Those books I never got around to reviewing in 2015

Like most of you, I hope, I have a stack of books (not a literal stack, they are e-books) that I've never gotten around to writing about. I'd like to get those out of my mind to start over fresh in 2016. These books really have nothing else in common...

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande.  This book was everything you've heard. It was heartbreaking and fascinating and really got to me. I've put off a review for weeks because I feel like I just can't do it justice. The book addresses life and death and elder care. It's not dry and boring and is mixed with personal stories of choice and what happens when we don't make a choice. It's about quality of life verses quantity of life. This book will stick with me for a very long time, and I highly recommend it to everyone (yes, EVERYone.)  For a better review I recommend Janssen's or Amy's.

You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost): A Memoir by Felicia Day. I was first introduced to The Guild, and it's creator Felicia Day after reading Max Wirestone's The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss. I knew then that I'd need to read this memoir.  Day does something you rarely see in a(n interesting) memoir- she talks about her life without getting terribly personal, or criticising anyone else.  Starting with her life in Huntsville, Alabama, and ending with the creation of Geek and Sundry, this is interesting and funny from beginning to end. I don't read a ton of memoirs, and even fewer celebrity memoirs, but I enjoyed this one completely.

When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare. I read all of Dare's Spindle Cove series back to back last year and loved them, but for some reason put off reading the Castles Ever After Series, despite owning the first two. This is the third book in the series. I loved the idea behind it- painfully shy Maddie invents a suitor, who comes true and insists they marry. I loved both the hero and heroine, and all of the side characters. In hindsight, I don't know how believable it is, but it's a fun ride and definitely makes me want to read the others in the series.

Love Irresistibly, It Happened One Wedding, and Suddenly One Summer by Julie James. The name of this series is the FBI/ US Attorney series and that should give you the hint that these are books about smart, accomplished people.  I stayed up too late with all three of these, binge reading my way through. If you're hesitant about romance novels because you worry about insipid plot lines, these are a great choice. Hot, sexy, fun with people who know who and what they are. I'm very happy to have one more left, with another coming out next spring.

January Mini Reviews

There are always a handful of books that I don't really want to write a full review of, but that I'd like some record or having read.  


Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor.  I'd really have liked to review this one fully, but was completely stumped at trying to summarize the plot. I really enjoyed it a lot, loved the world Taylor created and the characters of Karou and Akiva and Brimstone. I loved the set up for the series, the reason for the book, if you will. I did think the last third of the book really bogged down, and if you've read it you know what part I mean. The more time that passes since I finished, the more I like it though, and at this point I'm very excited to see what happens next. Highly recommended.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. A 13 year old boy, an ill mother, a nightmare come to life. This one is loved all over the blogosphere and when I saw it on the library shelf I grabbed it. I really had no intention of reading it before seeing it there.  This is a short book, with lots of really striking drawings and terrific writing and is easily read in one sitting. I will admit that it made me sob, like it seems to do for most people. However. Almost the instant I closed the cover I felt manipulated. I didn't see any reason at all for the book, other than to make me cry. I went to read other reviews of people who saw Conor grow and confront his own guilt and grief but I was just a little bit annoyed by it.


Whiskey Sour (Jack Daniels Mysteries) by J.A. Jonrath.  This was my first entry into my personal challenge.  It was perfect for the time, I had a couple other books going that required more brain power. In the end though, I didn't love the book.  While the humor made me laugh in spots, the writing was a bit simplistic and I thought some of the jokes were a bit insulting. For funny mysteries I'd stick with Janet Evanovich, for interesting mysteries I'm still loving the Inked series by Karen Olsen, and for murder I'd choose J.D. Robb's In Death series every time.

Very short reviews of recent books

I have actually managed to read a few books of the last couple of months, I just haven't quite managed to blog about them. Because I'm still feeling under the weather (THIS HAD BETTER BE THE BEST BABY EVER IN THE HISTORY OF BABIES!!) I'm going to do some very brief reviews to catch up. If you have any questions about particular books, or if you read them too, please let me know!

In random order:

The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University by Kevin Roose. Roose transfers to Liberty University for a semester to see what it's like. He does not reveal his true background to his fellow students, or that he's planning to write about it. I read this one in Hawaii and on the plane(s) and quite enjoyed it. I thought Roose was very open minded and thoughtful about the experience, when he could have been awfully snarky and dismissive. I enjoyed it more than The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A J Jacobs.


Born On A Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant by Daniel Tammet. I first noticed this one in a review at The Zen Leaf and requested it from the library. Tammet is both very interesting and very annoying. I get that he is Autistic, and therefore doesn't behave as everyone else, and yes, I know he wrote the book and is intelligent- he was still annoying.  The book itself is interesting and a very quick read.  Tammet also has synesthesia, which interests me after reading A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass (YA fiction, not non-fiction.)


Waiting For Nick: Stanislaskis (The Stanislaskis) by Nora Roberts. Eh. Loved Nick and the music aspect of it, didn't really like Freddie much at all.  Did make me interested in reading the others in the series.


Feels Like the First Time (Harlequin Blaze) by Tawny Weber. High school reunion plot, the entire story takes place over a weekend. In a word: HOT.

I am very very close to being done with Crafty Superstar: Make Crafts on the Side, Earn Extra Cash, and Basically Have It All by Grace Dobush and will do a longer review on that one. 

What have you read lately? Have you read any of these? Do you agree or disagree with my opinion? Let me know!





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