Every year, I do a roundup of my favorite books. It’s a goal of mine to read 1 book per week. This year I’m above 52 books and going strong. I keep track of what I’m reading on my About Me page. This year, Amazon discontinued my tracking method (sob) so I’ve moved over to a new book tracking and review system, Good Reads. It’s not quite as pretty and the usability isn’t quite as easy, but it’s functional and it works. If you ever want to know what I’m reading, you can find it at the bottom of this page.
The Martian by Andy Weir
This is an unusual book for me. I typically don’t go for science fiction but the narrator was so engaging that I fell deeply into the book. It’s a book about an astronaut being stranded on Mars. Of course, he works valiantly to stay alive and figure out how to get himself home. It’s a book about indomitable spirit, human ingenuity and relationship. It’s now been made into a movie with Matt Damon; the movie does the book justice but the book is even better. I also love the story of how the author came to be a best selling novelist. I won’t give the author’s personal story away, but small daily amounts of incremental effort DO lead to big things.
You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz
Interestingly enough, not everyone loved this book. In fact, some of the reviews are downright hilarious, complete with memes. I really liked this book for what it was – a rumination on how well we really know people, what really matters in relationships and how you never can tell what is going on in anyone else’s life. Part mystery and part chick-lit, this book follows the life of a smug NYC author and therapist who finds her life unraveling when the police show up at her door to question her in the murder of a woman she barely knows. Her husband goes missing soon thereafter and she is left picking up the pieces of her life and wondering where and what went wrong – and also, whodunnit. This is a fantastic vacation read.
Fates & Furies by Lauren Groff
This book was a his, her, their perspective book. The “Fates” part of the book was told in the male (husband’s) perspective; the “Furies,” the female (wife). Another book on marriage and how what’s right in front of us is not always what the reality is. This book was exceedingly clever, hiding subplots and snippets of other works within its plot and refrains. This book tells the story of college sweethearts who marry; the husband goes on to have a successful career as a playright. He’s a genius! Or, is he? Is his wife lighter than air in happiness or is she a cold and calculating shrew that propelled him to greatness? And if so, why would she sacrifice herself? This book was heavier than a vacation read and took me a bit of time to get into. Once I did sink into the writing and the plot, I stayed up past 1 a.m. several nights, racing to finish it. The ending was surprising and satisfying.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Oh, how I love a good mystery – and a good mystery that’s being turned into a movie? Read it now before the movie comes out. Rachel is a not-likable character who drinks until she blacks out and has a difficult time determining fact from fiction. She takes the same train on her commute and daydreams about the lives of the people the train passes. One of the homes is her ex-husband and new wife’s home, so she pays close attention when that home comes up on her daily commute. One day, she sees something out of character at the house next door and decides to investigate. From there, it’s a fast, twisty-turvy murder whodunnit plot until a series of surprising conclusions. This book is ‘Hitchcock-ian’ and compared to ‘Rear Window.’
The Ambassador’s Wife by Jennifer Steil
I’ve been mulling over this book list for at least a week. I wrote the rough draft of this post, thought about it, edited it, thought about it … and this book just keep pulling at me. I liked this book so much when I read it that I recommended my book club read it. To my surprise, reactions were mixed; not everyone loved it! But, the book stayed with me so, it’s making my Favorite Book List for 2015. This book is a loosely autobiographical tale (no really, it is) of a woman who finds herself thrust into the life of a closely guarded diplomat when she meets and marries an attractive bachelor abroad. It’s a Middle East-type country and she soon finds herself kidnapped and a prisoner. Without giving the plot away, her time in captivity is an exercise in ingenuity, creativity and grit (how would you keep yourself from going crazy locked in a cell with a dirt floor and little food?) The ending isn’t satisfying but, true life often isn’t. Read it for the adventure, fall in love with it for the cutting view into the many relationships and roles women have.
The Motivation Manifesto by Brendon Burchard
This book made me want to take over small countries. If you read only one business book this year, please let it be this one. Author Brendon Bruchard deftly takes away any and every excuse we have for not being accountable to ourselves or others, for not ‘doing’ and for not leading our best life. Part motivation manifesto and how-to manual for succeeding in life and business, this book gives practical advice for how to uplevel your life in practical ways.
What books did you love this year? I’m always looking for new suggestions, so I would love to hear them! =)
Oh, I just remembered one more I know you’ll like! The Last Midwife by Sandra Dallas. Check it out. 🙂
Ooooh, thank you. I’ll go check that out right now and read about the plot and the author =)
Thanks guys for recommending that Goodreads site. I read a LOT, but never keep track. I also loved The Martian and The girl in the train. Some books I recommend are the whole Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon, the whole Game of Thrones series by George RR Martin, and some I read recently- The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham, The invention of wings by Sue Monk Kidd, Cutting for stone by Abraham Verghese, Seveneves by Neal Stephenson, Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton (I think you’ll love that one!), Jodi Picoult’s The Storyteller and Leaving Time… And in case you didn’t know JK Rowling also writes as Robert Galbraith and I recommend those detective series books too. There’s 3 so far, and I read the first 2 (The Cuckoo’s Calling and The Silkworm). Love them! I’m just about to start Stephen King’s The Bazaar of Bad Dreams right now. 🙂
Ah, Game of Thrones! I’ve been so tempted so many times but I’ve heard it’s terribly violent so have never really picked it up. Like with the next Robert Gailbraith, I won’t read it because The Silkworm ended up being so gruesome. I have a low threshold for violence and/or really graphic scenes.
