December Book Reviews
Sadly December came and went and I was unable to complete my Goodreads challenge of reading 52 books in the past year. I’m not going to dwell on it, I came up on 8 books short and completed a total of 44 books in 2015 which in my opinion was a great effort. Because of some traveling, holiday events and the overall busyness of December I was only able to finish four books. Without further ado here are my reviews:
A Spool of Blue Thread, Anne Tyler:
This is one the best books that I read in 2015, it was short listed for the Man Booker and I can see why. Anne Tyler is a master when it comes to family dynamics and relationships told over a number of years in this novel. A Spool of Blue Thread follows the Whitshank family throughout the years, chronicling the lives of its members. This is a beautiful read, so take the time to enjoy it (ie: this is not a beach read).
The Martian, Andy Weir:
I wasn’t sure that this book was in my wheel house, but I’m glad I gave it a shot. I really enjoyed reading The Martian. I loved Mark Watney’s sarcasm and irony throughout. It gave an air of comedy to a situation that was anything but funny. As far as all of the scientific calculations and information in the book, I’m taking it for what it is (fiction). I know that some people were put off by how accurate the novel is scientifically – I don’t care. It was overall a very entertaining read. I would recommend for next time you’re on a long road trip, or an airplane.
Tricky Twenty Two, Janet Evanovich:
If you’re like me, you’re basically the biggest Stephanie Plum fan girl alive. For Real! I have read all of the other Plum books and they’re all essentially the same. You can count on the following: You will crave donuts, Someone is always getting flashed, Stephanie will be abducted at some point, Ranger is still hot, Morelli still has ulcers, and Lula will kill it with the one liners. If you enjoyed the other Plum novels, you’ll love this one too. Read it with a glass of wine after a long day. I promise you’ll feel better.
Luckiest Girl Alive, Jessica Knoll:
Will someone please explain to me why there was so much hype about this book?! For the life of me, I could not get into it. Ani Faneli was the most vapid wannabe that I’ve met in literature thus far. I could not stand her. This book has a fairly simple plot, I’ll break it down for you:
- Parents send daughter to upper class school
- Girl will do anything to fit in
- Typical dumb teenage decision making leads our main character to make terrible mistakes that will haunt her for the rest of her life
- Tragedy strikes
- Revenge in the form of becoming the most successful (unhappy) person in the world at whatever cost.
I will say pass on this one. I just couldn’t get into it and I think for the subject there are better stories.
And that’s how December of 2015 played out. This month I’m traveling, but hoping to get a good start on my reading challenge for 2016. As always, I’d love your feedback or any recommendations you may have!
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