So per the agreement with my Lawyer, “Client Agrees that so
long as Attorney represents Client and the case is an ongoing case and there
has been no final orders entered in this matter, Client will not discuss the
case or post the status of the case on any social media including, but not
limited to, Facebook, My Space, LinkedIn, Twitter, Tweet, or any other chat
line. Client understands that any such puissant or discussion may have a
negative effect on this matter as it proceeds in the court system.” Hence
none of this will be posted until after everything is said and done, I don't want to take any chances.
2016 has been a bit of a shit storm. A very nasty and high conflict divorce has
really taken up my time. So sadly I did
not get all my books written up as I read, but I did read and take notes, so
instead, you are getting a year in review in 2 parts!
Royal Affairs: A
Lusty Romp through the Extramarital Adventures that Rocked the British Monarchy
by Leslie Carroll (Read 2/3/16 to 2/13/16) - 4 Star
This is a history of scandals of the British Royals for the
last 1,000 years. It was broken up by
reigns and affairs. It was a fun
read. Very light and well written. I enjoyed it, but don't know that I would
necessarily quote it or recommend it.
Angel's Share by
Garfield Ellis (Read 2/17/16 to 2/20/16) - 3 star
This book is about Everton Dorril, a Jamaican man who goes
on a search and eventually a road trip with his father and the evolution of
their relationship. This was a slow read
for me. I wasn't as invested as the
characters, nor did I want to be. I
loved the imagery but the story line wasn't engaging to me. I like the book ok, I thought it should have
been more of mystery, where was his father, instead it was more of a journey of
discovery. Discovering who his father
is/was and who Everton is. The writing
was good, the dialogue threw me off some, but I got used to it. I'm not sure this would be a book I would
recommend, but I wouldn't say don't read it either.
Where She Went by
Gayle Forman (Read 2/16/16) - 4 Star
This is the Sequel to "If I Stay." It takes place three years after the first
book and is written from Adam's point of view.
The story wasn't as great as "If I Stay," but it does give the
reader some closure as to what happened to the characters for which I am very
thankful. I felt the storyline wasn't
quite as intense as "If I Stay," but I still really enjoyed it.
The Magician's Nephew
by C.S. Lewis (Read 2/13/16 to 2/28/16) - 4 Star
This is timeline wise the first in the Narnia series, but I
think it falls more like # 6 in the published dates. Essentially this is the story of how Narnia
was created. There is a ton of foreshadowing,
which would make sense since most the rest of the series had already been
written. I hate the Uncle, he is sucha
coward. I never really thought I got I
the Christian theme in the any of the Narnia books, but it was a bit more
prominent in this one. Usually the theme
is subtle and you really have to want to see, but there are a few scenes in
this story that are overt.
Brave New World by
Aldous Huxley (Read 3/7/16 to 3/21/16) - 2 Star
In a future world, Controllers have created an ideal society
through brainwashing and genetic engineering.
In some ways it reminded me of
divergent. The manufacturing as an idea
makes sense now that I think about it because of all the references to
Ford. This takes place in AF 632, which
is about the year 2540, not that far in the future. The story line is incredibly raciest, but
since it was written in 1931 it makes sense.
Although there were some comments that shocked me. I didn't care much for the jumping between
points of view in the first chapters. It
made it really hard to read. Once Huxley
picked a single point of view to follow, it became easier. But after a while the reading felt tedious to
me, I had a hard time seeing the point
of the book, besides to bash consumerism, which at this point is a worn out
theme in my mind. By the end I didn't
like the book, it is totally my genre, but it just didn't do it for me. I was happy when I finally finished, maybe it
is where I am in my life and my divorce, but a bleak future portrayed here with
no change just depressed me.
Room by Emma Donaghue
(Read 3/23/16 to 3/29/16) - 4 star
This about a 5 year old boy Jack and his mom. Room is Jack's entire world, then one day Ma
helps him escape rolled in a rug, and he helps rescue her. And the world is suddenly infinite. The whole book is written from Jack's point
of view, which could have been an epic fail, but it works. I really enjoyed the book and the innocent
and naive point of view.
Smarter Than You
Think: How Technology is Changing Our
Minds for the Better by Clive Thompson (Read 2/22/16 to 3/30/16) - 4 Star
This is a nonfiction book discussing how technology boots
our cognitive thinking. I found it
extremely well written and informative.
It made me re-think some ideas I had about how technology was dumbing
down society. That actually it might be
doing the opposite, by changing our way of thinking.
The Fault in Our
Stars by John Greene (Read 3/8/16 to 3/31/16) - 2 Star
Hazel has a terminal tumor, she accepts her inevitable
death, and then she meets Augustus Waters and her entire life changes. I think that because I have seen the movie
and I know what is coming I can't seem to enjoy the book as much. I just want to see if the book and movie
endings are the same. Additionally, love
stories turn my stomach some right now, so I am especially disinterested. I must be grumpy. It followed the movie very closely. I think I should have read this at a
different time in my life to appreciate it.
