Book Review: The Vacationers by Emma Straub

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I've been so focused on other things, that reading hasn't been a priority and I always hate that because it's how I de-stress at night before bed. My first clue that I haven't been reading as much is always when my sleeping habits start to go sideways so I picked up a new book and would you guess, I read 5 nights in a row and went to bed at a reasonable hour!

My Rating (via GoodReads): 4/5 stars
Kobo Price: $13.99

This is the perfect/summer vacation book. It's about a somewhat dysfunctional family (aren't they all?) that goes on a trip to an island in Spain together. During the vacation, they really have nothing to do but spend time with each other and in turn, all their dirty laundry and secrets get aired in front of each other. The story jumps around to the perspective of each family member. They don't all leave together and after this trip, they will never be the same.

It was a quick easy read as well as entertaining and even quite comedic at times. The only problem, it made me wish I was lying on a beach somewhere in the Mediterranean. I totally recommend it!

I picked up a new book before I left for Seattle, hopefully it is just as entertaining and I can keep up my good sleeping habits!

Book Review: After Her by Joyce Maynard

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I have to be honest, there's no great reason that I picked up this book. It was recommended to me by Kobo, presumably because I read Labor Day, but it didn't really stand out all that much on it's own. It was a good price and I was lacking inspiration to read something, so I bought it. 

My Rating (via GoodReads): 4/5 stars.
Kobo Price: $11.99

This book surprised me, I actually really liked it. In my opinion, it was a lot better than Labor Day.

It's about 2 girls, sisters, living in San Francisco starting in 1979. Their dad is a police detective and that year he gets a really high profile case revolving around the murders of several young women in the area. His young daughter's, Patty and Rachel become consumed by the case also, intent on helping their Dad in some way, which of course goes terribly wrong. 30 years later, Rachel is still searching for the killer and in turn starts to learn more about her father's mysterious life.

The author fooled me a few times and I enjoyed that, I didn't find it to be predictable. Again, it's another quick read, which is apparently all I've been reading lately.

What are you reading? 

Book Review: The Silver Star by Jeannette Walls

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I originally picked this out because I really really loved The Glass Castle by the same author. It wasn't as good but it was still decent quick read.

My rating (via GoodReads): 3/5 stars
Kobo Price: $14.99

The story surrounds the lives of 2 young sisters living in California in the 1970s. Their mother clearly has some issues and they are forced to find somewhere else to live. They take a bus together to Virgina where their mother's family is from but whom they haven't seen since they were babies.

When they arrive they begin to learn who their mother was and about the town where she grew up. They develop a relationship with their uncle and help take care of the property where he resides. They each grow more independent from each other and from their mother.

Overall, it was a decent book, but not quite as amazing as the Glass Castle.

Book Review: "This is Where I Leave You" by Johnathan Tropper

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This book is on my 2014 TO READ LIST. I purchased this book on my iPad in the Seattle airport when we getting on the plane to go to LA for the LA Marathon. Thank goodness for airport WiFi, because I totally had forgotten to download a book beforehand. I read nearly the whole book during the 2 plane rides, there and back.

My rating (via GoodReads): 4/5 stars
Kobo Price: $13.99

This book had the sarcasm and dry sense of humor that I'm drawn to and that made it the perfect escape from a very bumpy plane ride!

The story surrounds a main character by the name of Judd Foxman, who is mourning the death of his father with his family and is also currently going through a separation from his wife who had a ridiculous affair with his boss. The whole thing is totally crazy and hilarious at the same time. Judd's late father who was Jewish, but didn't observe the religion on a very consistent basis, has chosen for the family to sit Shiva after his passing. Judd gets to know his mother and 3 siblings and their perspective relationships on a more intimate basis than he ever thought possible...

I loved it, the only thing stopping me from giving it that 5th star is the ending... but I will let you figure that one out for yourself!

Book Review: "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher

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This book was a tough read, not technical wise but subject-matter wise. High school is such an uncomfortable phase, and this certainly brought back some of those memories for me. Quick worthwhile read.

