30 Books in 2013: January - June

Last year my goal was to read 30 books in the year. And I did it.

This year I have the same goal and I'm currently ahead of schedule. Through the months of January to June I've read 18 books. I decided to break up my reviews since it would be too many books at the end of the year and this is more manageable. 

If you'd like more reviews you can read my 30 Books in 2012 Reviews and my Holocaust Novels Reviews. You can also follow me on Goodreads.

Mother Had a Secret by Tiffany Fletcher

This book was okay. I picked it because it's about a daughters point of view living with her mother with 15 different personalities and the effect it had on her childhood and their family. I usually enjoy stories like this from the phsychological aspect. While this book was enlightening about the disorder and seeing it from a child's point of view the story didn't really grab me. The fact that it's a true story though was intriguing.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

This story started off so normaly for a while that I wondered what it was leading to. Sylvia's struggle to "snap out" of her depression soon emerged. I wasn't as riveted as I thought I would be given that it's a classic. In the end it was an enjoyable novel to read.

The Kitchen House: A Novelby Kathleen Grissom

This was truly an amazing story. I simply couldn't stop reading it. A white orphaned servant girl gets sent to a plantation in the South and put to work among the slaves. The characters are so well formed and the slaves and plantation owners lives often paralleled each other reminding us "we are all just people". Throughout the book you feel like you become part of the family and you learn the balance between love, loyalty, family and sacrifice. If you liked The Help, you'll like this even better!

The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain

This book was recommended to me on Goodreads. It's the story after a beloved midwife commits suicide leaving a curious note that leads to a heartbreaking secret. The story follows her two closest friends as they try to unravel this web of betrayal and secrets their friend left after her death. You'll be blown away by the female relationships including mother/daughter bonds. I loved trying to piece together the mystery which made it a hard book to put down!

Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan

Another memoir. This one deals with Susannah, a journalist who wakes up to discover she's been hospitalized for a month and has no memory of that time. It was an interesting read about a rare autoimmune disorder that makes the body attack itself, in this case the brain. Terrifying and fascinating at the same time.

Love Anthony by Lisa Genova

I picked up this book after reading her other two last year (Still Alice and Left Neglected). I didn't love it as much as the others but it did some serious tugging on my heartstrings. I've always had a pull towards learning about autism and how autistic kids function on the world. Two mother's meet at the crossroads in their lives and it shows their different struggles. I found the parts about Anthony the autistic boy to be the most captivating. How she gave us his perspective seemed spot on. It really opened my eyes to this neurological disorder.

The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain

After reading The Midwife's Confession I knew I wanted to read some other Diane Chamberlain books. People are good but sometimes they are forced to do horrible things. That is what this book is about. CeeCee was naive and got herself involved in a botched kidnap attempt of a pregnant woman. I don't want to spoil the book so you'll have to read it to find out what happens. Loved the storyline.

Before The Storm by Diane Chamberlain

Laurel suffers from post partum depression and alcoholism and her son is born with fetal alcohol syndrome. Because of this he is taken into the system. Laurel fights to get her son back and continues to  try to make up for her mistakes in her life. But when her son is charged with arson in a church fire things start to unravel. Arson, affairs, and secrets from the past this is a real page turner. 

Secrets She Left Behind by Diane Chamberlain

This is sort of a sequel to Before the Storm. You meet some new characters and there are some old characters intertwined in the story. More drama and affairs and secrets that will leave you stunned!  You get flashbacks from the first book but from different characters which is nice. I recommend reading Before the Storm first to get a better sense of the main characters and what is going on.

The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch

"A historical thriller set in Germany in 1660" A secret peek into the life of an executioner of the times. A town horrified to find several murdered children with strange tattoos on their bodies and discover the possibility of a witch in their midst. They set out to punish the woman they suspect is the witch while the hangman (also the local torturer) is set on finding "the real killer". A fictional spooky mystery with some historical facts thrown in.

The Light Between Oceans: A Novel by M.L. Stedman

Sad to say but probably one of my least favorite books from this bunch. A lighthouse keeper and his wife live on a deserted island. After several miscarriages one day a boat washes up on their island with a baby and a dead man on it. The wife filled with heartache from her miscarriages decides to keep the baby and raise it. It was an entertaining book but it frustrated me because I wanted the characters to do the right thing and they didn't. I ended up feeling sorry for all the characters even the baby.

The Snow Child: A Novel by Eowyn Ivey

Jack and Mabel are farming the untamed and unsettled Alaskan frontier. They are an older couple with no children when one night they make a snow child in the magical snow and the next morning a real child appears in the woods. It's part fairytale and part sorrow and heartbreak as the child grows and becomes part of their life.

Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris

A very quick read for the people who atheist. It's a pretty abrasive book and pretty extreme. It was an interesting read but read like a textbook to me with lots of information.

Deconverted: A Journey from Religion to Reason Seth Andrews

The autobiography of Seth Andrews as he grows up as a strong believer in a Christian school/household and even becomes a Christian radio host until he started really questioning his religion in his 30's and became de-converted. Now he's the guy behind The Thinking Atheist podcast. I loved his style of storytelling and it's a fair assessment of religion without name calling or such. Great for anyone who is open minded.

A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy

Set in Ireland in the winter Chicky Starr renovates herself and an old house and opens a holiday hotel, the Stone House. The book chronicles the first house guests of the season. Each section is devoted to a different characters and told from their point of view. It was a cozy relaxing read with well developed characters but not much plot except for what happens the first week in the holiday hotel. 