I didn't, I found it to be a depressing read and it made me sad when I
wanted to be anything but sad.
Ready Player One by
Earnest Cline (Read (3/31/16 to 4/2/16) - 5 Star
OMG OMG I love this book, it has shot onto my top 10
favorite books! It is set in 2044 and
the world is ugly, almost everyone lives in virtual reality and the book
follows Wade Watts as he plays a VR treasure hunt. It is full of 80's pop culture references,
and made all my geek senses tingle. The
storyline isn't that fresh, but Clive's writing and all the geeky references
make the story!
The Forgotten Girls
by Sara Blaedel (Listened to 3/31/16 to 4/3/16) - 3 Star
This is translated book from a Denmark Author, it is #7 in
the series, but it's ok that you haven't read the others. It makes me want to go back and start at the
beginning, but I can't read Dutch. I
think translations start at book 2. It
was a great thriller and kept me guessing to the end. It was an audio book and I enjoyed the
narrator.
The Humbug Murders by
L.J. Oliver (Read 4/7/16 to 4/30/16) - 2 Star
This is a murder mystery where the detective is Ebenezer
Scrooge. I loved the idea and the twist,
but the reading was very slow for me. It
was such a slow read for me, I had a really hard time getting into it. Almost like Dickens had written it.
Cage of Deceit by
Jennifer Anne Davis (Read 4/30/16 to 5/7/16) - 3 Star
This is the first in a new series, Reign of Secrets. The Heir Allyssa appears to be an ideal
princess, but she fights crime at night.
This of course gets her in hot water when she has to marry to stop a
war. It was good, I liked it, a bit
predictable but good enough that I want to read the second book.
Summer Secrets by
Jane Green (Read 5/14/16 to 5/24/16) - 4 Star
This is the story of a recovering alcoholic who is trying to
follow her program and make amends.
There are twists and turns and betrayals. I found this interesting because it made me
wonder how much I would forgive my ex if he came to me further in his recovery
and truly was sorry and wanted to make amends.
Would I forgive him for the pain he caused while under the influence or
would I want to exact revenge? I would
like to think I would be the bigger person.
Dragonflight by Anne
McCaffrey (Read 5/1/16 to 5/25/16) - 3 Star
This was not my first read of this book. I really like Lessa, she is hard and
sometimes cold hearted, yes but sometimes to reach ones goals and means to a
better end the actions are not always nice.
She spends a good deal of her time looking at the greater picture. And yes she probably caused some harm, but I
truthfully think the harm would have happened with or without her. The dragons are not a soft species and they
need a ruthless queen, and I think Lessa will be one. Not ruthless as in rule the world, but
ruthless in a way that will save lives when the Thread falls. And Thread what an ambiguous and scary
threat, not much is said beyond its deadliness. As this was not my first read, I know that
there is a ton of foreshadowing for the series end in the prologue which I totally
missed on my first read through. So the
first time I read the series, I read in chronological order not publishing
order so this was actually like book #15 or something. Having the back story made this book make
more sense, especially knowledge of the historical riders mentioned. With that being said I could see how some of
the story could be confusing as to what is happening for a first time reader.
The Grownup by
Gillian Flynn (Read 6/25/16) - 1 Star
This is actually a short story. Sadly I can't even remember what the story
was about, it didn't go along with any of the other Gillian Flynn's I read, and
it just was forgettable.
Red Riding Hood by
Sarah Blakely-Cartwright (Listened to 6/20/16 to 6/28/16) - 2 Star
This is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. It was an audio book and let me tell you the
narrator makes all the difference, the narrator of this ruined the book for me,
I just couldn't get into it or even care about the twist. It was awful.
The Witness Wore
Red: the 19th Wife Who Brought
Polygamous Cult Leaders to Justice by Rebecca Musser (Read 5/31/16 to 6/28/16)
- 5 Star
I seem to have developed a slight obsession with polygamy
stories since I discovered Sister Wives on TLC.
I don't understand sharing your husband, I totally get sharing household
duties and child care, but sharing a husband baffles me much the same as the
swinger lifestyle baffles me. I don't
judge, but I don't understand either which is probably why I have an interest. I thought this was an interesting insight
from a woman who got out, and how much courage it took her to leave.
The Goldfinch by
Donna Tartt (Read 6/17/16 to 7/7/16) - 3 Star
This was an ok read, I liked it better than The Secret
History, but it was still really slow for me.
I had a hard time getting through the reading. I really struggled throughout the whole book
with boredom. The storyline seemed
static and full of social commentary; loveless marriages and everyone is a
cheat or a fake. It just felt very
cliché to me.
Neverwhere by Neil
Gaiman (Read 7/1/16 to 7/14/16) - 5 Star
I loved it and I want a sequel!
The Life Changing
Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of
Decluttering and Organizing By Marie Kondo (Listened to 7/12/16 to 7/14/16) - 5
Star
I liked it, the tips were interesting and I really wanted to
go home and declutter after listening to it, I may even buy an actual copy of
the book.