My Rating (via GoodReads): 4/5 stars
Kobo Price: $10.99

Thirteen Reasons Why is about a girl named Hannah Baker and the impact she leaves behind after committing suicide. The story is told from the perspective of a fellow student named Clay who receives a box of tapes. Yes, tapes, as in cassette tapes. He plays the first tape unaware of what he will hear, only to find the voice of a dead girl telling her story. She leaves a map literally and figuratively of how she arrived at her life-ending decision. Only the people named on the tapes are the ones who receive them. Clay spends the majority of the book baffled as to why he could be one of the people named, all of whom seemingly indirectly caused her to kill herself.

It is disturbing, truthful, and makes me terrified to know that I too, will one day have a teenager living in my house.

What are you reading this week?

Book Review: "Labor Day" by Joyce Maynard

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This book is on my 2014 to-read list and has also been made into a major motion picture, in theaters now. I have not yet seen the movie, but when I do, I will add a short comparison to the end of this review.

My Rating (via GoodReads): 3/5 stars
Kobo Price: $11.99

I'm sort of ashamed to admit I liked this book. It's not the type of book I would normally go for. The writing intrigued me though, even though it was simple. It is told from the perspective of a thirteen-year-old boy named Henry who lives with his mother. His mother Adele appears to be extremely odd from the start of the book.

On one of their rare trips to the grocery store, Henry meets a strange and injured man who asks to go home with them... Yea, would you say yes? Well, they did. I know right, who does that? Anyways, they find out as time goes on that he is an escaped convict which seems quite obvious to me. He stays with them for all of Labor Day weekend, through which Henry learns a lot about himself, life, and those around him. Yup, totally cheesy statement, but it's true.

The premise was so outrageous and unrealistic, it fueled my need to know how it ended. It's a nice quick easy read and though I find it unlikely to happen in real life, I enjoyed the book nonetheless and the ending was less depressing than I pictured which is always a nice surprise.

It's pretty much made to be turned into film... I'm interested to see how they translated it to screen and whether it's any good. So why 3/5 stars, well I liked it, I didn't LOVE it. Would I have read it, if not to compare it to the movie? I'm not sure, but likely not.

2014 To-Read List

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I read this article and it inspired me to make a 2014 To-Read List in which I must read all of the following books from start to finish and review them before the end of the year. I've added some of my own picks to this list for some variety. Also, for those that apply, I will discuss how the movie compares to the novel.

1. Labor Day by Joyce Maynard

I'm mostly finished with this one, so you can expect a review soon.

2. The Monument's Men by Robert M. Edsel and Bret Witter

3. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Honestly, I'm not really looking forward to this one. I guess I skipped the whole vampire fad because it doesn't interest me at all. Yea, I didn't like Twilight... so sue me. But I'm a stickler for lists and if I'm going to set out to do this, I think I should read every one.

4. Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin

5. A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby

6. Divergent by Veronica Roth

7. The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais

8. This is Where I Leave You by Johnathon Tropper

9. The Maze Runner by James Dashner

10. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

11. Serena by Ron Rash

12. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

13. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

14. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

15. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

I've already read Gone Girl, Dark Places, The Giver, Wild, and the Fault in Our Stars from the original list, all of which were great reads by the way! I like the idea of doing this because it's forcing me to step out of my usual reading genres and try something different.

Have you read any of these? What did you think? What other books make the grade for your 2014 to-read list?

Book Review: "Reconstructing Amelia" by Kimberley McCreight

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This was the perfect book to read after Goldfinch, which even though I loved, was long and exhausting to read. This is an easy read, and it held my attention. I finished it in only a couple of night's reading.

My rating (via GoodReads): 4/5 stars
Kobo Price: $14.99

I had originally rated it 3 stars because when you compare the writing to Goldfinch, it is just not at the same level, but they are totally different genres so that really wasn't fair and I've upped it to 4 stars.

