommates would buy them, so I'd read them. But book 5 was just too long for me to take the time on when I was reading 15 books per English class per semester (oh, how I wish I'd kept lists of books I read back then!). But this year I read them all in close succession, starting with book one. Then I watched all the movies. Reading them this way helped me remember plot points and to appreciate Rowlings craft and storytelling skills.

Unpacking My Library by Leah Price
A photo book of authors' personal libraries. Cool for book nerds.

The Memoir Project by Marion Roach Smith
The best book on writing memoir I've ever read. And I've read a lot of them. I'm almost certain this is part of the new curriculum for my old memoir writing teacher's classes now.

How I Killed Pluto by Mike Brown
Interesting story about how Pluto got demoted. If every science writer was this good, I'd read science books all the time. I definitely want to look up and see if he's written anything else.

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
Compelling storytelling and fascinating story. Another author I might look up again in the future.

Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale
Shannon Hale is my new author for light reads. This one fit the bill, plus it made me want to read Jane Austen. Which any good fan fiction should accomplish.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Beautiful story, beautiful pictures. The movie Hugo was good too. There were little differences, but it is one of the few times I'd recommend the book and the movie or both.

What did you read in 2012 that I should add to my list for 2013?

What I'm Reading: Philippa Gregory

I just finished reading The Kingmaker's Daughter by Philippa Gregory. She has written many books, most of them are historical novels based on the lives of past British royalty. I've also read The Other Boleyn Girl (which was turned into movie) and The Lady of the Rivers.

Philippa Gregory is a historian and her books are well-researched. So they contain enough history to make me feel like I'm learning something. But they are entertaining enough to keep my tired mind's attention (unlike the history of Elizabeth I that I've been in the middle of reading for quite some time now). And they feature strong women, even if these women often find themselves powerless in a man's world. They make me grateful to live today and to know that my husband isn't considering getting rid of me because I've only given him daughters.