The Haunting of Hill
House by Shirley Jackson (Listened to 7/14/16 to 7/19/16) - 3 Star
It was ok, I had a hard time paying attention though, I am
sure I missed huge swaths of the story because it was audio and I zoned out.
To Kill a Mocking
Bird by Harper Lee (Read 7/8/16 to 7/29/16) - 4 Star
I liked the story it was engaging and interesting. I did have to remind myself sometimes about
the era that this book was written in, and not get my liberal panties in a
twist. I liked the book, I thought it
was good, and I was a little sad that I had missed it in high school.
America's First
Daughter by Stephanie Dray (Read 8/1/16 to 8/11/16) - 4 Star
I liked the story, I know from the author's note that they
tried very hard to make it accurate historical fiction but some parts of course
were not. It made me want to read more
about Jefferson.
Priest by Sierra
Simone (Read 8/11/16 to 8/13/16)
Wowsa!!! This was an
interesting twist and man was the sex HOT!
Go Set a Watchman by
Harper Lee (Read 7/30/16 to 8/18/16) - 5 Star
I actually liked this one better than To Kill a Mockingbird,
I don't understand what all the hollering was about. I thought it was a really good book. I could see where To Kill a Mockingbird came
from, although this book had some of the facts, such as the outcome of the
trial, different. I thought the person
Scout grew up to be was very reasonable and possible. I was sad with her romance choice. I felt the book did a great job of showing
how conflicted people could be in the 60's especially in the south.
The Martian by Andy
Weir (Read 8/21/16 to 8/25/16) - 5 Star
I loved it.
Storyline, the language, the science, all of it, I did a happy dance.
Wreckage by Emily
Bleeker (Read 8/25/16 to 8/29/16) - 3 Star
This was an ok book, but the plot twists were very
transparent from the start and it all wrapped up a little too neatly for my
taste.
Little Black Dress by
Susan McBride (Listened to 9/21/16 to 9/23/16) - 5 Star
I liked this book alot, I have a special place in my heart
for magical surrealism.
Me Before You by Jojo
Moyes (Listened to 9/18/16 to 9/26/16) - 5 Star
OMG this book hit me in an emotional spot. I saw the ending coming from a mile away but
still I cried like a baby the whole time.
It wasn't a typical love story, and I think that was part of the
appeal. To love and to have lost, really
hits me right now. I am still grieving
the loss of my marriage some, and I have said to many people it was as if my ex
had died, because he is so different from the person I married. I could totally relate to Louisa at the end.
Invisible Monsters by
Chuck Plahniuk (Read 9/7/16 to 9/30/16) - 3 Star
This was an outrageously satirical book. Not in a lets laugh at ourselves and society,
but more of a Hey took a good long hard look at yourself way. I thought it was an ok ready, I didn't care
for the style of writing, the multiple point of view and timeline jumps ere had
to follow. I didn't' see a moral of the
story per se. I felt like Pkahniuk
wanted us to become aware of and reflect on society and its view of beauty and
the damage that view does to us. It was
very random and wow every character was fucked up! I wonder if the narrator is a monster because
she is missing her jaw or because she is missing her compassion. Is that the whole point? That she is a more of a monster on the inside
than the outside? But then again none of
the characters are nice; I can't name a single decent person as a
character. I wonder if it a social
commentary that we all have a little monster in us, and Plahniuk just
exaggerated and highlighted those traits to show us our own reflections. Our Narrator seems to accept herself monster
and all, I'm not saying that we should celebrate our monster traits, but maybe
Plahniuk is saying we should embrace ourselves , flaws and all.
Big Little Lies by
Liane Moriarty (Listened to 9/28/16 to 10/3/16) - 5 Star
This was a great book, and spent the entire listen trying to
figure out who died. I loved the
characters; they were developed and very relatable. I spent almost every chapter praying this
character would not be the one to die. I
could especially relate to Celeste. I
have come to admire Moriarty's writing, her stories are never predictable and
the characters are always well developed, even when they are not likable, they
are at least relatable.
*SPOILER* I am a
domestic violence victim myself. I was
he breadwinner and seemed such a strong independent woman to everyone on the
outside. My Ex-Husband used to cut me
down at every turn. I could completely
relate to having a "perfect" marriage to the outside world and living
in a your own personal hell inside your home.
Armada by Ernest
Cline (Read 9/28/16 to 10/6/16) - 5 Star
This was just as loveable as Ready Player One. I love the old school video games and 80's
references. It seemed set up as if there
could be a sequel. I wouldn't be disappointed
if there was one.
From Ashes into Light
by Gundrun Mouw (Read 10/6/16 to 10/8/16) - 2 Star
This was a slow and sad read. It was an ok story, but it really had no
movement. It seemed like an endless
cycle of discrimination and pointless violence and no sign of things getting
any better by the end, just a shared historical experience.
