1. A BOOK YOU OWN BUT HAVEN'T READ - I chose Flyboys by James D. Bradley. I bought this book years ago as a gift for Wes and Clint also read it last year. It tells the true story of nine airmen shot down in the Pacific during WWII. It was gruesome. Factual. Gut-wrenching. Honest. Powerful. I learned more than I really wanted to about the war in the Pacific and gained such an appreciation for these flyboys. It is not a book for the faint of heart, but it is a courageous and heart breaking story. The parts about George H. W. Bush were particularly interesting to me.
2. A BOOK THAT WAS MADE INTO A MOVIE - I chose The Woman Who Wasn't There by Robin Gaby Fisher. I didn't know anything about this true story until I happened upon this book at the DI one day. I just thought the cover and title were interesting. The book is the astonishing story of Tania Head, a 9/11 survivor who escaped the 78th floor of the burning south tower while also losing her fiance who was in the north tower. Or did she? This was a riveting tale of deception that I just could not put down. There is a documentary version that includes footage of interviews with Tania and other survivors with whom she became close. I enjoyed the documentary as well. It's a haunting story.
3. A BOOK YOU PICKED SOLELY BECAUSE OF THE COVER - I chose Love Is A Mixtape by Rob Sheffield. Love. Loss. The soundtrack of a life. This is a very personal memoir of Rob's great love told through the mixtapes that they made for each other. I hung on every word. It was hilarious, sweet, sad and tenderly intimate. His achingly honest thoughts about widowhood made me cry. I adored all the song lyrics and music references. Plus, it has a terrific cover! What is love? Love is a mixtape.
4. A BOOK YOUR FRIEND LOVES - I chose Visions Of Glory by John Pontius. It is an account of near death experiences and thoughts about prophesied events from an LDS perspective. It was an interesting read as something to make you think about your own beliefs, and I can very much appreciate why this particular friend loves it so much. However, I have a problem with people telling these extremely personal experiences that seem too sacred to share. It makes me doubt its validity that the author wishes to make money from these intimate experiences. The best takeaway that I had from this book is a desire to focus more on the most important things in life, my family and relationship with God.
5. A BOOK PUBLISHED THIS YEAR - I chose All Fall Down (Embassy Row #1) by Ally Carter. One day at the library I was checking out some books when someone was returning this one. I snatched it up immediately and read it in a day. Ally Carter is the author of my favorite teen series, The Gallagher Girls, and I was so excited to see a new series by her! Granted, I didn't enjoy it as much as my beloved spy girl books, but the series does have promise. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to teens and moms looking for adventurous YA literature that is substantial, character driven, and clean! I just saw that book #2 will be in stores just before Christmas! Yippee Skippee, I can't wait!
6. A BOOK BY AN AUTHOR YOU'VE NEVER READ BEFORE - I chose The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins. There has been an overwhelming amount of hype for this debut psychological thriller and it has landed on more than one "best books of the year" list. It had me trying to suspend my opinion for a great portion of the book. I really wanted to love it. I just didn't like any of the characters. I kept telling myself that it was a psychological story line and that anything could happen. Maybe Rachel's story was all true, but maybe she was being deceived and maybe I would like the eventual truth better than the yarn I was reading. While my final opinion wasn't a five star review, the book did have that page turning factor that makes it an enjoyable read. I was consumed until I found out the whole truth. I certainly think Ms. Hawkins has a career ahead of her.
7. A BOOK BY AN AUTHOR YOU LOVE - I chose X by Sue Grafton. You know she's an author I love, because you will see her name in this blog post more than once. X is the latest installment of Grafton's alphabet mystery series. Kinsey Milhone is one of my most beloved characters in all of literature. I adore these books. They continue to deliver. Can there really only be two more letters in the alphabet? What will I ever do without Kinsey in my world?
