Book It

4 months into my goal of reading more this year, and I’m discovering many amazing books I never would have chosen otherwise. (You can see the goals for my reading list on the 2015 Reading List from PopSugar.)

I’ve been reading so much, that I had to re-arrange my shelves in the living room to hold all of my books. I’m finally getting rid of a lot of my antique books I was keeping solely for decorative purposes and have replaced them with books I’ve actually read or plan to read.

I’m also hoping to start a small Little Free Library outside of my office at work with some of the books I’ve read, but am not planning to keep to read again.

Finished Books

Orange is the New Black

Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison by Piper Kerman is not a book I would have ever picked out myself. From what I’d seen in ads and previews of the Netflix series the show (and therefore the book) seemed to be written entirely for it’s shock value.

However, Orange is the New Black was chosen for One Book One Community in Evansville this year. Since Evansville is the closest community that participates in One Book Once Community, I try to read their selections each year, and I’ve very glad I looked past my misgivings of this book, as this book is about so much more than crazy things that happen in the prison system.

Kerman tells her story in a way that makes you feel like you’re talking to your best friend. I found myself halfway through the book in a matter of hours. It helped me to understand and connect with a group of people that I never thought I could have a thing in common with. This book isn’t for the faint of heart though, there were several times this book made me cry.

For anyone that is interested in participating in One Book One Community this year, Kerman will be speaking at the Victory Theatre in November.

Checked off the list:

• A book by a female author
• A nonfiction book
• A memoir
• A book you can finish in a day
• A book with a color in the title
• A book that made you cry
• A book by an author you’ve never read before
• A book based on or turned into a TV show

The Snack Thief

The Snack Thief is the 3rd book in Andrea Camilleri’s Inspector Montalbano series. I didn’t realize that is was the 3rd in a series when I ran across it at the local Goodwill, but I’m glad I went ahead and got it. The mystery in the book was intriguing, but that’s all I will say since I don’t want to tell you “who done it.” Starting with the 3rd book in the series, I missed some of the back story concerning the over-arching lives of the main characters. It wasn’t enough to make the mystery any less exciting, but it did make references to some of the characters a little more difficult to place.

Checked off the list:

• A mystery or thriller
• A book set in a different country
• A book by an author you’ve never read before
• A book that was originally written in a different language

Cupcakes, Trinkets, and other Deadly Magic

Cupcakes, Trinkets and Other Deadly Magic by Meghan Cinda Doidge was a charming little read about a half-witch who’s life running a cupcake shop is turned upside down when a vampire and some shapeshifters come to town.  This isn’t a book I would have ever picked up, based on it’s cover, but it was available for free on my Kindle app, so I thought I’d give it a try. Cupcakes is the first book in Doidge’s Dowser series – have you noticed that most free kindle books are the first book in a series? It was a strange combination of mystery/thriller and romantic comedy, but a quick and interesting read.

Checked off the list:

• A book with non-human characters
• A mystery or thriller
• A book set in a different country
• A book by an author you’ve never read before
• A book you can finish in a day
• A book with magic

The Devil’s Grin

The Devil’s Grin by A. Wendburg tells the story of a doctor in victorian London who works with the notorious Sherlock Holmes to solve a mystery. Though, this book is in no way your typical Sherlock novel.  The adventure is told from the prospective of the doctor – a woman masquerading as a man so that she can practice medicine.  It was an interesting novel, with a satisfying ending, that left me wanting to pick up the next book in the series.

Checked off the list:

• A mystery or thriller
• A book with a love triangle
• A book by an author you’ve never read before

Headhunting in the Solomon Islands Around the Coral Sea

Headhunting in the Solomon Islands: Around the Coral Sea by Caroline Mytinger was a surprisingly interesting read. As I mentioned above, I picked this book up for free at the University Library because it had been withdrawn from circulation. There isn’t much call for books describing expeditions to, as the book puts it, “paint the portrait of a race of primitive negroids living in the southwest pacific.” We’ll give the book a little slack, as the expedition took place just after WWI, and the book was published in 1942.

Even with the strange, and no longer PC descriptions of the Melanesians in the first chapter, the book was a captivating tale of two women’s trip through the Solomon Islands.  By the time I was finished with this book, I was so engrossed in the story of these women that I didn’t want the book to be over.

The book has several black and white reproductions of her studies on the indiginous population of the Solomon Islands, but they are nothing compared to the

Checked off the list:

• A book by a female author
• A book set in a different country
• A non-fiction book
• A memoir
• A book with a color in the title (coral is a color)

One for the Money

After finishing up Headhunting, I needed something of an easy read, so I decided to pick up a copy of One for the Money by Janet Evanovich. This book about a lingere buyer turned bounty hunter was more than a little far fetched, at least in my opinion. Reading a lot of fantasy, I’m pretty good at suspension of disbelief, but I think lack of magic makes some of the more mundane absurdities of the book stand out. It certainly wasn’t one of the best books I’ve ever read, but it wasn’t horrible. I would even be willing to read the sequels, but they aren’t something I’ll make an effort to go out and look for.

Checked off the list:

• A book that became a movie
• A book with a number in the title
• A book by a female author
• A mystery or thriller
• A popular author’s first book
• A book a friend recommended (Amy was always reading these)
• A book by an author you’ve never read before

Currently Reading

The Way We Live Now

According to my Kindle app, I’m about a quarter of the way through The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope. I feel like it’s taken ages to make it that far into the book, but things are beginning to get interesting. I imagine that if you like soap operas, you would really enjoy all of the goings on in this book. I still get lost in the language from time to time, and there are more characters than you can shake a stick at, but I’m beginning to think the book will be worth it in the end.

Then Again

Then Again is a memoir written by Diane Keaton about her mother and herself. Six chapters in, I’ve learned a lot about the famous actress, but more than that, I’m enjoying the story of a real person, a real family.

Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant

Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant is a novel by Alex Gilvarry. So far the book is so well written I can’t tell if from a real memoir. I’m far from finished but I would already recommend this book to any of my friends who love a good story.

To Read:

Some other books I’m wanting to read this year include:

• Ten Thousand Devils– the 3rd book in the Outlaw King series by S.A. Hunt – The 1st two books were amazing, but I waited so long before the 3rd came out that I’ll probably reread the 1st 2 before tackling the 3rd in the series.
• Worn Stories– a collection of clothing inspired narratives written up by Emily Spivack – I love fashion, and with a newly discovered love of essays, I want to give this one a try.
• Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan – This book showed up in my Amazon recommendations and after reading the synopsis, it seems like the type of book I would love. How could I not love a book set in a bookstore?

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Sharing over at:
Inspiration Monday at I Should Be Mopping the Floor, Made by You Monday at Skip to My
Lou, Much Ado About Monday at Huckleberry Love