Each new year, I used to do a blog book review of things I read the previous year. Somehow after New Year 07-08 I tapered off. Thomas and I started dating in 2007, so maybe I should blame him. HA! No, seriously, I have still been reading but I do think that between graduating and forging ahead into the "real world" my reading time did diminish. But alas, I have now gotten some kind of handle on being a functioning member of the so-called "real world" and want to reinstate The Mamie (Knight) Simmons Annual Book Review." So here I go. (Oh and I may include books that I have read since my last book review, so this will be more of a triple-annual review).
1. Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos (2008)
When I think back on this book now, it makes me think of how I felt when I moved to Macon. So many of the "Macon" people here can't get past the Macon factor, which appears to lead them to believe that being a "big name" in Macon makes them better than everyone else. Very annoying. Anyway, this is a girl book, I think. But it really made me appreciate friends and want to tell all those stuck up Macon people to shove it. And it made me think of my friend Megyn for some reason. Megyn, if you are reading this, you should stop and read Belong to Me
2. Pat Conroy Cookbook by Pat Conroy
The Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy
My Losing Season by Pat Conroy
South of Broad by Pat Conroy
Beach Music by Pat Conroy
The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
I am proud to say that looking back to my December 2007 Book Review, one of my reading goals was to read any Pat Conroy books that I hadn't read. Well, lo and behold, I did it! I read My Losing Season while I was away in Costa Rica and I was so thankful to read that book because it made me feel closer to Thomas somehow. I felt like I got to know more about him by getting a glimpse into the Citadel, and since it was so hard to be far away from him for so long, I took comfort in that. I actually listened to Beach Music, The Lords of Discipline, and The Prince of Tides because lately I've gotten really into listening to books on my iPod. Some people didn't enjoy South of Broad but I did. It was a good, dirty, over-the-top mystery and I was ok with that. I love Pat Conroy. I will warn that I think LISTENING to Pat Conroy is a smidge harder because some of the things he includes in his book, to me, are just harder to listen to someone say out loud, versus having them quietly printed on a page. And a last note, Pat Conroy can make a recipe so entertaining - his cookbook can be read in delicious chunks that don't cease to please! And he writes up a killer Creme Brulee recipe!
3. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
One of my most treasured friends, Christina, gave me this book when I was visiting her during some of her wedding festivities. So that would make this book a 2009 book. I really loved reading this book, knowing that Christina thought to pass it along to me, and I truly value her. Firefly Lane delves into the complications and changes of a friendship from adolescence to adulthood, including all the hard things that happen to friends and that friends often make happen to each other along the way. I think all friends should pass this book along to each other. Thanks Christina!
4. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
I bought this book in 2009 at Barnes and Noble in a time of crisis. It was a time of crisis, I know, because I rarely purchase books, so I must have been really desperate for some company and something to pass the time, because as I recall I bought about 3 books that same day. I initially planned to buy the book in Spanish to keep up my skills, but Thomas convinced me to buy the English version so he too could read it sometime. As fate would have it, I just finally worked my way around to reading this book a month or two ago. Randy wrote this book as part of a lecture he was asked to give. His last lecture, as he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given 6 months to live. He dedicated both the lecture and the book to imparting some life lessons and outlooks for his children, that the rest of us get to share in. I found myself sitting in my bed with tears during several parts of this book just thinking of this man's amazing outlook on life in the face of such a crappy deal of the deck. Crazily enough, as I had only 2 more pages to go in Randy's book, my father-in-law too was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on December 12, 2010. I was so glad to have read this book and have now passed it along to Roger with hopes that he can also cherish, appreciate and adopt Randy's positive outlook on a horrible situation. Even in your reading choices, God works in the strangest and sneakiest ways.