8. A BOOK AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR "TO BE READ" PILE - I chose Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell. This was one of several books I picked up at the DI one day. I loved the cover and was curious about the historical aspect as it tells the story of the Americanization of Hawaii. It was the most fun I've ever had with a history book, I'll tell you that. The writing was sharp, witty, cheeky, yet thoroughly researched and well presented without being slanted. Awesome bonus - the author is the voice of Violet in The Incredibles!
9. A BOOK WITH A COLOR IN THE TITLE - I chose The Black-Eyed Blonde by Benjamin Black. I had a hard time narrowing down a choice for this category because there were so many that I wanted to read. I finally settled on this one because it has not one, but two colors in the title, and because of the entertaining bonus that the author's name also includes a color. Benjamin Black has taken over the writing of the quintessential noir PI character Philip Marlowe, originally created by Raymond Chandler. Having never read Chandler, I can't comment on how true to character Black's writing is, only on my experience with this book. His vintage LA atmosphere was well crafted and probably true to the 1950s. I could easily picture each character. They all seemed a little sad and melancholy which added to the feel of the novel. It was a great mystery and kept me guessing. "The rest would be easy to put out of my mind, but not the black-eyed blonde. I've said it before, and I know I'll have cause to say it again: women are nothing but trouble, whatever you say, whatever you do."
10. A BOOK SET SOMEWHERE YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO VISIT - I chose Diana: Her True Story In Her Own Words by Andrew Morton. Not only have I always wanted to visit England, but I've always been obsessed with the Royal Family. I wanted to BE Diana when I was a teenager. Of course I had her hairstyle! Writing this I am still filled with admiration for her goodness, and sorrow for her heartbreaking story. Because I loved her, I have always stayed away from the controversial and sensational stories. But maybe enough time has gone by that I could read this book objectively. Maybe not. I realize this was supposedly Diana's side of the story, but because it was so brutally one sided and sharply critical of Charles, it left me skeptical at best of the validity of the word "true" in the title. Also, the editing was a mess. It was full of grammatical errors, wrong dates, unclear pronouns and just plain bad writing. The best parts of the book were the rare photos of the young, vibrant Lady Di. I miss her. I wonder what good in the world she would have done.
11. A BOOK YOU STARTED BUT NEVER FINISHED - I chose The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind by William Kamkwamba. This inspirational memoir had been highly recommended to me by friends and family members, and I'm still not sure why I started it and didn't finish it. I was glad for the motivation of this category to finally get through it. William had heard of windmills and dreamed of building one that would bring electricity to his village in Malawi, a land withered by drought. His neighbors thought he was crazy, but William persevered and ended up changing the lives of those around him. This is a remarkable story that celebrates the power of the one.
12. A BOOK WITH A LION, A WITCH OR A WARDROBE - I chose All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. This was my favorite category on the list as well as my favorite book I read this year. I originally picked it for a different category, but when I realized that a wardrobe plays a pivotal role in the story, I had to use it here. This WWII novel was beautifully written, surprisingly suspenseful, and I loved how the individual stories weaved together perfectly to a highly satisfying ending. Wow. I love this book. I have recommended this one more than any others on my list.
13. A BOOK WITH A FEMALE HEROINE - I chose Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. It was recommended to me by a friend for good reason. It was just a super fun read. It actually has three female heroines and it packs a powerful punch, while still being delightfully quirky and funny. It was the most enjoyable whodunnit I've read in a long time.
14. A BOOK SET IN THE SUMMER - I chose One Summer by David Baldacci, an obvious title for a book set in the summer, but sadly a forgettable tale. I kept asking myself why I was still reading this book. I could list a dozen reasons off the top of my head why this book was so bad, but it's not really worth my time. I have read Baldacci novels before and enjoyed them, but this was definitely not one of his better books.