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

I'm a huge Jodi Picoult fan (loved My Sister's Keeper, Perfect Match and Nineteen Minutes). That being said, this was hands down my favorite Jodi Picoult book thus far.  A jewish baker befriends and elderly man and then he shocks her by asking her to kill him. In a turn of events she discovers he's a ex Nazi officer and her grandmother is a surviver of the Holocaust. Such a riveting plot and you become so connected with the characters and really feel the pain during the WWII scenes. I have a love hate relationship with holocaust stories and this one really captures a good story.

Defending Jacob: A Novel by William Landay

A court room fictional drama. When a local teenager is murdered the district attorney is shocked when his son is named the main suspect. Of course the whole book is about defending his son, Jacob. Did he do it? Will he go to jail? How will this affect their family? This book has you asking a lot of questions and the ending will leave you stunned. When I read the last few pages and closed the book I seriously sat there and said outloud "what just happened."

Wedding Night: A Novel by Sophie Kinsella

Not my favorite Sophie Kinsella book. Cheesy while trying to be romantic. Fliss is interferring with her sisters quicky wedding and tries to ruin her wedding night so she can get an anullment. The main character Lottie just got on my nerves a lot. Maybe it would be a nice easy summer read.

30 books in 2012

Last year I took the Goodreads 2012 book challenge and challenged myself to read 25 books. I ended up reading 30. Here are my mini reviews of my books.

 The Fault In Our Stars  by John Green Amazing and terrible and heart wrenching and hilarious. There are so many great points about life and love captured in this story. Cancer. Death. Trying to understand the vastness of infinity.

The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski This would make a good beach read. It started off okay, about self discovery and love and inner strength but I never could really get into it that much. I feel the characters were okay and geared more towards a younger age group. Good if you like melodrama.

The Unwanted Wife by Natasha Anders A surprisingly entertaining kindle purchase for $0.99. A cold unloving husband and an unwanted wife. The story line was interesting but the end was pretty predictable. It was a good quick vacation read.

The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston An enjoyable historical fiction with themes of witchcraft, love and adventure. It had an interesting and spooky twist on magic which I liked. The switching between times/stories got frustrating at times though.

I read several Holocaust themed novels in 2012. I gave mini reviews on these back in July. My favorites were Those Who Save Us and The Book Thief. 

 The Birth House by Ami McKay It was a fairly interesting story. The main character didn't grab me like she should have. There was  a struggle with traditional and modern medicine and gave a small insight to women's rights in this era.

The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaarberbol and Agnete Friis A suspense thriller that kept me turning the pages. Someone recommended this book to me. I felt like there were a lot of characters to keep track of and I wasn't really a fan of the main Nina character. I kept reading to find out what happened at the end.

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks I'm always a fan of Nicholas Sparks books even though most of them seem like the same story/characters. Sometimes it's just nice to read a nice love story with likable characters and this had all of that. This book didn't blow me away but it was entertaining.

One For The Money by Janet Evanovich Someone told me about these books and told me I would want to read them all if I read one. It didn't happen. This book did not impress me. This book was meh.

Unorthodox by Deborah Feldman I gave this book 5 stars which is shocking for me especially for a religious memoir. I loved the voice she had and the story she told. I loved learning how life was growing up in a Hasidic household. My only complaint was that ending felt rushed.

50 Shades of Gray Trilogy by E.L. James Yes I read the 50 shades books and yes I enjoyed them! The first book I was hooked, why was Gray so dark, tortured and intense? At the same time I found the writing of Ana very receptive, how many times did I read "my breath hitched". But I got past it and the writing changed slightly. I enjoyed the third book the best because I liked following the evolution of Anna and Christians relationship. I wasn't bothered by reading the BDSM parts like some people I know. To each their own, I like reading different things in stories, that's what makes them interesting.

 11/22/63 by Stephen King I don't think I've ever read a Stephen King book before this. I had it in my head that he only wrote horror stories but this story of love and time travel got me good. I enjoyed the beginning and the end even though the middle dragged a lot. He was such a good story teller and makes you wonder, how would you change the past, and if you did what would happen because of what you changed?

The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon I was really intrigued from the very beginning. I thought it was going to be a story of one character when it really was about a different character. I think the author did a good job of showing the points of views of people with disabilities. Beautifully written story full of emotion and hope.

The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorenson This book did not do it for me. I was bored most of the time reading it. The "secret" was practically non existent and I couldn't connect with either of the main characters in this story. Not recommended.

Left Neglected by Lisa Genova What a well researched and imaganitve book. It makes you think twice before answering your cell phone while driving. I found the little know and not understood condition of left neglected to be very interesting and scary at the same time.

Me and Emma by Elizabeth Flock  This book is about child abuse so that's hard to swallow. I figured out the "twist" early in the story which kind of ruined it for me. You are drawn in by these sisters and find yourself hoping they can escape their fate.

The Rules of Inheritance by Claire Bidwell Smith Honestly, I know I read this book and I know I enjoyed it because I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads but I can't really remember the story. Something about it must just not stick with me or maybe I read a riveting book before and after this and it got lost in between. I don't know but I feel like I need to re-read this one.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova I read this before I read Left Neglected and I fell in love with the way Lisa tells a story. She does an amazing job of taking you inside the mind of a person with Alzheimer's. I really felt connected with the fear and frustrations that Alice goes through as she gets progressively worse. I couldn't stop thinking about this book.

Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda I adored this book and couldn't put it down. The story follows two families well and how they are intertwined. A very compelling story full of struggles with birth, miscarriage, adoption and love of a child. I found it very inspirational. 

+++++

If you're on Goodreads maybe you want to take the 2013 book challenge too? I'm doing it again this year. This time I'm challenging myself to read 30 more books! Join me!