The book surrounds the lives of a 15-year-old girl named Amelia and her mother Kate. At the very beginning, Kate a hard working lawyer, receives the news that Amelia has been caught cheating and killed herself by jumping off the roof of her high school. After which, she understandably begins grieving her tremendous loss. In the midst of dealing with her grief, she receives a text that says only:

She didn't jump.

Soon she realizes that there are some questions surrounding Amelia's death, why was she in so much distress? Kate had always believed that Amelia was an upstanding student and never worried about her in that way before. She begins searching through Amelia's endless texts and emails and discovers more heartbreaking truth's about her daughter than she ever could have imagined.

The writing and the story reminded me of "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Greene. I think because part of the book is told from the perspective of a young adult. Nonetheless, I still loved it and I would recommend it. A great easy read for travel.

Next up, I'm working on a post about a 2014 Reading Challenge that I'm doing based off this article.

Happy reading!

Review: "The Runner's World Cookbook" 150 Ultimate Recipes for Fueling Up and Slimming Down -- While Enjoying Every Bite

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I cannot tell you how ecstatic I was when I found out about this book. I love to run, eat, and read... This is something that combined all 3, it's like it was made just for me!!! I bought it on Black Friday, 1 copy for myself, and 1 for my Secret Santa as well, and I hear that she is also loving it!

$19.44 on Amazon.ca

I've tried out a few of the recipes so far, and there hasn't been one that I didn't like. In fact, several of the recipes have given me ideas for other healthy things I can make on the go.

I'll just point out 2 today and perhaps in another post I'll review some more of the recipes.

Fig & Prosciutto Sandwich

This was quite delicious and very simple. It involved an easy to make fig jam, roasted red peppers, prosciutto, spinach, and I used mozzarella instead of the suggested Swiss cheese. This would be a delicious post-run lunch.

I bought a bunch of figs so I also made:

Caramelized Onion & Fig Pizza

This was also really tasty... I made a big batch of dough and the boys both had their own pizzas and I had this one and had leftovers for the next day! Next time I would add the arugula after baking, but other than that I wouldn't change a thing! If you wanted to add more protein, I suppose you could even do the prosciutto again or spinach instead of arugula.

I'm looking forward to making some more of the recipes. Here are a few that sound appealing to me:

Long-Run Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Chilled Zucchini Soup
Thai Beef & Snow Pea Stir Fry
Chicken NOT Pie
Hummingbird Muffins
Stick-With-You Polenta

All of the recipes are totally geared towards runners and the book contains a lot of useful information on nutrition and what your requirements are before a run and during recovery as well. There are also gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options throughout. This is a definite must-have as far as I'm concerned.

Do you have any favorite pre/post run meals? Have you tried any of the recipes from this cookbook yet?

Book Review: "Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt

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I'm totally conflicted about how to rate this book. I finished reading it just before Christmas and I've been having a hard time wrapping my mind around reviewing it for you all. It is REALLY long. 771 pages long to be exact in hard-copy format. I bought the ebook so I did not realize quite how long it was when I made the purchase... Honestly, I don't know if I would have started it if I had realized that. It is not that the length of the book necessarily relates to quality in any way, it is just that that's a huge time commitment. Anyways I read it, all 771 pages apparently.

My rating (via GoodReads): 4/5 stars
Kobo Price: $14.99

So to be fair, it is 771 pages of really good writing. I love art, it is not something I talk about here often, but I really do. A big portion of my university schooling revolved around art and still today on occasion, you can find me painting or drawing in my basement. Maybe that's why I bought this book in the first place. I was admittedly intrigued to see how the painting fit into the story. But it isn't really about just the one painting, I mean literally it is, but figuratively it is more about how a human can become so enraptured by art.

The book is from the perspective of a boy named Theo Decker. It starts in New York City when he is at a museum with his mom and an explosion occurs and through the chaos and confusion, miraculously he survives but is unable to locate his mom. Theo, in an effort to salvage something beautiful and at the urging of a another injured museum patron, takes a painting and leaves the museum. It is revealed, that it was a terrorist attack on the museum, and Theo lost his mom. This one event initiates a series of decisions that will change Theo's life forever.