15. A BOOK OF POEMS - I chose May Out West by May Swenson because I have visited her grave and I live in her native home. It was awesome to actually read some of her poetry. Although poetry is not my favorite genre, I found these poems very accessible and understandable with beautiful imagery and May's personal memories. Here are some little samples of my favorites:
from Above Bear Lake
Suddenly, a steep drop-off: below we see the whole,
the whale of it - deep, enormous blue -
that widens, while the sky slants back to pale
behind a watercolored mountain.
from The Seed of my Father
I rode on his shoulder. He showed me the moon.
He told me its name with a kiss in my ear.
"My moon," I said. "Yours," he agreed.
And as we walked, it followed us home.
16. A BOOK YOU LEARNED ABOUT BECAUSE OF THIS CHALLENGE - I chose Flags Of Our Fathers by James D. Bradley. I learned about this book after reading Flyboys, which is by the same author. Flags Of Our Fathers is the true story behind the immortal photograph of the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima. Mr. Bradley's own father was one of those flag raisers. The photograph didn't come about the way I've always thought. I found this story surprising, captivating and easier to follow than Flyboys. It was more about the men themselves and their stories and a little less gruesome. A little.
17. A BOOK THAT WILL MAKE YOU SMARTER - I chose The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan. This book is a phenomenal explanation of the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians and includes a lot of fascinating history. It was so helpful in understanding the situation in that part of the world. It was told through the eyes of two main characters, but still a nonfiction book. I thought that was a genius way to tell the story. It's a bit of a heavy read. I could only read a little at a time, and then think about it a lot. It's definitely worth reading though. I really enjoyed it.
18. A BOOK WITH A BLUE COVER - I chose Prayers For Sale by Sandra Dallas. I actually read several books with blue covers, and this was the original category I had chosen for All The Light We Cannot See. Blue must be a popular color for book covers. I have read many books by Sandra Dallas and have always enjoyed them. For some reason, I just couldn't get in to this one though. I don't know if I just wasn't in the mood at the time or what. It seems like a book I would enjoy: friendship between depression era, inter-generational women with sad stories to tell. I don't want to discount it totally, given that I have enjoyed Sandra Dallas in the past, so I won't say any more. I still think I might have enjoyed it if I had read it at a different time.
19. A BOOK YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO READ IN SCHOOL BUT DIDN'T - I chose Cannery Row by John Steinbeck. This was actually a tough category for me because I always read everything I was supposed to read in school! I loved my Literature classes and studied English in college. So I decided to read a classic that could have been assigned in school but wasn't. I wanted to read Steinbeck because I never liked his books in school. I know that he has a lot of loyal fans, and I thought maybe I would like him more as an adult. Reading Cannery Row was kind of a mixed bag for me. Alas, I'm still not a Steinbeck fan, (sorry, Gretchen) but I did come away with a much greater appreciation. The man could paint a picture, that's for sure. His settings and descriptions were strong and I found his use of words impressive and harmonic. Still, I gotta have a little more plot and character development.
20. A BOOK "EVERYONE" BUT YOU HAS READ - I chose Wonder by R.J. Palacio. This book has been recommended to me by, well, everyone! I have had it on my "to read" list for a long time, so this was the perfect category for Wonder. It didn't disappoint. I adore this book. I love the voice and the character of August. He is not an ordinary boy, and this is not an ordinary tale. It's a just plain excellent read, truly a Wonder! Read it if you haven't!
21. A BOOK WITH A GREAT FIRST LINE - I chose The Rent Collector by Camron Wright. I was so happy to see this category because I always judge a book by its first line. My personal favorite first line is from The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, also a favorite book. Here is the first line from The Rent Collector: "I once believed that heroes existed only in old men's fables, that evil in the world had triumphed over good, and that love - a true, unselfish, and abiding love - could only be found in a little girl's imagination." Pretty good, huh? I read this for book club, and it was a great book club choice. It is fiction, but it's based on real settings and people. At our book club we watched the documentary that inspired the book, the story of the trash collectors from Stung Meanchey, the largest municipal waste dump in all of Cambodia.