5. The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho
Brida by Paolo Coelho
Ok people. I read these 2 books when I was living in Costa Rica in Summer 2008 - I actually read a 3rd by him, I think the Fifth Mountain, but I can't remember if that was the title for sure or not. They were part of the book collection that my host family had, and they kindly shared them with me. I read them in Spanish, which was a big deal for me, partly because I was proud to be reading an adult content book in Spanish and partly because they're about some crazy weird stuff so my vocab at the time grew to include some interesting words. These books all had sort of "witchcrafty" supernatural component, so it made for interesting reading. I wouldn't necessarily pick them back up in English because I enjoyed them so much, but I am glad I broadened my horizons and read them. In Spanish. Otherwise I would never have known how to say seance in Spanish. Just kidding. I don't think that word was in these books.
6. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
As I mentioned earlier, my new love is an audiobook on my iPod with my hot new earphones Thomas got me for Christmas. No one at work even attempts to talk to me anymore while I'm writing reports without touching me first because they know I've got my blasted earphones pumping! The Girl with... series, actually called the "Millennium" series I've learned, is my first auditory series! I picked these books up on some free Audible.com credits because I kept seeing/hearing talk about them. I had been forewarned that the first 100 pages or so could be slow to trudge through, which didn't help much since audiobooks don't have pages. But I will say the first hour or so of the book sets up lots of detail and background, so yes, it wasn't as scintillating. But once you get to the drama, ooh it's on! I have been plugged in since! Just pure leisure reading ... lots of twists and turns, unexpected links, etc. I haven't quite finished the third, but rest assured that when I finish typing this, I'll be back on my iPod listening away! I will say, there were MANY parts that were painful to listen to because this book does deal with sexual and violent crimes. I was tempted to fast-forward some of it, but I'm a little faint of heart when it comes to those topics.
7. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (audiobook)
For starters, in this case as in most, I would choose the book over the movie any day. Secondly, Italy section=awesome, India section=whiny, Indonesia section=moving back around to awesome. There were so many things in this book that resonated with me and made me self-reflect. NOt to mention, that I re-caught the travel bug like you wouldn't believe. No seriously, I'm going back to Costa Rica for a week and a half this summer, and I'd like to blame that in a large part on this book. And while I could relate to so many themes in this story, there were some things that just didn't sit right with me. I felt Liz was a little selfish, arrogant and "brush-off-ish" toward her marriage commitment, and I just couldn't settle myself with that. But I did respect her ability to speak positively of her ex-husband and speak honestly toward the point that the marriage ending was something she chose on her own, apart from him and not as a response to any flaw of his. I've talked this out with other people and they don't feel the way I do, so go read it and make up your mind for yourself!
8. The Help by Kathryn Stockett (audiobook)
I don't follow book awards really, but I HOPE HOPE HOPE this book got tons! I LOVED IT! I loved every moment and every character. I don't think I spoke to my husband for days while I listened to this book. (P.S. not recommended) For further details please refer to my earlier post dated: 03 Dec 2010 "Peace, Love and Thanks"
9. The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
Cast your stones, if you will, but Nicholas Sparks writes some the most easy to read books ever. Yes, they are unendingly sappy and most-likely predictable, but we all need some happy-sappy-predictable endings in our lives, because real life doesn't always provide enough of that crap. This book was all those things and I won't lie and pretend in all my literary-highness that I didn't enjoy it. I did. You probably would too if you stopped acting like you're so much better than a love story.
So there you have it. Some of the writings that stuck out to me over the last 3 years! I hope you find something on this list that can tickle your literary fancy and capture your attention the way so many of these books did me.
My reading goal for this year:
1. Do 1 audiobook and 1 written book in Spanish. Yikes!
2. Go ahead and get those vampire books out of the way - Twighlight. I know I'm being judged for this, but I need to read those books just to clear my conscious and say I've done it. I tried to do it in 2008 when they were all my middle/high school students could talk about, but the waiting lists were too long and I certainly wasn't paying for them. I think 2011 is the year of the vampire for me.
3. Read The Knot, which was on my to-do list in 2007 and I never did. I think I would like that one!
4. Continue reading (or listening) and log it all next year!
Thanks for reading and go read some more!
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