The story spans the globe and many years, from New York City, to the suburbs of Las Vegas, to Amsterdam. In a way, it is almost 3 different stories and settings that all come together at the end. It is philosophical and fantastical at times and very easy to get lost in the imagery of Tartt's writing.

It really is quite remarkable if you have the time to read it. I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't embark on it lightly.

Book Review: "In the Woods" by Tana French

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I went searching for a similar novel to Gillian Flynn and this is what I found somewhere on the internet...

My rating (via GoodReads): 3/5 stars
Kobo Price: $10.99

This book starts with the mystery a of young boy who is found with blood filled shoes after disappearing with his two friends in the 1980s, he is the only one who is found. Twenty years later he becomes a detective in the murder squad in Dublin, Ireland and gets a case in the very town where he disappeared so many years before. Throughout the modern case he has flashbacks to being a child playing in the woods and of the day they disappeared.

It was a decent book, it held my attention for the most part but I was unsatisfied with the ending. I'm not one of the people that needs everything all wrapped up nice and neat to be satisfied with the ending. Ambiguous endings can sometimes be okay but to not really even address one of the main plot points is very frustrating. I can't be specific without giving away spoilers. I still may read the other books in the series or more from this author but it's not a first choice. Though I agree that it is a similar genre to Gillian Flynn, it is missing the brilliant twists and intrigue that she offers in her writing.

Book Review: "Sharp Objects" by Gillian Flynn

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I have mixed feelings about this book. I loved it but I also thought it was very strange. Like her other books it is very dark and twisted. If you like that type of genre than it's definitely worth a read.

 

 

My Rating (via GoodReads): 4/5 Stars
Kobo Price: $10.99

As I said in my other Gillian Flynn review, her writing reminds me of Chuck Palahniuk. Sometimes it is so dark, I almost don't want to read it, but at the same time I cannot put it down. The story surrounds a female reporter named Camille Preaker who clearly had a very troubled childhood. She has to go back to her hometown of Wind Gap, MO to investigate a story for the newspaper. The story involves the murders of 2 young girls. While investigating she has to revisit her own childhood and her relationship with her mother and sister. She is a cutter, but she doesn't only cut she cuts whole words into her body which of course just makes the whole thing even more dark and twisted.

After thinking about it more I'd have to agree with my twitter friend, Kendall:



The main character is somewhat unrealistic at times. She's very extreme. It is hard to express how without spoilers. It definitely wasn't predictable though so I wouldn't worry about that.

Having said all that, I think Gone Girl is still my favorite Gillian Flynn novel, this one would be tied with Dark Places for 2nd. Unfortunately I haven't done a review for Gone Girl, because I read it before I started the blog.

Happy Reading!

Other Gillian Flynn reviews:

Dark Places

Book Review: "Dark Places" by Gillian Flynn

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After having read Gillian Flynn's "Gone Girl", I thought it was definitely worth trying some of her other books out and I was not disappointed! Her writing reminds me of Chuck Palahniuk, who is a long time favorite author of mine. It is pretty dark and twisted, so if that's not your thing you probably won't like it.

Rating (via GoodReads): 4/5 Stars
Kobo Price: $10.99

I read on another review that if you're going to read this book, you should do it with your friends and family nearby, surrounded by lovely and pleasant things because it is so depressing. Because this is the kind of book that I like, it didn't bother me, but don't say I didn't warn you!

This particular novel surrounds Libby Day, the survivor of the "The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas", where her whole family was brutally murdered, except for her brother who is later convicted of the crime. Libby, who was just seven years old at the time of the murders, revisits her past, and her testimony which put her own brother in prison 25 years ago. Having run out of money that she received in the wake of the tragedy from the goodness of strangers, she is forced to find another way to make a living, which is how she comes across an organization called the "Kill Club", a group which spends their time investigating, analyzing, and fantasizing about various famous murders. It is Libby's interactions with this group and its members that forces her to reconsider what happened that night.