22. A BOOK WITH PICTURES - I chose Olivia by Ian Falconer. I got this book for Mother's Day after our sweet new granddaughter, Olivia was born. Incidentally, I've read this book more times than any other on this list because I've read it to the baby over and over. Olivia is a treasure, pure unmitigated awesome. It's also very relatable to mommies.
23. A BOOK FROM THE LIBRARY - I chose A Is For Alibi by Sue Grafton, the first alphabet mystery and introduction to Kinsey Millhone. I figured after reading X that even if there are only two more books to go, I can always re-read these favorites! I remembered the story line but not how it all wrapped up. It was so much fun all over again to read this first installment, especially after almost finishing the whole series. Kinsey's character has evolved so much over time. Grafton is truly one of the most gifted mystery writers ever, with her eye for detail, inventive plotting, and flawless characterization of a flawed, broken, yet triumphant heroine.
24. A BOOK YOU LOVED... READ IT AGAIN - I chose The Book Of Mormon, the book that has influenced and changed my life more than any other. I try to read from it at least a little bit every day. This year I read the entire book once again. I believe that you can grow closer to Jesus Christ through reading The Book Of Mormon with an open heart. I highly recommend it!
25. A BOOK THAT IS MORE THAN TEN YEARS OLD - I chose Midwives by Chris Bohjalian. Bohjalian's writing is impeccable, his eye for detail and pacing immaculate. He is one of my favorite authors, and Midwives is one of his best. I've read it a couple of times before and it ended up in a pile of books I bought from the DI this year. So it's another re-read. And another blue cover! I love this author because none of his books are even similar. Every book is like a completely different genre, yet he always has a gift for exploring how his characters are transformed by the events in his stories. I love the organization of this novel, the journal entries, and also the tone and perspective of the daughter. It's darn near as perfect a read as you can get.
26. A BOOK BASED ON A TRUE STORY - I chose Kinsey And Me by Sue Grafton. Are you seeing a theme here? I do have a few favorite authors. This is a book of short stories. The first half are Kinsey Millhone stories from when Grafton was just starting out with this character. They are just as satisfying as the longer novels. Kinsey is such a treat, and Grafton's writing is so tight. The second half are autobiographical essays about Grafton's early life, most notably thoughts about her father. These stories were dark, but insightful and very personal. This was a nice change of pace for Grafton and I enjoyed reading it.
Okay, on to 2016! Now that my 2015 list is complete, it's time to start another adventure! Anyone want to join me? Here is my new list of categories:
1. A BOOK IN WHICH WEATHER PLAYS A ROLE
2. A BOOK BY A FOREIGN AUTHOR
3. LISTEN TO AN AUDIO BOOK
4. A BOOK SET SOMEWHERE YOU'VE TRAVELED
5. A SELF HELP BOOK
6. A COMEDY
7. A BOOK OF SHORT STORIES
8. A BOOK IN REALLY BAD CONDITION
9. A BOOK WITH SOMEONE'S NAME IN THE TITLE
10. A BOOK PUBLISHED THE YEAR OF YOUR BIRTH
11. A BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY
12. A WORK OF SHAKESPEARE
13. A BOOK WITH A CHARACTER WHO SHARES YOUR NAME
14. THE BOOK VERSION OF A MOVIE YOU LOVED
15. A BOOK THAT MAKES YOU THINK
16. A RANDOM LIBRARY PICK
17. RE-READ A BOOK YOU LOVED AS A KID
18. READ A BOOK OUT LOUD TO SOMEONE
19. A BOOK BY A CELEBRITY AUTHOR
20. A BOOK THAT A FRIEND DIDN'T LIKE
21. A GENRE YOU'VE NEVER READ BEFORE
22. A BOOK THAT IS OVER 100 YEARS OLD
23. A BOOK WITH FOOD ON THE COVER
24. A CHRISTMAS BOOK
25. A BOOK YOU LEARNED ABOUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA
26. A BOOK WITH AN ANIMAL AS A MAIN CHARACTER