I loved The Invention of Wings too. That was fantastic. I’m a mix on Stephen King. I love his less gunslinger sci fi stuff (Under The Dome was my favorite of his books) but can’t do his more scary stuff. I’m off to go get some samples from the ones you recommended. Thank you! =))
Yes, Game of Thrones is very violent, but it’s also sooo much more. But, no, if you don’t like violence, then you wouldn’t like it. And I can’t wait yo read next Galbraith novel- can’t wait to see how Cormoran and Robin will get together. 🙂
Did you read Outlander series yet? I think you’d love that. 🙂
Also, that Full Cicada Moon I mentioned- it’s very different, written like a poem, but reads like a novel, very good. You’ll read it in couple of days. I got it from my library.
I did not read the Outlander series yet. I have it but didn’t make it very far in the first book yet.
Thanks for your opinion on Game of Thrones and me =) I appreciate it.
I totally agree; Robin and C. will be a great couple but I almost don’t want them to get together … yet. Sort of let that keep going on and keep us hoping for them =)
Then definitely keep reading Outlander- it starts slow, but soon you won’t be able to put it down. As a side note, I don’t really like the Outlander show much, but books…LOVE. 🙂
I just finished Circling the Sun, by Paula McLain…very good read and based on an actual woman, whom I think you would find interesting.
Also, Greg Natchez has two out of a series of three books his “Natchez Burning” series…the second one is “The Bone Tree”, and both are great reads, based on historical events in the south in the 1960’s. Great reads!!
I, too, am trying to get into Fates and Furies…having a hard time at the beginning, but have read some good reviews about it so giving it a shot.
You are the second person to recommend that book to me (Circling the Sun) so I’m off to get a sample of it right now. Thank you for that.
I will go check out that series. It looks like the first one is called ‘The Quiet Game’.
Keep reading ‘Fates & Furies’; it probably took me at least 1/3 of the book to get into but once I did, it hooked me and I had several very very late nights finishing it =) And, that’s the one book club I ended up missing this year too so I didn’t even get to discuss it with anyone (which usually makes me like a book even more).
Goodreads also does yearly reading challenges where you can put in your goal number of books you’d like to read that year and it will help you keep track! Telling you if you’re a certain number of books ahead or behind. I set a goal of 100 books for 2015 but actually read 222 books and 60,956 pages!
I like that you can follow favorite authors as well as friends who like to read as well. They frequently have special question answer sessions with famous authors and of course tons of different reading “groups” or book clubs you can join, even special re-read events of favorite books!
There really is a lot more on Goodreads than I ever thought there would be and I’m always discovering new fun things all the time!
Be sure to go under your profile and sign up for the 2016 Reading Challenge!
Oooh, there is a reading challenge? I’ll have to go right now and do that. Thank you for the heads up. And, I’ll go see if there are other features I am missing. I find a lot of really great value in author roundtables and interviews so that will definitely be something I utilize if Goodreads does that. Thanks for letting me know about all the great things they have to offer =)
I really like goodreads to keep track of all my books. It even keeps track of how many pages you’ve read, 22k compared to last year’s 24k oh well better next year! This year I absolutely fell in love with “The way of kings” and the books that follow. I need the writer to write faster! But then again, I also want a certain Mr. Martin to write faster but don’t think that’s going to happen
I’m glad that you like Good Reads. That gives me hope! =) I didn’t realize that they kept track of how many pages you read. I love that idea.
Thanks for the book suggestion. I’m going to go check it out right now. I’m still in search of book to read this weekend! =)
One book per week…you are amazing! My goal is to read one per month, and I struggle with that. 🙂 I have a ton of books on my “to-read” list…I’m thinking I need to stop binge watching Netflix and Hulu for them to stand a chance…lol. I hope Good Reads grows on you; I personally love it!
LOL! Netflix and Hulu and TV definitely are the enemy of reading. I think I love to read so much because I’m a fairly quick reader so I get the pay-off of finishing the book pretty quickly.
Thanks for the encouragement of Good Reads. I’m looking forward to it growing on me too!
Some good and interesting books there. I have read and enjoyed several of them and the one’s I haven’t gotten to yet are moving up my list!
Yay! Let me know how you like them if you read any of them. I just finished a GREAT one last night that I’m regretting not putting on the list -“Euphoria” about anthropologists in New Guinea in the ’40s. =)
Happy New Year!
The Thirteenth Tale was a great book with fantastic writing and lots of twists!!
I am midway through the book right now but haven’t gotten to any of the twists yet. I’ll have to pick it up again … Thanks for the suggestion! =)
Oh that one is FANTASTIC. I read it years ago and still mull it over in my head from time to time.
I also LOVED the A Discovery of Witches trilogy.
I finished the first book and then forgot about buying the second book. I’m going to go do that right now! =)
My favourite book of the year was the The House of the Wind by Titania Hardie, is so well written that the 300 pages go off quickly wanting that the book will never end.
Thank you for the suggestion. I’m off to put a sample in my e-book right now! =)
I downloaded it last night after reading the sample! Thank you for the suggestion!
I really enjoyed reading The Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes. It’s not a new book, but I finally picked it up to read this year. I just love everything about Australia, this book was about the colonization of Australia which began as a penal colony.
Oh that does sound like a really interesting book! Thanks for the recommendation! =)