I could not put this down, I read the whole book in 48 hours which was really only 2 evenings before bed. Not your ideal bedtime reading, but I still loved it. I decided to follow it up with Sharp Objects, Gillian Flynn's other novel, my review of that will be up soon.

Book Review: "Inferno" by Dan Brown

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I've read all three other Dan Brown books in this series so I felt like I had to continue on with "Inferno", though I have to say I didn't have very high hopes. I didn't really enjoy "Lost Symbol", which was the last book in the series before this one.

My Rating (via GoodReads): 2/5 Stars
Kobo Price: $15.99

The book follows along the same lines as the others. Robert Langdon is on a mission searching for something, but in this case he has been injured and has amnesia, and has no idea why he is in Italy. With the assistance of a doctor from the hospital where he wakes up, he searches the city and attempts to retrace his steps, with of course a billion historical references and description of architecture and art along the way. As you might have guessed, the main historical reference/theme in this book surrounds "Dante's Inferno". Another main theme in the book is a topic called "transhumanism", which is defined by Wikipedia as the following:
"is an international cultural and intellectual movement with an eventual goal of fundamentally transforming the human condition by developing and making widely available technologies to greatly enhance human intellectual, physical, and psychological capacities." In this book they are specifically speaking of terrifying ways in which to control the population.

It wasn't terrible, or entirely predictable, but I suppose it just felt repetitive next to the other novels. Though, if you liked the rest of the series, you'll probably enjoy this one as well. It's a nice quick easy read.

Book Review: "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak

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Following reading "The Storyteller", I didn't really intend to read another book about the holocaust right away, but it just ended up that way. To be clear, the holocaust isn't necessarily the main subject matter but rather the era in which the characters exist and therefore obviously a major theme.

My Rating (via GoodReads): 5/5 stars
Kobo Price: $10.99

I wouldn't say it is any more "upbeat" than Jodi Picoult's "The Storyteller", but I liked it WAY better. It is narrated by Death, yes the so-called Grim Reeper himself. So, like I said not necessarily a cheerful read. It is based during the time of WWII and follows the many experiences of a young girl during that time named Liesel Meminger, or as Death refers to her, the book thief. She becomes an orphan and ends up with a family in Germany not far from a concentration camp, though Liesel is unaware of this for quite some time. When she steals her first book she cannot even read the words it contains, but in time she falls in love with reading and it changes her life. The book covers Liesel's, her family's, and her town's journey through the war.

I don't give many books 5/5, but this one deserves it hands down. Go read it. Now.

Book Review: "The Storyteller" by Jodi Picoult

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My Rating (via GoodReads): 3/5 stars
Kobo Price: $15.99

I actually didn't even know what this book was about when I bought it on Kobo. I've read many other Jodi Picoult novels and decided that they were good enough to give another one a go. Although it was totally worth the read, it was a lot heavier than I expected. Lots of her novels surround difficult topics but for me this was by far the most difficult to read about. Reading about the holocaust is difficult any time but she certainly went into great detail here.

I think part of my struggle with this book is that I found the main character, Sage, very unusual and hard to relate with, she would definitely be considered a recluse. She is a baker who prefers to work at night so that she does not have to interact with people often. She faces a problematic moral decision when she learns a man in her grief group was an SS Officer during the war and everyone else in the community believes him to be a kind and contributing citizen completely unaware of his past history. Sage's grandmother happens to be a holocaust survivor which creates more conflict for her. The story jumps back and forth between Sage's life and a fictional story her Grandmother wrote during her time in a concentration camp.

There is a lot of depth to this story but I still found it tough to get through. I found the story shifting back and forth to be somewhat disorienting and if I put the book down for a few days I had a hard time getting back into it. The writing didn't "sound" like Jodi Picoult to me. Having said that I would still recommend giving it a read most especially to those who have read her other novels.

Book Review: "Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail" by Cheryl Strayed

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I cannot get over how much I love this book. I could not put it down.

My Rating (via GoodReads): 5/5 stars
Kobo Price: $10.99

This book is a memoir, a genre that honestly isn't usually "my cup of tea". A journey of a woman who decides to hike 1100 miles to resolve her past and find her future. I went back and forth from questioning Cheryl's decisions and wondering why anyone would do such a thing to wanting to go out there and hike the Pacific Crest Trail myself.

In a lot of ways it made me reconsider the differences between failures and accomplishments and how one can lead to another. A concept which is obviously  totally relevant to me right now in the middle of training for my first full marathon. I saw this diagram earlier this week and it makes me think a lot about what I took away from this book:

You don't have to like hiking or the outdoors or even exercise to appreciate this book and what it has to offer.

If you've read it, did you like it? Would you ever attempt what Cheryl did?

Book Review: "The Hundred Year Old Man who Climbed out of the Window and Disappeared" by Jonas Jonasson

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Sadly when I get busy reading is the hobby that gets the least attention... Running and food come first, haha! Anyways, I enjoyed this book though I think I would have enjoyed it better if I read it more consistently. Because I picked it up and then didn't read it again for a few a days, I got a little lost sometimes. None the less it was a decent read.

My Rating (via GoodReads): 4/5 stars
Kobo Price: $11.99

The title clearly states what the book is about. A centenarian escapes from his elderly home through a window on his birthday and the plot develops from there. Though very entertaining and humorous the book is not entirely realistic. Allan Karlsson (the centenarian) is mentioned in several very prominent historical references. The way in which the book referenced historical events reminded me of Forrest Gump. So, like I said entertaining, but definitely entirely fictional. There is also a very easy format in which the book follows, the chapters alternate between past and present but it was easy to follow and I rarely found myself checking back for things like I have in other books following a similar format. I don't typically read comedies but if I were to recommend one this would be it. It includes everything from historical figures like Stalin and Churchill to transporting an elephant, yes a real live elephant.

Have you read this book, what did you think? What are you reading now, any recommendations? 

Book Review: "Cemetery Girl" by David J. Bell

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This was another suggestion from a reader. I'm totally into thrillers lately (not sure why)... I guess I've always enjoyed that genre because it's something I can easily pick up/put down at leisure, and right now that's working for me.

My Rating (via GoodReads): 4 stars
Kobo Price: $12.99

This book is from the perspective of a father whose daughter goes missing and his journey to find her. For the most part I enjoyed reading this one though I feel like there were some loose ends that never really got tied up at the end and that always nags at me after reading a book. It was definitely not predictable, the way the main character chose to react to some of the situations made me question his morality at times which made it more interesting. Unfortunately I can't divulge too much of the plot without giving away the entire book. I would recommend this book for sure.

Have you read any great books lately (any genre) that I should check out? Please leave some suggestions in the comments below!

Don't miss out on reading this week's Mom Monday (including a great GIVEAWAY)!

Book Review: "Six Years" by Harlan Coben

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This book was recommended to me by a fellow blogger who left a comment on my "books to read" page. Please feel free to do the same, I love suggestions and they don't have to be new books! It was  a nice quick read and was into it despite it not being something I would normally pick.

My Rating (via GoodReads): 3/5 stars
Kobo Price: $15.99

This book was kind of expensive for a Kobo download in my opinion. Though it held my attention it wasn't exactly out of this world. I do agree with the blogger who suggested it, if you liked "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn you'll probably enjoy this book though I didn't find it quite as cleverly written. The story surrounds the life of a college professor who had a whirlwind romance with a woman only to be dumped, he agreed as per her request to leave her alone and move on. Six years have passed when he decides that she is "the one" and he must find her. On his journey to find her he realizes that things aren't quite what they seem. It got pretty ridiculous at a point where I was sitting there thinking, "that would never happen" but none the less I decided to finish the book and I still felt pretty compelled to find out how it ended. Though expensive it succeeded in keeping me entertained for two evenings. Worth a read, perhaps a good vacation novel.